Magnific
Magnific, formerly known as Freepik, is a Spanish technology company operating a freemium platform for stock visual assets and AI-assisted design tools.
Last updated October 25, 2026
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Overview
Magnific is a Spanish technology company headquartered in Málaga that operates a freemium platform for visual-content discovery, stock media, and AI-assisted design. The business was founded in 2010 by brothers Alejandro Sánchez and Pablo Blanes together with Joaquín Cuenca. It initially functioned as a search engine for design resources, helping users locate graphics and other creative materials online. Over time, the company developed from a discovery service into a broader content and software platform, producing and distributing its own stock assets while introducing subscription-based access. The company was formerly known as Freepik, a name associated with its stock-content and design-resource services. Its offering has expanded beyond static graphics to include stock photography, video, audio, icons, mockups, and tools for creating or modifying visual material. This combination of a large content library with software features positions the business between a stock-media marketplace and a design-technology platform. Its freemium model allows some resources or functions to be accessed without payment while placing broader usage rights, premium assets, and advanced capabilities behind subscriptions or paid plans. Freepik’s corporate development has included substantial expansion through acquisitions. In 2020, private-equity firm EQT agreed to acquire a majority stake in the company. In June 2022, the company acquired Videvo, a United Kingdom-based platform focused on stock video and audio. In October 2022, it acquired Iconfinder and Original Mockups, adding established sources of icons and presentation-oriented design assets. The company also broadened its international presence, opening an office in San Francisco by 2023. In October 2023, it acquired the stock-photography marketplace EyeEm after EyeEm filed for bankruptcy. In May 2024, it acquired Magnific, a Spanish artificial-intelligence startup specializing in image upscaling; the corporate brand subsequently became known as Magnific. Artificial intelligence has become a central part of the company’s development. Its tools support the generation and editing of visual content, complementing rather than replacing the underlying stock-media business. In April 2025, the company released F Lite, an openly available text-to-image model developed with Fal.ai. The company described the model as trained on commercially licensed, safe-for-work images. In May 2025, it introduced Freepik Enterprise, a plan for larger organizations that added centralized administration and legal-oriented features related to AI-generated content. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Freepik temporarily made resources available without charge to groups including healthcare workers and educators. This initiative demonstrated the practical use of its digital distribution model during a period when remote work, online teaching, and digital communication increased demand for visual materials. Today, Magnific represents the company’s move toward an integrated ecosystem combining licensed content, creator-oriented tools, generative AI, image enhancement, and enterprise controls. The company remains privately held and operates internationally from its Spanish base, with an additional office in San Francisco.
History
Magnific began in 2010 as Freepik, founded in Málaga by brothers Alejandro Sánchez and Pablo Blanes with Joaquín Cuenca. Its original purpose was to help people find design resources through a search-engine-like service. The business later moved beyond aggregation and discovery by producing and distributing its own visual assets and introducing subscription access to premium resources. The resulting platform developed into a freemium ecosystem serving designers, marketers, publishers, educators, businesses, and other users who need ready-made visual material. Its catalog expanded across illustrations, vectors, photographs, icons, mockups, video, and audio. The company’s subscription model supported access to a wider range of assets and usage rights than the free tier, while the platform continued to combine content distribution with creative software features. EQT’s agreement to acquire a majority stake in 2020 marked a significant ownership transition and provided the context for a period of expansion. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Freepik temporarily opened resources to groups such as healthcare workers and educators, supporting the production of digital communications and educational material during an exceptional period. The company expanded its media and design portfolio through a series of acquisitions. Videvo, a United Kingdom-based stock video and audio service, was acquired in June 2022. In October of the same year, Freepik acquired Iconfinder and Original Mockups, adding specialist offerings in icons and mockup resources. By 2023, it had opened an office in San Francisco, strengthening its presence outside Spain. In October 2023, it acquired EyeEm, a stock-photography marketplace that had filed for bankruptcy. Artificial intelligence became increasingly important to the company’s strategy. In May 2024, Freepik acquired Magnific, a Spanish AI image-upscaling startup. This transaction connected the company’s established library and design tools with AI-based image enhancement. The corporate identity later became Magnific, while the Freepik name continued to identify the company’s content and product ecosystem. In April 2025, the company released F Lite, an openly available text-to-image model developed with Fal.ai. Freepik said the model used commercially licensed, safe-for-work training images. In May 2025, the company launched Freepik Enterprise, a plan designed for large organizations and including centralized administration and legal-oriented functions for AI-generated content. These developments show the company’s shift from a stock-resource search service toward a broader platform for licensed content, generative AI, image enhancement, and organizational creative workflows.
- 2025
F Lite released
[1]The company released F Lite, an openly available text-to-image model developed with Fal.ai.
- 2025
Freepik Enterprise launched
[1]The company launched an enterprise plan with centralized management and legal-related controls for AI-generated content.
- 2024
Magnific acquisition
[1]Freepik acquired the Spanish AI image-upscaling startup Magnific.
- 2023
San Francisco office opened
[1]The company had opened an office in San Francisco by 2023.
- 2023
EyeEm acquisition
[1]Freepik acquired EyeEm after the stock-photography marketplace filed for bankruptcy.
- 2022
Videvo acquisition
[1]Freepik acquired Videvo, a United Kingdom-based stock video and audio platform.
- 2022
Iconfinder and Original Mockups acquisitions
[1]The company acquired Iconfinder and Original Mockups, extending its icon and mockup offerings.
- 2020
EQT acquired a majority stake
[1]Private-equity firm EQT agreed to acquire a majority stake in the company.
