Canva expands creative suite with two acquisitions

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TLDR

Canva has acquired UK animation platform Cavalry and US AI marketing startup MangoAI as part of its broader strategy to embed motion design and AI-driven ad optimisation into its unified creative platform. The moves deepen its professional toolset and strengthen AI capabilities for creators and marketers globally.

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Canva, the global visual communication platform, has announced strategic acquisitions of two specialist companies — UK-based 2D animation platform Cavalry and early-stage US AI startup MangoAI — to bolster motion design and artificial intelligence capabilities within its platform.

Cliff Obrecht, Co-founder & COO, Canva:

“We’ve always believed creative tools should be accessible to everyone …[Cavalry] helps professional designers break free from bloated and expensive tools … and with MangoAI, we’re doubling down on powerful new marketing products.”  

Chris Hardcastle, Co-founder, Cavalry:

“We built Cavalry to give motion designers a faster, more flexible creative playground … Canva’s platform and long-term vision make it a natural next chapter.” Nirmal Govind, Co-founder, MangoAI:

“I’m excited to join the team and help shape how data, algorithms, and AI power personalised experiences across the product.”  

These deals mark Canva’s fourth and fifth acquisitions in roughly two years, following purchases of Affinity, Leonardo, and MagicBrief, as part of a broader roadmap to build an end-to-end creative ecosystem. The additions aim to expand professional design workflows and the platform’s ability to deliver intelligent marketing tools.  

Cavalry, trusted by leading brands, strengthens Canva’s professional suite, bringing more advanced 2D motion design capabilities alongside existing tools for photo, vector, and layout editing. Its founders will join Canva’s teams to help align motion workflows with the platform’s long-term vision.  

MangoAI specialises in AI-driven creative optimisation for video advertising, using proprietary algorithms and reinforcement learning to improve video ad performance efficiently. Its integration builds on capabilities gained through MagicBrief and will enhance Canva Grow, Canva’s marketing intelligence suite.  

As part of the transaction, MangoAI co-founder Nirmal Govind has been appointed Canva’s first Chief Algorithms Officer, tasked with spearheading internal AI research and personalisation initiatives. Another co-founder joins the company’s research team to lead reinforcement learning efforts.  

With more than 265 million users globally and strong revenue growth, Canva continues to position itself as a platform serving both casual creators and enterprise-grade creative teams, aiming to unify design, motion, and data-driven marketing in a single environment.