China blocks Meta's $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus, ordering both parties to unwind the deal

Yahoo Finance AI · April 27, 2026

AI Summary

•China's National Development and Reform Commission ordered Meta to reverse its acquisition of Manus, announced in late December 2025 for approximately $2 billion. The commission launched an investigation in January 2026, and by March 2026 barred Manus co-founders Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao from leaving the country during regulatory meetings.
•Manus develops AI agents capable of planning and executing tasks independently. The startup had relocated from China to Singapore around mid-2025, and approximately 100 employees moved into Meta's Singapore offices in March 2026.
•Manus had completed a $75 million funding round led by Benchmark in May 2025 and reached $100 million in annual recurring revenue by December 2025. The startup had already begun unwinding operations earlier, closing its China offices and laying off dozens of employees in July 2025.

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