The Vienna-based start-up, Kaleido AI, has been acquired by the Australian design platform, Canva. Kaleido’s software has already been available for use via the platform for a year. The deal is described as one of the largest exits in the Austrian startup scene. Both sides have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Kaleido’s mission is to take the process of creating and editing images and videos to a new level using AI technology. In 2020, Kaleido says its remove.bg and unscreen.com products were used by more than 100 million people from more than 180 countries. Creative individuals on one side and international corporations on the other are said to have already edited more than 1 billion photos and videos with the tools. Today, the company employs around 25 AI experts to break new ground in design creation. They plan to double the team by the end of this year.
“Since day one, we’ve turned down numerous offers and decided to grow the company organically. This approach allowed us to focus solely on our users and their needs. The result is a rapidly growing suite of visual AI products,” asserts founder, Benjamin Grössing. He adds that the merger with Canva will allow them to further accelerate the development of new and existing products.
Canva was founded in 2013 to simplify the creation of complex designs. More than 40 million people now use Canva’s services every month, which are comparable to Adobe Stark. More than 100 designs are created per second – from posters to videos and infographics to presentations and much more.
