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Exclusive: Micron to announce memory chip manufacturing investment in Singapore

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U.S. memory chipmaker Micron Technology is set to announce a new investment to expand memory chip manufacturing capacity in Singapore, according to sources familiar with the matter. The move comes as global industries face an acute shortage of memory chips driven by rapid expansion in artificial intelligence infrastructure and growing demand from consumer electronics.

Sources said the announcement could come as soon as Tuesday, with at least part of the investment expected to focus on NAND flash memory. Micron already has a significant manufacturing presence in Singapore, where it produces nearly all of its flash memory chips. The company is also building a $7 billion advanced packaging plant for high-bandwidth memory used in AI chips, which is scheduled to begin production in 2027.

The investment reflects intensifying competition among major memory producers as supply struggles to keep pace with demand. Rivals including Samsung and SK Hynix have announced new production lines and accelerated factory timelines, yet analysts warn the global memory shortfall could persist until late 2027.

Micron has also been exploring ways to boost output elsewhere. The company recently said it was in talks to acquire a fabrication site in Taiwan to expand DRAM wafer production, underscoring the scale of investment required to stabilize the memory market amid the AI boom.

Meta to buy Chinese-founded startup Manus to boost advanced AI

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Meta said on Monday it will acquire Chinese-founded artificial intelligence startup Manus, stepping up efforts to integrate more advanced AI capabilities across its platforms. Financial terms were not disclosed, but a source with direct knowledge of the matter said the deal values the Singapore-based firm at between $2 billion and $3 billion.

Manus did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The startup drew widespread attention earlier this year after releasing what it described as the world’s first general AI agent—software designed to make decisions and execute tasks autonomously with far less prompting than conventional chatbots such as ChatGPT or DeepSeek. The launch sparked viral discussion on X and led some commentators to label Manus “China’s next DeepSeek,” with praise from Chinese state television.

Months later, Manus moved its headquarters from China to Singapore, joining a broader wave of Chinese-founded tech firms seeking to reduce exposure to rising U.S.-China tensions. The company’s products are not available in China. Manus has claimed its AI agent outperforms OpenAI’s DeepResearch and maintains a strategic partnership with Alibaba to collaborate on AI models.

Meta said it will operate and commercialize the Manus service and integrate it into both consumer and business offerings, including Meta AI. The acquisition reflects intensifying competition among large technology companies racing to secure differentiated AI capabilities through deals and talent hires.

Earlier this year, Meta invested in Scale AI in a transaction valuing the startup at $29 billion and bringing in its CEO, Alexandr Wang. Manus, backed by parent company Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology, raised $75 million this year at a valuation of about $500 million, according to the source, confirming prior media reports. The funding round was led by Benchmark, with investors including HSG, ZhenFund and Tencent Holdings, PitchBook data showed.

Singapore unveils new law empowering online safety commission to block harmful content

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Singapore will establish a new online safety commission with authority to compel social media platforms and internet providers to block harmful online content, under a bill tabled in parliament on Wednesday.

The proposed law follows research by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in February, which found that more than half of verified user complaints about online harms — including child abuse, cyberbullying, and harassment — were not promptly addressed by major platforms.

The commission, which is expected to be operational by mid-2026, will have powers to order platforms to restrict or remove harmful content, ban perpetrators, and grant victims a right to reply. It will also be able to direct internet service providers to block access to harmful web pages or entire platforms within Singapore.

The new agency will oversee cases of doxxing, stalking, abuse of intimate images, and child exploitation, with further powers to target non-consensual data disclosures and incitement of enmity added in later phases.

The bill will be debated in the next parliamentary session. Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said the initiative aims to address the persistent failure of online platforms to act on harmful content. “More often than not, platforms fail to take action to remove genuinely harmful content reported to them by victims,” Teo said.

The move expands Singapore’s regulatory oversight following the Online Criminal Harms Act, which took effect in February 2024. Under that law, the Home Affairs Ministry previously threatened Meta with fines of up to S$1 million ($771,664) for failing to combat impersonation scams on Facebook.