Melanie Perkins
University of Western Australia · Canva
Rejected by 100 Investors, Then Built a $40 Billion Design Tool
30 March 2026
Melanie Perkins conceived the idea for Canva while tutoring graphic design at the University of Western Australia. She was struck by how unnecessarily complex tools like Photoshop were for basic tasks.
100 Rejections
Her first venture, Fusion Books, proved the concept. But when she pitched the broader Canva vision, over 100 Silicon Valley investors turned her down. Eventually, VC Bill Tai saw the potential.
Viral Growth
Canva launched in 2013 and grew virally with minimal marketing. It solved a universal problem — most people need designs but can't learn professional tools.
$40 Billion Valuation
Canva raised over $570 million, reaching a $40 billion valuation. Perkins built a globally dominant tech company from Perth, far from Silicon Valley, with over 170 million monthly active users.
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