In a significant move that underscores its aggressive pursuit of dominance in the technology sector, Meta Platforms Inc. has acquired Manus, a Singapore-based startup specializing in general-purpose Artificial Intelligence agents. The deal positions Meta to significantly enhance its offerings across both consumer and enterprise products.
Acquisition Details and Financials
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, confirmed the acquisition in a formal statement. While official terms were not fully disclosed, sources familiar with the matter revealed that the deal creates a valuation exceeding $2 billion. This figure aligns with Manus's recent fundraising ambitions.
Key aspects of the agreement include:
Leadership Integration: Manus employees will integrate into Meta’s teams. Xiao Hong (also known as "Red"), the Chief Executive Officer of Manus, will report directly to Javier Olivan, Meta’s Chief Operating Officer.
Operational Continuity: Manus will continue to operate and sell its subscription-based services through its application and website, ensuring no immediate disruptions for current users.
Geopolitical Adjustments: To address potential geopolitical sensitivities given the startup's origins, Manus plans to wind down its remaining operations in China. Meta has assured that there will be no ongoing Chinese ownership interests following the transaction.
Integration and Strategy
Meta intends to integrate Manus’s capabilities into its existing ecosystem to accelerate innovation in "agents"—software capable of performing complex, autonomous tasks with minimal human input.
Product Expansion: The technology will be incorporated into the Meta Artificial Intelligence assistant and expanded across social media platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp.
Scaling Automation: The goal is to scale these tools to millions of businesses and billions of users, enhancing automation for tasks such as market research, data analysis, computer coding, and website building.
Competitive Edge: This move allows Meta to compete more effectively against rivals like Microsoft, which has embedded agents in products like Copilot and Windows 11. Notably, Microsoft had tested Manus's technology on Windows 11 Personal Computers in October 2025.
Background on Manus
Manus traces its roots to China, where it was founded in 2022 as a product of the startup "Butterfly Effect" (also known as Monica.im).
Global Shift: Initially based in Beijing and Wuhan, the company relocated its headquarters to Singapore in June 2025 to facilitate global expansion and leverage United States Artificial Intelligence models that were unavailable in China.
Rapid Growth: The startup gained viral attention in March 2025. Its agent technology reportedly outperformed competitors, such as OpenAI's Deep Research tool, in detailed research reporting and custom website creation.
Technology Scale: Powered by models from companies such as Anthropic and Alibaba, Manus has processed over 147 trillion tokens of text and data, supporting more than 80 million virtual computers.
Financial Performance: The company achieved an Annualized Recurring Revenue of over $100 million just eight months after launch, with a run rate exceeding $125 million.
Industry Implications
Experts view this acquisition as a watershed moment for enterprise Artificial Intelligence, potentially accelerating the adoption of business automation.
For Meta: It secures a proven revenue stream and millions of paying users.
For Manus: It provides the necessary infrastructure to scale its technology to reach billions of users.
Market Reaction: Following the announcement, shares in Meta rose by 1.3% in trading.
Chief Executive Officer Xiao Hong expressed enthusiasm regarding the partnership:
"Joining Meta allows us to build on a stronger, more sustainable foundation without changing how Manus works or how decisions are made. We are excited about what the future holds with Meta and Manus working together and we will continue to iterate the product and serve users that have defined Manus from the beginning."
This deal marks one of the first major United States acquisitions of a startup with Chinese roots, highlighting the interconnected nature of the global Artificial Intelligence landscape.
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