How to Buy Canva Stock Before Its IPO

Last Updated: Sep 18, 2024

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Canva is an online design platform that provides user-friendly design tools for non-technical designers.

I've been using it for the last four years and I'll be the first to say that it's crazy good. And I'm not the only one who thinks this.

Canva has over 170 million users. The company is currently generating around $2 billion in annual revenue, up from $1.7 billion last year.

The platform is also becoming increasingly popular among enterprises. More than 135,000 businesses, including 90% of the Fortune 500, use Canva's tools.

Despite this overwhelming success and its current growth, Canva isn't planning to IPO until 2025 or 2026.

Still, there's more than one way to invest in it right now, while it's still a private company.

Can you buy Canva stock?

Canva is a private company, which means there is no Canva stock symbol and you can't buy it in your brokerage account.

In October 2023, the company indicated it will not go public until 2025 or 2026, once the IPO market warms up again.

In April 2024, Canva completed a $1.5 billion secondary transaction which gave early employees and investors an opportunity to cash out their shares, giving further evidence to a public offering being at least a year or two away.

However, there are two ways to invest in Canva while waiting for its public debut.

Two ways to buy Canva stock in 2024

The best way for you to invest in Canva depends on whether you qualify as an accredited investor or a retail investor.

Are you an accredited or retail investor?

You qualify as an accredited investor if you meet one of the following criteria:

You have an annual income of $200,000 individually or $300,000 jointly

Your net worth exceeds $1,000,000 (excluding your primary residence)

If you're an accredited investor, the first section is for you. If you don't qualify as an accredited investor, skip to the second section, which is for retail investors.

1. For accredited investors

Hiive is a marketplace where accredited investors can buy shares of high-growth, VC-backed startups and private companies, including Stripe, OpenAI, and Canva:

At the time of this writing, there are 9 listings of Canva stock available on Hiive.

On Hiive, sellers (which include employees, venture capitalists, and angel investors) can list their shares and set their own asking prices. Buyers can either accept the asking prices or place bids and negotiate directly with the sellers.

After a successful transaction, the seller pays the fees (there are no fees for buying) and the shares are transferred to the buyer.

2. For retail investors

While only accredited investors can invest directly in Canva, there is also a good way for retail investors to get exposure.

Fundrise's Innovation Fund is a venture capital fund which is open to all investors. The fund buys stakes in private, high-growth technology companies. It has positions in Anthropic, Anduril, Databricks, Roblox, and, as of September 2023, Canva.

The Innovation Fund invested $6.2 million in Canva, most likely at a valuation of $40 billion.

The fund has a minimum investment of $10, has an annual management fee of 1.85%, and is open to all U.S. residents.

How to buy the Canva IPO

Canva has not made any IPO filings with the SEC and there are no estimates of the Canva IPO date. That said, the company recently mentioned 2025 or 2026 as possibilities.

When it does go public, the stock symbol might be something like CNVA or CANV, and you'll need a brokerage account to buy shares.

If you don't have a brokerage account, we recommend Public.

On Public, you can Invest in stocks, ETFs, Treasuries, and cryptocurrencies, all on one of the most well-designed investing platforms.

Who owns the company?

CEO Melanie Perkins and COO Cliff Obrecht, the married co-founders of Canva, are estimated to own about 18% each. Cameron Adams, a third founder, owns about 9%.

The other ~55% is owned by early employees and private equity investors including Bob Iger, Franklin Templeton, Sequoia Capital, T. Rowe Price, Blackbird Ventures, and others.

Of the 43 investors, 40 are institutional investors and three are angel investors.

Canva valuation chart

Canva's most recent funding round came in September 2021 in which it raised $200 million at a $40 billion valuation. This round brought its total funding to $560 million.

Here's a look at how its valuation has changed since the company was founded in 2012:

However, as mentioned above, the company had a $1.5 billion secondary transaction in April 2024. This share sale valued the company at just $26 billion, 35% lower than its peak valuation.

Any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of Hiive Markets Limited (“Hiive”) or any of its affiliates. Stock Analysis is not a broker dealer or investment adviser. This communication is for informational purposes only, and is not a recommendation, solicitation, or research report relating to any investment strategy, security, or digital asset. All investment involves risk, including the loss of principal and past performance does not guarantee future results. There is no guarantee that any statements or opinions provided herein will prove to be correct. Stock Analysis may be compensated for user activity resulting from readers clicking on Hiive affiliate links. Hiive is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA / SIPC. Find Hiive on BrokerCheck.