AI startup Manus has raised more than $500 million after its proposed acquisition by Meta unravelled, according to a report from The Information.

The financing was reported on October 8. It gives the independent AI agent company major resources to expand without being absorbed into one of the world’s largest technology firms.

Manus builds AI agents that carry out multi-step tasks, including research, information gathering and document preparation. It competes in a crowded segment where companies are building systems that do work rather than just answer questions.

The report does not disclose the financing terms or the identities of all participating investors.

The raise shows investors are still willing to make large bets on independent agent companies, even as Meta, OpenAI and Google build similar capabilities into their own platforms.

The deal’s collapse kept Manus independent at a time when large platforms are racing to own agent technology. Staying independent lets it sell to many customers rather than one owner.

Whether independent agent developers can build durable businesses remains the key question. The giants are integrating similar capabilities directly into their products.