NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 16:04 ET — After-hours
- Meta shares closed up 1.2% as investors digested the company’s agreement to buy AI startup Manus.
- A source said the deal values Singapore-based Manus at $2 billion to $3 billion, with Meta planning to integrate the technology into products including Meta AI.
- Traders are focused on potential U.S. scrutiny tied to Manus’ Chinese roots and on Meta’s next earnings date window in early February.
Meta Platforms, Inc. shares closed higher on Tuesday after the Facebook owner said it would acquire Chinese-founded artificial intelligence startup Manus, a move that put fresh focus on the company’s push into advanced AI features. Meta ended the regular session at $666.49, up 1.2%.
The purchase matters because “AI agents” — software designed to carry out multi-step tasks with limited instructions — are emerging as the next battleground for consumer and business AI, and investors are looking for clear product paths rather than research demos. Manus markets itself as an AI agent company, and Meta said it plans to fold the technology into its own services. Reuters
The news also hit in holiday-thin trading, when smaller flows can move megacaps more sharply. Broader markets were muted as investors weighed the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting minutes and the outlook for interest rates, a key input for valuing growth stocks.
Meta did not disclose financial terms, but a source with direct knowledge of the matter said the transaction values the Singapore-based firm at between $2 billion and $3 billion. Manus last raised $75 million this year at a valuation of around $500 million, the source said — implying a sharp step-up in price from its most recent funding round.
Manus went viral earlier this year after releasing what it called a “general AI agent,” which it said could make decisions and execute tasks autonomously with less prompting than chatbots such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek. The company later moved its headquarters from China to Singapore amid U.S.-China tensions, Reuters reported. Reuters
Meta said it will operate and sell the Manus service and integrate it into consumer and business products, including Meta AI. Manus did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters reported.
“Scrutiny is almost guaranteed; anything with Chinese roots and ‘AI’ in the headline now triggers Washington’s reflexes,” said Jeremy Goldman, senior director at Emarketer. Reuters
Analyst Barton Crockett at Rosenblatt Securities said the deal looks like a natural fit with Meta’s fast-growing WhatsApp footprint for small and medium-sized businesses, and aligns with CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s focus on “agentic” personal AI. Reuters
Meta’s outperformance stood out against a softer tape for other megacap technology names during the session. Communication services stocks were among the stronger parts of the S&P 500, helped by Meta’s gain, while Apple was down slightly and Nvidia was little changed, Reuters reported.
The acquisition adds to a string of AI investments across Big Tech as companies race to secure models, data and talent. Meta earlier this year invested in Scale AI in a deal that valued the data-labeling startup at $29 billion and brought in its CEO, Alexandr Wang, Reuters reported.
Manus’ ties will also be watched abroad. Reuters reported the company has a strategic partnership with Alibaba, and PitchBook data showed investors include Tencent and HSG, formerly known as Sequoia Capital China, among others.
Before the next catalysts hit, investors will look for details on how quickly Meta can fold Manus into Meta AI and WhatsApp tools, and whether the purchase changes Meta’s spending trajectory as it ramps up AI features. Meta is estimated to report earnings on Feb. 4, according to Nasdaq’s earnings calendar.
