Manus, a universal AI agent, has taken the global tech world by storm, catapulting its founder, Red Xiao (肖弘), into the spotlight. Public information reveals Xiao, born in 1992, is a millennial entrepreneur seven years younger than DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng (born 1985). This young entrepreneur, a graduate of Huazhong University of Science and Technology's Software Engineering program, has quickly risen to prominence in the AI field, showcasing keen insight and exceptional execution, becoming a rising star in China's tech scene.
Xiao's entrepreneurial journey began in 2015. After graduating from university, he founded Nightingale Technology, launching "Yiban Assistant" and "Weiban Assistant," serving over 2 million B-end users and helping businesses reach hundreds of millions of C-end users. These products' excellent market performance attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in investment from renowned institutions like Tencent and ZhenFund, establishing Xiao's reputation in the enterprise service sector. In 2022, seizing the AI wave, he founded Butterfly Effect, releasing the AI browser plugin Monica. By integrating mainstream large models like Claude 3.5 and DeepSeek, Monica quickly amassed over one million users, becoming a popular AI tool in overseas markets.
Manus, his latest creation, continues Monica's product philosophy, positioning itself as the world's first universal autonomous AI agent. In the launch video, Xiao explained the name "Manus," derived from the Latin word for "hand," echoing the phrase "Mens et Manus" (mind and hand), signifying the synergy of intellect and action. Manus can not only handle simple tasks but also independently think, plan, and execute complex instructions. Its performance on the GAIA benchmark test surpassed similar OpenAI products, demonstrating powerful multitasking capabilities.
In contrast, Liang Wenfeng's DeepSeek, with its astounding 8658% growth rate, emerged as a dark horse in the AI field in early 2025. However, Xiao, with his youthful energy and flexible innovative thinking, has led Manus to stand out in the universal AI agent race. Industry commentators note that Xiao not only inherits the technical DNA of Chinese AI entrepreneurs but also exhibits a global vision and product philosophy surpassing his predecessors.
Currently, Manus is in its closed beta phase, with invitations highly sought after globally, highlighting its potential. Xiao stated that he plans to open-source parts of the model to promote the democratization of AI technology. In the midst of the AI wave, this millennial founder is using the "mind and hand" philosophy to write his own legend.