Editorial illustration for Manus Scraps USD 2B Funding, Joins Meta After Zuckerberg Pitch
Manus Drops $2B Round, Joins Meta's AI Innovation Quest
Manus abandons USD 2 billion funding round to join Meta, citing Zuckerberg’s vision
In a stunning pivot that's reshaping the AI startup landscape, Manus has walked away from a potential $2 billion funding round to join Meta, drawn by an unexpected personal pitch from Mark Zuckerberg. The startup's decision signals a dramatic shift in the competitive AI talent market, where top teams are increasingly being courted directly by tech giants.
Sources close to the deal suggest Zuckerberg's vision was so compelling that Manus immediately reconsidered its independent fundraising strategy. While most AI companies fiercely protect their autonomy, Manus appears willing to bet on Meta's broader technological roadmap.
The move raises critical questions about the future of AI development. Can established tech platforms like Meta offer more than traditional venture capital? And what makes Zuckerberg's pitch so persuasive that a startup would abandon a multibillion-dollar valuation?
Manus was previously in the process of raising fresh funding at a $2 billion valuation, but the "vision offered by Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg quickly swayed" the team. Manus is positioned as a general-purpose AI agent designed to execute work rather than simply generate responses. It can independently research topics by pulling from multiple online sources, navigate websites to complete tasks end-to-end, and analyse structured data from Excel and CSV files.
It also supports image generation, visual assets, and other structured outputs within larger workflows and integrates with tools, including Google Chrome, Drive, Gmail, Notion, and Google Calendar. On benchmarks such as Meta's Remote Labour Index, which measures automation of remote work, Manus ranked first, outperforming xAI's Grok 4, GPT-5, ChatGPT Agent, and Gemini 2.5 Pro, although the benchmark has not been updated to reflect newer model releases. Earlier this year, Manus announced it had crossed $100 million in annual recurring revenue just eight months after launch, placing it among the fastest-growing AI startups alongside Lovable, Replit, and Cursor.
The AI landscape just got more interesting. Manus' sudden pivot from a promising $2 billion funding round to joining Meta reveals how compelling Zuckerberg's vision can be for modern AI startups.
This move suggests significant potential in Manus' core technology - a general-purpose AI agent capable of more than typical language models. Its ability to independently research, navigate websites, and analyze structured data sets it apart from conventional AI tools.
Zuckerberg's personal pitch appears to have been a decisive factor, highlighting the power of direct leadership engagement in high-stakes tech recruitment. By abandoning a substantial funding opportunity, Manus signals strong confidence in Meta's strategic direction.
The acquisition could accelerate Meta's AI capabilities, particularly in creating agents that can execute complex, multi-step tasks. Still, questions remain about how Manus' unique technological approach will integrate with Meta's existing AI infrastructure.
For now, it's a bold strategic play that underscores the intense competition and rapid evolution in artificial intelligence development.
Further Reading
- Chinese regulators probe Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus - SiliconANGLE
- Will Beijing meddle in the Meta-Manus deal? - Trivium China
- Manus' Meta Buyout Tests the Limits of a Transferable China Tech Model for Going Global - The Diplomat
- Meta acquires Manus AI - China Superpowers
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Common Questions Answered
Why did Manus abandon its $2 billion funding round to join Meta?
Manus was persuaded by a personal pitch from Mark Zuckerberg that presented a compelling vision for the startup's technology. The direct approach from Zuckerberg demonstrated how tech giants are aggressively courting top AI talent in the competitive startup landscape.
What unique capabilities does Manus' AI agent possess?
Manus has developed a general-purpose AI agent that can independently research topics by pulling from multiple online sources and navigate websites to complete end-to-end tasks. Additionally, the AI can analyze structured data from Excel and CSV files, and supports image generation, setting it apart from traditional language models.
How does Manus' AI technology differ from conventional AI tools?
Unlike typical language models that primarily generate responses, Manus has created an AI agent designed to actively execute work across multiple domains. The agent can independently research, navigate complex online environments, and process structured data, representing a more advanced and versatile approach to artificial intelligence.