Manus, an AI agent start-up originally founded in China and now headquartered in Singapore, achieved an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $500M earlier this year, showing significant growth since its $2B acquisition by Meta in December 2025.

The deal was mandated to be reversed by Chinese authorities, marking a push to keep leading AI firms under domestic control. Investors, including Tencent, are negotiating a deal at the original $2B valuation to allow Manus to operate independently.

Despite concerns about sustaining growth outside Meta’s ecosystem, investors foresee an eventual listing in Hong Kong.

Tencent plans to utilize Manus’s AI agent technology to complement its initiatives such as embedded agents within the WeChat platform.