Latest news with #FigmaMake
CNBC
14-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Databricks is buying database startup Neon for about $1 billion
Data analytics startup Databricks said Wednesday that it's buying Neon, a cloud-based database software vendor, for about $1 billion. It's the latest big deal for Databricks, which bought artificial intelligence model training startup MosaicML for $1.3 billion in 2023 and paid over $1 billion last year for data optimization startup Tabular. Neon has over 18,000 customers, Databricks said in a statement. Clients include OpenAI, Adobe, Boston Consulting Group, Replit and Vercel, according to Neon's website. Many developers have flocked to Neon, which is open source and billed as an alternative to top cloud provider Amazon Web Services' Aurora Postgres database service. The open-source PostgreSQL database originated in the 1980s. Supabase, a startup whose tools have become popular with "vibe-coding" tools such as Lovable and Figma's recently announced Figma Make, is also based on PostgreSQL. Cloud providers Google and Microsoft have their own options for running PostgreSQL databases. Databricks sells software that can help with cleaning up data, executing queries and running AI models. Microsoft, Snowflake and Databricks have all invested in Neon, whose co-founder and CEO is former Meta and Microsoft engineer Nikita Shamgunov. After leaving Meta, Shamgunov ran database startup SingleStore, formerly known as MemSQL. Neon charges based on the amount of computing and storage each customer uses per month. Its software can run in Amazon and Microsoft's clouds. Founded in 2021, Neon is a distributed company, with over 130 employees, according to a job description. Databricks, based in San Francisco, was founded in 2013 and was valued at $62 billion in a $10 billion financing announced in December. Some of the money was earmarked for acquisitions.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Figma launches AI tool for building apps and websites
Design application Figma has announced a host of new features including an AI tool called Figma Make that can build websites and apps. Users simply need to 'vibe code' their way through, by entering a prompt with the description of what they want in the website. Users can then even make changes to the design elements later after the website has been published. There are drop-down menus for different elements which are easier to access while making changes instead of asking the AI model. The tool is powered by Anthropic's Claude 3.7 model. The platform will also have a content management system for users to generate blog posts from the site. Users can edit posts within the blog while also being able to edit thumbnails and slugs. Vibe coding tools have become increasingly popular with players entering the space. OpenAI has reached an agreement to acquire vibe coding startup Windsurf while it was also reported that Apple and Anthropic had partnered to develop an AI coding platform. Figma has also released another new tool for marketers called Figma Buzz which can be used to make templates for brand creatives. They can also use AI-generated images or edit the background for assets. These tools essentially help marketers when they're working with bulk clients. There's also Figma Draw for vector editing and making illustrations, with new features like pattern fill, brushes, adding noise and texture etc which have been added to the tool. The company is also reportedly testing Figma Sites that converts designs into working websites which will support AI code generation ability within the next few weeks. A few weeks ago, Figma also became one of the platforms to integrate OpenAI's upgraded image generation model.
