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☆ Figma CEO says it is 'eating cost' of AI upgrade for customers in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Kaya Ginsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As design firm Figma rolls out its first major AI upgrade for its platform, CEO and co-founder Dylan Field is taking no chances with customers amid steep AI adoption and demand curves and consumer hype. Figma is paying the cost of the AI upgrade for now instead of attempting to charge customers. "We're gonna eat the cost for 2024, because we don't know how people are going to use the features yet. Figma's UI3 redesign, released in limited beta on June 26 with a waitlist for additional users, includes a new toolbox called "Figma AI." 6 on this year's CNBC Disruptor 50 list, while Figma ranked No.

Persons: Dylan Field, CNBC's Deirdre Bosa, Canva, Figma, we're Organizations: Figma, Adobe, CNBC, Google

☆ Figma CEO on failed Adobe deal, startup landscape, big redesign with AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFigma CEO on failed Adobe deal, startup landscape, big redesign with AIFigma CEO Dylan Field joins 'The Exchange' with CNBC's Deirdre Bosa to discuss Figma's announcements of new AI features, the abandonment of the company's merger with Adobe, and more.

Persons: Dylan Field, CNBC's Deirdre Bosa Organizations: Adobe

☆ Orchid tests embryos for genetic diseases. It just raised $12 million with this 11-slide pitch deck.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Orchid, a startup that tests embryos for genetic diseases, has just raised $12 million. "The way that IVF and embryo screening works today is the amount of information available is really limited," Orchid CEO and cofounder Noor Siddiqui said. Genetic testing has been around for years, but it has been usually limited in the diseases it can identify, which include cystic fibrosis, Bloomberg reported. Orchid produces reports with two types of genetic testing: monogenic and polygenic. The cost of the test depends on the number of embryos that Orchid tests.

Persons: Noor Siddiqui, Siddiqui, Orchid, Dylan, Anne Wojcicki, Fidji Simo, Peter Kraft Organizations: Business, Bloomberg, Prometheus Fund, Starbloom Capital, One Ventures, Los Angeles Times Locations: San Francisco, Pebblebed

☆ Figma reviewing EU's objections against $20 bln Adobe buyout bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Adobe logo is displayed on a smartphone screen in front of a stock graph in this illustration taken, June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsNov 17 (Reuters) - Figma said on Friday it was carefully reviewing the EU competition watchdog's statement of objections related to Photoshop maker Adobe's (ADBE.O) proposed $20 billion bid to buy out the cloud-based designer platform. The transaction could create a dominant player of interactive product design tools by combining Figma, a clear market leader, and one of its largest competitors Adobe, the commission said. Adobe's chief counsel Dana Rao told Reuters on Wednesday that the company is open to proposing remedies to resolve regulatory concerns. Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi MajumdarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Figma, Dana Rao, Bhanvi, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: REUTERS, EU, Big Tech, European Commission, Adobe, Video Communications, Reuters, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Bengaluru

The corporate logo of software company Adobe is seen in Posa Studio school in Caracas, Venezuela October 9, 2019. The European Commission is readying a statement of objections to send to the companies in the coming days, the people said. Such documents or charge sheets set out the EU competition watchdog's concerns on why deals could be anti-competitive. The Commission and Adobe, which can offer remedies to stave off the EU warning, declined to comment. Some companies prefer to wait for a statement of objections so that they know the precise regulatory worries before they offer concessions.

Persons: Manaure Quintero, Foo Yun Chee, Susan Fenton Organizations: Adobe, REUTERS, Rights, Tech, European, Video Communications, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights BRUSSELS, EU, San Francisco

☆ UK extends deadline on in-depth probe into Adobe's $20 bln deal for Figma
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Figurines are seen in front of displayed Adobe logo in this illustration taken June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator, on Wednesday, extended by eight weeks the deadline to complete its in-depth probe into Photoshop owner Adobe Inc's (ADBE.O) $20 billion buyout of cloud-based designer platform Figma, to February 2024. The CMA now has until Feb. 25 to conclude its investigation, compared to the earlier deadline of Dec. 27. In September 2022, Adobe announced a cash-and-stock deal for Figma, the biggest buyout of a privately owned software startup. Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Eva Mathews, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Savio D'Souza Organizations: REUTERS, Adobe, Markets Authority, CMA, Figma, Zoom Video Communications, Airbnb Inc, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ The Adobe exec behind the Figma deal expresses frustration over slow pace of regulatory approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Adobe has said it expects to close the Figma deal in 2023. Adobe has agreed to pay Figma $1 billion if regulators reject the deal, or if it isn't completed by mid-March 2024. Tools for creative expression, documents and marketing all represent growth opportunities for Adobe, and Figma is the fourth leg of the stool, Wadhwani said. Since revealing its intent to buy Figma, Adobe has been busy releasing and promoting tools for generative artificial intelligence that can develop images and other content in response to a few words of human input. Adobe replied that "in an innovative and dynamic market XD cannot be considered a 'material' competitor to Figma."

