Figma Acquires Team Behind AI Agent Platform Bud

Figma is trying to become more than a design platform by adding more AI and bringing the coding and prototyping layer closer to its canvas. Toward that end, it has acquired the team behind the vibe-coding and AI agent platform Bud (formerly Orchids). "Figma is one of, if not the, defining product companies of our time to capitalize on this.

It's where ideas start, iterate, and come to life, and a natural home for this exciting new era of work," Bud's CEO Kevin Lu posted on X. The Y Combinator-backed startup began as a vibe-coding platform letting users spin up apps for mobile, web, Slack, browser, and more. It later rebranded as Bud, an agent platform that can access various services, browse the web, and write code to automate tasks.

Under the deal, the startup will shut down both Bud and Orchids by July 18, requiring users to migrate their projects by then. Earlier this year, citing a security researcher, the BBC reported that apps created on Orchids were susceptible to cyberattacks. Figma didn't specify how it aims to use this team, but recent product launches hint that the public company wants to give teams more tools for building and prototyping apps, not just ideating over static concepts.

Last year, it released Figma Make for creating web apps. This year, it integrated with tools like Codex and Claude Code, and rolled out its own agents. Why this matters: Figma's acquisition of the Bud team signals its push to integrate AI-driven development and prototyping capabilities into its platform.

This move has significant implications for the design and development communities, as it could enable more seamless transitions from design to deployment. For developers, this could mean new opportunities for collaboration and streamlined workflows. For businesses, it may provide a more comprehensive platform for product development.

However, questions remain about how Figma will address concerns around security and data integrity, particularly given the reported vulnerabilities in Orchids' apps. As Figma continues to expand its capabilities, it will be crucial to monitor how it balances innovation with responsible AI development and deployment.