The team behind Chinese general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) agent Manus has relocated its headquarters to Singapore, stoking speculation that the move was aimed at facilitating easier access to Nvidia chips amid US export controls to China.
“This company right now is headquartered in Singapore,” Manus AI co-founder and chief product officer Zhang Tao revealed during a keynote session at the SuperAI conference in Singapore on Jun 18. He added that the firm also had offices in Tokyo and California.
The “About Us” section on Manus’ website also lists its global headquarters as Singapore.
Manus, developed in China by start-up Butterfly Effect, has captured significant attention within the global AI community since its invite-only launch in early March. The AI agent’s ability to handle complex tasks has positioned it as a leading symbol of AI innovation in China, following the success of DeepSeek.
But like many Chinese tech firms, Manus AI faces challenges in obtaining advanced chips from Nvidia to train its algorithms. Its Chinese ties have also come under scrutiny in Washington.
The US Treasury Department was reviewing a US$75 million financing round into Manus AI, led by California-based venture capital firm Benchmark, according to a report from news website Semafor last week.
Authorities were investigating whether the financial backing – which had boosted Manus’ valuation five-fold to nearly US$500 million, according to a Bloomberg report in April – fell under new restrictions requiring any American entity or individual to notify the Treasury Department of investments into AI that could harm US interests.
A presence in Singapore could help the start-up access US clients and funding.
Office workers walking on the streets of the Central Business District. (File photo: iStock)
Singapore has emerged as a strategic location for Chinese-linked tech firms seeking to navigate Sino-US tensions.
Fast-fashion giant Shein, for example, has highlighted its Singapore location even as it continues to run a vast supplier network in China. Similarly, TikTok has based its operations in Singapore to maintain a distance from Beijing-based parent ByteDance.
While Manus AI has found a new home in Singapore, Butterfly Effect is still based in China, according to a report last month by Singaporean newspaper Lianhe Zaobao.
Manus AI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
The company is not alone in its shift towards overseas markets. Other AI firms, such as HeyGen – which originated from China and relocated to the US last year – and Genspark.AI – founded by former Baidu employees in the US – are pursuing similar strategies.
Manus AI has begun recruiting in Singapore, offering openings such as data analyst and AI agent engineer, according to its website. Monthly salaries range from US$8,000 to US$16,000, with some positions reaching up to US$18,000, according to local recruitment platform MyCareersFuture.
The expansion efforts came as AI agent Manus experienced a significant drop in monthly active users, from about 20 million in March to around 10 million in May, according to Chinese media reports.
That decline coincided with growing competition from major Chinese tech companies, including ByteDance and Baidu, which have launched rival products, Coze Space and AgentBuilder, respectively.
This article was first published on SCMP.
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“This company right now is headquartered in Singapore,” Manus AI co-founder and chief product officer Zhang Tao revealed during a keynote session at the SuperAI conference in Singapore on Jun 18. He added that the firm also had offices in Tokyo and California.
The “About Us” section on Manus’ website also lists its global headquarters as Singapore.
Manus, developed in China by start-up Butterfly Effect, has captured significant attention within the global AI community since its invite-only launch in early March. The AI agent’s ability to handle complex tasks has positioned it as a leading symbol of AI innovation in China, following the success of DeepSeek.
But like many Chinese tech firms, Manus AI faces challenges in obtaining advanced chips from Nvidia to train its algorithms. Its Chinese ties have also come under scrutiny in Washington.
The US Treasury Department was reviewing a US$75 million financing round into Manus AI, led by California-based venture capital firm Benchmark, according to a report from news website Semafor last week.
Authorities were investigating whether the financial backing – which had boosted Manus’ valuation five-fold to nearly US$500 million, according to a Bloomberg report in April – fell under new restrictions requiring any American entity or individual to notify the Treasury Department of investments into AI that could harm US interests.
A presence in Singapore could help the start-up access US clients and funding.
Office workers walking on the streets of the Central Business District. (File photo: iStock)
Singapore has emerged as a strategic location for Chinese-linked tech firms seeking to navigate Sino-US tensions.
Fast-fashion giant Shein, for example, has highlighted its Singapore location even as it continues to run a vast supplier network in China. Similarly, TikTok has based its operations in Singapore to maintain a distance from Beijing-based parent ByteDance.
While Manus AI has found a new home in Singapore, Butterfly Effect is still based in China, according to a report last month by Singaporean newspaper Lianhe Zaobao.
Manus AI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
The company is not alone in its shift towards overseas markets. Other AI firms, such as HeyGen – which originated from China and relocated to the US last year – and Genspark.AI – founded by former Baidu employees in the US – are pursuing similar strategies.
Manus AI has begun recruiting in Singapore, offering openings such as data analyst and AI agent engineer, according to its website. Monthly salaries range from US$8,000 to US$16,000, with some positions reaching up to US$18,000, according to local recruitment platform MyCareersFuture.
The expansion efforts came as AI agent Manus experienced a significant drop in monthly active users, from about 20 million in March to around 10 million in May, according to Chinese media reports.
That decline coincided with growing competition from major Chinese tech companies, including ByteDance and Baidu, which have launched rival products, Coze Space and AgentBuilder, respectively.
This article was first published on SCMP.
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