Canva expands design reach with Affinity acquisition

Photo Source: Canva

Canva, the Australia-based graphic design platform, has acquired Affinity, a design service catering more to professionals, in a deal valued at “several hundred million pounds,” according to Canva COO and co-founder Cliff Obrecht.

  • User Base: Canva witnessed growth among non-professionally trained users due to its ease of use prior to the acquisition. Affinity’s suite boasts over 3 million users worldwide, complementing Canva's user base of over 175 million people.

  • Market Positioning: Integrating Affinity’s software allows Canva to broaden its appeal across various design segments, potentially expanding its competitive standing in the market.

  • Strategic Growth: Canva expects the acquisition to enhance its design tool offerings and penetrate the professional design market. Canva has previously acquired other companies like Flourish, Smartmockups, Kaleido, Pexels, and Pixabay, expanding its capabilities beyond light editing.

  • Financial Outlook: Canva was reportedly close to finalizing a share sale by investors earlier this year, which would raise over US$1.5 billion in proceeds.