Meta to Buy AI Startup Manus for More Than $2 Billion

Meta is acquiring AI startup Manus in a deal reported at more than $2 billion, adding a fast-growing “agent” platform to its push to weave advanced artificial intelligence across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The company announced the purchase on December 29, 2025, but did not disclose terms.

What Happened

Meta said Manus will continue to run as a service while its technology is integrated into Meta’s consumer and business products, including Meta AI. Multiple outlets reported the price tag at above $2 billion. Manus, now based in Singapore after relocating from China earlier this year, sells subscription access to an autonomous, general‑purpose AI agent used for research, coding and other multi‑step tasks.

The startup has grown unusually fast: it has signed up millions of users and recently said it surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue, roughly eight months after launch. Manus raised $75 million in April 2025 in a round led by Benchmark, valuing the company around $500 million at the time.

Why It Matters

For Meta, the deal is another bid to translate hefty infrastructure spending on AI chips and data centers into products people and businesses will pay for. Folding Manus’s agent into Meta’s apps could accelerate the company’s ambition to offer AI that not only chats but completes tasks on users’ behalf. It also follows Meta’s investment earlier this year in Scale AI at a $29 billion valuation, underscoring a strategy of pairing in‑house model work (like Llama) with targeted deals.

Geopolitics adds a wrinkle. Meta said there will be no continuing Chinese ownership after the transaction, and Manus will discontinue services in China, addressing potential scrutiny of cross‑border AI deals while keeping the team and operations centered in Singapore.

What Changes For Manus

Manus will keep its brand and continue selling subscriptions independently even as its technology is embedded in Meta products. The Manus team will join Meta to help build general‑purpose agents for consumers and businesses. For existing customers, Meta signaled continuity: the product remains available through Manus’s app and website, with the added promise of reaching billions of users through Meta’s platforms.

What’s Next

Meta hasn’t outlined a timeline for feature rollouts, but near‑term priorities are likely to include deeper agent capabilities in Meta AI and tools for small businesses on WhatsApp and across Meta’s ad ecosystem. With rivals racing to ship “agentic” features, this acquisition gives Meta a revenue‑generating product — and a team — to accelerate that competition.

Sources

• Meta Buys AI Startup Manus for More Than $2 Billion — Wall Street Journal (December 29, 2025)
• Meta to buy Chinese founded startup Manus to boost advanced AI — Reuters (December 30, 2025)
• Meta buys startup Manus in latest move to advance its artificial intelligence efforts — Associated Press (December 30, 2025)
• Meta to Acquire Manus in $2 Billion Bet on AI Agents — Bloomberg (December 30, 2025)