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Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen Says Company Is Constantly Looking at Possible Acquisitions

Multinational creative computer software company Adobe currently boasts $5 billion in cash on its balance sheet — and Chief Executive Officer Shantanu Narayen isn’t afraid to spend it. Adobe is always in the market for acquisitions, the longtime executive told Bloomberg TV in a May 2022 interview. The primary criteria are great technology, shared cultural values, and shareholder value, according to Narayen, who has led the company through an array of acquisitions in his 15-year tenure. Successful purchases and integrations include Marketo, Omniture, Magneto, and more.

Adobe acquired video collaboration company Frame.io in 2021 and project management software company Workfront in 2020, incorporating both into its wide array of solutions. Acquisitions have helped the company shore up its marketing, analytics, and e-commerce products, which Narayen hopes will drive Adobe past the $20 billion revenue mark.

While the creative software-driven company retains a fierce grip on its market, smaller companies such as Canva and Lightricks — with their modest but notable success — have given Adobe investors pause. However, despite revising the prices of its signature Creative Suite, Narayen remains confident of his company’s control over the market it helped create.