Microsoft and Meta fuel $500-billion gain in AI stocks

Figma's design software shares rocketed 158% during its NYSE market debut, becoming a standout tech IPO of 2025. The company priced shares at $33.00, with the offering comprising 36.9 million shares split between Figma and existing stockholders. Founded in 2012 to make design more collaborative, CEO Dylan Field emphasized that Figma is just beginning its journey in the AI era. The company views going public as an opportunity to let its community participate in its growth while accessing resources for continued innovation. This successful launch demonstrates strong investor confidence in cloud-based design collaboration tools.

Figma made a successful stock market debut on July 31, 2025, with shares tripling their initial offering price of $33. The company raised $1.2 billion, achieving a market valuation of approximately $19 billion. This marks the largest venture-backed tech IPO in the US since Rivian in 2021. The strong performance follows a failed $20 billion merger with Adobe. Figma's impressive financial health, including 50% year-over-year revenue growth and $44.9 million Q1 net income, may encourage other tech companies like Canva and Databricks to pursue public listings, potentially ending the recent tech IPO lull.

Artificial intelligence infrastructure provider Fal has secured a $125 million Series C funding round, elevating its valuation to $1.5 billion. The company provides high-performance inference engines for generative AI media tasks, processing over 100 million daily requests and supporting more than 1 million developers globally. Fal plans to use the funding to expand its global cloud infrastructure, strengthen engineering and research teams, and enhance its enterprise model marketplace. This growth reflects increasing market demand for specialized AI infrastructure as Fal positions itself as a leader in the generative AI revolution despite challenges in maintaining reliability and controlling costs.

Big Tech companies like Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft are investing heavily in AI despite rising costs that are impacting profit margins. While some investors react negatively to increased spending announcements, most remain confident due to AI's transformative potential, first-mover advantages, and long-term industry disruption possibilities. Capital expenditures have reached unprecedented levels, with Alphabet spending nearly $12 billion in one quarter and Meta projecting up to $40 billion annually. Though some worry about a potential tech bubble, industry analysts generally believe these substantial AI investments will eventually generate returns as adoption grows and monetization strategies mature. This spending reflects a fundamental belief in AI as the defining technology for the tech sector's future.