More than a thousand jobs will be affected in a major restructure at Australian design giant Canva, with co-founder and chief executive Melanie Perkins telling staff on Wednesday the company needed to "refound Canva" and return to small, empowered teams.
The shake-up will affect 1271 jobs, or 22 per cent of the company's workforce. Canva will merge its product, growth and platform teams into a single product organisation and cut management layers.
Canva's growth slowed this year for the first time in a decade. Investor fears that AI will undercut software businesses have hammered design companies. Shares in rival Figma more than halved in 2026 to the end of April, despite strong revenue growth. Blackbird, Canva's biggest venture backer, cut its valuation of the company by 17 per cent to $US34.9 billion in August, with Airtree making the same cut from the $US42 billion set in a 2025 employee share sale. Canva's own internal valuation fell to $US31 billion, this masthead revealed in August.
"This is without doubt the hardest moment in our thirteen-year history," Perkins wrote. "After exploring a wide range of alternatives, I've come to the difficult conclusion that small changes won't be enough. To set ourselves up for the next decade, we need to refound Canva, getting back to our roots of small, empowered teams with the freedom to make decisions, take ownership, and focus on what matters most for our community."
Sydney will become the primary home for more product teams, and hybrid staff will be expected in the office two to three days a week from January.
Departing staff will receive at least six months' salary, 12 months of healthcare where Canva provides it, and can keep their work MacBooks. They can also apply for $US10,000 ($14,500) grants to start their own ventures.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Canva is one of Australia's most prominent tech companies, and the job cuts signal a significant shift in the local technology sector.
- The company's slowing growth and falling valuation reflect broader market concerns about AI's impact on software businesses.
- The restructure's focus on centralised hubs and return-to-office requirements may affect working patterns across the industry.
Background
Founded in 2013, Canva is a graphic design platform that grew rapidly to become one of Australia's most valuable private technology companies. The company's co-founders are Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams. The job cuts announced Wednesday are the largest in its history.
Key Perspectives
Melanie Perkins, Canva co-founder and CEO: Said the company needed to "refound Canva" and return to "small, empowered teams," calling the restructure "without doubt the hardest moment in our thirteen-year history."
What to Watch
- Whether Canva's revenue growth stabilises after the restructuring.
- How the market values Canva in future funding rounds.
- The impact on Sydney's technology employment market as Canva centralises more product teams there.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe headline says the restructure will affect 1,271 jobs; the story says this is 22 per cent of Canva’s workforce.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The shake-up will affect 1271 jobs, or 22 per cent of the company’s workforce.”
- SupportedThe headline’s phrase “hardest moment” reflects Perkins’s description of the moment as the hardest in Canva’s history.Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““This is without doubt the hardest moment in our thirteen-year history,” she wrote.”
- SupportedThe summary says Perkins says Canva needs to “refound” itself as growth slows and valuation falls.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Co-founder and chief executive Melanie Perkins told staff on Wednesday the Sydney design company needed to “refound Canva” and return to small, empowered teams after its growth slowed this year for the first time in a decade.”
- SupportedPerkins told staff on Wednesday that Canva needed to refound itself and return to small, empowered teams.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Co-founder and chief executive Melanie Perkins told staff on Wednesday the Sydney design company needed to “refound Canva” and return to small, empowered teams”
- SupportedPerkins wrote, “After exploring a wide range of alternatives, I’ve come to the difficult conclusion that small changes won’t be enough.”Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““After exploring a wide range of alternatives, I’ve come to the difficult conclusion that small changes won’t be enough.”
- SupportedCanva will merge its product, growth and platform teams into one product organisation and cut management layers.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Canva will merge its product, growth and platform teams into a single product organisation and cut management layers.”
- SupportedCanva’s growth slowed this year for the first time in a decade.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “after its growth slowed this year for the first time in a decade.”
- SupportedInvestor fears that AI will undercut software businesses have hammered design companies.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The shake-up comes as investor fears that AI will undercut software businesses have hammered design companies.”
- SupportedFigma shares more than halved in 2026 through the end of April despite strong revenue growth.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Shares in rival Figma more than halved in 2026 to the end of April, despite strong revenue growth.”
- SupportedBlackbird cut Canva’s valuation by 17 per cent to US$34.9 billion in August, and Airtree made the same cut from the US$42 billion valuation set in a 2025 employee share sale.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Blackbird, Canva’s biggest venture backer, cut its valuation of the company by 17 per cent to $US34.9 billion in August, with Airtree making the same cut from the $US42 billion set in a 2025 employee share sale.”
- SupportedCanva’s internal valuation fell to US$31 billion, a figure this masthead revealed in August.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Canva’s own internal valuation fell to $US31 billion, this masthead revealed in August.”
- SupportedSydney will become the primary home for more product teams, and hybrid staff will be expected in the office two to three days a week from January.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Sydney will become the primary home for more product teams, and hybrid staff will be expected in the office two to three days a week from January.”