On Monday, 29th December 2025, Meta announced its acquisition of Manus, an artificial intelligence startup based in Singapore with roots in China. This acquisition aims to speed up the inclusion of sophisticated autonomous AI agents within Meta’s platforms, such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook.
Although specific financial details were not revealed, estimates from the Wall Street Journal and Reuters place the transaction value between $2 billion and $3 billion. This deal marks Meta’s third-largest acquisition, following its earlier purchases of WhatsApp and Scale AI.
Founded in 2022 by Xiao Hong as part of Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology, Manus garnered international attention earlier this year with the launch of what it billed as the world’s first “general-purpose” AI agent. Unlike traditional chatbots that mainly offer text-based responses, Manus is engineered to carry out multi-step tasks autonomously. Its functionalities include market research, data analysis, full-stack programming, and workflow automation with minimal prompts from users.
In June 2025, Manus moved its headquarters to Singapore to reduce risks tied to geopolitical tensions between the US and China. Following the acquisition, Manus will cut connections with its Chinese investors and halt operations in China, which will result in job losses for its staff based in China. The remaining team members will join Meta, while the startup will continue to run its independent subscription service from Singapore.
Meta intends to incorporate Manus’s technology into both its consumer and business products, significantly enhancing the capabilities of Meta AI. This acquisition coincides with a vigorous cycle of AI investments by Meta, which has dedicated substantial capital expenditures on hardware and talent to remain competitive with OpenAI and Google.
The deal might encounter regulatory challenges in both Washington and Beijing. US lawmakers have previously expressed concerns over American venture capital investments in the firm, while analysts in China have voiced worries about the exodus of domestic AI talent to American tech companies.
