Beijing boosts AI startup Manus, as China looks for the next DeepSeek

Chinese artificial intelligence startup Manus on Tuesday registered its China-facing AI assistant and was featured for the first time in a state media broadcast, highlighting Beijing’s strategy of boosting domestic AI firms that have received overseas recognition.

Since China’s DeepSeek shocked Silicon Valley by releasing AI models comparable to its U.S. competitors but developed at a fraction of the cost, Chinese investors have been on the lookout for the next domestic startup with the potential to upend the global tech order.