Meta Acquires Chinese AI Startup Manus to Scale Autonomous Agent Technology
Meta has officially acquired Chinese-founded AI startup Manus to strengthen its autonomous AI agent capabilities for consumers and businesses. The deal brings advanced AI technology that has processed over 147 trillion tokens and created over 80 million virtual computers, serving millions of users globally through subscription-based services.
*this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only.
Meta has officially announced the acquisition of Manus, a Chinese-founded artificial intelligence startup, on Monday, December 29, marking a strategic move to strengthen its push into advanced, autonomous AI agents for consumers and businesses. The acquisition represents Meta's continued commitment to transforming AI research into profitable business applications under CEO Mark Zuckerberg's strategic direction.
Official Acquisition Announcement
In a statement, Meta said Manus will help it bring "a leading agent to billions of people" and unlock new opportunities for businesses across its products. The company emphasized that Manus has built one of the more advanced general-purpose AI agents capable of independently executing complex tasks.
| Deal Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Announcement Date | December 29 |
| Target Company | Manus (Chinese-founded AI startup) |
| Deal Status | Officially announced |
| Financial Terms | Not disclosed |
| Operations Base | Singapore (continuing) |
Advanced AI Agent Capabilities
Manus has developed sophisticated AI technology that demonstrates significant scale and capability. The startup's AI agent system showcases impressive operational metrics and versatile functionality across multiple business applications.
| Technology Metric | Performance |
|---|---|
| Tokens Processed | Over 147.00 trillion |
| Virtual Computers Created | Over 80.00 million |
| User Base | Millions globally |
| Service Model | Subscription-based |
Multi-Purpose AI Agent Functions
The AI agent technology offers comprehensive task execution capabilities including:
- Market research and business intelligence
- Coding and software development tasks
- Data analysis and processing
- Complex workflow automation
- Multi-step task completion with minimal human intervention
Strategic Integration and Operations
CEO of Manus Xiao Hong stated, "Joining Meta allows us to build on a stronger, more sustainable foundation without changing how Manus works or how decisions are made." The startup will continue operating its subscription-based service while integrating technology into Meta's ecosystem. Manus' engineering and research team will join Meta as part of the deal, and the company will maintain its Singapore operations base.
Market Position and Industry Impact
The acquisition emphasizes Meta's growing focus on agent-based AI systems that can carry out multi-step tasks with minimal human intervention, an area that has become a key battleground among global tech companies. Meta said the acquisition will help scale Manus' technology to a wider user base, including businesses, while integrating capabilities across consumer and enterprise products such as Meta AI. This strategic move supports Meta's broader transformation to diversify revenue streams beyond traditional social media advertising through direct AI monetization opportunities.
16
