In a move that aims to enhance the developer experience, Amazon has recently acquired Fig, a startup that specializes in building autocomplete technology for the command line. The acquisition includes Fig’s technology and its employees, who will be joining Amazon’s cloud subsidiary, AWS.
Key Takeaway
Amazon has acquired Fig, a startup that focuses on autocomplete for the command line. This acquisition aims to enhance the developer experience and aligns with Amazon’s generative AI ambitions.
Bringing Efficiency to the Command Line
Fig’s autocomplete tools provide developers with customizable suggestions and descriptions as they type commands in the command line interface (CLI). This feature helps developers save time and avoid repetitive keystrokes. Despite the popularity of graphical user interfaces (GUI), the CLI remains a preferred method of communication for developers due to its flexibility, speed, and resource efficiency.
Market Opportunity and Offering
Fig serves a market where developers seek tighter integration of integrated development environment (IDE) features in the CLI environment. The company offers both free and paid tiers, catering to hobbyists, small teams, large businesses, and enterprises. As part of the acquisition, Fig has made all its paid features free for existing users.
The Role of Generative AI
Amazon’s interest in acquiring Fig lies in its goal of enhancing the developer experience and exploring the potential of generative AI. Fig’s autocomplete functionality aligns with the trend of reducing developers’ repetitive tasks through helpful suggestions. While Fig is not yet at the scale of similar tools like GitHub’s Copilot, AWS has already demonstrated its aspirations in generative AI with the launch of its AI pair-programmer called CodeWhisperer in June.
Implications for Developers and Cloud Providers
Fig boasts users from prominent organizations, including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon itself. The attention Fig garnered from Amazon’s engineers may have prompted the acquisition. While Fig reassures existing users of continued support and usability, future integration with AWS may affect developers and engineers currently working with other cloud providers. Amazon has not provided detailed plans yet, but the company remains committed to innovating in the terminal/shell space.
TechCrunch has reached out to Amazon for more information on the acquisition and will provide updates as they become available.
