The CMA isn’t convinced that Adobe doesn’t compete against Figma in a meaningful way. | Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge
The UK’s competition watchdog has concluded its initial investigation into Adobe’s $20 billion acquisition of cloud-based product design platform Figma, warning that the merger could cause a “substantial lessening of competition” for UK designers by removing a “significant competitive threat to Adobe” from the market. The Competition and Markets Authority announced on Friday that unless Adobe or Figma can offer “acceptable undertakings” to address its concerns by July 7th, the acquisition will be subject to a deeper investigation that risks derailing the deal entirely.
“We’re worried this deal could stifle innovation and lead to higher costs for companies that rely on Figma and Adobe’s digital tools — as they cease to compete to provide…
