Business & Finance

Canva Cuts Jobs in Vienna Amid Global Restructuring

By Jakob Steinschaden, co-produced by AI

Canva is cutting 1,271 jobs worldwide, about 22 percent of its workforce, as part of a company‑wide restructuring. The company did not disclose how many of those cuts will affect its Vienna office, but applying a 20 percent reduction to the roughly 80 employees the unit had last year would mean 16 to 18 positions are likely to be eliminated. Some affected staff may be offered new roles or relocation to central hubs. Employees leaving the company will receive at least six months’ salary plus statutory entitlements.

Canva has stated that the Vienna campus will remain a hub for the company, with continued investment in teams that serve local customers and markets. The unit traces its origins to Kaleido, a Viennese AI start‑up founded in 2018 by Benjamin Grössing and David Fankhauser. Kaleido was known for the background‑removal tool remove.bg. Canva acquired a 40 percent stake in 2021 and later took full ownership, marking one of Austria’s largest start‑up exits.

The restructuring is not driven by financial pressure. Canva remains in a strong financial position and is on track to increase revenue by 20 percent this year. The company’s 2025 fiscal year report shows a 54 percent EBITDA margin and a net income after taxes of €14.9 million, up 54 percent from €9.7 million in 2024. Personnel expenses fell 38.5 percent to €11.6 million, largely due to lower share‑based compensation costs after early‑2025 departures.

The Vienna unit’s focus is shifting toward AI and machine learning. More than half of its employees are software engineers specializing in AI, many of whom work directly for Canva Pty Ltd. The unit has positioned itself as the group’s AI hub, with new proprietary models Craft and Brush developed by Canva Research. In image generation, Canva Research ranks second worldwide, ahead of major AI labs.

Competition in image editing has intensified, with rivals such as Adobe Express, Apple’s Photos app, and free tools now offering background removal, and image generators like ChatGPT creating graphics from prompts. The report warns that the rapid growth of the AI market has increased competition and the need for continuous innovation.