Chinese developer of Manus AI restructures amid layoff rumors

The startup behind agentic artificial intelligence Manus said on Tuesday it is adjusting some of its business units to improve operational efficiency in response to reports of large-scale layoffs.

Posts circulating on social media suggested that the Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology – the company behind Manus – had around 120 employees in China, from which more than 40 core technical staff will be relocated to Singapore while the rest face layoffs.

The company officially moved its headquarters to Singapore last month aiming for global expansion. Founder Zhang Tao said Manus is considering a full separation of its China and international operations to mitigate potential risks.

Manus launched what it called “the world's first general AI agent” in March, which quickly went viral, with activation codes selling for as much as 100,000 yuan (HK$109,421.46) on secondary markets.

STAFF REPORTER