Figma shares jumped 7% after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman demonstrated the design software's integration with ChatGPT at DevDay, showcasing how users can directly leverage Figma's tools within ChatGPT's 800 million-user platform via the new Apps SDK. This significant endorsement, allowing for seamless app interaction and suggestions, drove Figma's steepest rally since its IPO and highlights OpenAI's strategy to enable third-party revenue generation through integrated app experiences, with developer submissions for the SDK beginning in late 2025.
Figma shares jumped 7% on Monday after the design software vendor's technology was promoted by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in an onstage demo at his company's annual DevDay conference in San Francisco. Altman discussed Figma's integration into ChatGPT, which has more than 800 million monthly users. He showed how third-party applications could plug in with OpenAI's Apps SDK, or software development framework. "When someone's using ChatGPT, you'll be able to find an app by asking for it by name," Altman said. "For example, you could sketch out a product flow for ChatGPT and then say, Figma, turn this sketch into a workable diagram. The Figma app will take over respond and complete the action." In addition to asking for Figma's help by name in ChatGPT, the assistant can also suggest Figma when it's relevant, Figma product manager Luke Zhang said in a blog post. The rally for Figma, at its high point, was the steepest since the day of the company's public market debut on the New York Stock Exchange in July. Figma has been ramping up its own tools for working on app and website designs using generative AI models from OpenAI and other providers. Subscribers to products that connect to the Apps SDK will be able to log in without leaving their ChatGPT conversations, Altman said. He said people working on products in Figma can also launch the FigJam tool to keep working on development ideas. Apps SDK is based on the Model Context Protocol, an open standard that OpenAI rival Anthropic introduced last year. Software developers will be able to submit apps for review later in 2025, Altman said. Over time, OpenAI will offer many ways to generate revenue through third-party integrations, Altman said. Last week, OpenAI announced a feature allowing people to buy products listed on Etsy through ChatGPT. Figma experienced a significant 7% surge in share price, its steepest since its July IPO, following OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's prominent demonstration of its integration with ChatGPT at DevDay. This integration, leveraging OpenAI's new Apps SDK, allows ChatGPT's 800 million-plus monthly users to directly invoke Figma's design tools or receive suggestions for its use within their conversations. This represents a substantial expansion of Figma's potential user base and workflow integration. This strategic endorsement provides Figma with unprecedented access to ChatGPT's vast user ecosystem, potentially driving adoption and usage for its design software. Figma's proactive development of its own generative AI tools, alongside this OpenAI partnership, positions it favorably within the evolving AI-driven design landscape, enhancing its product offering and competitive differentiation. The seamless login experience via Apps SDK will likely reduce friction for users. OpenAI's Apps SDK, based on the open Model Context Protocol, represents a critical step in its platform strategy, enabling third-party integrations for future revenue generation. While developer submissions for the SDK are slated for late 2025, this early promotion of Figma highlights OpenAI's intent to cultivate a robust application ecosystem, offering a new distribution channel for specialized software providers.
AI-powered research, real-time alerts, and portfolio analytics for institutional investors.
Request a DemoOverall Sentiment
strongly positive
Sentiment Score
0.85
Ticker Sentiment
