In the competitive world of tech startups, few stories are as compelling as that of Canva, an online design platform co-founded by Australian entrepreneur Melanie Perkins. At just 32 years old, Perkins turned her high school yearbook idea into a billion-dollar business that now rivals giants like Microsoft and Adobe.
The Spark of an Idea
The seeds for Canva were planted when Perkins was just 19 years old. In 2006, while studying at university in Perth, she recognized a significant gap in the design software market. Students were struggling with complex programs from established brands like Microsoft and Adobe, which required extensive training just to grasp their basics. Inspired by the potential for a more user-friendly design tool, Perkins and her then-boyfriend, Cliff Obrecht, launched their first venture: an online school yearbook design business called Fusion Books. This platform allowed students to collaborate on their yearbook profiles, and they would print and deliver the finished products to schools across Australia. Fusion Books became a success, providing valuable lessons and insights that fueled Perkins’s larger vision for a one-stop-shop design site. However, the road to realizing this dream was anything but smooth.
Pitching to Silicon Valley
Perkins faced significant challenges, including being rejected by 100 venture capitalists during her search for funding. Despite these setbacks, her determination did not waver. In 2010, a chance encounter with renowned investor Bill Tai at a conference led her to San Francisco, where she would present her concept for a simplified, collaborative design platform. Though she initially doubted the investor’s interest during her presentation, Tai’s follow-up support opened doors to crucial networking opportunities.
To fully capitalize on this new connection, Perkins had to adapt quickly, including learning kitesurfing—Tai’s passion—so she could mingle with investors in social settings. This determination to build connections paid off, as Perkins and Obrecht began attracting significant interest from major investors. With the help of tech advisor Lars Rasmussen and co-founder Cameron Adams, the Canva team began to take shape.
The Launch of Canva
In 2012, after months of hard work, Canva officially launched its platform. The site quickly gained traction, enabling users to create a variety of online designs for free. Within a year, the platform had attracted 85 million users and secured an additional $1.5 million in funding, matched by the Australian government to keep the company in Australia.Today, Canva has achieved remarkable growth and recorded a valuation of $26 billion in the year 2022. The company has facilitated nearly 2 billion designs in 190 countries, with significant endorsements from celebrities like Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson.
Pushing Boundaries
As Canva continued to scale, Perkins focused on expanding its services to compete more aggressively with established players in the design software market. By 2022, the company had logged approximately $2 billion in annual revenue and was profitable for seven consecutive years. With 180 million users as of 2024, Canva has positioned itself as a formidable player in the industry. The platform has attracted 90% of the Fortune 500 companies as users, including major clients like Reddit and Zoom. Canva has also nearly doubled its enterprise team users to 135,000, leveraging partnerships with companies like Salesforce to penetrate the enterprise market. To enhance its offerings, Canva acquired the UK-based software company Serif, catering to professional designers and further diversifying its product lineup. The Sydney-based startup has also been at the forefront of AI deployment, launching MagicStudio, which includes 10 AI-powered tools capable of generating images and videos from text prompts.
Embracing Generative AI
With the increasing prominence of generative AI, Canva has introduced Shield, a suite of safety and privacy tools designed for enterprise users. The company has also established a $200 million fund to compensate creators for their content used in training its AI systems. Additionally, Perkins launched Canva for Campus, targeting educational institutions and offering paid subscriptions for students and faculty. This initiative has reached an impressive 50 million classroom users across various campuses.
Looking Ahead
As the venture capital landscape evolves, Canva completed a $1.5 billion sale of shares held primarily by early employees and backers at a valuation of $26 billion, paving the way for a potential IPO. With a total of $560 million in venture capital raised, Perkins expects Canva to go public in 2025 or 2026, further solidifying its status as a leader in the design industry.
Melanie Perkins’s journey from a high school yearbook business to the helm of a $3.2 billion design platform is a testament to her vision, determination, and adaptability. Canva has not only democratized design but also redefined how individuals and businesses can visually communicate their ideas, making it a remarkable success story in the tech world.