Meta acqui-hires Dreamer's entire team to bolster its lagging AI agent ambitions

Dreamer, an AI startup focused on personal software creation, is joining Meta Superintelligence Labs with its entire team.

Co-founder David Singleton announced the move on X. Dreamer lets users build custom AI agents using everyday language for things like managing email, scheduling, travel planning, or study aids. The startup shipped its beta about a month ago and already has thousands of users, according to Singleton.

The founders demoed Dreamer for Mark Zuckerberg and Nat Friedman, and both shared the same vision: billions of people should be able to build software that fits their own needs, Singleton says. Rather than a straight acquisition, Dreamer is licensing its technology to Meta, likely a move to avoid antitrust scrutiny. That said, Meta is almost certainly after the talent more than anything else.

The deal's price tag hasn't been disclosed. Dreamer raised 56 million dollars in late 2024 at a valuation of half a billion dollars. Co-founder Hugo Barra previously ran Meta's Oculus division as Vice President before leaving the company.

"The idea behind Dreamer is simple: every person should have the power to create software that makes their lives better. […] And personally, I'm really psyched to be rejoining so many old friends at Meta," Barra writes.

The Dreamer deal is Meta's second move in agent-based AI this year, following the potential Manus takeover. The company is clearly trying to make up lost ground in AI after falling behind competitors recently.