Meta–Manus Deal May Face China Export Control Scrutiny
Founded in 2022 by a China-based team, the company later relocated its headquarters to Singapore.
Meta Platforms’ recent acquisition of Singapore-based artificial intelligence startup Manus could draw scrutiny from Chinese regulators over potential breaches of technology export controls, the South China Morning Post reported.
The newspaper cited Cui Fan, deputy general secretary and research director at the China Society for WTO Studies, who said regulators would examine whether any technologies restricted or prohibited under Chinese law were transferred overseas without official approval.
Such reviews would be conducted under China’s Regulations on Technology Import and Export Administration, which allow authorities to assess when, how and what technologies were moved abroad by onshore entities, including companies and individuals.
The concern stems from Manus’ origins in China. Founded in 2022 by a China-based team, the company later relocated its headquarters to Singapore. In April 2025, Manus raised $75 million in a Series B funding round led by US venture firm Benchmark, valuing the startup at around $500 million. That investment triggered scrutiny from US regulators due to restrictions on American capital flowing into Chinese AI firms.
Following the funding, Manus scaled back its China operations, including layoffs, closing local offices and ending technical collaboration talks with Alibaba. However, Fan noted that regulatory exposure may remain, as there is no confirmation core team members have renounced Chinese nationality. Manus’ mainland-registered parent, Butterfly Effect, also remains controlled by the founding team.
