Meta acquires Chinese-founded AI startup Manus for over $3 billion

Meta, which is investing in AI infrastructure with the aim of realizing superintelligence, has announced that it will acquire Manus , a Singapore-based AI startup founded by a Chinese national, for a total of over $2 billion (approximately 310 billion yen).

Manus Joins Forces with Meta to Enter the Next Era of Innovation
https://manus.im/ja/blog/manus-joins-meta-for-next-era-of-innovation

Exclusive | Meta Buys AI Startup Manus for More Than $2 Billion - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/meta-buys-ai-startup-manus-adding-millions-of-paying-users-f1dc7ef8

Meta just bought Manus, an AI startup everyone has been talking about | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/29/meta-just-bought-manus-an-ai-startup-everyone-has-been-talking-about/

Manus is a Singapore-based AI startup that released its eponymous AI agent, 'Manus,' in March 2025. Equipped with AI models from Anthropic and Alibaba, Manus is an AI agent that collects information from various sources and outputs results that include interactive elements.

Chinese startup announces 'Manus,' an AI agent that claims to surpass OpenAI's deep research - GIGAZINE

Manus has attracted worldwide attention, and in April, shortly after its release, it completed a $75 million funding round led by venture capital firm Benchmark. Just eight months after its release, in December, it announced that its annual revenue had surpassed $100 million . Since the release of the improved version, Manus 1.5, in October, the monthly growth rate has remained above 20%.

Then, at the end of December, Meta announced that it would acquire Manus for a total of more than $2 billion. TechCrunch, a technology media outlet, noted that 'For CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who is betting Meta's future on AI, Manus represents something new: an AI product that actually generates revenue,' and pointed out that this is significant for investors concerned about Meta's spending on AI infrastructure.

Meta will continue to operate Manus independently after the acquisition, but will incorporate Manus' AI agents into products such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The Wall Street Journal reported that the acquisition will allow Meta to solidify its position in the AI agent product field.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Manus decided to distance itself from its Chinese roots in order to better attract American investment.

How Meta's Newest Acquisition Target Got Around Worries Over Its Ties to China - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/how-metas-newest-acquisition-target-got-around-worries-over-its-ties-to-china-de2d24b6

Manus was founded by two young Chinese entrepreneurs, Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao. Xiao founded the company after studying software engineering at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, where he developed software for WeChat, a messaging app for Tencent, a major Chinese technology company. Ji developed a browser app for the iPhone while in high school, and in 2012 founded his own startup, Peak Labs, which received venture capital funding.

In 2022, Xiao founded Butterfly Effect, the parent company of Manus, and released Monica, a browser application powered by ChatGPT. Inspired by the AI coding tool Cursor, he began developing Manus in October 2024.

While most of Manus' researchers and engineers were based in China, it was released outside China due to the use of several American-made AI models that were unavailable in China. After securing venture capital funding, Manus officially moved its headquarters to Singapore in mid-2025. It subsequently expanded its Singapore team, hiring new staff and announcing partnerships with Microsoft and payment company Stripe. Meanwhile, Xiao and his team reportedly declined investment from Chinese local governments due to concerns that it could disrupt their global operations.