Adobe Acquires AI Image and Video Enhancement Company Topaz Labs

Adobe said on Thursday it has purchased Topaz Labs, an Emmy-winning AI company specializing in image and video enhancement.

The company plans to integrate Topaz’s tools into its Firefly AI studio, enterprise products and the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, hoping to give creators using Firefly more control over the quality of their images and videos. Topaz, which was founded more than two decades ago, developed a “Neurostream” technology that allows AI models to run locally on consumer devices to widen who can use its image and video models.

The move is aimed at boosting Adobe’s competitive edge against competitors such as Canva and Picsart in AI-backed editing for images and videos. Topaz’s models have been used for upscaling, sharpening, stabilization, frame interpolation and footage restoration, among other cases.

“Adobe Firefly, Firefly Services and Creative Cloud offer the industry’s best creative tooling and top AI models for creators and brands, and we’re excited to build on the strong demand for these products with Topaz Labs,” David Wadhwani, Adobe’s president of creativity and productivity business, said in a statement. “Creators are creating more content by mixing captured and generated images and video, and with Topaz Labs we will give every creator the quality and control to easily produce that content at higher quality and resolution.”

Topaz Labs CEO Eric Yang, who will lead the Topaz team at Adobe, said the move will “dramatically expand what’s possible for filmmakers and creators everywhere.”

“Building technology to make images and videos look their absolute best has been our life’s work for more than twenty years,” Yang said in a statement. “We’ve always believed that technology should serve human creativity rather than replace it — and so has Adobe.”

Topaz has worked with creatives including Asteria Film Co. and documentarian Robert Stone, and it won an Emmy last year in the category of AI Image/Video Enhancement for High Quality TV Catalog Restoration. Adobe expects the transaction to close in the second half of the year, and Topaz’s products will be available as standalone offerings.