The married couple behind Canva are worth $16.5 billion after the visual communication platform hit a $55 billion valuation on Wednesday, but Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht plan to give almost all of it away.

Canva, which employs 1200 people in Sydney’s Surry Hills and 800 more around the world, hit a $US40 billion ($55 billion) valuation, on par with iron ore giant Fortescue, after it raised $US200 million from selling new shares to investors.