Highlights
- Meta has acquired Singapore-based AI startup Manus for over $2 billion, marking one of its largest AI investments to date.
- Manus is known for viral demos of AI agents performing complex tasks and has quickly scaled to millions of users and $100M annual recurring revenue within months.
- The deal strengthens Meta’s global AI push and removes Chinese investor ties to avoid U.S. scrutiny.
Meta has reportedly made one of its largest artificial intelligence investments to date. The tech giant has acquired AI startup Manus in a deal worth more than $2 billion. The acquisition marks a significant move by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta to strengthen its global AI infrastructure.
Manus, which showcased its first public demo only a few months ago, has already evolved from a viral proof-of-concept into a revenue-generating platform.
Announcing the acquisition in a post on Facebook, Meta wrote, “We are excited to announce that Manus is joining Meta to bring a leading agent to billions of people and unlock opportunities for businesses across our products. Manus has built one of the leading autonomous general-purpose agents that can independently execute complex tasks like market research, coding, and data analysis. We will continue to operate and sell the Manus service, as well as integrate it into our products.”
What is Manus?
Manus is an AI startup headquartered in Singapore that gained widespread attention in the first half of this year following the release of a highly polished demo focused on AI agents. These agents were shown performing complex tasks such as screening job applicants, planning travel itineraries, and analysing investment portfolios.
According to the company, its system outperformed several existing AI research tools, helping Manus stand out in an increasingly crowded market.
The demo quickly went viral across social media and tech communities, turning Manus into one of the most talked-about AI startups of 2025.
Following its viral debut, Manus attracted major investors at an unusually fast pace. In April, venture capital firm Benchmark led a $75 million funding round that valued the startup at around $500 million. Other prominent backers included Tencent, ZhenFund, and HSG, which had previously participated in funding rounds.
Despite some criticism around its subscription pricing, Manus reportedly amassed millions of users and reached $100 million in annual recurring revenue within months. It is a milestone many AI startups struggle to achieve even after years in the market.
Why the Manus Acquisition Matters to Meta
For Meta, the acquisition of Manus is the latest in a series of multibillion-dollar bets aimed at turning heavy investments in AI chips and data centres into commercially viable products. Mark Zuckerberg has repeatedly described AI as Meta’s top priority. The company continues to invest aggressively in its Llama family of open-source language models and earlier this year made a major strategic investment in Scale AI. Meta also brought on Scale AI’s 28-year-old billionaire founder, Alexandr Wang, to lead its broader AI initiatives.
The deal also helps resolve Manus’s ties to China. While the startup had received funding from Chinese investors such as Tencent, ZhenFund, and HSG (formerly Sequoia Capital China), a Meta spokesperson told Nikkei Asia, “There will be no continuing Chinese ownership interests in Manus AI following the transaction, and Manus AI will discontinue its services and operations in China.” A Meta spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
This separation from China could help Meta avoid heightened scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and regulators. In May, U.S. Senator John Cornyn criticised Benchmark Capital for participating in Manus’s $75 million funding round, posting on X, “Who thinks it is a good idea for American investors to subsidize our biggest adversary in AI, only to have the CCP use that technology to challenge us economically and militarily? Not me.”
Manus founder and CEO Xiao Hong described the acquisition as an opportunity to scale the technology globally. “The era of AI that not only talks but also acts, creates, and delivers is just beginning,” he said on social media, according to Al Jazeera. “Now, we have the opportunity to build it at a scale we could never have envisioned.”
Meta has confirmed that it plans to keep the Manus service operational while integrating the startup’s roughly 100 employees into its broader AI organisation.
FAQs
Q1. What is Manus and why did it gain attention?
Answer. Manus is a Singapore-based AI startup known for viral demos of AI agents performing tasks like job applicant screening, travel planning, and investment analysis. It quickly scaled to millions of users and $100M annual recurring revenue.
Q2. Why did Meta acquire Manus for over $2 billion?
Answer. The acquisition strengthens Meta’s global AI infrastructure, integrates Manus’s 100 employees, and aligns with Mark Zuckerberg’s push to make AI Meta’s top priority.
Q3. How does the deal affect Manus’s ties to China?
Answer. Meta confirmed that Manus will discontinue operations in China and remove Chinese investor ownership, helping Meta avoid U.S. regulatory scrutiny while scaling the technology globally.
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