Meta engaged in discussions regarding a potential acquisition of AI startup Runway prior to its recent investment in Scale AI, sources told CNBC.

Runway, recognized for its AI video generation tools, was included in CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list.

The talks between Meta and Runway were brief and did not progress, according to an informed source.

Meta has not provided comments on the discussions, which were first reported by Bloomberg.

In June 2025, Meta invested US$14.3 billion in Scale AI, acquiring a 49% stake in the company.

Additionally, Meta has approached other startups this year, such as Safe Superintelligence and Perplexity AI, concerning potential acquisitions.

.source-ref{font-size:0.85em;color:#666;display:block;margin-top:1em;}a.ask-tia-citation-link:hover{color:#11628d !important;background:#e9f6f5 !important;border-color:#11628d !important;text-decoration:none !important;}@media only screen and (min-width:768px){a.ask-tia-citation-link{font-size:11px !important;}}

🔗 Source: CNBC

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Meta’s AI acquisition strategy shows acceleration and higher stakes

Meta’s outreach to Runway reflects a intensification of the company’s AI acquisition strategy compared to its earlier landmark deals.

The reported discussions with Runway came shortly before Meta committed an unprecedented US$14.3 billion for a 49% stake in Scale AI, demonstrating a willingness to spend at multiples higher than its historic acquisitions 1.

This represents a dramatic escalation from Meta’s previous transformative acquisition of Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 (which ultimately cost about $715 million due to stock fluctuations) 2.

While the Instagram purchase was considered risky at the time for a company with just 13 employees and no revenue, it later proved to be enormously valuable, contributing an estimated US$3.2 billion to Facebook’s revenue by 2016 alone 2.

Meta’s current AI acquisition attempts follow a similar pattern of identifying potential competitive threats early, as they did when acquiring Instagram partly to prevent Twitter (which had offered US$525 million) from strengthening its position in visual social media 3.

The higher stakes are evident in how Meta is structuring these deals, not just pursuing outright acquisitions but also complex arrangements like with Scale AI, where they’re bringing in founder Alexandr Wang to lead new AI initiatives 4.

2️⃣ Meta’s AI investments are reshaping the entire data ecosystem

Meta’s aggressive AI investments are causing substantial ripple effects throughout the AI industry, particularly disrupting established data supply chains.

Following Meta’s US$14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, major clients including Google and OpenAI have begun severing ties with the data labeling company due to concerns about competitive conflicts and data privacy 5.

This client exodus has created immediate opportunities for Scale’s competitors, who report significant surges in demand as companies seek alternative data labeling providers 6.

The disruption highlights the critical importance of training data in AI development, with companies now reassessing their data supply relationships to avoid potential competitive disadvantages 1.

Scale AI’s transition from a neutral service provider to a Meta-affiliated entity has fundamentally altered its market position, with contractors reporting decreased project availability as clients reevaluate their relationships 5.

The ripple effects extend beyond Scale AI itself, potentially leading to increased data labeling costs across the industry, longer development timelines for AI models, and greater fragmentation of the data services market 1 7.

……