The co-founders of AI pioneer Manus are exploring a massive buyback strategy to comply with Beijing’s regulatory order to reverse its acquisition by Meta Platforms ($META.O).
The Key Numbers & Buyback Blueprint:
- The Original Deal: Meta acquired Singapore-based, Chinese-rooted Manus in late December 2025 for more than $2 billion.
- The Funding Target: Founders Xiao Hong, Ji Yichao, and Zhang Tao plan to raise roughly $1 billion from external investors and bridge any remaining gap with their own personal capital.
- Target Valuation: The funding round aims to match or exceed the $2+ billion price Meta originally paid.
- The Financial Draw: Despite the turbulence, Manus remains highly attractive to investors as it is projected to generate roughly $1 billion in revenue in 2026 (scaling rapidly from a $125 million ARR run-rate at the time of the buyout).
- The Future Plan: If successful, Manus will become a joint venture with its new backers, aiming for an initial public offering (IPO) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
The Geopolitical & Operational Hurdles:
- Beijing’s Veto: In April 2026, Chinese regulators ordered Meta to unwind the deal, viewing it as an illegal transfer of vital domestic “agentic AI” software and talent to a U.S. company. Beijing also barred two of Manus’s co-founders from leaving China.
- The Complex Reversal: Separating Manus is an operational nightmare. Employees have already moved into Meta’s Singapore offices, initial venture backers (Tencent, ZhenFund, HSG) have been cashed out, and Manus’s code has already been integrated into Meta’s core infrastructure.
The Bottom Line: Manus develops autonomous “Agentic AI” digital employees. Beijing’s forced $1 billion corporate buyback signals that it will aggressively block the migration of foundational AI infrastructure to Silicon Valley, regardless of where the legal entity is incorporated.