Manus, the AI startup acquired by Meta, has announced it will return to independent operation.
Manus, the AI startup whose acquisition by Meta was announced in December 2025, has now announced that it will soon return to being an independent company. The acquisition was reportedly withdrawn because the Chinese government intervened, citing a ban on foreign investment.
A Note to Our Users
Manus has published a blog post for its users, announcing that it will soon return to being an independent company and continue providing services. Data generated after December 29, 2025, will be deleted between 8:00 AM on August 23 and 24, 2026. Affected users can back up their data before the deletion and restore it after August 25. Users not affected can continue to use Manus without taking any action.
Affected users will be notified via app and email. However, please note that users who registered with Manus using an Apple Account or Facebook account will only receive notifications via the app, as Manus does not have access to their email addresses.
Regarding the data deletion, Manus explained that 'Meta acquired Manus on December 29, 2025, and data generated by some users before and after Meta's acquisition of Manus needs to be deleted because it violates regulatory requirements in certain jurisdictions.'
Manus is a company founded by entrepreneur Xiao Hong, who hails from Jiao'an City, Jiangxi Province, and released its first version in March 2025.
A Chinese startup has announced 'Manus,' an AI agent it claims surpasses OpenAI's deep research - GIGAZINE
By November 2025, it had grown to become the number one 'most promising startup in Asia,' and in December of the same year, Meta acquired it for a total of $2 billion (approximately 319 billion yen).
However, China's National Development and Reform Commission decided to 'prohibit foreign investment in Manus,' effectively demanding the withdrawal of the acquisition proposal.
Subsequently, it was reported that Xiao and others were raising funds to terminate the acquisition.
It appears that Chinese IT giant Tencent and others were involved in Manus's separation from Meta, but none of the companies other than Manus have issued any comments on the matter.
Tencent in talks to buy back shares of Chinese AI startup Manas, aiming to become its largest shareholder, sources say | Reuters
https://jp.reuters.com/markets/global-markets/4WFFUPEFIBJKJLCODQRK7V64DI-2026-07-10/
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