Mark Zuckerberg Bets Big On AI As Meta Buys Manus For $2 Billion: All You Need To Know

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made another big move in artificial intelligence. The social media giant has agreed to acquire Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup that has been making headlines globally over

the past few months.Manus first caught attention earlier this year after releasing a demo video that quickly went viral on social media and in tech circles. The video showcased an AI agent that could perform complex tasks such as screening job applicants, planning holidays and analysing stock portfolios. At the time, Manus claimed its system performed better than OpenAI’s Deep Research tool, according to reports.The startup moved fast. Within weeks of its public debut, US venture capital firm Benchmark led a $75 million funding round, valuing Manus at around $500 million.Meta’s Saugato Bhowmik Reveals How Businesses Can Grow Faster On Instagram In 2026

Benchmark partner Chetan Puttagunta also joined the company’s board. Earlier reports suggested that investors such as Tencent, ZhenFund and HSG (earlier known as Sequoia China) had backed Manus in a smaller funding round before this.Manus later raised eyebrows when it began charging users $39 or even $199 per month while still being in a testing phase.However, the company claims the strategy worked. Manus recently said it has signed up millions of users worldwide and crossed $100 million in annual recurring revenue, a rare achievement for a young AI startup.According to reports, Meta began acquisition talks soon after this milestone. The deal is said to be worth around $2 billion, the same valuation Manus was reportedly targeting for its next funding round.For Meta, this acquisition is big. While the company has invested heavily in AI infrastructure, spending tens of billions of dollars, critics and investors have questioned when these bets would start generating real revenue. Manus gives Meta an AI product that is already making money.According to reports, Meta has said Manus will continue to operate independently for now. Over time, its AI agents will be integrated into platforms like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, where Meta AI is already available.However, the deal is not without controversy. Manus was founded by Chinese-origin founders under a parent company called Butterfly Effect in Beijing in 2022, before shifting operations to Singapore this year. This has drawn political attention in the US. Senator John Cornyn has previously criticised American investments in AI firms with Chinese links, calling it a national security risk.Meta has now clarified that after the acquisition, Manus will have no Chinese ownership and will stop all operations in China.