Meta Acquires AI Startup Manus in a $2 Billion Deal – gHacks Tech News

Meta Platforms has agreed to acquire Manus, an AI startup that drew outsized attention earlier this year with a polished demo of autonomous agents handling tasks like screening candidates, planning trips, and analyzing portfolios. The deal values Manus at roughly $2 billion, matching the valuation the company was reportedly seeking for its next funding round.

Manus emerged quickly. After debuting in the spring, it went viral on the strength of a single demo video and bold claims that its agents outperformed competing research tools. By April, the company had closed a $75 million round led by Benchmark at a $500 million post-money valuation. Additional backing reportedly included Tencent, ZhenFund, and HSG via an earlier raise.

Despite skepticism around early pricing-Manus charged $39 or $199 per month while still testing-the company said it crossed $100 million in annual recurring revenue and signed up millions of users. That traction appears to have accelerated Meta’s interest, especially as investors scrutinize Meta’s heavy AI infrastructure spending.

According to reports, Meta plans to keep Manus operating independently while integrating its agents into Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, where Meta AI is already available. The acquisition adds a revenue-generating agent platform to Meta’s portfolio rather than another experimental model.

The deal also carries geopolitical sensitivity. Manus was founded by Chinese nationals and traces its origins to a parent company established in Beijing before relocating operations to Singapore earlier this year. That background has drawn scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers wary of technology transfers and foreign influence. Meta has stated that, following the acquisition, Manus will sever ties with Chinese investors and discontinue operations in China.

For Mark Zuckerberg, the acquisition aligns with a strategy centered on AI agents embedded across consumer platforms. Unlike prior bets that focused on foundational models, Manus offers a product already in market with paying customers-something Meta can scale across its existing user base.

Regulatory review and integration details remain open questions. Meta says Manus will continue as a standalone product initially, with agent capabilities gradually woven into Meta’s apps. How aggressively that integration happens, and how regulators respond to the cross-border aspects of the deal, will shape what users see next.