Tencent is in talks to acquire a majority stake in AI agent startup Manus at the $2 billion valuation previously reached with Meta, after Beijing forced Meta to unwind.

Chinese tech giant Tencent is in advanced talks to acquire a majority stake in AI agent startup Manus, according to the Financial Times, following Beijing's forced unwinding of Meta's $2 billion acquisition of the company. Tencent views the deal as strategically aligned with its own AI agent roadmap, including plans to embed an agent into WeChat.

Earlier investors in the company—including Tencent, ZhenFund, and HSG—along with the management team are in discussions regarding a buyout at the same $2 billion valuation. U.S. venture firm Benchmark is not expected to participate. Manus will remain independently operated from Singapore and has reported annual revenue close to $500 million.

China blocked Meta's acquisition of Manus in April, asserting it violated domestic investment regulations and imposing an exit ban on founder Xiao Hong. Government officials characterized the deal as a "conspiratorial" attempt to compromise China's technological base and prohibited foreign investment in the company. The action reflects intensifying AI competition between Washington and Beijing, where advanced AI technologies are increasingly characterized as "cyber-nuclear weapons of the AI era" in light of recent breakthroughs in AI-driven cybersecurity capabilities.