In a significant move to advance its AI capabilities, Canva has announced the acquisition of generative AI company Leonardo.Ai. This addition to the Canva family brings with it a team of 120 high-calibre researchers, engineers, and designers, along with Leonardo’s foundational AI model.
This acquisition is poised to enhance Canva’s growing suite of AI products and bolster continued research and innovation in visual AI technology.
“With Leonardo.Ai joining us, we are set to build the world’s leading design AI technology,” stated Canva’s co-founder Cameron Adams. “This acquisition enables us to supercharge our AI capabilities while investing in the future of visual AI.”
Expanding the Vision of Design Empowerment
Since its inception in 2013, Canva has been on a mission to empower everyone to design. The platform has grown exponentially, now supporting over 190 million users worldwide in bringing their creative ideas to life. Yet, Canva’s ambition doesn’t stop there. The company often remarks that they are only 1 per cent of the way to achieving their mission, indicating a relentless drive towards new horizons in design technology.
A History of AI Innovation
Canva’s journey into AI began with the launch of the Background Remover tool in 2019. This was followed by the acquisition of visual AI company Kaleido in 2021. The subsequent years saw the introduction of Canva’s Text to Image tool in 2022 and the full suite of AI-powered products, Magic Studio, in 2023.
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Since its launch, Magic Studio has seen significant usage, with over 7 billion interactions and a 40 per cent increase in monthly users this year alone.
Integrating Leonardo.Ai’s Technology
The integration of Leonardo.Ai’s technology into Canva’s existing products is expected to further drive innovation. Leonardo’s platform, renowned for its AI-generated photos, graphics, and videos, will be accelerated with Canva’s financial resources, expertise, and licensed content from the Canva Creators programme.
“Leonardo has an impressive track record of innovation and excellence,” Adams stated. “We are enthusiastic about integrating their foundational models into our Magic Studio products, including our AI image and video generator, Magic Media.”
Revolutionising Visual Communication
The acquisition is not just about technological advancement but also about enhancing the user experience across various professional domains. Canva’s recent reports highlight the increasing importance of visual communication and AI in elevating productivity and creativity at work.
Marketing teams, designers, creatives, and educators stand to benefit from these advancements, enabling them to produce high-quality visuals and campaigns more efficiently.
“By accelerating Leonardo’s world-class AI technology and integrating it into Canva, we’re able to further empower professionals to push the boundaries on the creative and strategic aspects of their work,” Adams elaborated. “This leads to faster, more innovative, and more compelling visual communication.”
Looking Ahead
Leonardo.Ai will continue to operate independently, focusing on rapid innovation, model research, and product development. The partnership between Canva and Leonardo.Ai is set to unlock new levels of creativity and design in the generative AI space.
“We’ve been incredibly impressed by how quickly the brilliant team at Leonardo has been able to innovate,” Adams stated. “Their ethos of democratising AI by supercharging human creativity aligns perfectly with our mission, culture, and values.”
As Canva integrates Leonardo’s foundational models into its platform, the global community can expect enhanced AI capabilities that will revolutionise the design landscape. This acquisition marks a significant milestone in Canva’s journey to empower every kind of professional with cutting-edge AI tools, pushing the frontiers of what is possible in visual communication.