Meta Platforms

On March 25, 2026, Meta launched the “Meta Small Business” initiative, designed to support over 250 million small businesses across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp by promoting AI adoption and entrepreneurship through new services and tools.

In December 2025, Meta acquired two AI-related startups: wearable-tech company Limitless, and Manus AI—reportedly for about US$2 billion—reflecting the company’s continued investment in artificial intelligence and wearable platforms.

On September 28, 2022, Meta began globally rolling out the rebranding of Facebook Pay to Meta Pay. Although the product’s functionality remained the same, this renaming aligned its payment service with the overarching Meta branding and its digital wallet vision.

On October 28, 2021, at the Facebook Connect conference, Facebook, Inc. officially rebranded as Meta Platforms, Inc. This name change reflected a strategic shift toward building the “metaverse,” a network of virtual and augmented reality endeavors beyond its social media origins.

In May 2019, Facebook established Libra Networks to develop a stablecoin cryptocurrency, supported by major financial partners including Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Uber. Later rebranded as Diem, the venture aimed to innovate in digital payments but faced significant regulatory challenges.

By mid–2014, Facebook’s daily active users surpassed the milestone of one billion. This achievement underscored the platform’s status as a dominant global social network and reflected its incredible user growth and engagement.

In March 2014, Facebook, Inc. acquired Oculus VR for about US$2.3 billion in cash and stock. This move marked the company's first major push into virtual reality hardware, a precursor to its later metaverse ambitions.

On February 19, 2014, Facebook, Inc. announced it would acquire mobile messaging giant WhatsApp for approximately US$19 billion in cash and stock. This acquisition greatly expanded Facebook’s presence in global messaging, especially in markets with high mobile usage.

In May 2012, Facebook, Inc. completed its initial public offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq stock exchange, becoming a publicly traded company. The IPO raised substantial capital, marking a major milestone in the company’s financial and corporate maturity.

In April 2012, Facebook, Inc. announced the acquisition of Instagram for approximately US$1 billion in cash and stock. This strategic purchase accelerated Facebook’s expansion into mobile photo-sharing, adding a fast-growing platform popular with younger demographics to its portfolio.

In 2005, the company simplified its name from TheFacebook, Inc. to Facebook, Inc., reflecting its growing reach beyond educational institutions to the general public. This rebranding signified its evolution toward becoming a mass-market social platform.

On February 4, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard classmates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes officially incorporated TheFacebook, Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The platform, initially intended for Harvard students, would rapidly expand to other universities and eventually to the broader public, laying the groundwork for a global social media powerhouse.