Canva

Design software / SaaS (private), Sydney (Surry Hills), NSW

Canva is an Australian multinational software company that operates an online graphic-design platform. Its drag-and-drop tools let users create presentations, social-media graphics, documents, videos and other visual content without professional design training.

Canva was founded on 1 January 2013 by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams, building on the founders' earlier yearbook business Fusion Books. Operating on a freemium model, it grew rapidly to hundreds of millions of users worldwide and reached profitability early in its history. Backed by investors including Sequoia Capital and Blackbird Ventures, Canva has been valued by private investors at tens of billions of US dollars, reaching around US$42 billion in 2025. It is headquartered in Sydney and remains privately held.

Fast facts

Legal name	Canva Pty Ltd
Headquarters	Sydney (Surry Hills), NSW
Founded	2013
Sector	Design software / SaaS (private)
Revenue	~US$3.5B ARR (2025); valued at ~US$42B (Aug 2025 employee share sale)
Employees	~5,000-11,000 (2025; sources vary between core staff and total workforce)
CEO	Melanie Perkins (Co-founder & CEO)
Website	canva.com

Key facts

Headquartered in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Founded on 1 January 2013 by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams
Operates an online graphic-design platform on a freemium model
Privately held, backed by investors including Sequoia Capital and Blackbird Ventures
Valued by private investors at around US$42 billion in 2025, with hundreds of millions of users

Frequently asked questions

What is Canva?

Canva is an Australian online graphic-design platform that lets users create visual content using drag-and-drop tools.

When was Canva founded?

Canva was founded on 1 January 2013 by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams.

Where is Canva headquartered?

Canva is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

Sources

Last verified 2026-07-13. Professionally-public, sourced information only.