Meta Platforms announced Tuesday that it has acquired Manus, a Singapore-based AI start-up originally founded in China. The move is part of Meta’s ongoing push into artificial intelligence.
Manus develops general-purpose AI agents that can perform tasks like coding, data analysis, and market research. The company reported an annualized revenue of over $100 million just eight months after launching its first AI agent. Its revenue run rate now exceeds $125 million.
“Manus is already serving the daily needs of millions of users and businesses worldwide … We plan to scale this service to many more businesses,” Meta said in a statement. The company plans to integrate Manus’ AI tools into both consumer and enterprise products, including its Meta AI assistant.
Financial terms were not disclosed. However, the Wall Street Journal reported the deal likely exceeded $2 billion. Manus had been preparing a new funding round at a similar valuation before Meta approached the company.
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Xiao Hong, CEO of Manus, said, “Joining Meta allows us to build on a stronger, more sustainable foundation without changing how Manus works or how decisions are made.”
Manus began as a product of Chinese start-up Butterfly Effect, also known as Monica.Im, before becoming an independent company. Earlier this year, it gained attention for its AI agent, which the firm said outperformed OpenAI’s Deep Research agent. The company moved its headquarters to Singapore in June as part of a global expansion plan.
Meta’s acquisition fits into its broader strategy of acquiring specialized AI start-ups to gain talent and speed up development. Earlier this year, Meta invested in AI start-ups such as Scale AI and Limitless, expanding its AI software and device portfolio.
Manus’ technology has also attracted interest from other major tech companies. In October, Microsoft tested Manus on Windows 11 PCs, allowing users to create websites from local files. Manus says it has processed over 147 trillion text and data tokens and supports more than 80 million virtual computers.
Meta confirmed that Manus employees will join its teams as the company continues to recruit AI talent from start-ups and major tech firms.