Why Manus Commands a $2 B Valuation and What Independence Means for Users

Why Manus Commands a $2 B Valuation

Manus announced on August 11 that it will operate independently again after being acquired by Meta for $2 billion and later repurchased by Tencent for the same amount. The author explains that the high valuation is not for patents but because the AI agent can actually work and generate revenue.

The GAIA benchmark shows an accuracy of 86.5%, which is 23.7% higher than comparable OpenAI products. After eight months online, Manus achieved an ARR exceeding $100 million, setting a record for the fastest growth among global AI startups.

Following the repurchase, ARR grew from $100 million to $400‑$500 million, but regulatory hurdles in China prevented further scaling, limiting the incubator’s role to a short‑term solution.

Impact on Users After the Independent Return

From December 29, 2025 to the period between August 23 and August 24, certain user data will be deleted. Affected users must back up their data before 8 am on August 23; data can be restored after August 25, though the service will be unavailable for about a week.

Manus stresses that this is not a security incident but a compliance requirement. Backup is free, and users who restore data will receive a reimbursement reward.

Current Manus users are urged to check the in‑app notification promptly to avoid login issues.