Dylan Field co-founded Figma in 2012 with Brown University teaching assistant Evan Wallace. Since then, Field has led the company to meteoric success and a historic IPO. Fifteen years ago, Field was a freshman computer science student at Brown University when he started brainstorming ways to democratize creative design through software.
The duo explored new browser technologies and began working on Figma, which was initially conceived as “Google Docs for graphic designers.” After years of planning, the product launched in 2016. The company gained momentum during the pandemic, with its valuation rising from $115 million in 2018 to $10 billion in 2021.
Field’s entrepreneurial journey began early, with him teaching himself computer skills at age three and working as a child actor in the 1990s. He held several part-time gigs while studying at Brown, including internships at Microsoft and LinkedIn. Field secured seed investments through these jobs and eventually became a billionaire by 33 years old.
Figma’s recent IPO saw its stock surge 250% on debut, with the company’s valuation reaching nearly $68 billion. The largest U.S. venture-capital-backed tech IPO in four years, Figma cemented its status as a bellwether for a resurgent tech IPO market. With its strong user base and growing revenue, Field shows no signs of slowing down, stating that “Figma’s most innovative days are ahead.”
Source: https://fortune.com/2025/08/01/figma-ipo-cofounder-dylan-field-former-linkedin-intern-peter-thiel-fellowship