SMBs

Meta’s planned acquisition of AI-agent startup Manus, whose run-rate revenue exceeded $125M, caps a coverage shift toward AI tools built for SMBs.

Who they are

SMBs refers to small and medium-sized businesses, a customer segment repeatedly used to frame the rollout, funding, and competitive positioning of business software, advertising, payments, security, and AI products. In the coverage, the segment is the target market for companies ranging from Meta, Microsoft, Google, Apple, and OpenAI to newer vendors such as Finom, Jet HR, Cynomi, and Blackwall.

The recent arc

Recent coverage has concentrated around an AI-enabled operating stack for smaller firms. The late-2025 report that Meta agreed to acquire Singapore-based Manus, an AI-agent maker for SMBs, was the clearest strategic marker; in 2026, Newo raised a Series A for always-on AI voice and text agents, Webidoo raised funding for an AI-access layer, and OpenAI introduced a beta Ads Manager intended to let SMBs purchase ChatGPT ads on a cost-per-click basis.

The run of funding and product stories also shows that the market extends beyond generative AI. Worth raised a Series A to help financial-services firms onboard and underwrite SMBs, RADICL raised capital for threat detection and response, and Bizay raised a $55M Series D to expand its customized-products marketplace in the US. This follows earlier coverage centered more on platform access and administration, including Apple Business Essentials, Meta’s WhatsApp Cloud API, and Microsoft’s standalone Office offering.

The tension

Coverage circles a contest to make sophisticated digital capabilities usable by resource-constrained businesses while making SMBs a scalable distribution channel for larger platforms. Meta’s Manus move and OpenAI’s advertising tool point to AI becoming part of that contest, alongside Microsoft’s reported effort to lean more on channel partners; meanwhile, Apple, Google, and Meta have each appeared in stories where platform rules, payments, or product integration shape what smaller businesses can do. Security and infrastructure costs remain a counterweight: SMBs are increasingly targeted by cyberattacks, while AI-related power demand from Amazon, Microsoft, and Google has raised concerns about higher electricity bills.

Why it matters

If this trajectory continues, SMBs may become a key proving ground for whether AI agents and self-serve platforms can turn complex functions such as marketing, customer support, compliance, underwriting, and security into affordable services. The financing behind specialized vendors and Meta’s interest in Manus suggest demand is attracting both startups and incumbents, but the eventual winners will depend on whether these tools deliver clear operational value without adding dependence on dominant platforms, new security exposure, or rising operating costs.

Related: Facebook · Google · Apple · Meta agrees to acquire Singapore-based startup Manus, which makes an A · Google ramps up efforts to integrate AI across its products in India,