The plans for the merger of “Adobe” and “Figma” seems to be seriously threatened similar to the case of “Microsoft” and “Activision Blizzard,” the path of the merger between “Adobe” and “Figma” is very difficult and complex. Nearly a year ago, more precisely in September 2022, “Adobe” announced its intention to acquire the design platform “Figma” for 20 billion US dollars. In July, we reported that the UK regulators had launched an investigation into the merger of both companies. Now, the European Union (EU) also has the potential to disrupt the deal between “Adobe” and “Figma.”
European Commission (EC) Investigation of Adobe-Figma Merger
The European Commission (EC) has announced that it has initiated an in-depth antitrust investigation regarding “Adobe’s” plans to acquire “Figma.” The EC is concerned that this deal could “reduce competition in the supply of interactive product design software and digital asset creation tools.” This investigation could continue until December, as on December 14th, the EC will decide on the next steps regarding this transaction. These steps include, for example, requiring amendments to the contract, approving the deal, or rejecting it. It should be noted that as early as February, the EC announced that it would assess the merger of “Adobe” and “Figma” after at least 16 EU member states had requested it.
In parallel with the EC investigation, the merger of both companies is also being evaluated in the US and the UK. The greater threat to completing the deal currently comes from UK regulators, who initiated the second phase of antitrust investigations on July 13th after “Adobe” and “Figma” did not offer solutions to address the antitrust issue. The deadline for this investigation is set for December 27th. Considering these obstacles, it is unlikely that the merger of both companies could take place this year, as previously anticipated.