Manus fast-tracks secure authentication and builds trust with Twilio Verify

Challenge

Manus needed a fast, secure authentication solution to support its global launch and onboard millions of users from its waitlist in real time while addressing compliance requirements for each country, preventing fraudulent sign-ups, and maintaining user trust at scale.

Solution

Manus successfully onboarded the bulk of its waitlist of 3.5 million users in just two months using Twilio Verify. It also used Twilio Verify Fraud Guard to detect and block fraudulent SMS pumping and fake accounts, particularly in high-risk markets. By neutralizing these attacks in real time, Manus prevented hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential losses, safeguarded its referral program, and delivered a trusted experience to its fast-growing global user base.

Unlike most AI chatbots, Manus doesn’t just respond to prompts. The startup has built an autonomous, general-purpose agent that plans, coordinates, and executes complex, multi‑step tasks autonomously with minimal human oversight. It can independently handle a wide range of tasks, from analyzing stock performance to preparing detailed research reports and creating custom websites. 

“You might think of an AI model as being rather like a brain, but brains still need a helping hand to act in the real world. We designed Manus—which means ‘hand’ in Latin—to be that hand and proactively turn users’ ideas into completed tasks,” said Tao Zhang, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer.

Already serving millions of users globally, the platform has seen rapid consumer adoption. “So far, we’ve seen traction across healthcare, automotive and local services. We’re also seeing interest from knowledge workers in sectors such as financial services, legal and consulting, where there is significant demand for high-quality research and document creation,” Zhang explained. Manus’s core adoption to date has been among consumers and knowledge workers, underscoring its focus on mass-market accessibility.

In March 2025, Manus launched globally. A month later, in April, it closed a US$75 million Series B funding round. This launch brought both opportunity and challenge: the company needed to convert a waitlist of more than 3 million people into registered users at speed, while preventing fraud and ensuring a seamless, high-trust experience across geographies.

To achieve this, the Manus team required a robust onboarding process that could handle intense demand without compromising security.

With a Twilio technical account manager providing personalized support, Manus implemented measures that would help it rapidly and securely convert its waitlist. Central to this was integrating Twilio Verify for identity verification via SMS. That added a robust barrier against fraudulent sign-ups and helped ensure that each new user could be authenticated through a trusted channel.

Backed by Twilio’s infrastructure, Manus successfully onboarded the bulk of its 3.5 million-strong waitlist in just two months. That enabled new users to start interacting with its platform quickly while maintaining a high-trust onboarding process even at peak scale. 

“With Twilio Verify, we enabled over 3 million secure, real-time conversions from our waitlist in record time, delivering a seamless experience for our global user base,” said Zhang.

Manus’s rapid growth has also attracted unwelcome attention from fraudsters. The company’s referral incentives program—designed to encourage and reward user advocacy—became a target for fake accounts and SMS pumping attacks. 

Using Twilio Verify Fraud Guard, Manus blocked over 1.1 million fraud attempts since the start of its partnership with Twilio, representing total potential savings of US$323,880. The proactive detection of suspicious patterns and configurable protection levels kept false positives to a minimum while safeguarding the user experience.

“Using Verify Fraud Guard to stop these fake accounts prevents potential losses for the company, while also preserving the integrity of our referral program,” said Zhang. 

By partnering with Twilio, Manus has been able to scale into multiple verticals and geographies without sacrificing speed, security, or user confidence. Twilio’s technical account manager has also helped the company stay ahead of emerging fraud threats, strengthening its overall security posture.

As Manus continues to scale globally, it is exploring ways to broaden its use of Twilio beyond authentication. With Twilio handling much of heavy-lifting in customer communications, Manus can focus on evolving its AI agents to execute more complex, real-world tasks directly to users – such as booking appointments, making reservations, or delivering tailored updates. 

Twilio is already working closely with Manus on these initiatives, providing both technical expertise and personalized support to ensure communications channels meet the company’s standards for security, reliability, and user experience. 

In Zhang’s words: “Our future is global, and Twilio is a trusted partner in making that scale possible—securely and reliably.”