Figma’s fourth-quarter earnings report arrived on Wednesday afternoon with a notable claim from one of its top executives: AI should “complement,” not replace, employees.
It’s a bold statement from the leader of a tech company at a moment when many are scaling back.
“We don’t see it as a tool that replaces our talent, but rather how can we augment the team that we already have,” Figma CFO Praveer Melwani said during Figma’s earnings call. “So we will continue to hire, but we will also be able to complement that with efficiency gained by some of the tools out there as well.”
The comment came in response to an analyst’s question about how AI might impact Figma’s research and development.
Figma is enjoying better-than-expected growth
According to Figma’s quarter-four earnings report, the strategy might just be working for it. The company reached $303.8 million in revenue, a 40% increase year-over-year. It also beat Wall Street’s expected $293.15 million, according to consensus estimates cited by CNBC.
Figma further predicts that it will reach $315 to $317 million in revenue for quarter one of 2026. This result would bring an average of 38% YOY growth.
In response, shares of Figma Inc (NYSE:FIG) rose over 16% in after-hours trading. By midday on Thursday, the stock was still up almost 8%.
Software companies have faced falling stocks amid AI fears
Melwani’s call to not overly rely on AI tools comes as the company has faced sliding shares around that very topic, as investors have recently grown worried about the impact of AI tools on software platforms.
Figma opened at $85 per share during its IPO last July, reaching over $115 on its first day. However, it started a mostly downward trajectory soon after. February has seen Figma’s shares hover in the low-to-mid 20s—falling to more than 79% down from that first day and over 35% year-to-date.
AI plays a significant part in Figma’s offerings. The company launched Figma Make last year, a prompt tool with AI-powered design capabilities, along with a range of AI features.
Figma offers AI credits based on each user’s plan and will allow the purchase of additional credits starting March 11. Teams can track their credit usage in a shared billing dashboard.
