When I first started working on what would eventually become Canvasboard, it wasn’t even called Canvasboard. Back then, it was simply known as Bweb ( Board on web ), a project I built for IIIT Bangalore. The idea for Bweb arose from the common frustration shared by every student in maintaining and accessing professor notes after class.
Bweb was a simple yet powerful web application that automatically synced professor notes into its database after each class, allowing students to easily access the material whenever they needed it.
This solution made our lives as students much easier, especially during exam season when the pressure was on, and every piece of information counted. Bweb was a tool born out of necessity, created to address a very specific pain point.
What started as a small project within the confines of a college campus quickly became something more. My peers at IIIT Bangalore saw the value in Bweb, and its popularity began to grow. But at this stage, Bweb was still very much a niche tool, designed with a specific audience in mind. I hadn’t yet realized the potential that lay within this project.
Product
Transforming Virtual Education
The world changed dramatically in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus spread, everything shifted online - including education. schools, colleges, and universities around the globe had to adapt to a new reality almost overnight. This sudden shift exposed a glaring problem: the tools available for online education were fragmented, disjointed, and often inadequate for the new demands being placed on them. Teachers and students were struggling to juggle multiple platforms just to keep classes going. The need for a unified, easy-to-use platform became painfully apparent.
The real turning point came when my friend Risikesh asked an intriguing question: “Why don’t you make this project open source and help more people during this pandemic?” This suggestion was a game-changer. Up until that point, Bweb had been a solution to a specific problem within a specific context. But the pandemic created a much larger problem - a problem that Bweb, or rather an evolved version of it, could help solve on a much larger scale.
That’s when I started thinking about the project in a new light. I rebranded Bweb as Canvasboard and began expanding its scope. Canvasboard wasn’t just about note-taking anymore; it was evolving into a comprehensive, all-in-one interactive board.
What Makes Canvasboard Different?
The idea was simple: replace the need for multiple tools by creating a space where people could teach, present, and share ideas easily and effectively. It was a bold step, but the potential was undeniable.
Canvasboard stood out because of its plugin-based approach. It wasn’t just another platform; it was designed to solve the biggest pain points teachers faced during the pandemic. Instead of switching between different apps, teachers could rely on Canvasboard’s powerful plugins to handle everything in one place. 🚀
The beauty of Canvasboard being open-source is that anyone could build and publish their own plugins, extending its capabilities to fit unique teaching needs. This flexibility transformed Canvasboard into a platform that constantly evolved, powered by the creativity of its community. The first step in this new direction was to share Canvasboard with my 9th-grade tuition teacher. She loved it and saw its potential. Encouraged by her feedback, I introduced Canvasboard to my school, and from there, it began to spread organically.
When we launched the first plugin - whiteboard, it quickly became a favorite. Teachers loved how easy it was to diagram processes, sketch ideas, and explain concepts visually, making lessons more interactive and engaging.
One of the first breakthroughs came when we added the ability to convert notes directly into slides. ( Aha Moment 🤩 ) This feature became an instant hit among teachers. Many shared how they could take their lesson notes and instantly transform them into engaging presentations without spending hours designing slides in another app. This single feature saved them time and effort, allowing them to focus on teaching, not preparing materials.
The code editor flexibility was first requested by Professor B. Thangaraju from IIIT Bangalore. As universities moved to online learning, he needed a more seamless way to teach programming without switching between multiple platforms. This led to the development of the code editor plugin within Canvasboard. This plugin quickly gained traction, especially in universities where programming classes were being conducted online. With the code editor embedded directly into Canvasboard, professors could explain concepts, write and execute code. It became a staple in programming classes, making it easier to demonstrate and troubleshoot code during lectures.
These features — converting notes into slides, the code editor, whiteboard for live teaching, adding multimedia content, and the dedicated math editor — quickly became the most used tools by teachers across schools and universities. Each feature was born out of necessity and evolved through continuous feedback from educators themselves, ensuring that Canvasboard was meeting real, practical needs in the classroom.
The Growth
Most tools force you to adapt to them but canvasboard adapts to you. 🚀
In the first six months alone, Canvasboard gained more than 50,000 registered users 🔥 and within just a year and a half, it was being utilized by over 60 educational organizations. Canvasboard helped bridge the gap in online education, providing a solution when it was needed most. This organic growth was incredible to witness, but it didn’t happen without effort. I have cold messaged many teachers and I took feedback regularly from the teachers who were using Canvasboard and created gitHub issues.
This wasn’t just my project; it was becoming a collaborative effort. My friends, Navaneeth, Asish and Akash helped in making the backend more robust, ensuring that Canvasboard could handle the growing number of users and the increasing complexity of its features. Sai Kiran played crucial role on making the frontend user-friendly, incorporating interactive packages and innovative ideas to enhance the user experience. Kajol, from the very beginning, took on the responsibility of growing our community and increasing canvasboard’s visibility in the open-source world. She focused on outreach, bringing in new contributors and fostering engagement. As time went on, more and more contributors joined us, each bringing their unique skills and perspectives to the project. Canvasboard began to take on a life of its own.
Following the lead of other successful open-source projects, we developed a private layer on top of the open-source foundation. This allowed us to offer additional features and dedicated support, catering to users who needed more tailored solutions. This approach ensured that Canvasboard could meet the diverse needs of its growing user base while maintaining the spirit of open collaboration.
Expanding Dimensions:
Initially, we focused on targeting teachers/professors, but as the platform grew, we saw its potential to reach a broader audience - corporate trainers, private educational institutes and even hobbyists who wanted a more visual and interactive experience. The market for online education tools was massive, especially with the global shift to online learning during COVID-19.
Our growth reflected this shift. The global need for customizable, engaging online tools became clear as we started getting users from countries like India, United States, Egypt, and more. The open-source plugin feature was pivotal in driving this international adoption, enabling users to customize the platform to meet their unique needs.
The open-source community stepped in to build the requested plugins, helping Canvasboard grow beyond our initial vision. When people began sharing the platform with others, it was clear we had hit our stride. Canvasboard wasn’t just solving one problem — it was providing a flexible, community-driven solution for a wide range of users.
Recognition
The recognition that Canvasboard received along the way was both humbling and affirming. From being showcased at major tech events like Open Source India 🇮🇳 and the Bengaluru Tech Summit to receiving acknowledgment from the Education Minister of Telangana, it was clear that Canvasboard was making an impact. These accolades were a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in the project.
The Acquisition
As Canvasboard continued to grow and evolve, it caught the attention of larger organizations. The platform’s unique combination of functionality, user-friendliness, and community-driven development made it an attractive proposition. After much consideration and many discussions, Canvasboard was successfully acquired. It was a bittersweet moment. On one hand, I was proud of what we had built - Canvasboard had grown from a small college project into a platform that was making a real difference in the world.
Looking Back
Reflecting on this journey, I’m reminded that great things often start from small beginnings. Canvasboard began as a college side project, and then later, it’s a thriving open-source platform. It’s a testament to what can happen when you combine passion, community, and a bit of serendipity.
I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has been a part of this journey - contributors, users, and supporters. Together, we’ve built something impactful! ⚡️