Who is the Owner of Canva? Meet the Founders Behind the Global Design Giant

In today’s time from social media graphics and presentations to resumes and business documents, Canva has changed how millions of people create the designs everyday. Today. it is world’s one of the most popular design platforms and it used by the individuals, businesses, schools and organizations all round the world.

But who owns the Canva? Is it controlled by a large technology company, venture capital investors or just single entrepreneur?

The answer is the combination of founders, employees and investors. However, the company remains largely influenced by the its founders and specially Melanie Perkins, who transformed the simple idea into one of the world’s most valuable private software companies.

Let’s explore the story behind the Canva and the people who built it with passion.

Who Owns Canva?

Canva is a privately held company and it means that its shares are not traded on the public stock exchange.

The largest shareholders are the its co-founders.

Shareholder/Estimated Ownership

• Melanie Perkins: 15-18%
• Cliff Obrecht: 15-18%
• Cameron Adams: 5-9%
• Employees (ESOP Pool): 10-15%
• Venture Capital Investors: Remaining Stake

Although there are several investors own shares in the Canva, the founders continue to hold the significant ownership and influence over the company’s direction.

Who Founded Canva?

Canva was founded in 2013 by three entrepreneurs,

• Melanie Perkins
• Cliff Obrecht
• Cameron Adams

Together, they have created a platform which is designed to make the graphic design simple and accessible for everyone.

Today, Canva serves the hundreds of millions of users worldwide and it is among the most successful software companies ever founded in the Australia.

Who is Melanie Perkins?

Melanie Perkins is an Australian technology entrepreneur who is best known as the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Canva.

Quick Profile

Perkins has become one of the world’s youngest self-made female billionaires and it is one of the most influential women in the technology.

Early Life and Education

Melanie Perkins was born in the Perth, Western Australia.

Her mother worked as a teacher while her father was an engineer of the Malaysian Filipino, and Sri Lankan heritage.

During her school years, she was passionate about the entrepreneurship and even ran a small business selling handmade scarves.

She later enrolled at the University of Western Australia, where she studied the communications, psychology and commerce.

However, she left university at the age of just 19 to pursue her entrepreneurial ambitions of the full-time.

The Business Before Canva

Before launching the Canva, Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht founded a company called the Fusion Books in the year 2007.

Fusion Books allowed the schools to create yearbooks using an online drag-and-drop design platform.

The business have expanded across the Australia, New Zealand and France.

While running the Fusion Books, Perkins noticed the common problem and that is the professional design software was difficult to learn and expensive to use.

This observation eventually inspired the idea for the Canva.

How Was Canva Born?

Melanie Perkins envisioned the platform where anyone could create the professional-looking designs without needing advanced technical skills.

For the many years, she pitched the concept to investors.

Many investors were skeptical because,

• Canva was being built in the Australia rather than Silicon Valley.
• The design software market was already dominated by the large players.
• Few people believed that the ordinary users wanted the simplified design platform.

Despite the repeated rejections, Perkins has continued refining the idea.

In the year 2012, former Google designer Cameron Adams joined the project and brings the additional technical and product expertise.

And with this Canva officially launched in 2013.

Why Did Canva Become So Successful?

There are several factors contributed to the Canva’s rapid rise.

1. Simplicity

Canva made the graphic design accessible to all people without professional training.

2. Drag-and-Drop Design

Users could create the professional visuals through the simple interface.

3. Freemium Business Model

This platform offered the free tools while generating revenue via premium subscriptions.

4. Templates and Collaboration

Canva provided the thousands of ready-made templates and team collaboration features.

5. Global Accessibility

This platform worked entirely online it allows the users from around the world to access its tools instantly.

How Big is Canva Today?

Canva has grown into world’s one of the largest design software companies.

Some notable achievements includes the.

• More than 240 million monthly users worldwide.
• Customers ranging from students to the multinational corporations.
• A private valuation of approximately touched $42 billion in 2025.

Major companies uses the Canva for marketing, presentations, branding and internal communications.

Who Runs Canva Today?

Canva continues to be led by the its founding team.

Leadership Team

• CEO Melanie – Perkins
• Co-Founder – Cliff Obrecht
• Chief Product Officer – Cameron Adams

Melanie Perkins remains the public face of the Canva and oversees the company’s overall vision and the strategy.

Canva’s Philanthropic Vision

One of the most unique aspects of the Canva’s story is the founders’ commitment towards the philanthropy.

Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht have pledged to donate more than 80% of their wealth via charitable initiatives.

A significant portion of their Canva ownership is also expected to support the global causes through the Canva Foundation and other philanthropic projects.

This commitment has drawn the comparisons to some of the world’s most prominent philanthropic entrepreneurs.