Meta Acquires AI Agent Startup Manus in $2B Acquisition

Meta Platforms has acquired Manus, a Singapore-based developer of general-purpose AI agents, in a transaction valued at more than $2 billion, according to reports. The move underscores Meta’s accelerating push into autonomous artificial intelligence systems designed to execute complex tasks beyond conversational chat, and it deepens the company’s competition with rival AI labs and platform providers.

The acquisition adds a fast-growing AI agent company to Meta’s expanding AI portfolio at a time when large technology firms are racing to commercialize software capable of independently carrying out multi-step workflows.

What Manus Brings to Meta’s AI Strategy

Manus has positioned itself in the emerging “AI agent” category, focusing on systems that can autonomously perform tasks such as market research, software development, and data analysis. Unlike traditional AI chatbots, these agents are designed to operate across tools and datasets with minimal human supervision.

According to company disclosures, Manus reached an annualized average revenue of over $100 million within eight months of launch and reported a revenue run rate exceeding $125 million. The platform claims to have processed more than 147 trillion tokens and to support over 80 million virtual computing environments, signaling early enterprise-scale adoption.

Meta plans to integrate Manus’ technology across its ecosystem, with particular emphasis on strengthening the Meta AI assistant and expanding automation capabilities for both consumer and enterprise use cases.

Competitive Pressure in the AI Agent Market

The acquisition reflects intensifying competition among major AI developers, including OpenAI and Google, as companies move beyond language models toward autonomous systems. AI agents are increasingly viewed as a critical layer in enterprise software, capable of reducing manual workflows and enabling new productivity tools.

Manus has publicly claimed performance advantages over competing agent-based systems, including OpenAI’s Deep Research agent, although independent benchmarking remains limited. Meta’s decision to acquire rather than build internally suggests confidence in Manus’ technical approach and commercial traction.

Operational Independence and Talent Integration

Despite the acquisition, Manus will continue operating its subscription-based service without disruption. The company stated that it will retain operational independence while gaining access to Meta’s infrastructure, research resources, and global distribution.

“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, CEO of Manus.

Manus employees are expected to join Meta’s AI teams, reinforcing the company’s efforts to secure top-tier talent amid fierce competition for experienced AI engineers and researchers.

Part of a Broader AI Investment Push

The Manus deal caps a year of aggressive AI expansion for Meta Platforms, which is also developing its open-source Llama large language models. Recent initiatives include the acquisition of AI wearables startup Limitless and a major investment in Scale AI, which brought founder Alexandr Wang into Meta’s AI leadership structure.

These moves underscore Meta’s strategy of integrating internal research with targeted acquisitions to accelerate product development and shorten the time to market in key AI segments.

Global Roots and Market Reach

Manus originated from Butterfly Effect, a Chinese startup also known as Monica.Im, before spinning out as a separate entity. In preparation for global expansion, the company relocated its headquarters to Singapore in June and secured backing from major investors, including Benchmark, Tencent, and HongShan Capital.

The technology has already been deployed in real-world applications. In October, Microsoft began testing Manus within Windows 11 environments, enabling users to create websites from local files using autonomous agent workflows.

As Meta continues to invest heavily in AI infrastructure and autonomous systems, the Manus acquisition signals a clear belief that AI agents will play a central role in the next phase of software development and enterprise automation.