Investors pour into agentic AI: funding and buyouts surge

Multiple strategic acquisitions of artificial intelligence startups were reported this week. Reuters and TechCrunch say Meta agreed to acquire Chinese startup Manus to “boost advanced AI features” on December 29, 2025. Separately, Livemint reported on December 23, 2025 that HCLTech’s software arm plans to acquire Antwerp-based startup Wobby for $5.2 million. Together, these transactions reflect active dealmaking in the agentic AI space.

Both deals are tuck-in acquisitions rather than blockbuster buyouts. Reuters and TechCrunch describe Manus as a strategic add for product-level AI capability, while Livemint lists the Wobby price and buyer. The targets — a Chinese AI startup and a Belgium-based tooling firm — show acquirers favoring regionally specialized talent and product IP over large public-market transactions.

Expect more targeted M&A and selective talent hires as firms push agent features into existing products. IT and ML teams should flag integration work (APIs, data access, model-service interfaces) and review compliance and localization risks tied to cross-border hires and codebases.

Why It Matters

• Targeted acquisitions shorten time to market: teams inherit code, data connectors, and domain expertise that speed feature launches.
• Procurement and SRE should budget realistic integration effort: API mapping, CI/CD updates, and testing cycles often exceed initial estimates.
• Security and compliance must assess cross-border data flows and IP provenance when acquisitions involve different jurisdictions.