In September, Adobe was delighted to have reached an agreement with the creator of the collaborative design platform Figma. To realize this takeover, the American paid 20 billion dollars.
“The combination of Adobe and Figma communities will bring designers and developers together to unlock the future of collaborative design,” said the new owner.
Multiple concerns of Europe
However, he will have to submit to an in-depth investigation in Europe. The European Commission announced its decision on August 7 on behalf of the merger law. Because according to her, the takeover of Figma could ultimately reduce competition.
The Commission mentions several concerns related to this takeover. It thus considers that it could allow Adobe to restrict competition on the world markets for the supply of tools for designing interactive products.
“Figma is the undisputed market leader and Adobe one of its main competitors”, justifies the regulator. In addition, the two actors “are close competitors”. A merger would therefore mean the disappearance of a “significant competitive force”.
Moreover, by giving birth to a new, even more powerful player, the acquisition would make the rapid and credible entry of other players into this market unlikely. But the Commission also considers that such a rapprochement is likely to penalize the development of the software offer.
A decision no later than December 2023
Addressing these concerns, therefore, is the aim of Europe’s in-depth investigation. In particular, the Commission wishes to determine whether the combination of Figma with the Creative Cloud suite is likely to exclude rival suppliers.
“The Commission will now carry out a thorough investigation into the effects of the proposed transaction to determine whether its initial competition concerns are confirmed,” she said.
The European authority specifies that it has until December 14, 2023 to make a decision. Finally, it recalls that the opening of an in-depth procedure does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation.