Freshworks Founder: Girish Mathrubootham Story

Freshworks Founder: Girish Mathrubootham Story

Girish Mathrubootham is the pioneer co-founder and ex-CEO of Freshworks and has led the business since its inception. His company sells software solutions for client engagement and retention in the enterprise.

He graduated in Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical & Electronics from Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy and Master in Business Administration in Marketing - from the University of Madras.

The Freshworks founder also sits on the board of the Product Council for NASSCOM, that trade group for the Indian software industry. Since establishing and growing Freshworks, he has also made direct investments in more than 60 startups.

Biography-

• Name: Girish Mathrubootham

• Profession: Founder

• Date of Birth: 29 March 1975

• Age: 49 years

• Father: NA

• Mother: NA

• Marital Status: Married.

• Wife: Shoba

• College/University: SASTRA Deemed University, University of Madras.

• Qualification: B.E in Electrical and Electronic, Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research Academy, MBA (Marketing), University of Madras.

• Country: India

• Famous as: Founder & ex-CEO of Freshworks.

Early Life and Educational Background

Freshworks Founder and Freshworks Owner Girish Mathrubootham was born in India on March 29, 1975, in Tamil Nadu. He hails from a middle-class family and had an interest in technology right from his childhood days. Girish Mathrubootham pursued his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Bangalore, India after he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering from Madras University in 1990.

In 1995, he relocated to the US in search of better prospects and began working as a venture capitalist. He co-founded some successful software firms, including the cloud-based customer interaction platform Freshworks (previously Freshdesk) in 2010, but his entrepreneurial spirit quickly took over.

Girish Mathrubootham acquired priceless software industry knowledge before starting Freshworks. He later became the Vice President of Engineering at Zoho Corporation, where he oversaw customer service and product strategy until 2009.

Freshworks CEO

Dennis Woodside is the current CEO of Freshworks.

Entrepreneurial Journey

Mathrubootham identified a need for user-friendly and reasonably priced customer assistance software while he was employed at Zoho. Motivated by the prospect, he quit the post of Vice President in 2010 to team up with colleague Shan Krishnasamy in forming Freshworks, originally known as Freshdesk.

The company was first initiated in Chennai, India, and then gained popularity by offering cloud-based customer support services to all types of companies. The Freshworks product suite, consisting of Freshdesk, Freshservice, Freshsales, and Freshchat, has provided effective management of IT services, sales, messaging, and customer support to companies.

Freshworks Business Strategy

Freshworks focuses more on building long-term relationships with customers rather than closing one-time sales. The company follows the principle of "customer for life": that is, developing long-term relationships and delivering consistent value.

Freshworks recognizes that its clients are more than simply numbers or revenue streams; they are individuals with unique needs. This customer-centric strategy permeates every aspect of the business, from product development to employee and community engagement.

Girish Mathrubootham Presence & Milestones

It was a dream come true for Girish Mathrubootham when Freshworks was listed on the Nasdaq in September 2021 at a valuation of $10.1 billion, having raised $1.03 billion in its first public offering. It demonstrated his dedication to creating a firm that prioritizes people over merely achieving financial objectives.To create the above environment of empathy and compassion-first leadership putting profit over mere money and growth that is inclusive, co-founder Mathrubootham, along with co-founder Shan Krishnasamy, have set it all ready.

Mathrubootham's acumen in business knowledge of the markets for customer engagement has influenced Freshworks' course and helped solve its navigation difficulties.

The company continues to apply these principles of people-centeredness and great customer service in pursuing even more success and excellence as Freshworks grows into the most best customer-focused company in the international software market.

Girish Mathrubootham Legacy

The story of Girish Mathrubootham is one of tenaciousness, creativity, and pursuit of excellence. Girish has inspired thousands of entrepreneurs by succeeding in growing from a small startup in Chennai to an international corporation with Freshworks.

It helps bring the point home that creative business ventures are possible in a world arena. Having found its niche and established an opportunity for other Indian entrepreneurs to go international against industry leaders who are major players in their trades, Freshworks is successful in portraying customer-centric solutions as the best ideas, no matter how big the player may be.

The next years are likely to see continuing success for Freshworks due to the culture and vision of the organization led by Mathrubootham since Freshworks has always chosen the path of excellence and empowerment.

Freshworks IPO

Freshworks became the first unicorn SaaS company with VC funding and an Indian founder to go public in the US when it was listed on the NASDAQ in September of this year. Approximately 10% of Freshworks' equity, or about 28.5 million shares, was sold on the first day of the IPO at a listing price of $36 per share.

Awards & Recognition

• One of Business Today’s Coolest Start-ups in 2016.

• Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019 at the Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence.

• Forbes Cloud 100 list in 2019, 2020, and 2021. 

• One of India’s most innovative companies by Fast Company in 2020.

• Inc. 5000’s list of fastest-growing companies in America in 2021.  

Did You Know?

He has put measures in place at Freshworks to guarantee a more varied and inclusive workplace and is an advocate for gender diversity.  

• Having played cricket as a child, Mathrubootham is an avid cricket fan.  

• He has given speeches at some gatherings and conferences, such as the Fortune Global Forum and the India Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum.  

• His smart and funny tweets have made him famous on Twitter.

• Mathrubootham is an angel investor in addition to his charitable endeavors. He has made investments in many companies, notably the Indian edtech firm Unacademy. 

Net Worth

Girish Mathrubootham, the founder of Freshworks, is thought to be worth $700 million. In 2020, the business made $250 million, but it also lost $57 million. When Freshwork went public in late 2021, its market value was estimated to be $13 billion.

Podcasts

Founder of Freshworks Girish Mathrubootham shares his story with Accel Partner Anand Daniel on how grew the company to a Series-H stage on the #INSIGHTSPodcast2019 series.

Girish Mathrubootham Investments

PickYourTrail (Feb 04, 2022)- $528K (Angel Round)

Scripbox (Jan 18, 2022)- $21M (Series D round)

Scripbox (Oct 29, 2021)- $14.1M (Series D Round)

Pepul (Oct 02, 2021)- $1.5M (Seed Round)

Conclusion

Girish Mathrubootham's journey with Freshworks shows the power of innovation and a customer-first mindset. Starting from humble beginnings, he has built a globally successful company and inspired countless entrepreneurs. His emphasis on empathy, diversity, and dedication to quality reflects his vision for a better business world. With Freshworks’ continued growth, his legacy in tech entrepreneurship only grows stronger.