Meta has acquired Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup, as the tech giant aims to “deliver general-purpose agents across our consumer and business products,” Meta said in a statement. Manus, backed by its parent Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology, raised $75 million in a funding round earlier this year and was valued at $500 million at the time.
Meta, which has long invested in AI, acquired a profitable AI product with this acquisition. The American tech company states that Manus will continue to operate independently, while Manus’ AI agents will be integrated into platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, where Meta’s own chatbot, Meta AI, is already available to users.
Manus was founded in China in 2022 by Butterfly Effect. This connection to China would not go down well in the United States (US). Questions were previously raised in the US Senate about investment firm Benchmark’s investment in Manus in April. More information about the acquisition can be found here .
