In a major shakeup in the AI world, Meta has poured $15 billion into Scale AI, a fast-growing startup that specialises in labelling training data for artificial intelligence systems. The move gives Meta a 49% ownership stake, and instantly doubles Scale’s valuation to $29 billion — making it one of the most valuable AI startups globally.
As part of the deal, Alexandr Wang, Scale’s 28-year-old co-founder and CEO, will join Meta in a senior role to lead its next-generation AI efforts. Wang will also remain on Scale’s board, while Jason Droege, a former Uber executive, has stepped in as interim CEO.
Why Meta’s $15 Billion Bet Matters
This isn’t just another tech investment. It’s part of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s bigger plan to make his company a front-runner in the race to build superintelligent AI—a future where AI can not only match but surpass human-level intelligence.
Wang’s move to Meta is seen as a big win. He’s widely regarded as one of the sharpest minds in AI and has close ties with key players in Silicon Valley, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman. His company, Scale AI, has been instrumental in supplying the labelled data that powers today’s most advanced AI models.
Meta says the investment will help them work more closely with Scale to build better AI products, but has not shared specific project details just yet.
A Startup That’s Grown at Lightning Speed
Scale AI started out helping self-driving car companies, but it has since become a vital partner for the world’s leading AI labs. It made $870 million in revenue in 2024, and now expects to bring in over $2 billion this year.
The company’s early backers — including Accel, Index Ventures, Tiger Global, and Founders Fund — are seeing massive returns. One insider revealed that Tiger’s $200 million investment is now worth over $1 billion after this deal.
Zuckerberg’s AI Ambitions Go Big
Meta’s investment is the clearest signal yet of Zuckerberg’s determination to dominate the next wave of AI. The company is spending a massive $72 billion this year, mostly on data centres and computing infrastructure to support AI development.
While Meta’s latest language model, Llama 4, didn’t quite live up to the hype, the company is betting that partnerships like this one with Scale will give it the edge it needs.
“We believe AI will be the defining technology of our time,” Zuckerberg said in a recent earnings call. “And we’re going all in.”
Big Tech’s New Playbook: Buy In, Not Just Build
Meta isn’t the only tech giant striking big-money deals in AI. Last year, Microsoft paid $650 million to hire the team behind Inflection AI and license its technology. Google spent $2.7 billion to form a deep partnership with Character.AI. The trend is clear: if you can’t build fast enough, invest — and hire the brains behind the breakthroughs.
What This Means for the UK and Europe
For businesses, developers, and consumers in the UK, this deal shows just how far tech giants are willing to go to stay ahead in the AI race. With Meta pushing harder into AI, expect smarter apps, more personalised content, and better tools for everything from e-commerce to customer service.
It also highlights how data—specifically high-quality, labelled data—is becoming the most valuable resource in AI today.