China’s Probe of Meta’s Manus Purchase Sends Startups Scrambling

China’s AI startup founders are jittery. The Chinese government’s investigation of Manus’ sale to Meta Platforms has cast a shadow over a popular exit path for startup founders. And it has caused some startups to consider moving out of China or to shift some operations to Singapore. While some AI startups are happy to stay in China, relying on venture capital funding from China and Asia, those with ambitions to sell their products globally and to raise money from U. S. venture capitalists are taking a different view.