Scale AI Says Meta Investment Has Not Derailed Business, CFO Reports Steady Growth

Scale AI’s finance chief says the data-preparation company remains on a growth path five months after Meta Platforms committed to invest $14.3 billion and hired founder Alexandr Wang and several colleagues. Market observers had questioned whether the June transaction effectively marked the end of the seven-year-old startup’s independence, but Chief Financial Officer Dennis Cinelli maintains that operations are expanding, not winding down.

Continuing operations with major AI labs

Cinelli, who joined Scale AI in 2022, said the company still works with “all major AI laboratories and technology companies,” despite reports that OpenAI, Google and xAI suspended projects after the Meta announcement. The company now lists Meta as a client, while other large customers are not publicly disclosed. According to Cinelli, revenue from the flagship data-labeling division has increased every month since June, and the newer applications division doubled sales in the second half of 2025 compared with the first six months.

Scale AI organizes its activities in two segments. The data business supplies labeled information that training models require, competing with firms such as Appen, Surge AI and Mercor. The applications side builds bespoke artificial-intelligence tools for government agencies and large enterprises. That unit received notable contracts from the U.S. Department of Defense, including a $99 million award in August and a $100 million agreement in September.

Financial position and valuation

Cinelli said combined revenue from both segments is “well into nine figures.” A company spokesperson previously told CNBC that Scale generated almost $1 billion in 2024, before Meta’s investment. The CFO added that Scale holds about $1 billion in cash and does not expect to raise additional capital in the near term.

Meta’s transaction gives the social-media company a 49 percent economic interest but no voting power, leaving Scale’s board and management in control of strategy and operations. The investment valued Scale at approximately $29 billion, more than double the $13.8 billion figure reported at its most recent fundraising round in 2024.

Leadership transition and staffing changes

Alexandr Wang, who founded Scale AI in 2016 and at one point was recognized as the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, moved to Meta with several team members as part of the June agreement. Jason Droege, previously head of strategy, became interim chief executive. Cinelli said that the vast majority of the roughly 1,000-person workforce remained after Wang’s departure.

To adjust to shifting demand, Scale laid off about 200 employees, or 14 percent of staff, in July. Management described the cuts as a step to improve agility. On Tuesday, the company said it intends to recruit approximately 200 new employees across engineering, product, sales and operations while opening larger offices in New York, Washington D.C., St. Louis and London. The primary hub in San Francisco occupies roughly 180,000 square feet, space formerly leased by Airbnb.

Imagem: Internet

New corporate mission

Under Wang, Scale’s stated purpose was to “strengthen human sovereignty.” During a September all-hands meeting, Droege introduced a revised mission: developing reliable AI systems for critical decision-making. Cinelli said the clearer focus has helped raise the acceptance rate for new job offers to a company record.

Investor skepticism and company response

The large Meta stake has fueled speculation that Scale’s most likely exit already occurred, especially as other technology giants struck smaller, talent-focused deals to bypass regulatory hurdles. Analysts tracking private-company share sales note that investors now show more interest in model creators such as Anthropic and xAI, while uncertainty surrounds Scale’s path to an eventual public listing.

Scale counters that narrative by pointing to recent contract wins, expanding product lines and sufficient cash reserves. Management expects the applications division to become the main revenue driver over the next several years, complementing a data-labeling market facing intense competition and compressing prices.

Outlook

Cinelli argues that, backed by substantial cash, growing government work and ongoing relationships with leading AI developers, Scale AI retains the resources to meet or exceed the assumptions embedded in its latest valuation. Whether that progress will translate into renewed investor enthusiasm or a future listing remains unclear, but the company insists it is operating as an independent, fully active enterprise rather than a dormant asset.

Crédito da imagem: Courtesy of Scale AI