Interface News | Song Jia Nan
Recently, there have been reports that the General AI Intelligence Company (headed by “Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology Co., Ltd.”) has laid off some of its domestic operations and relocated core technical staff to its Singapore headquarters. The company currently employs about 120 people in China.
On the evening of July 8th, according to The Paper, Manus responded saying, “Based on our own operational efficiency considerations, we have decided to adjust certain business teams. We will continue to focus on the development of core businesses and enhance overall operational efficiency.”
Manus was launched by the Chinese large model team Monica in March this year, claiming to be the world’s first universal AI intelligence product capable of independently thinking, planning, and executing complex tasks based on user commands, delivering complete results across various fields such as report writing, data table creation, resume screening, stock analysis, and travel planning.
At that time, the product was open for public invitational testing through a referral system, with invite codes being sold for tens of thousands of yuan, leading to accusations of hunger marketing. Some voices also suggested that Manus lacked technological content and resembled a “super stitch monster.”
Behind Manus is BUTTERFLY EFFECT PTE. LTD., established on August 2nd, 2023. It has affiliated companies in Mainland China including Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology Co., Ltd. and Beijing Red Butterfly Technology Co., Ltd., both of which have branches in Wuhan.
The core members of the founder team, Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao, are all post-90s. Public records show that Xiao Hong graduated from Huazhong University of Science and Technology with a degree in software engineering. In 2022, he founded “Butterfly Effect” company and released an AI browser plugin called Monica. Ji Yichao is the co-founder and chief scientist, with a degree from Beijing Information Technology University.
In 2012, he founded Peak Labs and introduced the Rasgueado input method, which was backed by both Sequoia Capital and TrueGrowth Fund.
Following Manus’s success, there were continuous business advancements. In March, Manus announced a strategic partnership with Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen team to leverage the Tongyi Qianwen series of open-source models to realize all functionalities of Manus. By the end of March, Manus unveiled its pricing plan, marking the commencement of its commercialization phase. By June, it launched a text-to-video service. Also in June, Manus’s product manager, Zhang Tao, publicly stated that the company had relocated its headquarters from China to Singapore.
It is noteworthy that in May this year, there were rumors about Manus’s parent company planning a financing round valued at $1.5 billion, with a scale of $100 million. However, Manus refuted these claims, stating, “The information is severely misleading, and the company is currently focused on product development and user experience.”
Subsequently, Manus made several updates to its products, but its external attention decreased. This shift can be attributed to the increased competition within the AI intelligent entity sector and the challenges Manus faces in refining its business model.
As the AI intelligent entity race becomes increasingly crowded, numerous tech companies and startups are making strategic moves. Manus must continuously optimize its cost structure, concentrate resources on core technology research and market expansion to maintain its competitive edge.