How to Buy Canva Stock Before the IPO

Canva just raised $200 million at a $26 billion valuation—making the Australian design platform worth more than many publicly traded tech companies. And you want in before it goes public.

The short answer: you almost certainly can’t buy Canva stock. Unlike SpaceX or Stripe, which occasionally appear on secondary markets, Canva shares are exceptionally rare. The company has raised relatively little outside capital, existing shareholders aren’t eager to sell, and the founders have shown zero urgency to go public. Even accredited investors with six-figure minimums struggle to find Canva on platforms like Hiive or EquityZen.

This guide explains why Canva is one of the least accessible unicorns for outside investors—and what your realistic alternatives are.

Quick Summary

What Is Canva?

Canva is an online graphic design platform that democratized visual content creation. Founded in 2013 by Melanie Perkins, Cameron Adams, and Cliff Obrecht in Sydney, Australia, the company built a browser-based tool that lets anyone—regardless of design experience—create professional-looking graphics.

Key Products

• Canva Free: Basic design tools with templates
• Canva Pro: $12.99/month for advanced features
• Canva for Teams: $14.99/member/month for collaboration
• Canva Enterprise: Custom pricing for large organizations

The Numbers

The platform’s scale is remarkable:

• 220+ million monthly active users
• 30+ billion designs created on the platform
• 190 countries served
• 100+ languages supported

Canva competes directly with Adobe’s Creative Cloud but targets a different user: the non-designer who needs to create social media posts, presentations, marketing materials, or simple graphics without learning Photoshop or Illustrator.

Funding History

Note the valuation trajectory: Canva peaked at $40 billion in late 2021 during the tech boom, then saw a 35% markdown to $26 billion by 2024. This reflects broader private market corrections, not necessarily company-specific problems.

Can You Buy Canva Stock?

The direct answer: Almost certainly not.

Canva is one of the least accessible unicorns in the private market. Here’s why:

Why Canva Shares Are So Rare

1. The company hasn’t raised much capital. Unlike companies that raise billions across 10+ funding rounds, Canva has been capital-efficient. Fewer funding rounds mean fewer shareholders, which means fewer potential sellers on secondary markets.

2. Existing shareholders aren’t selling. The founders still control the company. Early investors like T. Rowe Price and Fidelity are long-term holders. There’s no flood of employees cashing out stock options—the typical source of secondary market supply.

3. The company doesn’t need to go public. Canva is profitable (or close to it) with strong subscription revenue. Unlike cash-burning startups that must IPO to raise capital, Canva can stay private indefinitely.

Secondary Market Reality

Even if you’re an accredited investor with $100,000 to deploy, finding Canva shares is difficult:

The reality: You can set up alerts on these platforms, but Canva shares appear infrequently—and when they do, they’re snapped up quickly by institutional buyers.

Do You Qualify as an Accredited Investor?

Even if Canva shares became available, you’d need accredited investor status to participate. The SEC defines accredited investors as individuals meeting at least one of these criteria:

Income Test

• $200,000+ annual income for the past two years (individual), OR
• $300,000+ combined with spouse
• Reasonable expectation of the same income this year

Net Worth Test

• $1 million+ net worth, excluding primary residence

Professional Credentials

• Series 7, 65, or 82 licenses
• Certain professional designations

Reality Check: About 13% of U.S. households qualify as accredited investors. If you don’t qualify—or if you do but can’t find Canva shares anyway—skip to the “Alternatives for Retail Investors” section.

The Australian Complication

Canva is headquartered in Sydney, Australia—not Silicon Valley. This creates additional considerations for U.S. investors:

Regulatory complexity: Investing in a foreign private company may involve additional paperwork and compliance requirements.

Currency exposure: Any investment would have indirect exposure to AUD/USD exchange rates.

Tax implications: Cross-border investments can trigger complex tax situations. Consult a tax professional before pursuing any foreign private company investment.

Potential ASX listing: If Canva does go public, it might list on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) rather than—or in addition to—U.S. exchanges. Atlassian, another Australian tech success story, chose to list on NASDAQ, but the decision isn’t guaranteed.

Alternatives for Retail Investors

You can’t buy Canva stock directly. But you can get exposure to the design software industry through public markets.

1. Adobe Inc. (ADBE)

Adobe is Canva’s most direct competitor—and it’s publicly traded.

The case for Adobe:

• Dominant position in professional creative software
• Recurring revenue from Creative Cloud subscriptions
• Expanding into AI with Adobe Firefly
• Profitable with strong cash flow

The caveat: Adobe serves a different market than Canva. Buying Adobe because you like Canva is like buying Mercedes because you like Toyota—they’re in the same industry but target different customers.

2. Play the Broader Tech Sector

If you believe in design software and creative tools, consider broader technology exposure:

Important: None of these ETFs hold Canva shares directly. You’re getting general tech exposure, not Canva-specific exposure.

