Canva, the Australian design unicorn valued in the multi-billion-dollar range, has made waves with its acquisition of the esteemed Affinity suite of creative applications. Although the specific financial terms have not been disclosed, reports from Bloomberg suggest that the deal is valued at “several hundred million British pounds,” representing Canva’s most substantial acquisition to date.
With this strategic move, Canva welcomes the entire 90-person team from Serif, the Nottingham-based company behind the Affinity suite, into its ranks. The addition of Affinity’s renowned apps, known for their versatility across platforms such as Windows, Mac, and iPad, will complement Canva’s existing AI-driven tools, enhancing its suite of online workspaces.
The Affinity creative suite comprises three robust applications highly regarded among professionals:
First in the lineup is Affinity Designer, a vector graphics editor cherished by illustrators, designers, and game developers for crafting digital illustrations, concept art, logos, and web mock-ups. Next, Affinity Photo stands out as a photo editor rivaling industry leaders, providing a comprehensive toolkit for basic edits, advanced retouching, and intricate photo compositions. Finally, Affinity Publisher offers a cutting-edge page layout solution, simplifying the creation of publications like books, magazines, marketing materials, and website mock-ups.
For Canva, a relatively youthful contender established just over a decade ago, this acquisition signifies a significant milestone in its ambition to challenge Adobe, the longstanding titan in the creative software domain. While Adobe has recently integrated AI capabilities into its products, its shares experienced a setback following the collapse of its $20 billion acquisition of Figma last December.
Canva’s latest valuation stands at an impressive $26 billion, following its recent share sale. Despite speculation among investors about the potential for an initial public offering (IPO), Canva has refrained from commenting on such plans for the time being.
This acquisition aligns with Canva’s broader strategy of expanding its footprint in Europe, where it has already acquired seven companies, including visual AI startup Kaleido.ai and image providers Pexels and Pixabay.
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