Manus, an AI agent released by Chinese start-up Monica Photo: VCG

General AI agent company Manus said on Tuesday that it has formally resumed independent operations, the latest development in its separation from Meta after China’s foreign investment security review authority in April ordered the US technology giant’s acquisition of the company to be revoked.

“Manus has formally resumed independent operations,” the company said in an official announcement published on its website on Tuesday, adding that its founding team will continue to lead the company as it continues to develop general AI agents for users worldwide.

The company also said the transition had required some users to back up and restore their data and had caused temporary access disruptions. Users who have backed up their data but not yet restored it can still do so through the company’s restoration portal, with no deadline for recovery, it said.

Manus rose to prominence in 2025 after launching a general-purpose AI agent capable of carrying out tasks with limited human input. The company later moved its operations from China to Singapore, according to media reports.

Meta announced its acquisition of Manus on December 29, 2025, as part of its push into agentic AI. Reuters reported that the deal was worth about $2 billion, while earlier reporting put the valuation at between $2 billion and $3 billion; the companies did not publicly disclose the final financial terms.

On April 27, the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planner, announced that the office of the foreign investment security review working mechanism has, in accordance with laws and regulations, issued a decision to prohibit foreign investment in the Manus acquisition project and has ordered the parties involved to revoke the acquisition deal.

In August, Manus said it was preparing to resume independent operations as it separated from Meta. In an August 11 notice, Manus said some users would need to back up and restore data during the transition. The company said the measures were “part of our separation from Meta” and were necessary to comply with regulatory requirements in certain jurisdictions. 

Responding to questions concerning Meta’s acquisition of Manus in April, Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yadong said that the Chinese government supports companies in conducting cross-border operations and technological cooperation based on their needs, while stressing relevant activities must comply with Chinese laws and regulations and follow statutory procedures.

After the foreign investment security review authority announced its decision on the acquisition, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated on April 28 that “the Chinese government conducts reviews of foreign investment and makes relevant decisions in accordance with laws and regulations.”

Industry analysts said that this regulatory approach targets no specific country or company, but applies a unified legal and procedural framework to all cross-border investment to better safeguard economic security and market order.

Global Times