3. Wait for the IPO

The most straightforward path to Canva ownership is waiting for the company to go public. When that happens:

• Shares will be available to all investors through regular brokerages
• You’ll have transparent pricing and liquidity
• You’ll avoid secondary market premiums and platform fees

The downside: There’s no guarantee Canva will ever IPO. The founders have built a profitable company that doesn’t need public market capital. They could remain private for another decade—or forever.

When Will Canva Go Public?

Official statements: None. Canva’s leadership has not announced any IPO plans.

Analyst speculation: Limited. Unlike companies that file confidential S-1s or make IPO noises, Canva has been silent on the topic.

Comparable Timelines

The pattern: Profitable, founder-controlled companies often stay private for a very long time—or get acquired rather than going public.

Best estimate: 3-5+ years, if ever. There are no concrete indicators suggesting an imminent IPO.

The Real Risks of Pre-IPO Investing

Even if you could buy Canva shares, should you? Pre-IPO investing carries significant risks:

Liquidity Risk: You Can’t Sell When You Want

Unlike public stocks, there’s no guaranteed buyer for private shares. If you need to exit:

• You must find a buyer on secondary markets
• Transaction times can take weeks or months
• You may have to accept significant discounts
• Some platforms restrict sales until IPO

The reality: Treat any pre-IPO investment as locked capital for 5-10 years.

Valuation Risk: The Price Is Whatever Someone Says

Canva’s $26 billion valuation comes from its latest funding round—a negotiation between the company and a single investor (Franklin Templeton). That doesn’t mean:

• The valuation is “correct”
• An IPO would price at or above this level
• Your secondary market purchase makes sense

Remember: Canva was valued at $40 billion in 2021. Anyone who bought near that peak is currently underwater by 35%.

Competition Risk: Adobe Isn’t Going Away

Canva disrupted the design industry by targeting non-designers. But Adobe is fighting back:

• Adobe Express: Free, simplified design tool competing directly with Canva
• Adobe Firefly: AI-powered image generation
• Creative Cloud pricing: More accessible tiers for casual users

The design software market is getting more competitive, not less.

The “No IPO” Risk

Some companies never go public. They get acquired (like Figma’s attempted Adobe acquisition) or stay private indefinitely (like many founder-controlled businesses). If Canva never IPOs:

• Secondary market investors have no clear exit
• Valuations could decline over time
• You’re dependent on acquisition or buyback scenarios

The Bottom Line

Canva is a remarkable company—220 million users, billions of designs created, and a product that genuinely democratized graphic design. It’s easy to understand why investors want exposure.

But wanting to invest and being able to invest are different things.

For most investors: Canva stock is effectively inaccessible. Even accredited investors with significant capital struggle to find shares on secondary markets. The company has raised little outside capital, shareholders aren’t selling, and there’s no IPO on the horizon.

The realistic approach: If you believe in the design software industry, consider Adobe (ADBE) or broad technology ETFs. If you specifically want Canva, your best option is patience—wait for an IPO that may or may not happen.

The honest truth: Some companies aren’t meant to be invested in by outside shareholders. Canva, with its profitable business model and founder control, may be one of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you buy Canva stock?

No. Canva is a private company, and its shares are not available on public stock exchanges. Even on secondary markets for accredited investors, Canva shares appear rarely due to limited shareholder supply.

Is Canva publicly traded?

No. Canva remains a private company headquartered in Sydney, Australia. The company has not announced any plans to go public through an IPO.

How much is Canva worth?

Canva was valued at $26 billion in September 2024 during a secondary funding round led by Franklin Templeton. This is down from a peak valuation of $40 billion in September 2021.

When will Canva IPO?

There is no announced IPO timeline. Canva’s founders have not indicated plans to take the company public, and the company’s profitability means it doesn’t need to raise capital through public markets.

How can I invest in Canva as a retail investor?

Retail investors cannot directly invest in Canva. The closest alternatives are investing in competitor Adobe (ADBE) or technology-focused ETFs. Waiting for a potential future IPO is the most straightforward path to Canva ownership.

Who owns Canva?

Canva is majority-owned by its three co-founders: Melanie Perkins (CEO), Cameron Adams, and Cliff Obrecht. Institutional investors include T. Rowe Price, Franklin Templeton, Fidelity, and Dragoneer.

Sources

• Canva: “About Canva” — Company website
• TechCrunch: “Canva raises $200M at $26B valuation” (September 2024)
• Crunchbase: Canva Company Profile
• SEC: Accredited Investor Definition, Rule 501
• Hiive: Platform documentation
• EquityZen: Platform documentation
• Forge Global: Platform documentation
• Yahoo Finance: Adobe Inc. (ADBE) quote data