Canva, the Australian graphic design software giant, has announced the acquisition of Cavalry, a Manchester-based 2D animation platform.
Founded in 2019, Cavalry is used by motion designers to make the production of 2D animation faster and more efficient. The group created its platform with data integration at the core of its function, allowing the integration of creative data from Google Sheets, CSV files or external APIs.
Cavalry is used by companies including Amazon, Meta, Google and Netflix.
With its acquisition of Cavalry, Canva aims to expand the capabilities of its Affinity creative suite. Alongside its existing tools for photo, vector, and layout editing, the integration of Cavalry’s tech will allow for the incorporation of motion design.
“We built Cavalry to give motion designers a faster, more flexible creative playground suitable for the demands of modern production,” said Chris Hardcastle, co-founder of Cavalry.
“Canva’s platform and long-term vision make it a natural next chapter for our technology. Together, we have an incredible opportunity to redefine motion design, bringing smarter workflows that make animation more powerful, and far more accessible, to a new generation of creatives.”
Canva announced the acquisition alongside a separate takeover of US-based AI startup MangoAI.
“We’ve always believed creative tools should be accessible to everyone, and we’re seeing that reflected in how the design community is responding,” said Canva co-founder and COO Cliff Obrecht.
“Now, with Cavalry joining Canva, we’re taking another big step toward helping professional designers break free from bloated and expensive tools, bringing everything from vector to motion design into one powerful creative suite.”
The acquisition also represents an exit for ACF Investors, an early backer of Cavalry.
“Born out of Manchester’s thriving media sector, we first backed the Cavalry team in 2021, recognising the fundamental need for the product in the design sector,” said said Tim Mills, managing partner at ACF Investors.
“Cavalry has a world-leading product and fantastic team, led by Chris Hadcastle, and we’re so proud to have supported them from the earliest stages. The successful exit is a testament to the strength of the UK’s creative industries, and we wish the team the greatest success in the next stage of their journey with Canva.”