manus

According to Benchmark Studio, after the China Securities Regulatory Commission issued inquiries to multiple companies regarding overseas shareholding structures, Chinese tech startups such as Moonshot AI and DeepRoute.ai are evaluating the feasibility of relocating their company registration from overseas back to China. They are currently discussing related plans with lawyers and have not yet made a final decision. Shanghai AI model developer StepFun has taken the lead in initiating the process of dismantling its overseas shareholding structure to expedite the regulatory approval process for its Hong Kong IPO.The direct trigger for this tightening of regulations was Meta's acquisition of the AI agency Manus, founded by Chinese individuals, for $2 billion—relevant authorities have ordered the cancellation of this acquisition, leading to a systematic review by regulators of the "domestic operation, overseas registration" company model.Dismantling the red-chip structure is complex, typically taking six months to a year, involving multiple steps such as repurchasing offshore equity, establishing joint ventures, and investors re-entering shares. Additionally, the lock-up period for joint ventures listed in Hong Kong lasts up to 12 months, which is twice as long as that for ordinary red-chip stocks. Analysts point out that if the red-chip structure faces comprehensive restrictions, it will significantly weaken the ability of Chinese startups to obtain dollar financing from overseas.

According to CCTV News, the Office of the Foreign Investment Security Review Mechanism has legally made a decision to prohibit the foreign acquisition of the Manus project, requiring the parties involved to withdraw the acquisition transaction. Manus was initially developed by the Chinese company Butterfly Effect and became an overnight sensation after its release in March 2025. In June of the same year, it moved its headquarters to Singapore and ceased domestic operations, and in December 2025, it was announced by the American company Meta that it would acquire it for approximately $2 billion.Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Ministry of Commerce's Academy, stated that Manus moved the project to Singapore through funding and corporate transfer before selling it to an American company, which raises suspicions of intentionally evading regulation. If such practices are not controlled, more companies will follow suit, harming national development interests and security.Zhou Mi emphasized that China has consistently maintained an open attitude towards foreign investment but takes a cautious stance on sensitive investments involving key technologies and data security, stating that "evading regulation in a malicious manner will ultimately not achieve the intended purpose."

According to The Wall Street Journal, Meta is preparing to withdraw its acquisition of the AI startup Manus, after China banned the deal on national security grounds. Manus is a Singapore-based startup related to China, focused on developing AI agents.Meta completed the acquisition for $2.5 billion last December and has quickly integrated the related technology into its own systems. If the deal is ultimately canceled, both parties will need to separate the integrated technology and systems.

According to Jinshi reports, the Office of the Foreign Investment Security Review Mechanism (National Development and Reform Commission) has made a decision to prohibit investment in the foreign acquisition of the Manus project in accordance with laws and regulations, requiring the parties involved to withdraw from the acquisition transaction.

According to a report by Jinshi Data, the Ministry of Commerce held a regular press conference on the 2nd, where a reporter asked what measures China would take regarding Meta's acquisition of Manus and related issues of multinational operations by enterprises. He Yadong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, responded that the Chinese government supports enterprises in conducting multinational operations and technological cooperation as needed, and such activities must comply with Chinese laws and regulations and follow legal procedures.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, He Yadong, responded to questions regarding the review of Meta's acquisition of the artificial intelligence platform Manus, stating that the Chinese government has always supported enterprises in conducting mutually beneficial and win-win multinational operations and international technological cooperation in accordance with the law.It should be noted that enterprises engaging in foreign investment, technology exports, data outflow, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and other activities must comply with Chinese laws and regulations and follow legal procedures. The Ministry of Commerce will work with relevant departments to conduct an assessment and investigation of the consistency of this acquisition with laws and regulations related to export control, technology import and export, and foreign investment.

