The investigation has been referred to the next phase, where the merger will be assessed by an independent panel. | Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge
Adobe’s $20 billion bid for cloud-based design platform Figma will now be subject to an in-depth probe by the UK’s competition watchdog, which will decide whether to approve the merger or block the deal entirely.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Thursday that it had referred the acquisition for a “phase two” investigation — a longer, more intensive assessment carried out by an independent CMA panel — after Adobe and Figma informed the regulator that they wouldn’t provide resolutions to address concerns the merger would cause a “substantial lessening of competition” for designers in the UK.
Following its initial “phase one”…
