Figma AI Investment Strategy: CFO Accepts Margin Pressure to Drive Demand

Figma is prioritising artificial intelligence (AI) adoption over a quick recovery in profit margins as it expands its design software capabilities. Chief Financial Officer Praveer Melwani said on October 15, 2026, that the company is uncertain whether its gross margins will return to historical levels as AI spending increases.

Speaking at the Reuters Global Markets Forum on the sidelines of Figma’s Config conference in Bengaluru, Melwani said the investments could attract more users and help the company compete with advanced AI tools from OpenAI and Anthropic.

The Figma AI investment strategy centres on expanding adoption and reaching a larger market, even if that means accepting lower margins in the short term.

Figma has invested heavily in AI-powered features, including its design assistant and tools that generate prototypes and web applications from text prompts. These products have helped drive revenue growth but have also weighed on margins.

The company’s quarterly gross profit margins have fallen to the mid-80% range over the past year, compared with levels above 90% historically. Melwani said returning to the low-90% range was not his immediate priority.

Figma is betting that broader AI adoption will expand its user base and eventually create opportunities to raise prices. Earlier in 2026, the company introduced usage-based pricing for AI credits, a move expected to support stronger earnings in coming quarters.

The Figma AI investment strategy reflects a willingness to prioritise market expansion over short-term margin performance. Melwani said he would accept further margin pressure if it enabled the company to serve a much larger addressable market.

Figma’s ability to turn AI adoption into sustainable revenue growth will be central to its strategy. Its usage-based AI pricing model could help monetise increased demand, although the timing and scale of any financial benefits remain uncertain.

At Config India, the company also announced expanded access to its Code Layers tool, new collaborative features and partnerships with agent platforms, including OpenCode, Meta Muse and India’s Sarvam AI.

These launches add to Figma’s AI offerings as it seeks to broaden its reach while managing pressure on gross margins.