Canva, the popular online design tool, has launched a new version of its enterprise product, aimed squarely at meeting the needs of larger organizations. This marks a departure from its 2019 iteration, which was more suited for small teams rather than true enterprise-level requirements. The announcement was made on Thursday, and it promises to bring comprehensive features like single sign-on, enhanced security offerings, and tools for managing large user groups.
Cam Adams, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Canva, explained that the initial enterprise product was designed to support teams of five to 100 users. However, the company soon realized that larger organizations were adopting Canva, necessitating a more robust solution. "We now have cohorts with up to 5,000 people using Canva inside an enterprise," Adams said. This realization spurred the development of the new Canva Enterprise, designed to cater to the unique demands of large-scale organizations.
The new version aims to tackle three primary challenges: the cross-departmental nature of design work, the proliferation of AI tools, and the need for efficient workflows. "Design isn't confined to one group anymore. It spans multiple departments and industries," Adams noted. Additionally, as AI tools become more prevalent, there is a growing concern among CIOs about "AI tool creep." The new Canva Enterprise addresses these issues with centralized brand management and dedicated support, ensuring seamless integration across various departments.
The previous version of the enterprise product will now be rebranded as a proper teams product, priced at $100 per seat per year with a three-person minimum. In contrast, the new enterprise version starts at $300 per seat per year, with volume-based discounts available for larger organizations. This pricing structure reflects the enhanced capabilities and support provided by the new enterprise offering.
Founded in 2012, Canva has grown exponentially, raising over $560 million and achieving a staggering $26 billion valuation. The platform now boasts over 180 million monthly users worldwide. This latest move to enhance its enterprise capabilities is part of a broader strategy to attract and retain large organizations by providing a comprehensive, all-in-one design solution.
Canva's ambitions extend beyond digital design into the broader office suite market. The company has introduced several updates to make its platform more appealing to professional teams and workplaces. The redesigned homepage and editing tools aim to streamline the user experience, making it easier for teams to collaborate and manage their brand assets securely.
Melanie Perkins, co-founder and CEO of Canva, highlighted the company's vision in a press release: "We are excited to introduce a revamped Canva experience and a suite of new products to empower every organization to design." She added that the company's goal for the next decade is to unify the fragmented ecosystems of design, AI, and workflow tools into one platform.
The updates include AI-powered style matching for brands, customizable homepages, and features like "star" designs for easier access to specific projects. Canva Docs, the company's equivalent of Google Docs, now offers a "suggestion" mode for edits and new highlight blocks for text emphasis. The refreshed editing panel, new "quick action" toolbar, and Magic Studio AI tools further enhance the platform's usability and functionality.
Cameron Adams, another co-founder of Canva, emphasized that these updates aim to reduce organizational complexity and "app sprawl." By integrating various solutions into one platform, Canva hopes to replace the multitude of design, AI, and workflow tools that companies currently rely on. "The next decade for Canva is about integrating all these solutions into one platform," Adams told The Verge.
