Generative media
Runway
Generative-video pioneer whose Gen model family and research into "world models" has made it one of the leading companies in AI-generated film and video.
- Founded
- 2018
- Based in
- New York, United States
- Stage
- Growth
- Business model
- Consumer subscription, Enterprise contracts, API / developer platform
- Record
- VerifiedChecked 24 September 2026
What Runway does
Runway was founded in 2018 by Cristóbal Valenzuela, Alejandro Matamala Ortiz and Anastasis Germanidis, who met as students at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. The company built early tools for creative video editing before pivoting toward generative video models outright, releasing its Gen model family and positioning itself at the intersection of AI research and the film and advertising industries it sells into - including formal collaborations with major Hollywood studios on AI-assisted production tooling.
Runway has increasingly framed its long-term research goal as building "world models" - systems that simulate physical environments, not just generate video clips - alongside its existing commercial creative tools.
- Video generation
- Image generation
Runs it
- Cristóbal ValenzuelaCo-founder & CEO
- Alejandro Matamala OrtizCo-founder & CDO
- Anastasis GermanidisCo-founder & CTO
Runway
Growth
Funds it
- General Atlantic
- Nvidia
- Adobe Ventures
- Felicis Ventures
What it builds
Gen-4
Text-to-video and image-to-video generation model family.
Runway AI Film Festival
Annual festival and prize for AI-assisted filmmaking that Runway founded and runs.
Who runs it
Founders
Cristóbal Valenzuela
Co-founder & CEO
Alejandro Matamala Ortiz
Co-founder & CDO
Anastasis Germanidis
Co-founder & CTO
Leadership
Cristóbal Valenzuela
Chief Executive Officer
Who funds it
- Total raised
- $860 million since 2018
- Valuation, as of Feb 2026
- $5.3 billion
Rounds on record
Series E
$315 million
Led by General Atlantic
techcrunch.com/2026/02/10/ai-video-startup-runway-raises-315m-at-5-3b-valuation-eyes-more-capable-world-models (opens in a new tab)
Investors
- General Atlantic
- Nvidia
- Adobe Ventures
- Felicis Ventures
What it has done
Raises $315 million Series E at $5.3 billion valuation
Runway raised $315 million led by General Atlantic, up from a $3.3 billion valuation less than a year earlier, with the company citing plans to invest in more capable "world models".
techcrunch.com/2026/02/10/ai-video-startup-runway-raises-315m-at-5-3b-valuation-eyes-more-capable-world-models (opens in a new tab)
Related files
- Generative mediaUnited Kingdom
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