Canva’s $42B Staff Stock Sale Fuels Frenzy as Investors Position for 2025 IPO Blockbuster

Design platform Canva just minted fresh paper billionaires through a massive employee stock sale—valuing the company at a staggering $42 billion as institutional money floods in ahead of its anticipated 2025 public debut.

Private Market Gold Rush

Secondary transactions exploded as early employees and investors cashed out portions of their equity—because why wait for IPO lockups when private markets offer premium valuations today? The deal signals overwhelming confidence in Canva's growth trajectory despite macroeconomic headwinds crushing other tech unicorns.

IPO Precursor Moves

This liquidity event strategically positions Canva's cap table before going public—clearing out early investor overhang while attracting sophisticated pre-IPO capital. The valuation puts Canva squarely in decacorn territory, dwarfing recent tech listings and setting expectations for one of Australia's largest-ever public offerings.

Because nothing says 'healthy market' like private investors paying premium multiples for pre-IPO shares while public markets trade at discounts—the definition of financial sophistication, or just greater fool theory in designer clothing.

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The step comes at a moment when Canva is spending heavily on AI tools. The platform now counts more than 240 million monthly active users who rely on its software for tasks that range from social media posts to formal slide decks. Recently, Canva added features that let users type a plain English request and turn it into layouts or interactive designs. In this way, the company is trying to stay ahead of rivals and extend its reach into the workplace.

IPO Momentum Builds as Figma Sets the Stage

From a financial view, Canva reported annualized revenue of $3.3 billion. That figure places it among the largest private software firms still outside public markets. Moreover, the hiring of Zoom’s former chief financial officer, Kelly Steckelberg, has been read by many as a step toward a future public listing. Just recently, design rival Figma (FIG) completed a successful IPO, which has added further focus on Canva as the next major player to watch. While the firm has not set a date, multiple reports point to 2025 as the likely window for an initial public offering.

In addition, the latest sale highlights how investors see value in companies that combine large user bases with fresh AI features. Portfolio managers at JPMorgan have already described Canva as a way to gain exposure to the growth of design software enhanced by AI. Therefore, the IPO buzz is not just driven by size, but also by the shift in how users now create visual content.

For now, Canva has avoided giving details on how many shares are included in the sale. Yet the oversubscription and strong financial base suggest the company could be one of the most watched private-to-public moves of next year. Investors are keeping an eye on whether Canva chooses the Nasdaq and how much demand will shape its eventual market price.

What Is the ADBE Stock Price Target?

Due to Canva still being a private company and Figma’s lack of analyst ratings, we went for a third option of a software and design giant: Adobe. The company boasts a Moderate Buy consensus, with an average ADBE stock price target of $482.08, implying a 33.53% upside from the current price.