Runway Secures $308M in Series D Funding to Advance AI-Powered Media Innovation

Runway, an AI video startup, has raised $308 million in its Series D funding round. The goal is to accelerate artificial intelligence research in the field of new media. The round was led by General Atlantic. Major investors like Fidelity Management & Research, Baillie Gifford, NVIDIA, and SoftBank Vision Fund 2 participated. There were other new and existing backers as well.

Runway did not publicly disclose its valuation. However, sources cited by Reuters estimate the New York-based company is now valued at over $3 billion.

The fresh capital will bolster Runway’s ambition. It aims to develop its AI-powered film and animation studio. This development uses world simulators that reimagine traditional content creation. A core component of this vision is Runway Studios. It is a dedicated division focused on producing original content. This content uses the company’s proprietary foundation models.

Alongside the funding announcement, Runway also unveiled Gen-4, its next-generation AI model series. Gen-4 aims to provide enhanced consistency in generating characters. It seeks to create uniform locations and objects across media scenes. This approach lays the groundwork for a fully AI-integrated content ecosystem.

“These advancements aren’t merely incremental improvements. They form the foundation for an entirely new approach to media. The result is an ecosystem built on AI systems. These systems can simulate our world,” the company said in a press statement.

In a strategic move, Runway aimed to bring its AI capabilities to Hollywood. In September 2024, Runway partnered with Lionsgate. They worked together to develop a customized video generation model. The collaboration underscores Runway’s growing influence in both the tech and entertainment sectors.

Runway’s platform empowers users to generate high-quality videos from text prompts or images, seamlessly integrating AI into modern creative workflows.

With its latest funding and growing industry partnerships, Runway is positioning itself at the forefront of the AI media revolution.