NewsBite

Cliff Obrecht

December 2024

Justine Rowe says Telstra employees take pride in working for a company that prioritises social investment.

Canva, Cotton On and Atlassian among the top 20 corporate givers

The amount of funds donated by the top 50 corporate philanthropists has jumped to $1.7 billion.

  • Sally Patten
Canva’s Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht have made important changes that should set it up for a big public listing.

Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht take Canva to the next level

The founders were busier than ever before their bumper US listing, nailing some early challenges to propel them onto the Business People of the Year list.

  • Paul Smith

Humble starts, billion-dollar deals unite Business Person of the Year winners

Founders of Chemist Warehouse Jack Gance, Sam Gance and Mario Verrocchi, and AirTrunk’s Robin Khuda take the top prize for 2024.

  • James Thomson

November 2024

SafetyCulture founder Luke Anear with new chief executive Kelly Vohs. 

Software unicorn SafetyCulture to be run from New York with new CEO

SafetyCulture’s founder Luke Anear says he never really wanted to be chief executive, and that the company may be more likely to go public under Kelly Vohs.

  • Amelia McGuire

October 2024

From left: Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht; Natasha Oakley (front); Georgia Contos; James and Robbie Ferguson.

Australia’s richest people 40 and under break record

The Young Rich List, now in its 21st year, set a new high for total wealth of $41.7 billion in 2024, dominated by technology entrepreneurs and retailers.

  • Yolanda Redrup
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How to have a job you love, save the world and earn up to $800k

This week BOSS speaks to four executives who are helping to save the planet. All have a high level of job satisfaction, and all earn decent money. It appears it is possible to have it all. 

  • Sally Patten

July 2024

Leonardo.AI co-founder and CEO JJ Fiasson is pictured with Canva co-founders Cliff Obrecht and Melanie Perkins after the deal was sealed.

It was called the ‘next Canva’, so Canva bought it

Canva has acquired AI design start-up Leonardo.AI in a surprise deal worth over $120 million. The ACCC is taking notice.

  • Staff reporter

June 2024

Canva co-founder Cliff Obrecht at the Morgan Stanley conference.

Canva co-founder calls for ‘wartime’ approach to staff performance

Cliff Obrecht says companies that let poor performance slide are forced to do big lay-offs, something the graphic design group headed for an IPO has avoided.

  • Updated
  • Nick Bonyhady
Canva’s co-founders Cliff Obrecht, Melanie Perkins and Cameron Adams.

What Canva, Rokt and Aussie VCs have learned about US IPOs

After Life360’s oversubscribed Nasdaq debut fund managers predict 2025 will see a rush of private tech companies testing the public markets. Canva and Rokt are watching closely.

  • Tess Bennett

May 2024

Canva co-founders Cliff Obrecht, Melanie Perkins and Cameron Adams.

‘If you don’t like it, get a job at a bank’: Canva boss

The design software giant’s all-singing, all-dancing debut event in Los Angeles came with a host of new features – and rumblings of a cost to its tired staff.

  • Nick Bonyhady
Canva’s revenue means it is valued at 11 times its revenue. Pictured, chief operating officer and co-founder Cliff Obrecht.

Canva, in the US, lifts the lid on its plan to win over Wall Street

It has hit $US2.3 billion revenue, but growth among individual users is slowing, so Canva is relying on big customers to keep its financials in IPO-shape.

  • Nick Bonyhady

April 2024

Cliff Obrecht: “All investors had the opportunity to sell and got the sell side fully met.”

Canva millionaires made as $US1.6b share sale completes

The design software giant has finalised the first tranche of a share sale it has signalled will reach $3.6 billion, with rich rewards for early staff and investors.

  • Nick Bonyhady and Tess Bennett

‘AI honeymoon is over’, Canva co-founder declares

Just two years after the last technology bubble burst, investors shouldn’t mistake AI tools that look like magic for a business model that is.

  • Nick Bonyhady

February 2024

Keating’s list of business greats spans miners and property moguls

Keith Campbell, Rod Carnegie and Marius Kloppers were all praised by the prime minister who oversaw a period of great change in the Australian economy.

  • Michael Stutchbury

October 2023

Australia’s 100 richest people under 40 revealed

The Young Rich List, now in its 20th year, shows shop owners are thriving in another patchy year for tech founders, and there’s a new young billionaire in town.

  • Updated
  • Michael Bailey
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August 2023

The secondary sale of Canva stock by Blackbird Ventures has given some initial returns to super funds like Hostplus. Its co-founders are Cliff Obrecht, Melanie Perkins and Cameron Adams.

Super funds cash in as Blackbird sells down Canva stake

The company has been under scrutiny after local venture capital firms followed US investors in marking down their valuations by almost $US15 billion.

  • Paul Smith

March 2023

Canva’s founding team of Cliff Obrecht (left), Melanie Perkins, and Cameron Adams at their conference in Sydney last week.

No IPO and a valuation plunge, but Canva’s private shares are in demand

Canva co-founder Cliff Obrecht says demand for private stock in the design software company is through the roof, despite investors marking its value down last year.

  • Jessica Sier

February 2023

Canva’s co-founder Cliff Obrecht finds the noise about the company’s valuation annoying. Sometimes.

‘We want to be accountable’: Canva on its struggle to give money away

The path to setting up one of the country’s largest philanthropic funds is complex, says Canva co-founder Cliff Obrecht.

  • Updated
  • Jemima Whyte
While Bill Gates has succeeded in many things, he finds it impossible to keep up with all the podcasts and TV shows he should be consuming.

What Bill Gates regrets and the best piece of advice he’s received

White Lotus and Drive to Survive are among the billionaire’s favourite streaming shows.

  • Paul Smith

January 2023

Bill Gates.

Australia’s ban on nuclear is ‘political’: Gates

The billionaire and climate advocate says the country might have to sit out the next 15 years of nuclear energy development because of political wrangling.

  • Paul Smith

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/person/cliff-obrecht-6fhk