In a clear push toward becoming a comprehensive workplace platform, Canva has announced two new acquisitions just days before its annual Create keynote. The company confirmed it is bringing on board Simtheory and Ortto—both Australian tech firms—to strengthen its capabilities in enterprise workflows and artificial intelligence.
The move signals Canva’s growing ambition to evolve beyond a design-focused tool into a full-scale “work suite” powered by AI. Cliff Obrecht, co-founder and COO of Canva, emphasized this shift, noting that the acquisitions mark a step toward making Canva “the system where work happens end-to-end,” whether users are brainstorming ideas or executing full-scale campaigns.
Although financial details of the deals have not been disclosed, the integration of Simtheory and Ortto’s technologies is expected to roll out to Canva’s massive base of 265 million monthly active users in the coming weeks. These additions are also likely to be highlighted during the upcoming Create keynote, where Canva traditionally unveils major product updates.
The acquisitions build on a series of earlier moves this year, including the addition of MangoAI and Cavalry. Together, these deals reinforce Canva’s expanding AI stack as it competes more directly with industry giants like Adobe and its Creative Cloud suite, as well as emerging creative ecosystems such as Apple’s creator-focused tools.
Simtheory’s integration is particularly significant for Canva’s future roadmap. Its technology enables the creation of “agentic” AI systems—tools capable of executing complex, multi-step workflows using company data and knowledge bases. This means teams could soon deploy AI agents within Canva to automate processes, coordinate tasks, and even switch between different AI models without being locked into one system.
Meanwhile, Ortto brings strengths in data and marketing automation, which will enhance Canva’s ability to manage the entire content lifecycle. From planning and creation to publishing and performance analysis, these capabilities are expected to power Canva’s “Grow” suite, offering businesses a more unified marketing workflow.
Both companies were founded by Chris and Mike Sharkey, who will now join Canva in leadership roles, further strengthening its AI and marketing technology divisions.
These acquisitions reflect Canva’s broader vision of building an integrated ecosystem that connects every stage of work—from initial brief to final output and analysis—supported by AI at every step. As Obrecht noted, the company is only beginning to tap into this potential, hinting that more innovations are on the horizon.
With its continued investments and strategic acquisitions, Canva is positioning itself not just as a design tool but as a central hub for productivity, creativity, and intelligent automation in the modern workplace.
