Although it began as a simple social network created in a college dorm, Facebook has transformed over the years into one of the largest tech giants in the world. Now renamed Meta, the company led by Mark Zuckerberg has built part of its empire through the acquisition of apps, platforms, and companies that have become digital giants.
Since its founding, Meta has invested billions of dollars in strategic acquisitions to expand its presence in areas such as social networking, messaging, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.
Many of the Internet’s most popular platforms currently belong to the company, even if many users don’t immediately grasp the connection.
Prime examples include Instagram and WhatsApp, which Meta purchased in billion-dollar deals and have since become core elements of the company.
Instagram was acquired in 2012 and helped consolidate the company’s dominance in photo and video social networks. WhatsApp, meanwhile, joined the group in 2014, in one of the largest acquisitions in tech history.
In addition to its best-known apps, Meta has also expanded its business into other sectors. The company acquired Oculus, a manufacturer of virtual reality devices, aiming to develop the so-called metaverse.
Another lesser-remembered acquisition is that of Beluga, a messaging app that served as the basis for the birth of Facebook Messenger..
In recent years, the company has also increased its investments in artificial intelligence, a technology considered by Mark Zuckerberg to be a strategic priority for Meta’s future.
Among the lesser-known investments is Motobook, a platform dedicated to the integration of digital experiences and mobility, cited in several corporate strategies over the past few years.
Nonetheless, the combination of social networks, messaging apps, virtual reality, and AI has transformed Meta into one of the most influential and powerful companies in the global tech sector.