Persons: David Wadhwani, they've, Wadhwani, there's, Dylan, Figma's, Adobe Organizations: Adobe, WSJ Tech, U.S . Department of Justice, European Union, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, United Kingdom's, Markets Authority, Figma Locations: Laguna Beach, Calif, United Kingdom, San Francisco

☆ Adobe's Figma deal faces EU competition investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationBRUSSELS, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Adobe's (ADBE.O) $20 billion bid for cloud-based designer platform Figma could reduce competition in global markets for interactive product design tools and also shut out rivals, EU antitrust regulators said on Monday. The European Commission said it opened a full-scale investigation into the deal after a preliminary review triggered concerns, confirming a Reuters story last month. The deal would remove an important rival and could allow Photoshop maker Adobe to restrict competition in the global markets for supply of interactive product design tools, the EU antitrust watchdog said. It said the acquisition could also affect Figma's potential for growth into an effective competitor to Adobe's asset creation tools and effectively reduce competition in interactive product design tools by bundling Figma with Adobe's Creative Cloud suite. The EU competition enforcer said it would decide by Dec. 14 whether to clear or block the deal.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Competition Margrethe Vestager, Adobe, Foo Yun, Sharon Singleton, David Goodman Organizations: REUTERS, European Commission, Reuters, Tech, Zoom Video Communications, Adobe, Competition, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS

☆ Adobe's Figma deal faces full-scale EU antitrust probe, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 24 (Reuters) - Adobe's (ADBE.O) $20 billion bid for cloud-based designer platform Figma will face a full-scale EU antitrust investigation following EU regulators' preliminary review, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. The move underscores antitrust watchdogs' wariness of tech deals where bigger companies may acquire rival start-ups to shut them down. The European Commission earlier this year warned of the threat the deal poses to competition in the market for interactive product design and whiteboarding software. The EU competition enforcer, which is scheduled to finish its initial scrutiny by Aug. 7, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Figma's Web-based collaborative platform for designs and brainstorming is hugely popular among tech firms including Zoom Video Communications (ZM.O), Airbnb (ABNB.O) and Coinbase (COIN.O).

Persons: Foo Yun Chee, Matthew Lewis Organizations: European, EU, Adobe, Zoom Video Communications, Thomson Locations: Brussels

☆ UK announces in-depth probe of Adobe's $20 billion Figma deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 13 (Reuters) - Britain's antitrust regulator on Thursday announced an in-depth probe of Adobe's (ADBE.O) $20 billion bid for cloud-based designer platform Figma, after the Photoshop owner said it would not offer any remedies to ease the regulator's concerns. But on July 7, the U.S. company told the CMA it would not offer any remedies, the CMA said on Thursday. Figma and Adobe both directed Reuters to the companies' response in June, when the regulator had flagged these concerns. An in-depth, or phase two, probe by the CMA is conducted by an inquiry group selected from independent experts. It has said it expects to close the deal by end of this year, as U.S. and EU regulators also probe the deal.

Persons: Yadarisa, Chavi Mehta, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Mark Potter Organizations: Markets Authority, U.S ., CMA, Adobe, Reuters, Zoom Video Communications, Figma, Thomson Locations: U.S, EU, Bengaluru

☆ EU antitrust regulators set Aug. 7 deadline for Adobe, Figma deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, July 3 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators will decide by Aug. 7 whether to clear Adobe's (ADBE.O) $20 billion bid for cloud-based designer platform Figma after a preliminary review, according to a European Commission filing on Monday. Photoshop maker Adobe sought EU approval last Friday. A request made a month before the summer holidays suggests the company expects the EU competition enforcer to open a full-scale investigation following its initial scrutiny. The Commission earlier this year warned the deal threatens to significantly affect competition in the market for interactive product design and whiteboarding software. Britain's competition watchdog on Friday gave Adobe a week to offer remedies to address its concerns or face a deeper investigation.

Persons: Foo Yun Chee, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Adobe, Zoom Video Communications, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS

☆ UK regulator may refer Adobe's $20 bln Figma deal to deeper probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 30 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator on Friday said Photoshop owner Adobe Inc's (ADBE.O) $20 billion buyout of cloud-based designer platform Figma may be referred to a deeper investigation as it could "reduce innovation". The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said unless the parties offer acceptable undertakings to address competition concerns, the deal would be referred to a Phase 2 investigation. CMA had said in May it was looking into the deal, announced in September last year. "Adobe has no meaningful plans to compete in the product design space," Adobe said in a statement. "We remain confident in the merits of the case as Figma's product design is an adjacency to Adobe’s core creative products."

