Scale AI Announces Next Phase of Company's Evolution

Business Wire

19 hours ago

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Scale AI, Inc. ('Scale' or the 'Company'), the humanity-first AI company, today announced a significant new investment from Meta Platforms, Inc. (Nasdaq: META) that values Scale at over $29 billion. The agreement will also substantially expand Scale and Meta's commercial relationship to accelerate deployment of Scale's data solutions.
In addition, Scale's founder, Alexandr Wang, is joining Meta to work on Meta's AI efforts. Wang will continue to serve as a director on the Scale Board of Directors and support Scale's ongoing work to unlock the power of AI and keep human values at the forefront.
Scale's Board of Directors has appointed Chief Strategy Officer, Jason Droege, to serve as the Company's Interim Chief Executive Officer. Droege joined Scale in September 2024 with more than 20 years of experience building and leading iconic technology companies that improve everyday life, including Uber Eats and Axon. At Scale, Droege's leadership has been instrumental to the growth and achievements of AI labs and work with enterprise customers.
Scale will utilize the proceeds of the deal to accelerate innovation and strengthen strategic partnerships with customers. In addition, Scale will distribute proceeds from Meta's investment to Scale shareholders and vested equity holders, providing them with substantial liquidity as well as the opportunity to continue participating in Scale's success as ongoing equity holders of the Company. Following its investment, Meta will hold a minority of Scale's outstanding equity.
Scale remains an independent leader in AI, committed to providing industry-leading AI solutions and safeguarding customer data. Having played a pivotal role in accelerating AI development from its inception, Scale will continue to partner with leading AI labs, multinational enterprises, and governments to deliver expert data and technology solutions through every phase of AI's evolution.
Alexandr Wang, Founder of Scale: 'AI is one of the most revolutionary technologies of our time, with unlimited possibility and far-reaching influence on how people, businesses and governments succeed. Scale bridges the gap between human values and technology to help our customers realize AI's full potential. Meta's investment recognizes Scale's accomplishments to date and reaffirms that our path forward – like that of AI – is limitless.
'I'm delighted that Jason will lead the next steps in Scale's journey and bring his experience and skill to continue its success. Our bench is deep and I'm confident that we'll continue best serving our valued customers, providing the highest quality data, and building customized AI applications that transform businesses and governments.'
Jason Droege, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Scale: 'Meta's new investment and our broadened commercial agreement is a testament to the incredible work and dedication of the entire Scale team, and the tremendous upside that lies ahead for Scale. Scale has led the charge in accelerating AI development because we don't just adapt to change, we drive it. We have built the strongest foundation to tackle AI's data challenges and push the boundaries of what's possible. I'm dedicated to working with our talented team to continue realizing Alex's vision of bringing the benefits of AI to everyone. To our valued customers, we remain committed to partnering with you to build customized AI solutions that transform your organizations.'
About Jason Droege
Jason Droege is a seasoned technology executive and entrepreneur. Before joining Scale, he was a Venture Partner at Benchmark, an investment firm focused on early-stage venture investing in consumer, marketplaces, open-source, AI, infrastructure, and enterprise software. He joined Benchmark in 2021 to collaborate closely with portfolio founders, leveraging his extensive experience in building consumer businesses.
Prior to his role at Benchmark, Droege was a founder of Uber Eats, Uber's food delivery platform. Under his leadership as Vice President, Uber Eats grew from its first order in Toronto in December 2015 into one of the world's largest marketplaces with a $19 billion gross merchandise volume run rate globally at the time of his departure in 2020.
Before his tenure at Uber, Droege played a pivotal role at Taser (now Axon Enterprise, Inc.), where he developed the Company's cloud strategy, transforming it from a hardware-focused business into a hybrid hardware and software company.
He attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Advisors
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati served as legal advisor to Scale and Centerview Partners LLC served as financial advisor. Joele Frank served as Scale's strategic communications advisor.
About Scale AI
Scale delivers high-quality data for AI development through our Data Foundry, and we provide technology solutions that enable our enterprise and public-sector customers to build, deploy, and oversee AI applications. By aligning AI with human values, we are accelerating progress while providing the necessary oversight to strengthen human sovereignty. Scale was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in San Francisco.