Manus resumes independent operations, founding team to lead general AI agent push

AI agent startup Manus announced on September 1 via its website that it has formally resumed independent operations. The founding team will continue to lead the company, focused on product innovation and advancing general AI agent development.

The announcement noted that for some users the transition requires backing up and restoring data, with temporary access interruptions. Users who have backed up data but not restored it can do so via the recovery portal. Users unaffected by these measures need not take any action.

Manus went viral last March and at the end of that year announced it would join Meta in a deal reportedly worth billions of dollars, potentially Meta's third-largest acquisition. That deal was called off after the related process and compliance issues tripped safety review red lines. AI companies still need work on technology-export compliance. With operations restored as an independent company, Manus must continue to demonstrate its commercial value.