Big AI bet: Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta makes its third-largest acquisition; buys AI firm with Chinese roots
Meta has acquired Chinese-rooted AI startup Manus for an undisclosed sum, marking its third-largest deal. This move fuels Mark Zuckerberg's aggressive AI push to compete with rivals like Google and OpenAI. Manus, known for its autonomous agents, will be integrated into Meta's products, including its AI chatbot, while continuing to operate its service.
Facebook-parent Meta has announced the acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Manus which has Chinese roots. As reported by Financial Times, Meta has made its third largest acquisition deal after WhatsApp and ScaleAI.
This move of the company underscores CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s aggressive push into advanced AI as the company is racing to compete against Google and OpenAI. In a statement, Meta said, it will “operate and sell the Manus service” while integrating its technology into products such as the Meta AI chatbot. For those unaware, Manus is known as one of the best autonomous general-purpose agents and is also capable of performing tasks like market research, coding and data analysis. Enterprises and businesses can subscribe to Manus agent by paying $20 per month. The deal is notable as a rare example of a U.S. tech giant acquiring a cutting-edge AI platform with Chinese origins, at a time when AI has become a flashpoint in China-US relations.
Ranking among Meta’s biggest deals
An early investor of Manus said that the acquisition made by meta ranks behind only Meta’s $19 billion purchase of WhatsApp in 2014 and its up to $15 billion investment in Scale AI earlier this year.
Manus has a staff of around 100 employees and it was once hailed as the ‘next DeepSeek’. The company also raised funding this year from US venture capital firm Benchmark.ZhenFund partner Liu Yuan has praised this move made by Meta. He said that deal highlight that the young generation of Chinese entrepreneurs has arrived. “The era belonging to this generation of young Chinese entrepreneurs has arrived.” He noted that Zuckerberg himself has long been a Manus user.
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Acquisition could spark scrutiny in both US and China
The report further adds that the acquisition made by Meta could lead to a scrutiny in both Washington and Beijing. Benchmark’s earlier investment in Manus drew criticism from U.S. lawmakers who argued it violated restrictions on American groups investing in Chinese AI. Meanwhile, Manus’ relocation to Singapore led some Chinese media to label the company “defectors.”Li Chengdong, founder of the Haitun internet think-tank, warned that China risks losing ground in the AI race if it fails to value talent and respect capital rules.
“An incredible company and team are being sold to the United States,” he said.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s AI ambitions
Zuckerberg has described his vision as building “personal superintelligence”, pouring billions into AI infrastructure, hiring top researchers, and acquiring startups. In 2025, he recruited Alexandr Wang, the Scale AI founder, to lead Meta’s AI efforts. Wang said Meta is also expanding recruitment in Singapore, where Manus will remain based.Meta is under pressure to monetize its AI investments, with trials underway for premium subscriptions to its Meta AI assistant, offering features such as booking reservations and video creation.