Canva announced the dual acquisition of Simtheory and Ortto on Wednesday. The financial terms of the acquisitions were not disclosed, but the company stated that they are part of Canva’s ongoing investment in AI and marketing infrastructure.
These acquisitions are intended to bolster Canva’s capabilities in agentic AI, data infrastructure, and marketing automation, enhancing its transition from a design tool to a fully integrated system for team workflows. By acquiring Simtheory and Ortto, Canva aims to improve its offerings across various stages of campaign management, from initial concepts to execution and analysis.
Simtheory, founded by Chris and Mike Sharkey, aids teams in creating AI assistants that perform practical tasks and optimize workflows. Ortto merges a customer data platform with marketing automation, empowering over 11,000 clients across 190 countries to manage customer interactions via email, SMS, and other channels.
Chris and Mike Sharkey will assume leadership roles in Canva’s AI and marketing technology teams following the acquisitions. Canva co-founder and COO Cliff Obrecht remarked, “Simtheory accelerates our evolution from a design platform with AI tools to an AI platform with design and productivity tools at its core.”
Ortto’s technology is designed to support real-time data integration and customer journey management. Its capabilities include event-driven architecture and no-code integrations that facilitate seamless customer engagement.
This acquisition follows a series of strategic purchases by Canva, which included digital outdoor advertising startup Doohly two weeks ago and animation startup Cavalry six weeks prior, among others. Earlier in 2025, Canva acquired marketing intelligence startup MagicBrief.
As of the end of 2025, Canva reported $4 billion in annualized revenue and boasted over 265 million users, with 31 million of those being paid subscribers. The company experienced a 20% increase in monthly active users, indicating robust growth amid its expansion efforts.
