Co-founder of Australian tech darling Canva Cameron Adams and his wife Lisa Miller have pledged to donate at least half of their estimated $7 billion wealth to environmental causes.
The pair have signed the Giving Pledge, a public commitment started by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet that sees billionaires promise give a majority of their wealth away either in their lifetimes or in their wills.
“Lisa and I believe that with good fortune comes great responsibility,” Adams said in a statement.
“We recognise that the opportunities we have had in life place us in a position to give generously and act with purpose.
“From day one at Canva we set out with a vision not just to build a successful company, but to do the most good we possibly can, and the growth of Canva has unlocked the ability to scale our impact in ways we never imagined.”
The husband-and-wife duo will continue to focus their philanthropic efforts on protecting the environment from anthropogenic forces.
Adams described philanthropy as “a means of addressing systemic issues, driving meaningful change, and ensuring that future generations inherit a world rich in possibility and biodiversity”.
“Biodiversity – the foundation of life – is at risk as species and ecosystems are disappearing at an alarming rate. We must not only halt nature’s decline but also begin its restoration. Governments and businesses will play vital roles, but philanthropy has a unique ability to drive bold action, fund innovation, and catalyse change at scale.”
Miller is CEO and founder of Wedgetail Ventures, a green fund that looks for sustainability and environmentally focused companies which has backed the likes of Tasmanian of carbon accounting company Sumday.
Before joining forces with Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht to launch Canva, Adams worked at Google, where he contributed to the development of Google Wave, and later co-founded the startup Fluent.io.
Adams has been instrumental in driving Canva’s product innovation, including the integration of AI-powered tools like Magic Design, Magic Write, and Magic Animate.
The Australian graphic design giant is eyeing off a highly-anticipated IPO, bringing on US-based IPO expert Kelly Steckelberg as CFO late last year.
Canva has been a local leader of AI, to the point that it recently laid off most of its technical writing team thanks to the technology’s ease of use.
Daily startup news and insights, delivered to your inbox.