According to the Financial Times, Chinese officials are reviewing Meta's $2 billion acquisition of the artificial intelligence platform Manus, assessing whether the deal violates technology export controls. Two insiders revealed that officials from the Ministry of Commerce have begun evaluating whether the transfer of the Manus team and technology to Singapore and subsequently selling it to Meta requires an export license under Chinese law.Reports indicate that the review of the deal may focus on whether the Manus team developed technology subject to export controls within China. Although the review is still in its early stages, if the assessment concludes that an export license is required, the Chinese government may have the authority to intervene in the deal, which could potentially lead to the termination of the transaction in extreme cases.

Cobo co-founder and CEO Shen Yu expressed on social media that it is not surprising that Manus founder Xiao Hong is a BTC holder. In 2013, he was one of the interns we recruited at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and we worked together on Yibite."In the past decade, from Bitcoin to AI Agent, the times have changed, and the boundaries of companies have become blurred: rather than 'hiring employees,' it is more about 'identifying vectors'—finding individuals with ideas, strong execution, and rapid growth acceleration, and establishing connections early."

According to @Lyangminn, Manus founder Xiao Hong is not only a BTC holder but also an early evangelist. In November 2013, shortly after entering university, Xiao Hong wrote a long popular science article on "The Other Dimension Software World": "What is Bitcoin? How to Use It? Download Bitcoin Wallet Client." At the end of the article, he left his Bitcoin address and received a total of 0.02231 BTC in tips over 11 years, which is currently worth 2000 USD.According to previous reports from ChainCatcher, which was acquired by Meta for billions, Manus founder Xiao Hong is a seasoned BTC holder.

Meta's acquisition of AI application Manus AI is valued at approximately $2.5 billion, which includes retention incentives for core employees.Reports indicate that Manus AI completed a $75 million Series B funding round led by Benchmark in May of this year, at which time the company's valuation was around $500 million. This acquisition is seen as another example of the rapid revaluation of exit values in the AI industry, driven primarily by the rapid revenue growth achieved by related products in the short term. Public information shows that Manus AI focuses on a general-purpose AI Agent capable of performing various real-world tasks such as market research, code writing, data analysis, and resume screening, positioning itself beyond traditional chatbots or workflow tools. The company offers services to enterprise clients on a subscription basis and claims to have achieved over $100 million in annual recurring revenue within months of launching its product.This transaction has also sparked some controversy. The early team of Manus AI has ties to China, but the company is headquartered in Singapore, and about a hundred Chinese employees have since completed their relocation. Axios points out that this will mark Meta's first significant move into the enterprise-level AI Agent space, which may help it narrow the gap in competition with Salesforce, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. However, the market is also concerned about Meta's past controversies regarding data compliance and privacy, and it remains to be seen whether enterprise clients are willing to consider it as a core AI service provider.

Meta announced the acquisition of the Chinese AI star project Manus's company Butterfly Effect for billions of dollars.It is reported that the founder and CEO Xiao Hong's personal profile on the app has a "btc holder" label. Public information shows that he started buying BTC as early as 2013 and significantly increased his investments in BTC after the 2017 bull market, holding it long-term as a hedge against entrepreneurial risks and as a faith asset.

Meta acquired the AI application development company Butterfly Effect for billions of dollars. This is Meta's third-largest acquisition since its founding, following WhatsApp and ScaleAI in terms of expenditure.We learned that before Meta's acquisition, Manus was raising a new round of financing at a valuation of $2 billion. "It was so fast that I even doubted whether it was a fake offer," said Liu Yuan, a partner at ZhenFund and an angel investor in Butterfly Effect. The acquisition negotiations were completed in a very short time, taking only about ten days.

ChainCatcher news, the AI agent project Manus under Butterfly Effect announced the completion of a $75 million financing round, led by Benchmark, with existing investors continuing to participate, valuing the project at $500 million. The project is dedicated to developing intelligent agents that can substitute for daily tasks and is currently planning to expand its services to markets in the United States, Japan, and the Middle East.

ChainCatcher news, Binance founder Zhao Changpeng stated on social media that Manus is a new type of AI agent, rather than a cryptocurrency. He also mentioned that although Manus runs slowly, it performs comprehensively and yields good results when handling complex tasks.