Meta Platforms Inc. META-Q said on Monday it would acquire Chinese-founded artificial intelligence startup Manus, as the technology giant accelerates efforts to integrate advanced AI across its platforms.
Financial terms of its transaction with Manus were not released, but a source with direct knowledge of the matter said the deal values the Singapore-based firm at between US$2-billion and US$3-billion.
Manus did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Manus went viral early this year on X after it released what it claimed was the world’s first general AI agent, capable of making decisions and executing tasks autonomously, with much less prompting required than AI chatbots like ChatGPT and DeepSeek.
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That drove commentators to call it China’s next DeepSeek, and it was cheered by Chinese state television. The company months later moved its headquarters from China to Singapore, joining a wave of other Chinese companies that have done so to curb risks from U.S.-China tensions.
The company, whose products are not available in China, claims its AI agent’s performance surpasses that of OpenAI’s DeepResearch. It also has a strategic partnership with Alibaba to collaborate on their AI models.
Meta will operate and sell the Manus service and integrate it into its consumer and business products, including in Meta AI, the company said.
Tech giants such as Meta have been ramping up AI investments through strategic acquisitions and talent hires as they navigate fierce industry competition.
Earlier this year, the Facebook owner invested in Scale AI in a deal that valued the data-labelling startup at US$29-billion and brought in its 28-year-old CEO, Alexandr Wang.
Manus, backed by its parent Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology, raised US$75-million this year at a valuation of around US$500-million, the source said, confirming previous media reports. U.S. venture firm Benchmark led the funding round.
Its investors also include HSG, formerly known as Sequoia Capital China, ZhenFund and internet giant Tencent Holdings , PitchBook data showed.