Canva, the world leader in visual communications with over 190 million monthly active users, has acquired a generative AI platform that helps create production-quality images and videos.

Canva announced on the 1st that it is acquiring Leonardo.AI.

Leonardo AI, one of Australia’s fastest growing startups and a leading generative AI content and research company, is empowering millions of people to bring their ideas to life with production-quality images and videos.

This acquisition complements Canva’s offerings and reinforces Canva’s vision to build a world-class suite of visual AI tools.

From hobbyists to filmmakers, architects and professional designers, Leonardo’s technology provides advanced creative control that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible with generative AI, while remaining intuitive and accessible.

Leonardo’s models can create stunning imagery in a variety of styles, from stunningly photo-realistic to character portraits, animations, painterly styles, and more, while its AI video generation tools can bring dynamic life to almost any concept.

Canva's latest Visual Economy Report is effective, efficient and persuasive. This shows that the need for visual communication has increased dramatically.

AI is now playing an increasingly important role in boosting both productivity and creativity in the workplace. From marketing teams that instantly generate ad creatives for specific audiences to scale global campaigns, to designers who create early drafts and storyboards, generative AI is changing the way work gets done.

Leonardo’s world-class technology and foundational models will further Canva’s mission to help professionals of all types transform their ideas into designs in an instant, enabling faster, more innovative, and more engaging visual communication.

Leonardo’s technology will complement Magic Studio, Canva’s suite of AI tools that have been used more than 7 billion times since its launch in 2023.

So far, Canva users have leveraged Magic Studio to enhance their designs and creative output, from outlining documents to creating images and turning brainstorming whiteboards into full-blown presentations.

Canva will continue to invest in Leonardo’s standalone platform while integrating the technology across Canva’s Magic Studio product line. Working with Leonardo’s team of 120 talented researchers, engineers, and designers will strengthen Canva’s R&D capabilities as it continues to invest in long-term innovation opportunities.