China’s AI startup Manus is preparing a new funding round that could double its valuation to $4 billion, seeking about $500 million in fresh funding, according to reports published on September 17, 2026. The proposed $500 million financing would value Manus at around $4 billion, though discussions are still developing and the final amount and valuation could change before the deal closes. If completed, the round would make Manus one of China’s most valuable companies focused on AI agents and represent a sharp increase from the $2 billion valuation used when its investors bought back shares connected to Meta. Manus has not identified the new investors involved in the latest talks; existing backers include Tencent, HSG, and ZhenFund. Manus builds AI agents that can complete tasks on a computer with limited human input. It became closely linked with Meta after the technology company agreed to acquire the startup in a deal reportedly worth about $2 billion, but Chinese authorities ordered the company to separate from Meta, and the operational split was completed in May 2026. After the separation, Manus resumed independent operations, stopped sharing data with its former parent, and said its founding team would remain in charge. The founders and existing investors later bought back shares from Meta at the same $2 billion valuation, and Tencent became Manus’s largest external investor after acquiring the stake that had previously belonged to Benchmark.