Creative news Software giant Adobe’s acquisition of upstart design software unicorn Faima for $20 billion was the single biggest event in startup land this week, an event that was surprised by the Ethereum merger coming to fruition. The transaction is notable not only for its size – 11-figure deals create their own weight – but also for the questions raised.
As Figma moves into Adobe’s arms, we’re curious to see which startups are vying for the indie design crown — and which companies may be circling to take them on in the near future.
With today’s market size for software products and an increasingly global venture capital industry, there are several early stage competitors in each technology space. Design is no different. In fact, these groups — what we call “startup clusters” here at TechCrunch — are amazing examples of the combined spirit of venture and entrepreneurial activity.
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There are many examples of startup clusters that have seen parent company M&A. The OKR software startup hub, for example, has well-funded companies like Workboard, Gtmhub and Perdoo in it. It once included Ally.io, but Microsoft bought that particular concern. TechCrunch wouldn’t be surprised if one of the remaining startups in the group found a new home with a major platform company.
So which Fisma competitors are still going strong, and who might buy them? Let’s take a look.