Persons: We're, Sorcha O'Carroll, Adobe, Eva Mathews, Radhika Anilkumar, Chavi Mehta, Janane Venkatraman, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Adobe, Markets Authority, CMA, Regulators, Big Tech, Activision, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ As the DOJ digs in, Adobe's top lawyer tells employees to be careful talking about the $20 billion Figma acquisition, and asks them not to delete anything related to the deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Adobe's Dana Rao told employees to be careful when discussing the proposed Figma acquisition. Adobe's top lawyer told employees in an internal email to be extra careful when talking about the company's $20 billion proposed Figma acquisition, as antitrust scrutiny of the deal intensifies. In the his Adobe email, Rao said it's normal for a deal of Figma's size to go through lengthy regulatory reviews. During a March earnings call with analysts, Adobe's CEO Shantanu Narayen shared a similar end-of-year closing date for the Figma deal. In his email this month, Rao added 3 reasons why the company thinks Figma would be a good acquisition for Adobe.

Persons: Adobe's Dana Rao, Dana Rao, Department's, Rao, Shantanu Narayen, Narayen, Adobe's, Andrew Savage, Savage, Slack, Figma, Dana, Eugene Kim Organizations: Adobe, DOJ, European, SEC, CNBC, Federal Trade Commission, Activision Blizzard, Adobe Express, Department of Justice, Markets Authority, General, Competition Locations: ideation, Europe

☆ Microsoft looked at buying Figma but declined to put in an offer as Adobe deal was nearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Dylan Field, co-founder and CEO of Figma, speaks at the startup's Config conference in San Francisco on May 10, 2022. As Figma was in talks about an acquisition with Adobe last year, the design software startup's CEO, Dylan Field, approached another public company to gauge potential interest, according to a regulatory filing. That company was Microsoft , CNBC confirmed with a person familiar with the matter. Adobe ultimately agreed to buy Figma in September for $20 billion, the software company's biggest purchase ever. Prior to the Adobe deal, CNBC reported on Figma's growing popularity inside Microsoft.

☆ Leaders who want longevity in their role need to love what they do and 'have other passions,' Adobe CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen told the WSJ that leaders who don't love what they do can't do their jobs. Narayen has been Adobe's CEO for 15 years, a longer tenure than that of most tech leaders. Narayen, who has been Adobe CEO since 2007, gave his advice to other leaders looking for long tenures. He added that he has "no idea" what he would do if he wasn't Adobe CEO. "I'm probably not as out there as other CEOs," Narayen told Insider.

☆ VCs say hybrid work, generative AI, and niche collaboration tools will be some of the top future-of-work trends that dominate 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Insider talked to VCs about the rising trends they say will revolutionize the way we work and live. Insider spoke with 15 venture capitalists about the trends and verticals they think are most likely to revolutionize the way we work and live today. Therefore, startups that will thrive going forward are those that embrace a mix of in-person and remote work, known as hybrid work, Thacker and other VCs said. An increase in workers caregiving for aging or sick family members is also supported by flexible work, the CRV general partner Kristin Baker Spohn said. "A lot of employees, whether it's the Great Resignation or the pandemic, found themselves changing the way that they work."

☆ Hot startups like Miro and Canva are racing to dominate virtual whiteboards, an emerging category of workplace tools that sparked Adobe's $20 billion bid for Figma
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Virtual whiteboards are becoming essential workplace tools, as evidenced by Adobe's bid for Figma. The $20 billion price tag only further signaled the boom around virtual whiteboards, which allow users to collaborate visually and are quickly becoming essential tools alongside videoconferencing and workplace messaging. Besides Figma, Miro has gained momentum over the past two years, growing to 40 million users from 5 million users. But industry insiders think virtual whiteboards will become just one piece of a visual-collaboration arena. As a result, companies like Miro, Canva, and Lucid are on similar paths toward becoming larger visual-communications platforms.

☆ U.S. DOJ preparing to probe Adobe's $20 bln Figma deal - Politico
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Shadia Nasralla | Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice is preparing to open an investigation into Adobe Inc's (ADBE.O) $20 billion takeover of Figma, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing four people with knowledge of the matter and a document it viewed. The DOJ has been reaching out to customers and competitors of Adobe and Figma, as well as Figma's venture capital investors, in recent weeks, according to the report. "Adobe and Figma today are not meaningful competitors," Adobe said in an emailed statement. Figma and the DOJ did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. The exact timing of the probe is unclear, Politico said, adding that the companies are still in the review period mandated by law.

