Canva takes on Adobe with AI-powered suite of design tools

Canva is challenging the dominance of industry giants like Adobe in the ever-evolving world of digital design

In a bid to challenge industry stalwart Adobe Inc., Australian design software company Canva Inc. has unveiled a groundbreaking suite of artificial intelligence-driven tools. This suite, aptly named “Magic Studio,” comes with an array of features that can revolutionise the way users create and manipulate digital designs.

One standout feature of Canva’s Magic Studio is its ability to instantly convert designs from one format to another with just a single click. This transformative capability empowers users to effortlessly turn presentations into concise summaries or to transform brainstorming notes into engaging blog posts, all while seamlessly translating content into various languages. This streamlined workflow is a testament to the power of AI in simplifying complex tasks.

Canva’s AI tools also possess the ability to transmute text into images and even generate videos from either text or images, thanks to Gen-2, a video-generation model developed by Runway AI Inc. This remarkable versatility allows content creators to harness the full potential of multimedia without the need for extensive design or video editing skills.

Melanie Perkins, the Chief Executive Officer of Canva, emphasized the significance of these AI innovations, stating,

“We have more than 10 new AI products that fill significant gaps in the workflows of our community around the world.”

The user base of Canva has been on a remarkable growth trajectory, surging by 20% since March to reach an impressive 150 million users, with 16 million subscribers.

This unveiling of the Magic Studio suite represents the latest in a series of strategic product launches by Canva. In September 2022, the company introduced enterprise-focused tools, and in March, it integrated AI software into its offerings. Canva, a company that came into existence roughly a decade ago, is now poised to challenge Adobe, which has been the longstanding leader in creative software for graphic arts professionals. Adobe, founded four decades ago, has continually integrated generative AI features into its products, contributing to a 50% increase in its market capitalization this year, reaching a staggering $231 billion.

Investors have long speculated about Canva’s potential to go public, but the company has remained tight-lipped about any such plans. With a valuation of approximately $26 billion earlier this year, Canva has focused on developing user-friendly products tailored to individuals without professional design skills, a strategy that has undoubtedly fueled its exponential growth.

This startup has not only surpassed $1.7 billion in annualized revenue but has also added a staggering 65 million users in the past year, a feat largely attributed to its innovative AI features. Canva’s ability to democratise design through the power of AI is poised to make the creative process more accessible and user-friendly than ever before, challenging the dominance of industry giants like Adobe in the ever-evolving world of digital design.