Tencent is in talks to acquire a majority stake in AI agent startup Manus, according to The Decoder's summary of Financial Times reporting. The proposed deal would value Manus at about $2 billion, the same level attached to a blocked Meta transaction.
The potential acquisition matters because Manus is positioned around AI agents, a category that major platforms are racing to fold into messaging, productivity, and consumer workflows. Tencent could connect that capability to its own agent ambitions and to WeChat's large user base.
The report also shows how geopolitical review can redirect AI dealmaking. If Meta cannot buy the company, a domestic buyer may still turn Manus into a strategic platform asset.