From UWA to $25B: How Melanie Perkins Turned a Student Project into Canva

Venture UWA
Oct 2, 2025
3 min read

They Started as Students. You Could Be Next.

Most people know Canva today as the platform that powers everything from social media graphics to pitch decks, used by over 150 million people worldwide. What few realise is that this $25 billion company began as a student idea right here at UWA.

Back in 2007, Melanie Perkins was just 19 years old when she spotted a problem. Teaching design programs to other students, she noticed how complicated and frustrating the software was. Her classmates often spent entire semesters just learning how to use the tools — not actually creating.

That pain point sparked an idea: What if design could be simple, intuitive, and accessible to everyone?

Fusion Books: The Student Startup That Started It All

Perkins didn’t start with Canva right away. Her first step was smaller — and it came straight out of her time as a student. She launched Fusion Books, an online tool to help schools design and print yearbooks more easily.

The business began in her mum’s living room in Perth. Schools across Australia quickly signed up, loving how the platform simplified the entire process. Fusion Books grew into the largest yearbook publisher in the country, later expanding into France and New Zealand.

But Perkins knew this was just the beginning. If Fusion Books could work for schools, why couldn’t a similar platform make all design easier for everyone?

Canva Is Born

Together with co-founder Cliff Obrecht, Perkins began pitching the idea of Canva to investors. It wasn’t easy — in fact, they faced years of rejection. Many didn’t believe a design platform could compete with giants like Adobe.

But Perkins kept refining the pitch, growing the prototype, and expanding her vision. Eventually, with the backing of investor Bill Tai and support from Silicon Valley networks, Canva secured funding and officially launched in 2013.

The rest is history. Canva grew rapidly, gaining millions of users worldwide and achieving unicorn status within just a few years. Today, it’s valued at over $25 billion and is one of the world’s most widely used design platforms.

Lessons for Students: Why Canva’s Story Matters

So, why does this matter to you as a student at UWA today? Because Canva is proof that:

Big ideas don’t need to start in boardrooms. Canva began in classrooms and cafes, just like the ones you sit in every day.
Problems lead to opportunities. Perkins didn’t set out to build a unicorn. She started by solving a real frustration her peers faced.
Resilience is everything. Canva was rejected by investors countless times. Success came because they kept going.
Resources matter. In 2007, Perkins had to figure out branding, design, and scaling the hard way. Today, you have access to tools and resources that can shortcut your journey.

The Venture UWA Connection

At Venture UWA, we believe stories like Canva’s highlight exactly why student ideas matter. WA has the talent, ambition, and creativity to build world-changing companies — and the next one could come from you.

That’s why we’ve created our free Resource Library, packed with practical guides, tools, and workshops on:

Marketing and branding
Design and content creation
Business strategy and scaling
Pitching and fundraising

Everything Perkins had to learn through trial and error, you can now access instantly.

The Next Canva Could Be Yours

Think about it: Melanie Perkins was sitting in UWA classrooms just like you, with no roadmap, no investor backing, and no guarantee of success. What she had was an idea, determination, and the willingness to start.

Your idea might seem small right now. Maybe it’s a solution to a problem in your daily life, or a side project you tinker with between lectures. But history has shown us again and again that those student projects can turn into billion-dollar companies.

Snapchat started as a class project. DoorDash began in a dorm. Canva was born right here in Perth.

The only difference between them and you? They started.