Cliff Obrecht
Overview
- Source of Wealth
- Software
- Industry
- Technology
- Residence
- Sydney
- Education
- University of Western Australia (Bachelor of Arts/Science)
- Marital Status
- Married
Biography
Cliff Obrecht is cofounder and chief operating officer of design software maker Canva, which was valued by private investors at $42 billion in August 2025.
Canva was launched in 2013 by Obrecht, now-wife Melanie Perkins and Cameron Adams in Sydney, Australia, but was met by investor skepticism due to its location.
Like Perkins, Obrecht owns an estimated 18% stake. The couple has pledged to transfer more than 80% of their stake to the Canva Foundation for charitable causes.
Defying the doubts, Canva has attracted 240 million monthly users to its freemium software, with 6 million teams from companies like Zoom paying for it.
Canva's software enables the creation of attractive visuals for menus, resumes and Instagram graphics.
About
Obrecht proposed to cofounder Perkins in Turkey's Cappadocia region with a $30 engagement ring.