Austin, TX—An all-in-one visual communication platform, Canva acquired Affinity, a creative software suite for professional photo editing, illustration, graphic design as well as page layout.
The acquisition bolsters Canva’s vision to build the “world’s most comprehensive suite of visual communication tools.” While the last decade has seen rapid growth for Canva amongst the 99% of knowledge workers without design training, the integration of Affinity’s professional design software now unlocks the full spectrum of designers at every level and stage of the design journey.
“Visual communication is now ubiquitous in the workplace and investing in strategies that enhance our B2B offerings is core to the future of our business,” said Canva cofounder and COO, Cliff Obrecht. “From sales and marketing to brand and creative teams, the need to create effective and engaging visual content is on the rise. The Affinity team comes with an incredible caliber of talent and technology. We’re delighted to welcome them to Canva as we enter our next phase together.”
Affinity
Affinity stemmed from a vision to empower designers to produce high-quality content in an effective as well as affordable way. In 10 years, the Affinity suite of creative products has delivering creative experiences for professional designers. This includes offering responsive tools built to deliver on all the photo and vector editing tasks required.
Today, more than three million users around the world use Affinity. They create everything from complex multilayered graphics to detailed technical diagrams, art and illustration, logos, mockups, documents as well as magazines.
Moreover, the platform is designed for the latest hardware and provides features to simplify real-life professional workflows. Affinity’s all-inclusive photo editing, graphic design and desktop publishing products serve as a subscription-free solution for photographers and designers. The core products are Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo and Affinity Publisher. In addition, they are all compatibility across macOS, Windows and iPadOS.
To date, Affinity has won several industry awards. They comprise an Apple Design Award, Apple App of the Year for Mac and iPad and the Microsoft Application Developer of the Year.
Canva 
Now entering its second decade, Canva has pioneered the model for simple and effective design. What’s more, it is now used by more than 175 million people across 190 countries and in more than 100 languages. Further, the company introduced the Canva Visual Suite in September 2022. Since then, it has added more than 90 million new users, experiencing nine years’ worth of growth in 18 months.
The acquisition of Affinity will now increase Canva’s offering of design tools by expanding into the professional design market. Additionally, Canva will continue to invest in the Affinity suite to ensure it not only meets the needs of professional designers but also enhances their experiences.
“Since the inception of Affinity, our mission has been to empower creatives with tools that unleash their full potential, fostering a community where innovation and artistry flourish,” added Ashley Hewson, CEO of Affinity. “We’ve worked tirelessly to challenge the status quo, delivering professional-grade creative software that is both accessible and affordable. Canva’s commitment to empowering everyone to create aligns perfectly with those values. We couldn’t be more excited about becoming part of the Canva family and can’t wait to see what we will achieve together.”
