AI Agent · China · Meta · Singapore · Decrypt
OpenAI then hired OpenClaw's creator, Peter Steinberger, to lead its push into personal agents
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China's commerce ministry said in January it would assess the Manus deal, and by March co-founders Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao had been summoned to Beijing and barred from leaving the country, per Reuters.
Key facts
- Manus, the AI agent startup that Meta bought for about $2 billion before China forced Meta to give it back, has raised more than $500 million in fresh funding
- Demand was frantic: invite codes were reportedly listed on a Chinese resale marketplace for as much as 10 million yuan, over $1.3 million
- By December it had reached $100 million in annual recurring revenue, the yearly total of its subscriptions, about eight months after launch
- Its parent company, Butterfly Effect, confirmed the round in a WeChat post, with Boyu Capital and IDG Capital leading and existing backers Tencent, HSG (the firm formerly known as Sequoia China)
Summary
Manus parent Butterfly Effect raised more than $500 million, led by Boyu Capital and IDG Capital with Tencent, HSG and ZhenFund participating, in its first round since Meta's acquisition collapsed. Meta announced a roughly $2 billion purchase in December 2025; China's planning agency ordered it unwound on April 27, and Manus announced in August it would resume independent operations. Manus reported $100 million in annual recurring revenue about eight months after its March 2025 launch; no valuation was disclosed for the new round. Manus, the AI agent startup that Meta bought for about $2 billion before China forced Meta to give it back, has raised more than $500 million in fresh funding. Its parent company, Butterfly Effect, confirmed the round in a WeChat post, with Boyu Capital and IDG Capital leading and existing backers Tencent, HSG (the firm formerly known as Sequoia China) and ZhenFund joining.