Meta’s Notable Acquisitions

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta turned 20 years old in February. Since it originally launched as Facebook in 2004 and then rebranded to Meta in 2021, the billionaire's brainchild has undergone several transformations, made some astute acquisitions, and molded a generation along the way.

- SAMRAAHMED

Meta pursued a number of deals, acquiring companies to improve its social sharing analytics alongside experiential services to enhance the amount of time users spend on its platforms.

As the company pivots toward building the metaverse, its deal targets are also changing. Meta acquired ImagineOptix Corp in 2021, which develops crystal lens polymers for VR equipment. In 2022, it bought Munich-based Presize GmbH, which creates body-scanning software.

Against the backdrop of its 20-year anniversary, here's a look at five of the company's notable acquisitions, which have boosted its growth over the years.

Instagram (2012)
Value: $1 billion

Meta purchased Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion in cash and stock, marking its largest acquisition at that time. Instagram had been founded only two years before but quickly rocketed to 30 million iOS users in 18 months and was named iPhone App of the Year in 2011.