Generative AI video company Runway (RunwayML) is expanding its global footprint, opening new offices in London, Tokyo and Paris in quick succession, along with a European headquarters and local investments.
July 2026 · Runway
Runway Plants Flags in London, Paris & Tokyo — Chasing World Models and New Markets
The New York AI-video company is opening physical offices across Europe and Asia, deepening research into "world models" that simulate the physical world while capturing fast-growing overseas demand.
$315M
raised in Feb 2026 at a $5.3B valuation
3
new offices: London, Paris, Tokyo
2018
founded in New York; Nvidia-backed
Investment by Location
Initial / near-term commitment per office (USD)
$100M
London
European HQ · over 18 months
$40M
Tokyo
Japan market · initial
$30M
Paris
Research hub · initial
London targets over $200M cumulative UK investment by end of 2028.
London → HQ
Second growth market with rising subscriptions; enterprise clients incl. BBC, Fremantle, WPP. Research + commercial.
Tokyo → Market
"One of our largest and fastest-growing markets." Building local team & go-to-market; hiring Head of Japan.
Paris → Research
World models / physical AI hub, initial team of 10, tapping France's research institutions and talent pool.
From Video to World Models
Runway is shifting beyond video generation toward foundation models that learn and simulate the dynamics of the physical world.
Gen series video (2023–)
→
World models
→
Robotics · simulation
Open challenges remain: quality and controllability of generated video, and ensuring physical consistency.
The upside
Tools already embedded in film, advertising and design workflows; research hub ties to France's institutions and government investment raise expectations for practical physical AI.
The skeptics
Some see a typical post-Series B European expansion pattern, echoing Anthropic and OpenAI — with world-model quality and control still unproven across the industry.
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