Meta announced on Monday its strategic acquisition of Manus, a Chinese-founded artificial intelligence startup based in Singapore. This move underscores the technology giant's intensified efforts to embed advanced AI capabilities across its diverse platforms. While the specific financial terms of the transaction were not officially disclosed, a source with direct knowledge of the deal indicated that the acquisition values Manus at an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion.

Manus, once recognized as "China's next DeepSeek," gained significant attention earlier this year on the social media platform X. The startup garnered widespread recognition for unveiling what it proclaimed to be the world's first general AI agent, distinguished by its ability to make autonomous decisions and execute tasks with considerably less prompting than conventional AI chatbots. Manus further asserts that the performance of its AI agent surpasses that of OpenAI's DeepResearch, attracting interest from Beijing in supporting its development.

Before this acquisition, Manus had already established a strategic partnership with Alibaba to collaborate on their respective AI models. The startup, backed by its parent company Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology, had successfully raised $75 million earlier this year, achieving a valuation of approximately $500 million, with U.S. venture firm Benchmark leading that funding round. Manus is part of a growing trend of Chinese firms that have chosen to domicile in Singapore, leveraging the trade-focused city-state to potentially mitigate operational risks stemming from Sino-U.S. geopolitical tensions.

Following the acquisition, Meta intends to operate and commercialize the Manus service, integrating its innovative AI technology into its extensive portfolio of consumer and business products, including its flagship Meta AI. This acquisition is reflective of a broader industry trend where major tech companies like Meta are aggressively ramping up their AI investments through strategic acquisitions and talent recruitment, navigating an increasingly competitive landscape. Earlier in the year, Meta also invested in Scale AI, a data-labeling startup, in a deal that valued Scale AI at $29 billion.