Mike Krieger, Chief Product Officer at Anthropic, has resigned from Figma’s board of directors following reports that the AI research company plans to launch a competing design product. The move, confirmed by TechCrunch on 16 April, marks Anthropic’s most direct challenge yet to established software-as-a-service platforms.
Krieger, who co-founded Instagram before joining Anthropic in 2023, had served on Figma’s board since the design platform’s rapid growth phase. His departure comes as Anthropic reportedly develops AI-powered design tools that would directly compete with Figma’s core collaborative design offering, which serves over 4 million users globally.
The resignation follows standard corporate governance protocols around conflicts of interest, but the timing underscores a broader strategic shift at Anthropic. The company, which raised $7.3 billion in its most recent funding round, has signalled intentions to move beyond foundational model development into end-user applications.
Market Implications
The development intensifies concerns about what industry observers have termed the “SaaSpocalypse”—the potential displacement of specialised software tools by AI labs building directly on their own foundational models. Figma, acquired by Adobe for $20 billion in a deal that later collapsed under regulatory scrutiny, now faces competition from a well-capitalised AI company with deep technical capabilities.
For Anthropic, the move represents a significant strategic pivot. The company has historically positioned itself as a research-focused organisation emphasising AI safety, but entering the design tools market signals commercial ambitions that mirror OpenAI’s expansion into consumer and enterprise applications. The decision to compete directly with a company where its CPO held a board seat demonstrates the urgency of this shift.
Figma stands to lose not only a high-profile board member but also faces the prospect of competing against Claude, Anthropic’s large language model, integrated into purpose-built design tooling. The company’s valuation and market position could face pressure if Anthropic successfully translates its AI capabilities into intuitive design workflows.
Investors in both companies face diverging prospects. Anthropic’s backers, including Google and Salesforce Ventures, gain exposure to a potentially lucrative SaaS market. Figma’s investors, meanwhile, must contend with a new competitor that combines frontier AI capabilities with product leadership from one of consumer technology’s most successful entrepreneurs.
Broader Industry Context
The episode reflects a pattern emerging across the AI sector, where foundational model developers increasingly bypass traditional software partnerships to capture application-layer value directly. OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT Enterprise, Google’s integration of AI into Workspace, and Microsoft’s Copilot offerings all follow similar logic—why enable third-party applications when you can own the end-user relationship?
This vertical integration threatens the established software ecosystem, where companies like Figma built businesses by offering specialised tools atop general-purpose computing infrastructure. If AI labs can deliver comparable functionality through natural language interfaces and generative capabilities, the moats protecting incumbent SaaS providers narrow considerably.
The competitive dynamics also raise questions about board governance in an era where AI capabilities create conflicts across previously distinct market segments. Krieger’s resignation may prompt other technology executives to reassess board positions as their companies’ strategic directions evolve.
What Comes Next
Market observers will watch for Anthropic’s product announcement, likely within the coming months given the board resignation timing. Key questions include whether the tool operates as a standalone application, integrates with existing design workflows, or attempts to redefine the design process entirely through AI-native interactions.
Figma’s response will prove equally telling. The company may accelerate its own AI integration efforts, potentially partnering with rival AI labs, or double down on collaborative features and ecosystem integrations that Anthropic’s nascent product cannot immediately replicate.
Krieger’s exit from Figma’s board crystallises a fundamental tension in the AI sector: whether foundational model developers will remain infrastructure providers or evolve into direct competitors across the software landscape. For now, Anthropic has chosen competition, with significant implications for both design professionals and the broader enterprise software market.
