Meta Platforms is acquiring artificial intelligence start-up Manus, which is working on AI agents capable of making decisions and executing tasks autonomously. The acquisition, reportedly valued between $2 billion and $3 billion, is a rare example of a US technology group buying an AI platform with Chinese roots.
Manus, which originally had its headquarters in China but moved to Singapore to shield itself from ongoing US-China tensions, is one of the “leading autonomous general-purpose agents”, with tools that can perform market research, coding and data analysis.
The talent at Manus will join Meta’s team to “deliver general-purpose agents across our consumer and business products, including in Meta AI,” the Mark Zuckerberg-led company said in a statement.
The deal is Meta’s third-largest acquisition after WhatsApp and Scale AI. Meta paid $19 billion for the former in 2014 and up to $15 billion for a 49 per cent stake in Scale AI this year.
Backed by its parent company, Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology, Manus raised $75 million this year at a valuation of around $500 million, in an investment round led by US venture capital firm Benchmark.
Manus released its AI agent earlier this year, saying it outperforms OpenAI’s DeepResearch. AI agents — a buzzword in 2025 — are tools that do not require human supervision to perform specific digital tasks. Companies such as Salesforce and ServiceNow are promoting their agents as an effective way to conduct business.
“The era belonging to this generation of young entrepreneurs has arrived,” said Liu Yuan, partner at ZhenFund, on WeChat, about the deal.
Alexandr Wang, Meta’s chief AI officer, said on X that Meta is recruiting more widely in Singapore. “We already have some amazing researchers and engineers there, buoyed now by the 100-strong Manus team, and we’re growing fast,” he said.
Zuckerberg is under pressure to justify his AI spending. “I’m very focused on establishing Meta as the leading frontier AI lab,” Meta’s chief executive said in a recent earnings call. Over a billion people use Meta AI each month, he added.
So far, Meta has said that its AI spending has improved its advertising business, which accounts for nearly all of its revenue. The company has also said AI has enhanced its social media algorithms, especially for Instagram Reels.
“Joining Meta allows us to build on a stronger, more sustainable foundation without changing how Manus works or how decisions are made,” said Xiao Hong, chief executive of Manus, in a statement.
