Manus investors plan to buy back AI startup from Meta for $2B

Meta’s biggest AI acquisition is getting reversed. The original Chinese investors behind Manus, the AI agent startup that took the tech world by storm, are in talks to repurchase the company from Meta Platforms at the same $2 billion price tag Meta paid just six months ago.

Manus’s revenue has reportedly quadrupled since the acquisition, reaching somewhere between $400 million and $500 million. So the original backers are essentially getting a company worth considerably more than $2 billion for the price of the original deal.

Beijing pulls the plug

Chinese authorities mandated the unwinding of the Manus deal in June 2026, citing national security concerns related to AI technology exports. Meta began operational separation around June 13, ceasing data sharing with Manus.

The original investors lining up for the buyback include HSG, ZhenFund, and Tencent, all early backers of Manus before Meta came knocking in late December 2025. To finance the deal, the investor group is exploring a potential $1 billion raise.

A forced breakup that might benefit everyone

Meta acquired Manus for over $2 billion in late December 2025, a deal that represented one of the largest AI startup acquisitions of the year. Manus had established itself as a leading AI agent platform, the kind of tool that lets users delegate complex tasks to AI systems that can actually execute them across multiple applications.

Founded in China before moving operations to Singapore, Manus specializes in developing general-purpose AI agents designed for intricate digital tasks.

What makes this particular buyback unusual is the pricing. In most forced divestitures, the seller typically tries to extract a premium, especially when the asset has appreciated significantly. Manus’s revenue growing fourfold would normally justify a much higher valuation. But with a government-mandated unwinding, the negotiating dynamics are different.

What this means for investors

The planned restructuring of Manus as a Chinese joint venture is perhaps the most consequential detail here. Rather than simply returning to its pre-acquisition structure, the company would reorganize under a framework that gives Chinese investors and potentially Chinese regulatory bodies more direct oversight.

The investor group is also reportedly eyeing a future IPO in Hong Kong. For investors who participate in the $1 billion raise, a subsequent IPO represents a clear exit path.

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