Adobe announced on Wednesday that it will acquire digital marketing software platform Semrush for $1.9 billion, a deal that reflects the company’s ambition to deepen its presence in AI-powered marketing solutions.
Adobe will pay $12 per share in cash, representing a premium of approximately 77.5% over Semrush’s last closing price, sending Semrush shares soaring 74% to $11.79.
Semrush, a platform renowned for its AI-driven tools supporting search engine optimization, social media management, and digital advertising, provides actionable insights that help companies better understand how their brands are perceived online. Adobe aims to integrate Semrush’s technology into its suite of products to enhance marketers’ capabilities, allowing them to leverage data from websites and generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2026.
“The price is steep as Semrush isn’t a massive revenue engine on its own, so Adobe is likely paying for strategic value. The payoff could be high too if Adobe can quickly turn Semrush’s data into monetizable AI products,” said Grace Harmon, analyst at eMarketer.
Adobe’s portfolio of products, including Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat, and Illustrator, has long been a staple for creative professionals, enterprises, and students. However, investor pressure has mounted to expand monetization through AI capabilities amid growing competition in the digital design and marketing sector. Adobe’s shares have fallen more than 27% so far this year, reflecting concerns about the company’s ability to capitalize on AI-driven opportunities while maintaining growth in its Creative Cloud business.
William Blair analysts noted, “While we are positive on Adobe restarting its M&A engine given the success that it has seen with this motion over the years… this deal likely does little to answer the questions revolving around the company’s Creative Cloud business.”
This acquisition builds on Adobe’s broader AI strategy. In September, Adobe raised its annual revenue and profit forecasts, driven by strong demand for its design software. A month later, the company announced a collaboration with OpenAI that allows users to control one of its applications directly via ChatGPT. This partnership underlines Adobe’s commitment to embedding AI into its core products to enhance functionality and user experience.
Semrush is expected to strengthen Adobe’s marketing intelligence and analytics offerings, providing data-driven insights that can inform both creative and advertising strategies. The deal is particularly timely as the marketing sector increasingly adopts AI tools to optimize campaigns, analyze consumer behavior, and automate content creation.
Adobe’s move points to a broader trend among major tech companies seeking growth through AI integration. Adobe aims to deliver a more comprehensive AI-powered platform for enterprise clients by combining Semrush’s analytics capabilities with Adobe’s design and creative suite. This aligns with the wider race among tech giants to leverage artificial intelligence across multiple verticals, including marketing, creative design, and data-driven business solutions.
The acquisition underscores Adobe’s strategic shift toward AI as a key growth frontier. Adobe is expected to monetize Semrush’s data and integrate AI-driven insights across its platform, particularly in light of competitive pressures from other technology firms aggressively investing in generative AI capabilities.
This deal puts Adobe in a position to compete more robustly in marketing technology, where it is expected to combine creative tools, AI analytics, and data-driven decision-making into a single ecosystem.
