Manus AI has no single controlling owner. Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd., the Singapore company that builds Manus, is led by founder Xiao Hong and held by the founding team alongside investors led by Tencent, after Meta’s completed $2 billion acquisition was blocked by Chinese regulators and unwound in 2026.
Manus AI ownership at a glance
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ownership type | Private, founder and investor owned |
| Parent company | None — independent |
| Largest shareholders | Founding team; Tencent, HongShan Capital Group, ZhenFund |
| Latest valuation | About $2 billion (June 2026); in talks for $4 billion (September 2026) |
| Last funding round or acquisition | Meta’s $2 billion acquisition, unwound June-September 2026 |
| Founded | April 2022, as Butterfly Effect |
| Headquarters | Singapore |
| CEO | Xiao Hong |
Who owns Manus AI today?
The founding team retained its role after the ownership upheaval of 2026. Xiao Hong remains chief executive, Ji Yichao serves as chief scientist, and Zhang Tao leads product. When Meta’s acquisition was unwound, a group of existing investors, including Tencent, HongShan Capital Group (formerly Sequoia Capital China), and ZhenFund, financed a buyback of Meta’s stake. That transaction valued Manus at roughly $2 billion, according to Financial Times reporting from mid-2026. No public breakdown of individual ownership percentages has been disclosed.
By September 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported Manus was negotiating a new $500 million round at a $4 billion valuation. Potential new backers named in that reporting include Contemporary Amperex Technology, IDG Capital, and Boyu Capital, alongside returning investors Tencent, HongShan, and ZhenFund. Benchmark Capital, which led the company’s 2025 Series B, is not expected to take part in this round.
Who controls Manus AI?
Control and ownership are not identical here. Financial Times reporting described Tencent as positioned to become Manus’s largest external shareholder after the 2026 buyback, not as a controlling owner. Day-to-day leadership stayed with the founding team, which said it would keep steering product development once the company resumed independent operations on September 1, 2026.
Manus has not published a board composition or a dual-class share structure. The outcome so far has been shaped less by any single shareholder and more by Chinese regulators, whose foreign investment security review forced the Meta deal to unwind in the first place.
Manus AI’s funding and ownership history
Xiao Hong founded Butterfly Effect in Beijing in April 2022, initially building the Monica browser assistant. Manus launched in invite-only beta on March 6, 2025, and drew rapid attention. On April 25, 2025, the company raised a $75 million Series B led by Benchmark, valuing it near $500 million, with Tencent, ZhenFund, and HongShan also participating; total disclosed funding reached about $85 million. Through mid-2025, core operations moved from Beijing to Singapore under the entity Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd.
Meta announced a completed acquisition of the company on December 29-30, 2025, reported above $2 billion. China’s regulator blocked the deal on April 27, 2026, and ordered it unwound. Meta said it was cutting ties on June 15, 2026, and existing investors financed a buyback around that time at close to the original $2 billion valuation. Manus told users on August 11, 2026 that it would operate independently, and formally resumed independent operations on September 1, 2026.
Manus AI’s valuation, 2025-2026
Reported valuation by funding event
Who are the biggest investors in Manus AI?
Manus’s investor base has stayed largely consistent since 2025, with the target valuation the main thing that has changed. Reported investors include:
- Tencent Holdings
- HongShan Capital Group, formerly Sequoia Capital China
- ZhenFund
- Benchmark Capital, lead investor in the 2025 Series B, not reported as part of the 2026 ownership talks
Wall Street Journal reporting in September 2026 named Contemporary Amperex Technology, IDG Capital, and Boyu Capital as potential participants in a new funding round, alongside the returning backers above.
Is Manus AI publicly traded?
No. Manus, through Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd., remains privately held. The Wall Street Journal reported in September 2026 that the company is weighing a corporate restructuring as a step toward listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, alongside its funding talks. No date for a listing has been set.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Manus AI?
Xiao Hong founded Butterfly Effect, the company behind Manus, in Beijing in April 2022. Co-founders Ji Yichao and Zhang Tao later joined as chief scientist and product lead.
Does Meta own Manus AI?
No. Meta completed an acquisition of Manus in December 2025, but Chinese regulators blocked the deal in April 2026 and it was unwound by September 2026.
Is Tencent the owner of Manus AI?
Tencent is one of Manus’s largest investors and was reported as its biggest external shareholder after the 2026 buyback, but it has not been reported to hold a controlling stake.
Where is Manus AI headquartered?
Manus is headquartered in Singapore, after relocating core operations there from Beijing during mid-2025.
How much is Manus AI worth?
Investors valued Manus at roughly $2 billion in the June 2026 buyback. By September 2026, the company was reportedly in talks to raise funding at a $4 billion valuation.
