Meta to Acquire AI Startup Manus in $2bn Deal
Meta Platforms is set to acquire Chinese-founded artificial intelligence startup Manus as the Facebook owner steps up efforts to embed advanced AI capabilities across its consumer and enterprise platforms.
According to Reuters, sources familiar with the transaction estimate the deal’s value at between $2 billion and $3 billion, although official financial terms have not been disclosed.
The acquisition highlights Meta’s growing focus on building scalable, revenue-generating AI products amid intensifying global competition in the artificial intelligence space.
Manus, now headquartered in Singapore, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the transaction.
The startup rose to prominence earlier this year after going viral on X (formerly Twitter) with the launch of what it described as the world’s first general AI agent. Unlike traditional chatbots, Manus claimed its AI agent can autonomously make decisions and execute tasks with minimal user prompting.
Often dubbed “China’s next DeepSeek,” Manus has drawn interest from Chinese authorities and major global technology firms. The company has also said its AI agent outperforms OpenAI’s DeepResearch in certain tasks and maintains a strategic partnership with Alibaba on AI model development.
Under the deal, Meta plans to operate and commercialise Manus’ services while integrating its AI agent into Meta’s broader ecosystem, including Meta AI and other consumer and enterprise products. The company said Manus will continue to run independently even as its technology is woven into platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, where Meta AI is already available.
For Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, who has made artificial intelligence central to the company’s long-term strategy, the acquisition represents a shift toward AI platforms with demonstrated commercial traction.
Manus recently disclosed that it has signed up millions of users and surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue, making it one of the few AI startups to achieve significant commercial scale. Industry analysts say this revenue profile likely played a key role in Meta’s decision to pursue the company at a multibillion-dollar valuation.
The startup is backed by its parent company, Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology, and earlier this year raised $75 million at a valuation of about $500 million. The funding round was led by U.S. venture capital firm Benchmark, with participation from HSG (formerly Sequoia Capital China), ZhenFund and Tencent Holdings, according to PitchBook data.
Meta’s move follows a series of aggressive investments in artificial intelligence. Earlier this year, the company invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI, valuing the data-labeling firm at $29 billion and bringing its 28-year-old CEO, Alexandr Wang, closer into Meta’s strategic orbit.
In June, Nairametrics reported that Meta was in advanced talks with major private capital firms to raise up to $29 billion to finance its rapid expansion into AI infrastructure. At the time, the company was engaging leading private credit investors, including Apollo Global Management, KKR, Brookfield, Carlyle and Pimco.
