Most Iconic³⁰
Companies in
Internet History

Adobe shaped Internet culture by building the tools and standards behind how the web looks, moves, and is made. Recognized by The Webby Awards in 2005, Flash made the early Internet feel alive and, crucially, let YouTube play video reliably inside the browser, which helped the platform explode before HTML5 arrived. In 2013 Adobe shifted Creative Suite to Creative Cloud, turning creative software into a continuously updated service and syncing fonts, assets, and libraries at the pace of the web. As online video became a primary language of culture, Premiere Pro and After Effects evolved into the default workflow, recognized by the Webbys multiple times for features like text-based editing. In the 2020s Adobe pushed generative AI into everyday creative work with the ethically-trained Firefly, used by 2025 Webby Special Achievement winner Norman Teague for his AI-enabled MoMA exhibition Jam Sessions. Indeed, the company’s contributions underpin many of the others on this list. Adobe’s influence is more than a few viral moments, it’s the infrastructure behind millions of them.

NOTABLE WORK

Macromedia Shockwave Gallery (1997)

Adobe Express (2024)

Webby Special Achievement in Creative AI: Norman Teague (2025)

Industrial Designer Spencer Nugent Designs a Custom Webby with Adobe Firefly Boards

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The 30th Annual Webby Awards is Open

Earning a Webby Award can take your company to new heights, but only if you participate. Submit work in the 30th Annual Webby Awards by the Early Entry Deadline on Friday, October 24, 2025 for best pricing.