Introduction Of U.S.
Manus AI, one of the buzziest players in the AI agent space, recently raised $75 million at a $500 million valuation—led by none other than Benchmark, one of Silicon Valley’s most influential venture capital firms. But that high-profile deal has now caught the attention of the U.S. Treasury Department.
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According to two unnamed sources cited by Semafor, the investment is under government review for potential violations of 2023 U.S. restrictions on investing in Chinese tech companies, especially those involved in sensitive sectors like artificial intelligence.
Benchmark reportedly believed the deal was compliant. The firm’s lawyers argued Manus doesn’t build its own foundational AI models—instead, it functions as a layer or “wrapper” on top of existing ones. They also pointed out that Manus is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, not mainland China. That’s a common move for Chinese firms (Alibaba included) looking to tap into foreign capital while avoiding direct jurisdictional entanglements.
Still, the deal hasn’t gone unnoticed in venture circles. Founders Fund partner Delian Asparouhov publicly criticized Benchmark’s move, posting on X: “wow, actions have consequences?”
So far, neither Benchmark, Manus AI, nor the Treasury Department has responded to requests for comment.
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