Runway

TL;DR Runway builds cutting-edge generative AI tools for video and images that are redefining how creators produce, edit, and imagine visual content.

Runway is one of the most influential companies in the generative video revolution, pioneering the idea that anyone, not just film studios, should have access to powerful AI tools for visual storytelling. Founded by artists and technologists, Runway focuses on transforming creative workflows by enabling users to edit video, create scenes, animate characters, and produce cinematic content directly from text prompts. As AI continues to reshape the creative industries, Runway has emerged as a central force driving the shift toward AI-assisted filmmaking.

Runway was built around a simple idea: creativity should not be limited by technical complexity. Its flagship tools give creators unprecedented flexibility to manipulate video, using techniques powered by deep learning, diffusion models, and multimodal generative architectures.

Some of Runway’s most important AI innovations include:

Gen-1

A video-to-video model that allows creators to transform existing footage using style, texture, or motion cues. Users can take a rough clip and instantly turn it into an animation, claymation, or a stylized cinematic sequence.

Gen-2

A breakthrough text-to-video model that generates short clips entirely from descriptions. Gen-2 became one of the first widely accessible generative video systems, empowering artists to produce imaginative scenes without cameras or expensive software.

AI-Powered Editing Tools

Runway developed real-time tools such as AI rotoscoping, background removal, inpainting, and motion tracking, enabling video creators to perform tasks traditionally requiring hours of manual work.

Creative AI Workflows

The company blends AI with intuitive interfaces, allowing filmmakers, advertisers, designers, and YouTubers to incorporate generative models into their pipelines with minimal friction.

Runway's impact stretches from indie creators to major studios, cementing its role as a foundational platform in the new era of AI-driven video production.

• Launched Gen-1, one of the world’s first accessible video-to-video generative AI models.

• Introduced Gen-2, a groundbreaking text-to-video system that helped ignite the generative video movement.

• Created industry-leading AI tools for rotoscoping, background removal, and video enhancement.

• Enabled thousands of creators and studios to produce cinematic content with minimal resources.

• Helped democratize filmmaking by removing the need for expensive hardware, sets, or visual-effects teams.

• Became a go-to platform for AI-assisted advertising, short films, concept art, and music videos.

• Continued to push the boundaries of generative media with rapid research and product innovation.