TechCrunch
07-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Figma releases new AI-powered tools for creating sites, app prototypes, and marketing assets
Design company Figma today announced multiple features, including AI-powered site and web app creation, a way for marketers to create assets in bulk, and a new drawing tool. With this launch, the company is taking on other creative solutions such as Canva and Adobe, along with AI-powered website and prototype creators such as WordPress, Wix, Hostinger, and Replit. The company's website creation tool is called Figma Sites. The startup said that often designers build prototypes of what a site should look like within Figma. With the new AI-powered tool, they can easily create websites and even publish them. Once the site is generated, collaborators can easily change elements of the site through an editor without prompting. Users can also add transitions, animations, and scroll effects while making the site responsive. Figma is adding the ability to directly generate blog posts from its site. That means the Sites will have a content management system (CMS), which is an upcoming feature, baked in that lets users edit posts within the design of a blog and also manage other assets such as thumbnails and slugs. For interactive elements like stock tickers, you can add custom code or use AI to generate code for you. Figma Make, on the other hand, is a similar AI-powered tool, which is geared more towards ideation and prototyping. Users can input a prompt to create a web application. The prototype app is collaborative, and users can prompt the assistant to change or add certain elements. Plus, if there is a developer on the team, they can directly modify the code to make necessary changes. Users can also generate small interactive elements, such as a clock, and embed them in the pages published through Figma Sites later. Yuki Yamashita, chief product officer at Figma, said that both products share a lot of features and underlying technology. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | BOOK NOW 'We want to enable high-fidelity prototyping with Figma, especially with Figma Make. You can add more data to it and try to see how viable an idea is in terms of final implementation. Whereas Figma Site is useful for a marketing and design team when they exactly know how a site should look and take full control of that,' Yamashita told TechCrunch while describing the differentiation between these products. Image Credits: Figma Multiple companies in different sectors are looking for a way to create interactive experiences using AI. Website hosting providers such as Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, and Hostinger have released tools to let users easily create websites through AI. On the other hand, tools like Replit and Lovable are pushing users to create apps or prototypes without coding knowledge. Last month, even Canva released a way to create interactive experiences within its designs with Canva Code. This isn't the first foray for Figma into prototyping, though. Last year, it released a Make Design feature, which had to be pulled after users accused the company of heavily training the tool on existing apps. What's more, Figma is releasing a new tool for marketers called Figma Buzz. With these tools, marketers can easily use templates created by designers with brand-specific designs to make new creatives. They can also use a tool to insert AI-generated images or change the background of certain assets. Marketers can also create assets in bulk using data from sources like spreadsheets. The startup is also launching a tool called Figma Draw for vector editing and illustrations. Yamashita said that designers often had to export their vector designs outside Figma to make edits. The company is now adding features like text on a path, pattern fill, brushes, multi-vector edit, adding noise and texture, and a lasso selection to its Draw product. Image Credits: Figma Figma launched its Slides tool for creating presentations last year. With the new asset creation and drawing tool, the company is directly competing with creative suites such as Adobe and Canva. Yamashita denied that the company is directly competing with these creative tools. He said that Figma is in the business of building digital products, and a third of the company's users are developers, thanks to tools like Dev Mode. The company is announcing a new plan called a content seat starting at $8 per month, which will give users access to Figma Buzz, Slides, FigJam, and Sites CMS.
CNBC
07-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Figma introduces 'vibe-coding' AI software design feature
From left, Steven Levy, Wired editor at large, and Dylan Field, co-founder and CEO of Figma, speak onstage at Wired's The Big Interview event in San Francisco on Dec. 3, 2024. Design software startup Figma on Wednesday debuted an artificial intelligence feature to automate the process of building websites and applications. The new feature, called Figma Make, is the company's response to the rise of "vibe-coding" tools, which turn a short written description into the source code necessary for a website. Google and Microsoft have both touted their own "vibe-coding" tools this year. OpenAI has also entered the space, holding acquisition talks with one startup in the space, Windsurf, and reaching out to another called Cursor on multiple occasions, CNBC reported. The move might draw additional business to Figma, which confidentially filed for an initial public offering last month. Many of today's "vibe-coding" products offer a free tier for light use before requesting payment. Figma Make will only be available to those with full seats that start at $16 per person per month when purchased annually. The company is beta-testing the feature with those users. People with premium subscriptions likely work for companies that store font sizes, color combinations and other design assets in Figma. Over time, the new feature will be able to create designs that adhere to those design systems. Figma's new