Israel-based Wix.com (NASDAQ:WIX) recently acquired DeviantArt, an online community for artists, art enthusiasts and designers, for $36 million.
Wix, which helps small business to build and operate websites, will have access to DeviantArt’s over 325 million pieces of original art as well as its more than 40 million registered members.
The Impact as Wix Acquires DeviantArt
DeviantArt will continue with its operations as before and will put investments into building mobile and desktop apps. On the other hand, Wix will provide technology and marketing expertise to the DeviantArt users, helping them to further their reach and increase engagement both on the web and on mobile.
“The DeviantArt community is talented and robust and hungry for additional product expertise,” stated the co-founder and CEO of Wix Avishai Abrahami in a press release. “We understand their passion, share their creative vision and are excited to offer the power of the Wix platform to their millions of artists.”
DeviantArt will on the other hand allow Wix users with a platform to engage with artists and designers from multiple mediums.
“This combined effort with Wix creates new opportunities for innovation never before seen on the internet and an amazing super-charged offering to our community members,” stated co-founder and CEO of DeviantArt Angelo Sotira. “We look forward to being part of the Wix team, and we are humbled by the respect and love they have shown to our community.”
The two companies’ said that they will strive to create an innovative gallery for artists globally that will mix world class creative with “unmatched opportunities for design, display and distribution.”
If all goes as planned, the acquisition might be an alternative to standard stock photo services like Shutterstock and Adobe, and the once boring images on your blog or eBook of a guy with a clipboard might soon be replaced with interesting images of alien vistas or other more artistic renderings.
Image: Small Business Trends
This article, “Wix Acquires DeviantArt Revealing New Stock Photo Niche” was first published on Small Business Trends