Meta to purchase Chinese startup Manus to enhance autonomous AI agents across its platforms.

Meta has revealed its acquisition of Manus, a Chinese-founded artificial intelligence startup, on Monday, December 29, as it aims to enhance its development of advanced, autonomous AI agents for both consumers and businesses.

In a statement, Meta noted that Manus will assist in delivering “a leading agent to billions of people” and create new opportunities for businesses across its platforms. The company further stated that Manus has developed one of the most sophisticated general-purpose AI agents capable of independently carrying out complex tasks, including market research, coding, and data analysis.

Manus confirmed it will continue to function and offer its subscription-based service, even as its technology is assimilated into Meta’s ecosystem. The startup will maintain its operations in Singapore.

Founded by Hong, Manus launched its initial general AI agent earlier this year. The company specializes in developing general-purpose AI agents designed to manage research, automation, and complex workflows, and it claims its system has processed over 147 trillion tokens, powering the creation of more than 80 million virtual computers, benefiting millions of users and businesses worldwide.

Meta stated that the acquisition will enable the scaling of Manus’ technology to a broader user base, including businesses, while integrating its features into consumer and enterprise products such as Meta AI. Manus’ engineering and research team will also be integrated into Meta as part of the arrangement.

This deal emphasizes Meta’s increasing focus on agent-based AI systems that can perform multi-step tasks with minimal human involvement, a key competitive area among global tech firms. The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.