- 2010
Freepik was founded
[1]Alejandro Sánchez, Pablo Blanes, and Joaquín Cuenca founded the company in Málaga as a search engine for design resources.
Products and positioning
A freemium visual-content and creative-technology platform combining licensed stock assets with AI-powered generation, enhancement, and editing tools.
Stock visual-content platform · 2010
Freepik
The company’s principal visual-content platform, originally developed as a search engine for design resources and later expanded into a freemium service offering proprietary and distributed stock assets. Its catalog includes graphics and other creative resources used by designers, marketers, educators, publishers, and businesses.
Stock video and audio
Videvo
A United Kingdom-based stock-media platform acquired by Freepik in 2022. Videvo broadened the company’s portfolio beyond still images and design graphics into stock video and audio resources.
Icons
Iconfinder
An icon-focused design-resource service acquired by Freepik in 2022. Its inclusion strengthened the group’s offering for interface design, presentations, branding, and other workflows requiring reusable icon assets.
Mockups
Original Mockups
A mockup-resource business acquired by Freepik in 2022. Its assets support the visualization of branding, packaging, digital products, and other designs in realistic presentation contexts.
Stock photography
EyeEm
A stock-photography marketplace acquired by Freepik in 2023 after EyeEm filed for bankruptcy. The acquisition added another photography-oriented content source to the company’s wider visual-media portfolio.
AI image enhancement
Magnific
An AI image-upscaling startup acquired in 2024. Its technology represents the company’s expansion into image enhancement and AI-assisted creative production.
Text-to-image AI model · 2025
F Lite
An openly available text-to-image model released in 2025 and developed with Fal.ai. The company said it was trained on commercially licensed, safe-for-work images.
Enterprise creative software plan · 2025
Freepik Enterprise
A plan introduced for large organizations, combining access to the company’s creative and AI capabilities with centralized management and legal-related features for AI-generated content.
Controversies
2020
Freepik discloses user data breach
Freepik disclosed a data breach after hackers used SQL injection to access a database containing user data. According to the report, the incident affected 8.3 million users, and hackers took some users' information. The disclosure describes unauthorized access to a user-data database via SQL injection and states the reported scale of affected users and the reported taking of some user information.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020COVID-19 resource access initiative
International
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Freepik temporarily offered free access to resources for groups including healthcare workers and educators.
Outcome. Temporary access was provided to support pandemic-related healthcare, education, and communications work.
Brand decisions
2025
Release the F Lite text-to-image modelProduct launchBackground
The company was expanding from stock content into generative AI tools and models.
Action taken
Freepik released F Lite, an openly available text-to-image model developed with Fal.ai.
Aftermath
The release gave the company an openly available generative-AI model and highlighted its stated use of commercially licensed, safe-for-work training images.
2025
Launch Freepik EnterpriseStrategyBackground
Large organizations require administrative oversight and legal controls when adopting AI-generated content.
Action taken
The company launched Freepik Enterprise with centralized management and legal-related features for AI-generated content.
Aftermath
The launch extended the company’s target market from individual and professional creators to larger organizations.
2024
Acquire Magnific to strengthen AI capabilitiesM&ABackground
AI-based image enhancement had become an increasingly important part of the company’s creative-technology direction.
Action taken
Freepik acquired the Spanish AI image-upscaling startup Magnific in May 2024.
Aftermath
The acquisition supported the company’s expansion into AI-assisted image enhancement and preceded its later identity as Magnific.
2023
Acquire EyeEm following its bankruptcy filingM&ABackground
EyeEm, a stock-photography marketplace, filed for bankruptcy.
Action taken
Freepik acquired EyeEm in October 2023.
Aftermath
The transaction added EyeEm’s stock-photography marketplace and related content capabilities to Freepik’s portfolio.
2022
Expand into stock video and audio through VidevoM&ABackground
Freepik sought to broaden its visual-resource portfolio beyond its established design and image offerings.
Action taken
The company acquired the United Kingdom-based stock video and audio platform Videvo.
Aftermath
Videvo added video and audio media to the company’s wider stock-content ecosystem.
2022
Add icon and mockup specialistsM&ABackground
The company continued expanding its range of specialist design resources.
Action taken
Freepik acquired Iconfinder and Original Mockups.
Aftermath
The acquisitions strengthened the company’s offerings in icons and mockups.
Recent events
- 2025
Freepik released the F Lite text-to-image model[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Freepik released F Lite, an openly available text-to-image model developed with Fal.ai and described as trained on commercially licensed, safe-for-work images.
- 2025
Freepik launched Freepik Enterprise[1]
Product launch
The company introduced an enterprise plan with centralized management and legal-related features for AI-generated content.
- 2024
Freepik acquired Magnific[1]
M&A · Product generation
The company acquired Magnific, a Spanish startup focused on AI image upscaling.
- 2023
Freepik opened a San Francisco office[1]
Other
By 2023, the company had established an office in San Francisco as part of its international expansion.
- 2023
Freepik acquired EyeEm after its bankruptcy filing[1]
M&A · Bankruptcy
Freepik acquired the stock-photography marketplace EyeEm after EyeEm filed for bankruptcy.
- 2022
Freepik acquired Videvo[1]
M&A
The company acquired the United Kingdom-based stock video and audio platform Videvo, broadening its media library.
- 2022
Freepik acquired Iconfinder and Original Mockups[1]
M&A
The acquisitions expanded Freepik’s presence in icons and mockup-oriented design resources.
- 2020
EQT agreed to acquire a majority stake in Freepik[1]
M&A
Private-equity firm EQT agreed to acquire a majority stake in the Spanish visual-content company.
Sources3 sources
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