速递｜Manus估值飙涨5倍达5亿美元，两周烧百万美元

Core Viewpoint - Manus, an AI assistant, is negotiating a new funding round with U.S. venture capital firms, aiming for a valuation of at least $500 million, nearly five times its previous valuation of $100 million from last year's Series A funding [1][3]. Group 1: Funding and Valuation - Manus's parent company, Butterfly Effect, is meeting with potential U.S. investors to raise tens of millions of dollars [2]. - The company raised approximately $100 million in its last funding round led by Tencent and Sequoia China, with existing investor ZhenFund supporting since its inception in 2023 [3]. - The new funding round may allow Manus to expand its user base, as current capacity is limited by server capabilities and operational costs [3]. Group 2: Operational Insights - Manus has incurred over $1 million in costs within the first two weeks of launching its service, with over 2.6 million users waiting for an invitation code [3]. - The company is preparing to open its first office outside China in Tokyo, aiming to expand its team, which currently has fewer than 80 employees [4]. Group 3: Market Context and Partnerships - Manus is a computer AI assistant that performs tasks like travel booking and stock analysis, gaining attention from tech executives and AI developers [4]. - Despite U.S. regulations limiting investments in certain Chinese AI companies, Manus seeks funding from U.S. venture capitalists, as its focus is on AI application development rather than large model training [4]. - Manus recently announced a partnership with Alibaba Group to utilize domestic AI models and computing platforms for services in China [5].