Tencent is reportedly in discussions to become the largest shareholder in AI startup Manus after Chinese authorities ordered Meta to unwind its $2 billion acquisition of the company. The move comes as investors look for an alternative ownership structure, according to people familiar with the matter.
According to the sources, Tencent, along with Manus’ original investors, including ZhenFund and HSG, is planning to buy the company back from Meta for no less than $2 billion. The discussions were first reported by a news publication.
Tencent, Manus, Meta, ZhenFund, and HSG did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Manus develops AI agents capable of carrying out tasks autonomously with minimal human input. The company shifted its operations from China to Singapore in 2025.
Meta announced its acquisition of Manus in December 2025 to strengthen its efforts in agentic AI. However, Chinese regulators launched a review in April 2026 to determine whether the transaction violated the country’s investment rules.
The order requiring Meta to unwind the deal became another high-profile example of China blocking or challenging a cross-border transaction involving a company incorporated outside the country, amid growing geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington.
Following the regulatory order, Meta reportedly carried out an internal operational split from Manus and stopped sharing data between the 2 companies.
Manus gained significant attention in early 2025 after state media and industry commentators described it as China’s next DeepSeek following the launch of what the company claimed was the world’s 1st general AI agent.
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