Meta (formerly Facebook) announced it will acquire Manus, a Chinese artificial intelligence startup, as part of its efforts to enhance AI capabilities across its platforms. This move is part of a broader trend among tech giants, who are increasing investments in AI through strategic acquisitions and talent hires amid growing industry competition.
Earlier this year, Meta made a significant investment in Scale AI, a data-labeling startup, valuing the company at $29 billion and bringing in its CEO, Alexandr Wang.
While financial terms of the Manus deal were not disclosed, the acquisition is expected to boost Meta’s AI initiatives. Manus, based in Singapore, develops general-purpose AI agents that function as digital employees. These agents can independently complete tasks such as research and automation with minimal prompts.
Meta plans to operate and sell Manus’s services, integrating the technology into its consumer and business products, including Meta AI.
Manus made headlines earlier this year with the launch of its AI agent, which it claims outperforms OpenAI’s DeepResearch. The company, part of Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology Ltd Co, gained attention by offering free AI task completion on X (formerly Twitter).
In recent years, Manus and other Chinese firms have relocated to Singapore, hoping to minimize the impact of U.S.-China geopolitical tensions on their operations.
