How A Young Australian Kitesurfer Built A $3.2 Billion (Profitable!) Startup Phenom

10 minutes

On a steamy May morning in 2013. Melanie Perkins was stuck on a kiteboard. She was between two islands owned by Richard Branson. But her sail was flat and useless. Melanie, who was only 26, waited for hours to be saved. She was in the Caribbean Sea, and her left leg had scars from hitting a coral reef in the past.

As she stayed afloat, Melanie thought about her journey. Six years earlier, she and her boyfriend started Canva, a company that makes design software. Now, her daring hobby of kiteboarding was helping them raise money for the company. Even though it was risky, Melanie believed it was worth it. She knew that overcoming challenges was important for Canva's success.

In this blog article, we will explore story of Canva – a tale of perseverance, innovation, and the unstoppable spirit of its visionary founder, Melanie Perkins.

From Australia to Silicon Valley

Canva's roots were firmly planted in Australia, a world away from Silicon Valley's bustling tech hub. Securing meetings and funding proved to be a formidable challenge for the company. Despite facing rejection from over 100 investors, CEO Melanie Perkins remained undeterred. In a bold move, she seized an opportunity to connect with a group of kitesurfing venture capitalists at a pitch competition in her hometown of Perth. Determined to make an impression, Perkins dedicated herself to mastering the sport. When the group reconvened to evaluate startup pitches and potentially offer crucial early-stage funding, Perkins ensured she had a seat at the table, even if it meant braving treacherous waters.

Reflecting on her strategy, Perkins likened it to a calculated risk: the potential for serious setbacks balanced against the opportunity to kickstart the company's journey. She understood that sometimes, to make progress, one must be willing to take bold leaps, even in the face of adversity.

From Small Beginnings to Big Success

Canva started in Perth, Australia, as a small business making yearbooks. Now, it's a huge success used by over 20 million people worldwide. It lets you design all sorts of things, like cool graphics for Pinterest or classy menus for restaurants. What makes Canva special is how easy it is to use. Before Canva, making designs was tricky, but now anyone can do it in just a few minutes.

Canva makes money by offering extra features for a small fee and selling high-quality pictures. It's doing really well financially, with its value soaring to billions of dollars.

What's cool about Canva is its founders, Melanie Perkins, and Cliff Obrecht. They're not like other big-shot CEOs who splash out on fancy stuff. They're down-to-earth and focus on making a profit without relying too much on investors.

Melanie Perkins is the driving force behind Canva. She's hands-on, making sure every employee knows what's going on. She believes you can build a successful tech company anywhere, not just in Silicon Valley.

Canva's got big plans ahead, like winning over big businesses and taking on tough competition. But with Perkins leading the way and a mission to empower everyone to design, Canva's future looks bright.

 How Canva's Founders Overcame Odds and Surfing Adventures to Secure Funding

Melanie Perkins, the CEO of Canva, started working on the idea that would become Canva back in 2007. She was living in Perth and had a background in design and computer studies. Melanie noticed how complicated it was to create posters or flyers using tools like Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Word. So, she came up with the idea of making design simpler by creating an online tool that could do it all in one place.

She hired freelancers to build a website targeting school yearbooks, which found immediate success. However, without venture funding, they couldn't expand much further. Then, in 2011, they saw an opportunity when a Silicon Valley venture capitalist named Bill Tai visited Perth for a startup competition. Melanie and her co-founder Cliff Obrecht pitched their idea to him, calling it Canvas Chef, using a pizza analogy to explain how design elements could be like toppings on a pizza.

Despite not getting funding, they stayed determined and started attending kitesurfing gatherings where they met influential tech executives. Eventually, they connected with Cameron Adams, an ex-Googler, who became their third co-founder. With his technical expertise, they secured $3 million in seed funding, including support from the Australian government.

Their journey shows that perseverance and seizing opportunities can lead to success, even if you're not in the traditional tech hub like Silicon Valley.

From Aspiring Figure Skater to Startup Maven

Melanie Perkins began what would become Canva from her mom's living room in Perth in 2007. Growing up with an Australian teacher and a Malaysian engineer of Filipino and Sri Lankan descent, Melanie initially aimed for a career in professional figure skating. But her path shifted towards academics, leading her to the University of Western Australia.

While teaching classmates computer design basics during her communications and commerce studies, she stumbled upon a game-changing idea. The tedious process of creating and printing flyers or posters using Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Word, followed by conversions and trips to print stores like Staples, seemed outdated. She imagined a simpler solution—a single online tool for all design needs.

Capitalizing on Opportunity and Pitching Innovation

In 2011, Melanie and Cliff took part in a startup competition judged by a well-known investor, Bill Tai, who had supported successful projects like TweetDeck and Zoom. Although they didn't win, they saw an opportunity. They came up with a smart idea called Canvas Chef, comparing it to making a virtual pizza where design elements were toppings on different document types forming the base.

Even though they didn't get immediate funding, they got excited about entrepreneurship. They started attending kitesurfing events organized by Tai, where they met influential people from the tech world. After a while, they met Cameron Adams, a former Google employee, who decided to join them as Canva's third co-founder in June 2012. This was a turning point for Canva.

Learnings from Canva:

1. Simplicity is Key: Canva's success demonstrates the importance of simplicity in product design. By creating an easy-to-use platform, they attracted millions of users who found traditional design tools too complex.

2. Persistence Pays Off: Despite facing numerous challenges, Canva's founders didn't give up on their vision. Their determination and resilience ultimately led to their success.

3. Innovate in Business Models: Canva's innovative freemium model, offering basic features for free and charging for premium ones, proved to be effective. This approach allowed users to try out the product before committing to paid features.

4. Global Accessibility: Canva's online platform made design accessible to people worldwide. By reaching users from diverse backgrounds and locations, they achieved global success.

5. Listen to User Feedback: Canva's responsiveness to user feedback played a crucial role in their growth. By continuously improving their product based on user suggestions, they built a loyal user base and stayed ahead of the competition.

Melanie's journey from wanting to be a figure skater to starting Canva shows how determination and creativity can lead to success. She began Canva from her mom's living room, wanting to simplify design processes.

Despite facing challenges, like pitching Canvas Chef at a competition, Melanie didn't give up. She connected with influential people like Bill Tai and Cameron Adams, securing funding and talent for Canva. Melanie's story teaches us to pursue our dreams, overcome obstacles, and stay true to our vision, no matter what.

Thank you for reading this article.

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