Meta Acquires Chinese-Founded AI Startup Manus in $2B+ Deal
Meta has agreed to buy the AI startup Manus. This deal is part of a major push into artificial intelligence. Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and it wants more advanced tools. Manus was founded in China but moved its base to Singapore earlier this year. The team built a general-purpose AI agent that works on complex tasks. Meta did not officially share the exact price. However, reports say the deal is worth more than $2 billion.
What Manus Does
Manus builds what are called autonomous AI agents. These tools can plan trips, research markets, write code, and analyse data with little human input. For example, it can organise workflows and serve millions of users around the world.
This goes beyond standard chatbots, which mostly answer questions. Autonomy makes Manus special.
Why Meta Bought Manus
Meta plans to use Manus technology across its products. That includes Meta AI and other consumer tools. In addition, the company says all Chinese ownership interests will be removed after the deal. Manus will stop operations in China to address regulatory concerns. As a result, the team will join Meta, though the Manus subscription service will continue from Singapore.
Industry Impact
This acquisition highlights how big tech firms are racing to secure advanced AI tools. Meta has invested heavily in AI research and infrastructure this year. However, regulators in the US and elsewhere are watching deals like this closely because of geopolitical tech tensions.
With this buyout, Meta aims to make AI agents part of everyday digital experiences for billions of users.
