Facebook’s parent company Meta has announced the acquisition of Manus, an artificial intelligence startup with Chinese roots. According to a report in the Financial Times, Meta has signed the third largest acquisition deal after WhatsApp and ScaleAI. The company’s move underscores CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s commitment to advanced AI as the company competes with Google and OpenAI. Meta said in a statement that it will “operate and sell Manus services” while integrating its technology into products such as the Meta AI chatbot. For those who don’t know, Manus is known as one of the best autonomous general purpose agents and can also perform tasks such as market research, coding, and data analysis. Businesses and businesses can subscribe to Manus Agent by paying $20 per month. The deal is notable as a rare example of a US tech giant acquiring a cutting-edge AI platform of Chinese origin, at a time when AI has become a flashpoint in Sino-US relations.
Ranking of the biggest deals on Meta
An early Manas investor said Meta’s latest acquisition follows Meta’s $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp in 2014 and its up to $15 billion investment in Scale AI earlier this year. Manas has about 100 employees and was once dubbed “the next DeepSeek.” The company also raised funding from U.S. venture capital firm Benchmark this year.ZhenFund partner Liu Yuan praised Meta’s move. He said the agreement highlights the arrival of a younger generation of entrepreneurs in China. “The time has come for this generation of young Chinese entrepreneurs,” he said, noting that Zuckerberg himself has been a long-time Manas user.
Acquisition could spark increased scrutiny in both the U.S. and China
The report further adds that the acquisition by Meta could lead to scrutiny in both Washington and Beijing. Benchmark’s previous investment in Manus drew criticism from U.S. lawmakers who argued it violated regulations against U.S. companies investing in Chinese AI. Meanwhile, Manus’ move to Singapore has led some Chinese media to refer to the company as an “exile”.Li Chengdong, founder of internet think tank Haitun, warned that if China fails to value talent and respect capital controls, it risks losing ground in the AI race. “A great company and team is about to be sold to the United States,” he said.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s AI ambitions
Zuckerberg described his vision as building a “personal superintelligence,” pouring billions of dollars into AI infrastructure, hiring top researchers and acquiring startups. In 2025, he hired Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang to lead Meta’s AI efforts. Mr Wang said Meta was also expanding its recruitment in Singapore, and Manas would continue to be based there.Meta is under pressure to monetize its AI investments, with trials underway for a premium subscription to its Meta AI assistant, which offers features such as booking and video creation.
