Meta’s $2B Context Layer Bet: Manus

Meta’s acquisition of Manus for more than $2 billion appears on the surface to be another AI startup purchase in a year filled with them. But beneath the headline lies something far more strategic: Meta is acquiring what may be the most sophisticated context engineering capability in the industry—and with it, the critical missing piece for its “personal superintelligence” ambitions.

The deal positions Meta to potentially own what I call the Context Layer—the emerging strategic battlefield that sits between foundation models and end-user applications. This layer determines which AI systems can actually execute complex, multi-step tasks versus those that merely answer questions.

When viewed through the lens of Meta’s broader 2025 AI strategy—including the $14.3 billion Scale AI investment, the hiring of Alexandr Wang as Chief AI Officer, and the formation of Meta Superintelligence Labs—the Manus acquisition completes a strategic puzzle that has been assembling for months.