Anthropic CPO leaves Figma’s board after reports he will offer a competing product

In Brief Posted: 11:28 AM PDT · April 16, 2026 Image Credits:Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Vox Media Tim Fernholz Anthropic CPO leaves Figma’s board after reports he will offer a competing product Mike Krieger, Anthropic’s chief product officer, resigned from the board of interface design company Figma on April 14. His departure was disclosed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by the publicly traded $10 billion company the same day that The Information reported Anthropic’s next model, Opus 4.7, will include design tools that could compete with Figma’s primary offering. Figma is the developer of a popular tool for user experience designers who build interfaces for websites and apps. The company has collaborated closely with Anthropic to integrate the frontier lab’s AI models into its products as assistants for its users. Krieger, who previously co-founded Instagram and the AI-powered news app Artifact, became the top product executive at Anthropic in 2024 and joined the board of Figma less than a year ago. Krieger’s departure and any forthcoming design tools will be another data point for investors who fear the SaaSpocalypse — that the largest AI labs will come to dominate software businesses, a thesis that has rocked public markets at times this year. For example, iShares’s primary software ETF, IGV, is down nearly 18% this year. Anthropic, meanwhile, is turning down investors who want to buy into the company at $800 billion — more than double the valuation from its most recent round at the beginning of the year. But companies like Anthropic and OpenAI still have to prove their ultra-capable models can truly replicate the domain experience and relationships of established software brands. Figma’s stock price is up 5% since Krieger’s departure was disclosed, though we’ll see what happens with the next Opus release. Techcrunch event Meet your next investor or portfolio startup at Disrupt Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register now to save up to $410. Meet your next investor or portfolio startup at Disrupt Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register now to save up to $410. San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 REGISTER NOW Topics AI, Anthropic, Figma, In Brief, mike krieger April 30 San Francisco, CA StrictlyVC kicks off the year in SF. Get in the room for unfiltered fireside chats with industry leaders, insider VC insights, and high-value connections that actually move the needle. Tickets are limited. REGISTER NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news TechCrunch Daily News Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage. TechCrunch Mobility TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight.

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