As Wall Street punishes software stocks over AI concerns, Canva gets more acquisitive

Core Insights - Software stocks, including design software, have faced significant declines due to concerns over artificial intelligence impacts, with Adobe's stock down 30% this year [1] - Canva is actively acquiring startups to enhance its competitive position against Adobe, purchasing Cavalry and MangoAI to bolster its animation and video capabilities [2] Company Developments - Canva has acquired Cavalry, which specializes in two-dimensional animation software, and MangoAI, which focuses on short video creation for advertising [2] - The terms of the acquisitions were not disclosed, but both startups are expected to help Canva compete more effectively with Adobe [2] Product Integration - Canva plans to integrate Cavalry's animation technology into its core product and the Affinity application, which was made free after its acquisition in 2024 [4] - MangoAI will be incorporated into the Canva Grow advertisement generator, which is available at $250 per person per year, enhancing video performance tracking and recommendations [5] Market Position and Financials - Canva reported over $4 billion in annualized revenue for 2025, a 36% increase from the previous year, while Adobe's revenue for the November quarter was $6.2 billion, up 10% [7] - Canva's market valuation was noted at $42 billion in August, prior to the recent downturn in software stock prices [7] AI and User Experience - Canva's co-founder emphasized the importance of human input in content creation, stating that while AI can assist, the final touches that ensure brand representation are crucial [8] - The company has not experienced a slowdown in revenue or user growth, attributing improvements in product quality to the integration of AI [9]