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Meta Doubles Down on Intelligent Agents

Meta Platforms has taken another decisive step in its artificial intelligence expansion, announcing the acquisition of Manus, a Singapore-based developer of general-purpose AI agents. The deal caps a year marked by aggressive investment, hiring, and acquisitions as Meta works to embed advanced automation across its consumer apps and business tools.

The company said the acquisition is designed to accelerate AI innovation and deepen automation across products ranging from the Meta AI assistant to enterprise-facing solutions. While financial terms were not officially disclosed, reports suggest the transaction exceeded $2 billion, reflecting both Manus’ rapid growth and Meta’s urgency in securing AI capabilities at scale.

A Start-up With Unusual Speed and Scale

Manus has drawn attention across the tech industry for its unusually fast commercial traction. Founded in China before relocating its headquarters to Singapore, the company launched its first general-purpose AI agent earlier this year. The product is designed to autonomously execute complex workflows such as market research, software development, data analysis, and multi-step business tasks.

Within just eight months of launch, Manus claims it reached more than $100 million in annualized average revenue, with its revenue run rate surpassing $125 million. Few AI start-ups have demonstrated that level of monetization speed, particularly in the highly competitive AI agent space.

The company also reported that its platform has processed more than 147 trillion tokens of text and data and supported over 80 million virtual computer sessions, serving both individual users and businesses through free and paid subscription tiers.

How Manus Fits Into Meta’s Product Vision

Meta said Manus will continue operating its subscription-based service without disruption, signaling that the company intends to preserve the product’s existing customer base while scaling it further under Meta’s infrastructure and distribution.

According to Meta, the goal is to integrate Manus’ automation technology into both consumer and enterprise offerings. AI agents capable of completing end-to-end tasks are increasingly seen as the next evolution beyond chatbots, allowing users to delegate real work rather than simply ask questions.

Meta has indicated that Manus’ tools could play a role in business automation, developer workflows, and advanced consumer use cases, complementing its broader push to make Meta AI more proactive and task-oriented.

From China Roots to Global Expansion

Manus originated as part of Butterfly Effect, also known as Monica.Im, before being spun out into a standalone company. Earlier this year, it gained visibility after claiming performance advantages over competing AI research agents, including offerings from OpenAI.

The company raised $75 million in a Series B funding round in April led by Benchmark, with backing from Tencent and HongShan Capital Group. At the time, Manus was reportedly seeking additional funding at a valuation of around $2 billion when Meta approached it with an acquisition offer.

As part of its international expansion, Manus shut down most of its Beijing operations and relocated its headquarters to Singapore, positioning itself closer to global customers and investors. It has also maintained strategic ties with Chinese tech firms, including a partnership announced earlier this year with Alibaba’s Qwen AI team.

Another Chapter in Meta’s AI Buying Spree

The Manus deal fits squarely into Meta’s broader strategy of acquiring specialized AI companies to accelerate development and recruit top-tier talent. Rather than relying solely on internal research, Meta has increasingly used acquisitions and large strategic investments to compress timelines in key AI areas.

Earlier this year, Meta invested $14.3 billion in data-labeling and AI infrastructure firm Scale AI, bringing its founder into Meta’s AI leadership ranks. More recently, the company acquired AI wearables start-up Limitless as part of its push into intelligent devices.

These moves complement Meta’s heavy investment in its open-source Llama large language models, which are positioned as foundational technology for future consumer and enterprise applications.

Interest From Industry Heavyweights

Manus’ technology has already attracted attention from major tech players. Microsoft began testing Manus agents on Windows 11 PCs earlier this year, enabling users to automate tasks such as building websites from local files. That early validation from a major platform provider added to Manus’ credibility and likely boosted its acquisition appeal.

By bringing Manus in-house, Meta not only gains a proven AI agent platform but also blocks competitors from accessing a rapidly scaling automation technology.

Talent Remains the Real Prize

Meta confirmed that Manus employees will join its teams following the acquisition, reinforcing the view that talent acquisition is a core driver of many AI deals. The company has been aggressively recruiting researchers and engineers from start-ups and established rivals alike as competition intensifies across the AI landscape.

As AI agents move from experimental tools to core productivity infrastructure, Meta’s acquisition of Manus signals a clear message. The next phase of AI competition will be defined less by chat interfaces and more by autonomous systems capable of doing real work at scale.