Chris and Mike Sharkey previously co-founded the Australian holiday rental site, Stayz. The financial terms remain undisclosed. Canva will unveil what it claims to be its biggest transformation ever at Canva Create on April 16.
Canva has acquired two companies: Simtheory, an agentic AI collaboration platform, and Ortto, a customer data platform and marketing automation company.
Both ventures were initiated by Australian brothers Chris and Mike Sharkey, who are assuming leadership roles at Canva within the AI and marketing technology sectors. The financial details were not disclosed.
As serial entrepreneurs, the Sharkeys co-founded Stayz, Australia’s leading holiday accommodation booking site, which was sold to Fairfax Digital in 2006 and then to HomeAway for $225 million in 2013.
Ortto originated from Autopilot, a marketing automation company established by the brothers in 2015, later restructured and rebranded as Ortto in March 2022.
Simtheory emerged from an AI podcast launched by the Sharkeys in 2023 to investigate new AI models, with its development converting into a multi-model AI workspace for teams.
The acquisitions target different facets of Canva’s platform strategy. Simtheory introduces agentic AI infrastructure, enabling teams to craft AI assistants that comprehend business contexts, coordinate tasks, and ensure reliable, auditable task completion.
Cliff Obrecht, Canva’s co-founder and COO, stated to TNW: “In a world where generating ideas is easier than ever, the challenge has shifted to turning those ideas into real, usable work.
We’re thrilled to incorporate Simtheory into Canva as we transition from a design platform with AI tools to an AI platform with design and productivity tools. Their agentic technology will enhance the experience for our 265 million monthly users.”
Ortto enhances Canva’s marketing lifecycle plans. Its platform merges customer data with multi-channel marketing automation, allowing coordinated actions across various communication methods from one system.
Using an event-driven structure and no-code integrations, it connects and activates customer data in real time.
The company has over 11,000 customers in 190 countries. This acquisition complements Canva Grow, Canva’s marketing product, and follows previous acquisitions: MagicBrief, MangoAI for AI-enhanced video ad optimization, and Doohly for digital out-of-home advertising.
Canva, founded in 2013 and based in Sydney, has more than 265 million active users monthly and concluded 2025 with over $4 billion in annual revenue.
Mike Sharkey, CEO of Ortto and Simtheory, expressed his excitement: “The chance to introduce our technology to Canva’s vast user base and enhance their AI integration is incredibly appealing.”