Tencent in talks to become Singapore-based AI startup Manus’ largest shareholder, sources say

This comes as investors seek alternatives after Beijing ordered Meta to unwind its US$2 billion acquisition of firm

Published Fri, Jul 10, 2026 · 12:45 PM — Updated Fri, Jul 10, 2026 · 03:50 PM

Sources say that parties including Tencent and Manus’ original investors plan to repurchase the startup from Meta for no less than US$2 billion. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

[SINGAPORE] Chinese gaming and internet company Tencent is in talks to become Manus’ largest shareholder as investors seek alternatives after Beijing ordered Meta to unwind its US$2 billion acquisition of the artificial intelligence startup, two people with knowledge of the matter said on Friday (Jul 10).

The Financial Times first reported Tencent’s talks earlier in the day.

Tencent, together with Manus’ original investors, including ZhenFund and HSG, is planning to buy the company back from Meta for no less than US$2 billion, said one of the sources and a third person briefed on the matter.

Tencent, Manus, Meta and the two investment firms did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Manus, which develops AI agents that can autonomously carry out tasks with minimal human input, moved its operations to Singapore last year from China.

Meta announced in December the acquisition of Manus in a bid to bolster its own work on agentic AI. However, China launched a review in April into whether the deal violated investment rules.

The AI arms race and China’s bid to stop Manus’ US$2 billion sale to Meta, explained

Attendees walk past AI signage at the Canton Fair trade event in Guangzhou. Despite China’s manufacturing prowess, it is far from being a tech leader across the board, says the writer.

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Regulators are worried about a leakage of homegrown technology abroad as Chinese-founded startups and companies explore international opportunities

China to curb US investment in tech companies after Meta deal

Chinese officials had begun looking into whether the December takeover of the agentic AI startup violated tech export or national security regulations.

China deepens probe into Meta’s landmark US$2 billion buyout of Singapore-based Manus

Manus is considering overhauling its business structure to become a joint venture incorporated in China.

Manus original investors plan to buy back AI firm from Meta for US$2 billion: report

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The Manus order in April was the latest high-profile case of China blocking or challenging a cross-border transaction involving a non-China-incorporated company, amid increasing geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Since Beijing’s order, Meta has executed an operational split from Manus internally and stopped data sharing between the firms, Bloomberg News reported in June.

Manus was hailed early in 2025 by state media and commentators as China’s next DeepSeek after releasing what it said was the world’s first general AI agent. REUTERS

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