Flam vs Runway

AI Interactive Ads Bring Personalization at Scale Closer

During a Brandweek 2026 fireside chat, ADWEEK's Ryan Joe discussed the potential of AI-driven interactive ads with Kumar Shah, head of sales at Flam, and Melissa Berger, chief solutions officer at Digitas. Flam's AI content platform, which recently secured Series B funding, offers a tool called 'Flicks' that enables brands to create dynamic, responsive ads. The AI generates multiple creative variants based on user interactions and existing customer data, aiming to deliver personalized experiences in real time. Shah emphasized speed, noting a 10-second ad can be produced in about 30 minutes, while Berger highlighted the importance of clean data and the risk of alienating users with poor experiences. Human oversight is integrated to ensure brand safety.

• Flam announced a Series B funding round.
• Flam's AI tool 'Flicks' creates interactive, personalized ads in real time.
• Flicks can build a 10-second ad in 30 minutes or less.

Flam raises $40 million in Series B led by QED Investors

Flam has raised USD $40 million in a Series B funding round led by QED Investors. The round also included Claypond Capital, Martin Chavez, Olivier Pomel, Venky Harinarayan and Shah Rukh Khan. Existing investors RTP Global and Dovetail increased their commitments. The company has signed more than 100 enterprise customers over the past six quarters, including Google, Grab and KFC. The new funding will support R&D, product expansion, and international growth.

Flam Announces $40M Series B Led by QED Investors, Backed by Shah Rukh Khan

Flam announced a $40M Series B funding round led by QED Investors, with participation from Shah Rukh Khan. The company also rebranded its positioning to 'AI for the internet beyond videos' and introduced new product lines: Flicks, Airboards, and Visual Agents.

Half of Mobile Managers: Leadership Sees Mobile as Higher-Risk

Runway’s 2026 State of Mobile Release Management survey of 300 mobile engineering managers found 51% say company leadership views mobile as higher risk than web or backend (44% somewhat higher, 7% much higher). Top causes driving that perception are slipped release timelines (29%), post-release quality issues (26%), and leadership feeling in the dark on release status (13%). The survey also found 76% of managers see at least 24% of releases deviate from planned timelines. Runway and the article argue these risks stem from reactive release management and that improving release visibility, cadence, and distributed ownership reduces leadership concern. The article is published on MarTech Series and references Runway’s 2026 Decision Guide on mobile release management.

• Runway conducted the 2026 State of Mobile Release Management survey of 300 mobile engineering managers.
• 51% of respondents said leadership perceives mobile as higher risk than web or backend (44% somewhat higher, 7% much higher).
• Top reasons leadership confidence in mobile drops: slipped timelines (29%), post-release quality issues (26%), and leadership feeling in the dark on release status (13%).

Apple App Review Times Slow Due to AI-Made App Flood

Small and mid-sized game developers report that Apple's App Review process has slowed significantly, with approvals stretching from the expected 24-48 hours to several weeks. They attribute this to a flood of AI-generated apps and games, citing an 84% year-on-year increase in submissions. While Google Play review times remain consistent, Apple's reviews are often delayed, with generic template responses and automated rejections. Apple acknowledges the increase in submissions and states it processes an average of 378,000 submissions per week, with average review times of 1.5 days for all apps and 14 hours for minor updates, though some new apps require additional scrutiny. Developers express frustration over lost revenue and disrupted release schedules due to what they call Apple's 'poor service.'

• Apple's App Review times have stretched from 24-48 hours to weeks for new app submissions.
• AI-made apps and games caused an 84% year-on-year jump in App Store submissions (April report).
• Apple processes an average of 378,000 app submissions per week, with average review times of 1.5 days.

Runway's AI Video Agent Automates Ad Creation and Optimization

Runway, an AI video-generation startup, has launched Runway Ads, an AI agent integrated into its web app. The agent autonomously creates, localizes, and publishes ad variations across Meta, Google, and TikTok, then analyzes performance data to inform future creative iterations. In internal tests, Runway reported a 1,000% increase in ad volume, doubled ROAS, and a 41% reduction in cost per subscriber. The tool contributed to Runway's $100 million in annual recurring revenue and is initially available to select companies, with a public rollout planned. Lovable is the launch partner. Additional announcements include the open-weight model Praxis-1, the World Interface Model Solaris, and availability on the OpenAI Marketplace.

• Runway launched Runway Ads, an AI agent for creating, localizing, and publishing ad variations.
• The agent connects to Meta, Google, and TikTok accounts and uses performance data for creative iteration.
• Internal testing showed a 1,000% increase in ad volume, doubled ROAS, and a 41% decrease in cost per subscriber.