Founder Profile
Cristóbal Valenzuela
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Cristóbal Valenzuela?
Cristóbal Valenzuela is a founder of Runway, which was founded in 2018 with Alejandro Matamala-Ortiz and Anastasis Germanidis.
- Company founded
- Runway
- Founded
- 2018
- Co-founders
- Alejandro Matamala-Ortiz and Anastasis Germanidis
Background
Chilean-born; studied economics and design in Chile before NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program, where he researched machine learning tools for artists.
Founding Story
Cristóbal Valenzuela co-founded Runway in 2018 and has led it as CEO since; he has shared the role as co-CEO with Anastasis Germanidis since early 2026. He has described world models as the most transformative technology of the era and was named to TIME's 100 most influential people in AI.
Valenzuela was born in Chile in 1989. He co-founded Runway in New York City in 2018 with Anastasis Germanidis and Alejandro Matamala.