Dec 30, 2025
Meta to buy Manus (Chinese founded startup) to boost advanced AI
Under the acquisition, Meta said it will run and commercialize the Manus service and fold it into its consumer and business offerings, including Meta AI.
Meta (META.O) said on Monday that it plans to buy Manus, an artificial intelligence startup founded by Chinese entrepreneurs, as the company steps up its push to weave more advanced AI capabilities throughout its products.
The financial terms were not disclosed. However, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said the deal values the Singapore-based company at roughly $2 billion to $3 billion.
Manus drew widespread attention earlier this year after it launched what it described as the world’s first general AI agent, software it said can make decisions and carry out tasks on its own, needing far less guidance than chatbots such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek. The release sparked online buzz on X, with some observers labeling it “China’s next DeepSeek,” and it also received praise from Chinese state television.
Months later, Manus relocated its headquarters from China to Singapore, part of a broader trend of Chinese firms moving operations there to reduce exposure to risks tied to U.S.-China tensions. Manus says its products are not offered in China.
The company also claims its AI agent outperforms OpenAI’s DeepResearch. In addition, it has a strategic partnership with Alibaba (9988.HK) to collaborate on AI models.
Under the acquisition, Meta said it will run and commercialize the Manus service and fold it into its consumer and business offerings, including Meta AI. Barton Crockett, an analyst at Rosenblatt Securities, said the fit is clear given Meta’s expanding WhatsApp presence among small and medium-sized businesses, and he pointed to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader “agentic” ambitions for personal AI.
The move underscores how major tech companies, including Meta, are intensifying AI spending through acquisitions and high-profile hires amid fierce competition.
Earlier this year, Meta invested in Scale AI in a transaction that valued the data-labeling company at $29 billion and brought onboard its 28-year-old chief executive, Alexandr Wang.
Manus, backed by its parent company Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology, raised $75 million this year at a valuation of about $500 million, according to the same source, confirming earlier media reports. U.S. venture capital firm Benchmark led that funding round.