Meta has agreed to acquire Manus, the fast‑rising Singapore‑based developer of autonomous AI agents, in a deal valued at more than $2 billion, according to multiple reports. The purchase marks one of Meta’s largest acquisitions since WhatsApp and underscores the company’s urgency to deliver AI products with real commercial traction.
Manus, founded by Chinese entrepreneurs and backed early by Tencent and HSG, surged to prominence after unveiling AI agents capable of executing complex, multi‑step tasks—from planning travel to conducting market research and coding full applications. The startup reportedly surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue just eight months after launch, drawing millions of paying users despite still being in beta.
Investors piled in quickly. Benchmark led a $75 million round, adding to Manus’s earlier funding momentum. Meta’s acquisition comes as the company faces mounting pressure to justify its $60 billion AI infrastructure investment with products that generate revenue rather than long‑term research bets.
The deal also carries geopolitical weight. Manus’s Chinese origins and early Chinese investors have drawn scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers. Meta has stated that all Chinese ties will be severed and that Manus will cease operating in China after the acquisition.
Under the agreement, Manus will remain operationally independent while its agent technology is integrated across Meta’s ecosystem, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. For Meta, the purchase is as much about credibility as capability—an attempt to show it can deliver AI tools that work today, not years from now.
In a crowded AI landscape, the message is unmistakable: performance, revenue, and real‑world adoption are now the metrics that matter most.
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