Tencent is in talks to become the largest shareholder of AI startup Manus after Beijing ordered Meta to unwind its $2 billion acquisition of the company, according to sources. The discussions were reported on Friday (10/07).

The Financial Times first reported Tencent's negotiations earlier on Friday.

Tencent in Talks to Become Manus' Largest Shareholder

Tencent and Manus' original investors, including ZhenFund and HSG, are planning to buy the company back from Meta for no less than $2 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The proposed transaction would make Tencent the largest shareholder of Manus.

Tencent, Manus, Meta, ZhenFund, and HSG did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Investors Plan to Buy Back Manus From Meta

Meta announced its acquisition of Manus in December as part of its effort to strengthen its work on agentic artificial intelligence.

In April, China launched a review into whether the acquisition violated the country's investment rules.

China Review Forces Changes to Meta-Manus Deal

The order involving Manus was the latest high-profile case in which China blocked or challenged a cross-border transaction involving a company incorporated outside China.

The review came as geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington continued to increase.

Since Beijing's order, Meta has carried out an internal operational split from Manus and stopped data sharing between the two companies, according to a Bloomberg News report published last month.

Manus Continues Operations From Singapore

Manus develops AI agents that can autonomously carry out tasks with minimal human input.

The company moved its operations from China to Singapore last year.

Early last year, Manus was described by Chinese state media and commentators as China's next DeepSeek after releasing what it said was the world's first general AI agent.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

This article was created with AI assistance.

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