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Meta Platforms Inc. has agreed to buy Manus, a popular Singapore-based artificial intelligence agent with Chinese roots, in a massive effort to build a business around its aggressive AI investment.
The deal values Manus at more than $2 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, marking a rare acquisition of an Asian tech company by a US giant.
This multibillion-dollar bet from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was struck in just 10 days, securing a startup that generated $125 million in annual revenue run rate earlier this year.
Coming amid escalating US-China competition for AI dominance, the move completely severs the startup's ties to Chinese ownership.
"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 confirmed.
Manus shot to prominence rapidly, backed by Chinese heavyweights including Tencent and ZhenFund, who have all been bought out in the takeover.
The startup's "agent" technology goes beyond simple chatbots, offering tools that autonomously complete business tasks like screening resumes, creating trip itineraries, and analyzing stocks.
This capability offers Meta immediate returns on its billions in infrastructure spending, distinguishing it from rivals still relying heavily on user-prompted generative AI.
The acquisition sees Manus's team of about 100 staff joining Meta, with co-founder Xiao Hong reporting to Chief Operating Officer Javier Olivan.
Xiao celebrated the deal on X, writing: "The era of AI that doesn't just talk, but acts, creates, and delivers, is only beginning. And now, we get to build it at a scale we never could have imagined."
Meta's Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang also welcomed the team, signaling a major push to integrate these autonomous agents into Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
However, the deal has drawn scrutiny. VC firm Benchmark was previously criticized by Senator John Cornyn for backing the company, questioning the wisdom of "subsidizing our biggest adversary in AI."
Despite the political friction, the acquisition underscores Meta's determination to lead the AI race against Google and OpenAI, regardless of the geopolitical complexities involved.