☆ After leading $20 billion Figma deal, Adobe's David Wadhwani is in prime spot to be next CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

The business Wadhwani oversees is roughly three times the size as Chakravarthy's in terms of revenue. For Wadhwani, Figma represents a risky bet on growth at a time when Wall Street is telling tech companies to tighten their belts and preserve cash. The make-or-break betIn his 15-year tenure as CEO, Narayen hasn't been shy about dealmaking, just at a smaller size. And it might be Wadhwani's make-or-break opportunity to prove he should be CEO of the fourth-biggest U.S. business software company by market cap. Shantanu Narayen, CEO, Adobe Mark Neuling | CNBCThe revenue became more predictable and less closely associated with product releases.

☆ 14 cloud companies that could be acquired, as PE giants Thoma Bravo and Sunstone prepare to buy UserTesting for $1.3 billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Adobe's $20 billion bid for Figma reopened conversations about what's ahead for software startups. More recently, UserTesting is set to be acquired by PE firms Thoma Bravo and Sunstone for $1.3 billion. These are 14 private and public software companies that analysts think could be acquisition targets. On October 27, 2022 private equity giants Thoma Bravo and Sunstone partners announced they intend to acquire UserTesting for $1.3 billion. Here are 15 private and public software companies that analysts and experts think are likely acquisition targets.

☆ Designers say Figma gave them 'superpowers.' With Adobe's $20 billion takeover, some think the beloved startup is as good as dead.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | Jessica Xing | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

When Adobe announced its $20 billion bid for Figma, the design community was immediately concerned. When Adobe announced it was acquiring the design startup Figma for $20 billion, designers were quick to express their discontent over the blockbuster deal. So when Adobe announced its intention to buy Figma, much of the design community was immediately concerned. Designers worry Figma will become less accessibleWhile Field's committment to keeping prices the same for now may reassure some, others are skeptical. And some designers Insider spoke to say the acquisition could even benefit companies that have been paying a hefty bill for both.

☆ Adobe's product chief opens up about why its Figma competitor failed: 'XD was made in the image of the old'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Before acquiring Figma, Adobe had a similar product, Adobe XD, that failed to take off. That's one of the main reasons Adobe wants to join forces with Figma, Scott Belsky, Adobe's chief product officer, told Insider. He acknowledges that Adobe's rival tool for product design, called Adobe XD, wasn't successful. Why Adobe XD never took offAdobe created Adobe XD in 2016 because it saw a lot of people using Photoshop for website building. As a desktop product, XD used local files and wasn't collaborative.

☆ The 15 cloud-software companies most likely to be acquired after Adobe's $20 billion Figma deal, according to research analysts and Wall Street experts
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Adobe's $20 billion bid for Figma reopens conversations about what's ahead for software startups. These are 15 private and public software companies that analysts think could be acquisition targets. The Wall Street deal expert spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the business dealings. Other options to build out these platforms internally are limited due to their high cost and the tough funding market, the Wall Street deal expert told Insider. Here are 15 private and public software companies that analysts and experts think are likely acquisition targets.

☆ Meet Dylan Field, the 30-year-old college dropout who built Figma, one of Silicon Valley's most beloved companies, and is set to become a billionaire when it sells for $20 billion to Adobe
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Adobe's $20 billion bid to buy Figma makes CEO Dylan Field's stake worth $2 billion. When the design-software startup Figma was just starting out, Dylan Field, its cofounder and CEO, and his colleagues would pitch prospective customers' design teams, but they struggled with one major problem. While customers were excited about Figma's product, they hesitated to switch from existing tools. Now, Adobe's $20 billion bid to buy Figma makes Field's stake in the company worth $2 billion. Field's rise to successEvan Wallace and Dylan Field are the cofounders of Figma.

☆ Meet Dylan Field, the 30-year-old college dropout who built Figma, one of Silicon Valley's most beloved companies, and then will become a billionaire when it sells for $20 billion to Adobe
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

When design-software startup Figma had just started out, cofounder and CEO Dylan Field and his colleagues would pitch potential customers' design teams, but they struggled with one major problem. While customers were excited about Figma's product, they hesitated to switch from existing tools. Now, Adobe's $20 billion bid to buy the design software startup makes Field's stake in the company worth $2 billion. Field's rise to successEvan Wallace and Dylan Field are the cofounders of Figma. After taking time off to do a product design internship at news-sharing service Flipboard, he decided not to return to school.

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