tool relies on Anthropic's Claude 3.7 Sonnet AI model. For those who don't want to start from scratch, Figma Make can alternatively accept Figma design files as an input and generate code that approximates them. Third-party products such as Vercel's v0 and StackBlitz's offer similar capability but can't inherit existing design systems. Like many other "vibe-coding" programs, Figma Make presents a chat box to ask for and receive adjustments of drafts it comes up with. But sometimes a simple fix such as a font change is all that's necessary. Drop-down menus for specific elements allow for quick alterations, meaning that there's no need to consult the AI model again and wait for a response. Customers who received early access to Figma Make got it to craft video games, a note-taking app and a personalized calendar, a spokesperson said. That doesn't mean there's no place for designers inside companies with the advent of AI. "The more time has gone on, the more that I'm confident in a designer's role — and believe that it's going to be one of the critical roles in bulding software in the future," Dylan Field, Figma's co-founder and CEO, said in conversation recently with Garry Tan, president and CEO of Silicon Valley startup accelerator Y Combinator. Also on Wednesday, Figma said it was beginning to test Figma Sites, another feature that requires full seats. It can convert designs into working websites. Support for AI code generation will follow in the next few weeks, Figma said. WATCH: The rise of AI 'vibe coding'
TechCrunch
07-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Figma releases new AI-powered tools for creating site, app prototypes, and marketing assets
Design company Figma today announced multiple features, including AI-powered site and web app creation, a way for marketers to create assets in bulk, and a new drawing tool. With this launch, the company is taking on other creative solutions such as Canva and Adobe, along with AI-powered website and prototype creators such as WordPress, Wix, Hostinger, and Replit. The company's website creation tool is called Figma Sites. The startup said that often designers build prototypes of what a site should look like within Figma. With the new AI-powered tool, they can easily create websites and even publish them. Once the site is generated, collaborators can easily change elements of the site through an editor without prompting. Users can also add transitions, animations, and scroll effects while making the site responsive. Figma is adding the ability to directly generate blog posts from its site. That means the Sites will have a content management system (CMS), which is an upcoming feature, baked in that lets users edit posts within the design of a blog and also manage other assets such as thumbnails and slugs. For interactive elements like stock tickers, you can add custom code or use AI to generate code for you. Figma Make, on the other hand, is a similar AI-powered tool, which is geared more towards ideation and prototyping. Users can input a prompt to create a web application. The prototype app is collaborative, and users can prompt the assistant to change or add certain elements. Plus, if there is a developer on the team, they can directly modify the code to make necessary changes. Users can also generate small interactive elements, such as a clock, and embed them in the pages published through Figma Sites later. Yuki Yamashita, chief product officer at Figma, said that both products share a lot of features and underlying technology. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | BOOK NOW 'We want to enable high-fidelity prototyping with Figma, especially with Figma Make. You can add more data to it and try to see how viable an idea is in terms of final implementation. Whereas Figma Site is useful for a marketing and design team when they exactly know how a site should look and take full control of that,' Yamashita told TechCrunch while describing the differentiation between these products. Image Credits: Figma Multiple companies in different sectors are looking for a way to create interactive experiences using AI. Website hosting providers such as Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, and Hostinger have released tools to let users easily create websites through AI. On the other hand, tools like Replit and Lovable are pushing users to create apps or prototypes without coding knowledge. Last month, even Canva released a way to create interactive experiences within its designs with Canva Code. This isn't the first foray for Figma into prototyping, though. Last year, it released a Make Design feature, which had to be pulled after users accused the company of heavily training the tool on existing apps. What's more, Figma is releasing a new tool for marketers called Figma Buzz. With these tools, marketers can easily use templates created by designers with brand-specific designs to make new creatives. They can also use a tool to insert AI-generated images or change the background of certain assets. Marketers can also create assets in bulk using data from sources like spreadsheets. The startup is also launching a tool called Figma Draw for vector editing and illustrations. Yamashita said that designers often had to export their vector designs outside Figma to make edits. The company is now adding features like text on a path, pattern fill, brushes, multi-vector edit, adding noise and texture, and a lasso selection to its Draw product. Image Credits: Figma Figma launched its Slides tool for creating presentations last year. With the new asset creation and drawing tool, the company is directly competing with creative suites such as Adobe and Canva. Yamashita denied that the company is directly competing with these creative tools. He said that Figma is in the business of building digital products, and a third of the company's users are developers, thanks to tools like Dev Mode. The company is announcing a new plan called a content seat starting at $8 per month, which will give users access to Figma Buzz, Slides, FigJam, and Sites CMS.
