\n<\/p>\n
Meta is partnering with Midjourney<\/a> to license the startup\u2019s AI image and video generation technology, Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang announced Friday in a post on Threads. Wang says Meta\u2019s research teams will collaborate with Midjourney to bring its technology into future AI models and products.<\/p>\n \u201cTo ensure Meta is able to deliver the best possible products for people it will require taking an all-of-the-above approach,\u201d Wang said. \u201cThis means world-class talent, ambitious compute roadmap, and working with the best players across the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n The Midjourney partnership could help Meta develop products that compete with industry-leading AI image and video models, such as OpenAI\u2019s Sora, Black Forest Lab\u2019s Flux, and Google\u2019s Veo. Last year, Meta rolled out its own AI image generation tool<\/a>, Imagine, into several of its products, including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. Meta also has an AI video generation tool, Movie Gen, that allows users to create videos from prompts<\/a>.<\/p>\n The licensing agreement with Midjourney marks Meta\u2019s latest deal to get ahead in the AI race. Earlier this year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg went on a hiring spree for AI talent<\/a>, offering some researchers compensation packages worth upwards of $100 million. The social media giant also invested $14 billion<\/a> in Scale AI, and acquired<\/a> the AI voice startup Play AI.<\/p>\n Meta has held talks with several other leading AI labs about other acquisitions, and Zuckerberg even spoke with Elon Musk about joining his $97 billion takeover bid of OpenAI<\/a> (Meta ultimately did not join the offer, and OpenAI denied Musk\u2019s bid).<\/p>\n While the terms of Meta\u2019s deal with Midjourney remain unknown, the startup\u2019s CEO, David Holz, said in a post on X<\/a> that his company remains independent with no investors; Midjourney is one of the few leading AI model developers that has never taken on outside funding. At one point, Meta talked with Midjourney about acquiring the startup<\/a>, according to Upstarts Media.<\/p>\n Midjourney was founded in 2022 and quickly became a leader in the AI image generation space for its realistic, unique style. By 2023, the startup was reportedly on pace to generate $200 million<\/a> in revenue. The startup sells subscriptions starting at $10 per month. It offers pricier tiers, which offer more AI image generations, that cost as much as $120 per month. In June, the startup released its first AI video model, V1<\/a>.<\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco<\/span> Meta\u2019s partnership with Midjourney comes just two months after the startup was sued by Disney and Universal<\/a>, alleging that it trained AI image models on copyrighted works. Several AI model developers \u2014 including Meta \u2014 face similar allegations from copyright holders, however, recent court cases pertaining to AI training data have sided with tech companies<\/a>.<\/p>\n Got a sensitive tip or confidential documents? We\u2019re reporting on the inner workings of the AI industry \u2014 from the companies shaping its future to the people impacted by their decisions. Reach out to Rebecca Bellan at\u00a0<\/em>rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com<\/a><\/em>\u00a0and Maxwell Zeff at\u00a0<\/em>maxwell.zeff@techcrunch.com<\/a><\/em>. For secure communication, you can contact us via Signal at\u00a0<\/em>@rebeccabellan<\/em>.491 and\u00a0<\/em>@mzeff<\/em>.88.<\/em><\/p>\n We\u2019re always looking to evolve, and by providing some insight into your perspective and feedback into TechCrunch and our coverage and events, you can help us! Fill out\u00a0<\/em>this survey<\/a><\/em>\u00a0to let us know how we\u2019re doing and get the chance to win a prize in return!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t|<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 27-29, 2025<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n