Canva debuts a new suite of agentic tools, as the design app quietly becomes one of the world’s most used AI services
Canva, the Australian startup with 265 million users, is launching Canva AI 2.0—a new suite of AI-powered tools that merge visual creation and workflow automation. Users can generate and modify designs using conversational prompts, connecting with services like Gmail, Slack, and Zoom to produce new content. The platform also includes persistent memory, allowing it to learn user workflows and automatically update designs as brand imagery changes.
Cliff Obrecht, Canva’s cofounder and COO, explains that the company rearchitected its platform to support these AI tools. Founded in 2012, Canva integrated generative AI in early 2023, shortly after ChatGPT’s release. Obrecht describes previous AI services as ‘a design platform with AI services built on top.’ With Canva AI 2.0, the company aims to expand beyond design into coworking capabilities, such as crawling the web for tech news and scheduling social media posts autonomously.
Canva has become one of the world’s most-used consumer AI apps, ranking third in monthly active users for generative AI web products, behind Google Gemini and ahead of China’s DeepSeek chatbot. Its 265 million users necessitate cost-efficient AI models and infrastructure. Canva has acquired AI startups like Leonardo AI (image-generating platform) and Simtheory (agent-building platform), developing its own AI models instead of relying solely on third-party models. The company claims its AI services are seven times faster and 30 times cheaper than comparable frontier models.
Pricing tiers range from free (basic AI access) to $100/month (all-you-can-eat model access). Canva faces competition from AI developers like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, which threaten traditional design software. Adobe’s shares have dropped over 30% in the past year, and Figma’s shares have fallen nearly 85% since its IPO. Despite investor concerns, Canva remains privately held, with revenue reaching $4 billion in 2025. Obrecht suggests an IPO may be imminent. Canva’s valuation remains at $42 billion, though it acknowledges risks from rapid technological changes. ‘If we’re not disrupting ourselves, we’ll be disrupted,’ he warns.
Canva’s growth has been driven by its user base, which demands scalable, efficient AI solutions. The company’s strategy includes leveraging device processing power and exploring new AI models to stay competitive in the evolving tech landscape.
Source: Fortune