Chinese AI startup Manus accelerates move to Singapore amid intensifying AI race
The startup has laid off dozens of China-based staff and is preparing to shift many of those roles to Singapore, according to a person familiar with the situation, asking to remain anonymous detailing a private matter. This week, it posted ads for more than a score of engineers, product and data specialists for Singapore and elsewhere, signalling its global ambitions. It is also hiring in San Mateo, California and Tokyo.
Manus is embarking on a hiring spree just months after its global launch heightened US fears about China's technological capabilities. News that Benchmark Capital led a funding round valuing the firm at close to US$500 million drew criticism from industry figures including Founders Fund partner Delian Asparouhov. Manus did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Manus – whose product is not available in China – captured the attention of investors with autonomous AI agents that help execute tasks for users. In recent weeks, the company – whose agent also analyses company finances and social media engagement – has beefed up its offerings to include task scheduling and automated slide deck creations.
Manus in March previewed what it called a general AI agent capable of screening resumes, creating trip itineraries and analysing stocks in response to basic instructions. Its service performed better on some fronts than OpenAI's Deep Research, the company claimed at the time. Since then, companies from ByteDance to Baidu have followed suit with their own competing agentic AI platforms.
Like DeepSeek, Manus sparked questions about the US lead on artificial intelligence – this time in a product category that American tech companies see as a key investment area. With tensions ratcheting up, the startup recently set up its global headquarters in Singapore, mimicking moves by other Chinese tech firms including ByteDance and Genshin Impact studio Mihoyo.
Its founders and executives are currently on a worldwide tour to engage with developers. Their scheduled stops have so far included San Francisco and Paris, as well as Nepal, Morocco and Slovakia. BLOOMBERG
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