fig Raises $2.2M to Revolutionize the Terminal Experience

Can the Command Line Evolve? Fig Secures $2.2M Seed Funding

Is it possible for a long-standing tool like the terminal to be significantly improved? Fig, a startup emerging from Y Combinator’s S20 program, has successfully raised $2.2 million in seed funding to demonstrate precisely that. Their primary objective is to enhance – not supplant – the command line terminal, a staple for many professionals, and to render it more efficient and user-friendly, particularly within team environments.

Enhanced Autocompletion Capabilities

The initial enhancement offered by Fig centers around autocompletion. As a user begins typing a command, the system presents a dynamic, narrowing list of potential completions. This feature minimizes keystrokes, saves valuable time, and reduces the cognitive load associated with recalling complex terminal commands.

For instance, when navigating directories, the system intelligently suggests path completions as you type. When working with Git, it maintains a record of recently used branches. Frequently used commands for platforms like Google Cloud or AWS can be readily accessed with a single tap. The autocompletion behavior for each command-line tool is customizable and can be shared with the broader user community. Importantly, all operations can be performed without removing hands from the keyboard, catering to those who prefer to avoid mouse interaction.

Beyond Autocompletion: An App Ecosystem for the Terminal

While autocompletion is a valuable addition, the Fig team envisions a more expansive future. Founder Brendan Falk explains that their ultimate goal is to establish an “app ecosystem” for organizations that heavily rely on the terminal in their daily operations, offering teams a subscription-based service.

They have developed a platform enabling the creation and sharing of Markdown-based applications, accessible directly from the terminal. These applications provide a visual interface for input and adjustment, with the resulting output seamlessly integrated back into the terminal environment. Fig views autocompletion as merely the initial step in this broader strategy.

“This allows users to create and share visual scripts easily,” says Falk. “Our focus is on facilitating the development of internal tools for development teams – things like sharing scripts, streamlining deployment processes, and sharing monitoring commands. This boilerplate functionality, often scattered across systems, should be centralized within the terminal.”

The team initially explored various concepts before focusing on the terminal. Falk recounts that he and co-founder Matt Schrage experimented with numerous ideas for months, including a personal CRM, prediction markets, and a creator-focused stock exchange. “We pursued many ideas that ultimately weren’t genuine problems we faced,” Falk admits. “They were simply concepts, rather than addressing actual user needs.”

Recognizing a Core Problem

After several pivots, Falk and Schrage realized a recurring pattern: each iteration led them back to the terminal, repeatedly executing the same commands and navigating complex workflows. “The terminal hasn’t undergone significant changes since 1978,” Falk observes. “Despite this, it remains a critical tool for hardware engineers, software engineers, and data scientists.” Was this the problem worth solving?

The demand appears to be substantial. Although Fig remains in private beta, Falk reports a waitlist exceeding tens of thousands of users eager to gain access.

Investment and Platform Support

This seed round was spearheaded by General Catalyst, with participation from YC, SV Angel, a partner at Kleiner Perkins, and a diverse group of current and former technology leaders, including Adobe CPO Scott Belsky, Stripe CPO Will Gaybrick, Datadog CEO Olivier Pomel, former Github CTO Jason Warner, former Heroku CEO Adam Gross, Segment co-founder Calvin French-Owen, and Eventbrite founder Kevin Hartz.

Currently, Fig seamlessly integrates with macOS’ native terminal application and offers add-on integrations for VSCode, Hyper, and iTerm. Support for Windows and Linux is planned for future development.