Adobe Acquires Topaz Labs: The Emmys Winning AI For All Creatives

Adobe has acquired Topaz Labs, a company that’s been developing highly accurate AI-based image and video enhancement software for more than twenty years. The financial details of the transaction have not been revealed, but the acquisition should be completed during the second half of 2026. Topaz received an Emmy Award in 2025 for its video enhancement technology, and some of its products are already available within Adobe’s Creative Cloud platform.

Topaz’s main offerings include Astra, an AI-driven upscaler for video content, and Wonder, an image retouching and enhancement tool. These are widely used in the TV and movie industries. However, Topaz’s most interesting asset for Adobe is probably its ability to deploy massive AI models on local GPUs, without needing any kind of cloud infrastructure.

1Why on-device AI changes the equation for creatives

Most modern AI-based image and video enhancement software operates by sending your files to a remote server, where they are processed by an AI model, and then returning the enhanced output to you. This approach has several drawbacks, including limited bandwidth, latency, and the need to send your data outside your computer. In contrast, Topaz manages to fit large AI models into your local GPU, which is typically installed in your video editing system. This allows for quicker turnaround times, eliminates the need to upload anything, and lets you process confidential data without having to send it over the internet.

According to Deepa Subramaniam, Adobe’s VP of product marketing, this is precisely why Adobe decided to acquire Topaz Labs: “Topaz Labs brings deep expertise in optimizing large, complex AI models to run directly on device, a capability that will allow Adobe to deliver faster, more responsive experiences for customers and make advanced AI more accessible and cost-effective for creatives.”

The integration between Topaz and Adobe will happen in both ways: Topaz’s AI models will be incorporated into Adobe’s Firefly AI application and other image/video editing tools such as Premiere, Lightroom, etc. At the same time, Topaz’s individual products will continue to be sold on Adobe’s website as separate items. As a result, users who currently use Topaz Video AI or Topaz Photo AI won’t be affected by this change, but they will benefit from increased visibility and accessibility.

2The competitive context

Adobe faces growing competition from companies such as Canva, which is targeting professionals with its consumer-oriented design tools; Blackmagic Design, which dominates the high-end video editing space; and numerous AI-first creative apps that are springing up everywhere. By acquiring Topaz’s on-device AI capabilities, Adobe gains a tangible technological edge over its competitors, rather than just another feature announcement.

If you’re a videographer, photographer, or work with historical media, this news means that the divide between online AI solutions and offline professional ones will soon become much smaller within the Creative Cloud ecosystem.