On Wednesday, Canva announced its strategic acquisition of two companies: Simtheory, an AI collaboration and agent management platform, and Ortto, a customer data and marketing automation firm. While the financial details of these transactions remain undisclosed, Canva emphasizes that these acquisitions are integral to enhancing its AI and marketing infrastructure.
Founded by Chris and Mike Sharkey, who previously established the vacation rental service Stayz, both Simtheory and Ortto will see their founders take on leadership roles within Canva's AI and marketing technology divisions. This infusion of talent is expected to bolster Canva's innovative capabilities.
Canva asserts that these new assets will enrich its offerings in agentic AI, data infrastructure, and customer engagement, enabling the platform to evolve from a design tool into a comprehensive system that supports teams throughout their entire workflow--from ideation to campaign scaling and performance measurement.
Simtheory's platform is designed to empower teams by creating AI-driven assistants that comprehend their business needs, seamlessly integrating across various tools to manage real tasks. This flexibility allows for the application of advanced models to diverse scenarios, facilitating the establishment of customized workflows.
Meanwhile, Ortto combines a robust customer data platform with marketing automation capabilities, allowing teams to orchestrate customer journeys across various channels, including email, SMS, and in-app messaging. Its event-driven architecture and no-code integrations enable real-time data activation, which is crucial for over 11,000 customers across 190 countries.
"Simtheory accelerates our evolution from a design platform with AI tools to an AI platform with design and productivity tools at its core," stated Canva co-founder and COO Cliff Obrecht. He further noted that Ortto enhances Canva's ability to manage the entire marketing and content lifecycle through its Canva Grow tool, which covers everything from planning and creation to publishing and optimization.
These acquisitions are part of Canva's broader strategy, which has recently included the purchase of digital outdoor advertising startup Doohly, as well as other companies focused on animation and ad performance. As of 2025, Canva reported an impressive annual revenue of $4 billion, serving over 265 million users, which includes 31 million paid subscribers.
With these advancements, Canva is well-positioned to redefine the future of design and marketing, paving the way for an integrated approach that enhances productivity and creativity across industries.
