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Imagine a world where Photoshop and Figma, two design software giants, merged into a mega-monopoly. That was the ambitious vision behind Adobe‘s proposed $20 billion acquisition of Figma, announced in September 2022. But like a castle built on sand, the deal crumbled under the weight of regulatory scrutiny, leaving both companies licking their wounds and the design world abuzz with questions.
The Allure of Figma: A Cloud-Based Challenger
Figma burst onto the scene in 2016, offering a web-based design platform that challenged Adobe’s desktop-centric empire. Its collaborative features like multi-player editing, advanced version control, and intuitive interface quickly won over designers, particularly in the web and app space.
Within a few years, Figma became the tool of choice for tech-savvy designers at leading companies like Airbnb, Google, Uber, and Microsoft. Its ability to facilitate real-time team collaboration made it a favorite of product teams working on fast-paced projects.
Meanwhile, Adobe found itself playing catch-up. Despite owning established hits like Photoshop and Illustrator, it struggled to match Figma’s cloud-based functionalities. Designers saw Figma as more modern, flexible, and better suited for the future. Adobe started losing key customers and market share, especially among Gen Z designers.
Why Adobe Craved Figma?
Facing an existential crisis, Adobe decided to swallow the upstart whole by making a $20 billion bid. The motivations were clear:
Future of Design: Figma represented the shift towards cloud-based collaboration, a trend Adobe couldn’t ignore.
Market Share: Figma was rapidly gaining traction, especially among younger designers, chipping away at Adobe’s core market.
Innovation Booster: Merging with Figma could have injected fresh ideas and talent into Adobe’s aging product lineup which hadn’t seen major upgrades in years.
The Antitrust Avalanche
However, the deal triggered alarm bells among antitrust watchdogs across the globe. The European Commission and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) expressed concerns that the acquisition would severely dampen competition and innovation.
Regulators had Three Major Worries:
- Monopoly Power: Adobe already held a dominant position with Photoshop and Illustrator which accounted for over 50% market share. Gobbling up its fastest-growing competitor Figma could expand its unfair advantage.
- Innovation Stifled: With Figma gone, Adobe would have little incentive to improve its own products, leading to stagnation and higher prices over time.
- Choice Crushed: Designers could be left with fewer options and costlier software bills if Adobe gained control over major design tools.
The Deal Unravels
After months of negotiations, both Adobe and Figma decided to pull the plug on the deal in December 2023. They failed to convince regulators that the merger would not hurt competition.
The collapse came as a major setback for Adobe which was betting the deal would solidify its leadership in the design software space. For Figma, it meant giving up an opportunity to accelerate growth with Adobe’s resources.
But ultimately regulators deemed that the deal’s risks outweighed the potential benefits. Their refusal to approve the acquisition puts a giant question mark on the future of both companies.
Aftermath and Future Implications
The unraveling of the $20 billion marriage is a stark reminder of the growing scrutiny around Big Tech mergers. It also surfaces some key questions about the design software landscape:
Can Adobe maintain its dominance without Figma nipping at its heels?
Does Figma have the resources to compete with Adobe in the long run?
Will regulators smother Big Tech’s acquisition ambitions in the name of antitrust enforcement?
What new mergers could pop up as competitors sense Adobe’s weakness?
The answers remain unclear. One certainty is that the Adobe-Figma breakup is an inflection point for the design software industry. While ambition brought the suitors together, reality tore them apart, leaving behind ruptured ties and ruptured dreams.
You may have some of these following questions in mind as well so we have tried our best to answer them.
What was the Reason for the Adobe-Figma Deal?
Adobe proposed to acquire Figma in September 2022 for $20 billion. The deal was motivated by several factors, including:
- Figma’s cloud-based platform and collaborative features were seen as the future of design software.
- Figma was gaining market share, particularly among younger designers, and posing a threat to Adobe’s dominance.
- Adobe hoped that merging with Figma would inject fresh ideas and talent into its product lineup.
Why was the Deal Opposed by Regulators?
Regulators in the European Union and the United Kingdom raised concerns that the acquisition would harm competition and innovation in the design software market. They argued that Adobe’s acquisition of Figma would:
- Create a monopoly in the design software market, stifling innovation and raising prices for consumers.
- Reduce choice for designers, limiting their options and potentially forcing them to pay higher prices for Adobe products.
- Give Adobe an unfair advantage over its competitors, allowing it to lock in customers and prevent new entrants from entering the market.
Why did the Deal Collapse?
In December 2023, Adobe and Figma mutually agreed to terminate the deal after failing to obtain regulatory approval. The collapse of the deal was a significant setback for Adobe, which had been hoping to expand its presence in the cloud-based design software market.
What are the Implications of the Failed Deal?
The failed deal highlights the increasing scrutiny that large technology companies face from regulators. It also suggests that regulators are more willing to block mergers that are seen as harmful to competition.
The deal’s collapse could have a broader impact on the tech industry, potentially deterring other large companies from pursuing mergers that may face regulatory pushback.
What are the Future Prospects for Adobe and Figma?
Adobe will need to find other ways to compete with Figma and other cloud-based design software providers. It may invest in developing its cloud-based design tools or acquire other companies that have strong cloud capabilities.
Figma will continue to operate as an independent company, and it will need to continue to innovate and grow its user base to remain competitive.
Learn more about the Adobe Figma deal.
