Biography of Girish Mathrubootham: Co-Founder and CEO of Freshworks- Entrepreneur
Biography of Girish Mathrubootham:
Girish Mathrubootham, the co-founder and CEO of Freshworks,
has been a driving force behind the company's vision and success. Under his
leadership, Freshworks has become a leading provider of software solutions for
customer engagement and retention. Mathrubootham is also recognized for his
contributions to the Chennai startup ecosystem and is known for his skills as
an in-house foosball champion at Freshworks.
Early Life
Girish Mathrubootham was born on March 29, 1975, in Tamil
Nadu, India, into a middle-class family. His academic journey began with a
bachelor's degree in engineering from Madras University, which he completed in
1990. He furthered his education with a master's degree in business
administration from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, graduating in
1992.
In 1995, Mathrubootham moved to the United States with the
ambition to build a career in venture capital. His entrepreneurial spirit led
him to co-found several successful tech startups, with Freshworks being a
notable achievement. Launched in 2010, Freshworks marked a significant
milestone in his career and contributed to his success in the tech industry.
Educational Background
Mathrubootham holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and
Electronics Engineering from Shanmugha Arts Science Technology & Research
Academy and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Madras. His educational
background has been instrumental in shaping his approach to entrepreneurship
and leadership.
Early Career and Experience
Before founding Freshworks, Girish Mathrubootham was the
Vice President of Product Management at ManageEngine, a division of Zoho Corp.
There, he honed his skills in setting product strategies and overseeing
customer support, marketing, and product management. Girish Mathrubootham’s
career began at Zoho Corporation, where he joined in 2001 as a PreSales
Engineer when the company was still known as AdventNet. Over nearly a decade,
he advanced to become VP of Product Management at the ManageEngine division. In
this role, Mathrubootham led a talented team and helped create several
successful products. His experience spanned building helpdesk systems for IT,
customer support, and facilities, giving him a solid understanding of these
markets. Additionally, his time at Zoho exposed him to the emerging field of
cloud computing.
The Spark of an Idea
The idea for Freshdesk came to Mathrubootham after reading
an article on Hacker News about Zendesk’s drastic price increases, which had
upset many of their users. A comment from a user named megamark16 made
Mathrubootham realize there was a gap in the market for a better customer
support solution. This moment sparked his decision to enter the field and
develop a cloud-based customer support platform.
The Inspiration for Freshworks
The inspiration for Freshworks came when US-based customer
service software company Zendesk increased its prices, leading to customer
dissatisfaction. Recognizing an opportunity, Girish Mathrubootham envisioned a
competitive edge through launching Freshworks. The company debuted with a
single product focused on customer support and quickly gained traction.
Biography of Girish Mathrubootham: Co-Founder and CEO of Freshworks- Entrepreneur/Startup/Success story Girish Mathrubootham/Life story Freshworks
Founding FreshDesk
FreshDesk, a cloud-based help-desk software startup, was
founded in 2010 by Girish Mathrubootham and Shanmugam Krishnasamy. The idea for
FreshDesk stemmed from a frustrating customer support experience over a broken
TV set. Both former Zoho employees, Mathrubootham and Krishnasamy identified a
gap in the market for better after-sales support software and decided to create
a solution. Their vision led to the development of FreshDesk, which secured its
first customer in Australia in October 2010.
Company Growth and Impact
In just five years, FreshDesk has experienced significant
growth, expanding to a team of 500 employees globally and acquiring over 50,000
corporate customers of varying sizes. Competing with established players like
Zendesk, FreshDesk has solidified its position in the enterprise solutions and
cloud industries. The company's success is marked by its substantial funding
amount of US$94 million, with investments from notable firms such as Tiger
Global, Google Capital, and Accel Partners.
Growth and Success
From 2011 to 2015, Freshworks targeted small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with its user-friendly and intuitive interface.
SMEs were drawn to the affordable pricing, with an average monthly fee of $150.
The company's straightforward approach to customer support software attracted
thousands of smaller businesses, contributing to its rapid growth. By 2015,
Freshworks had achieved a multibillion-dollar valuation and was on the cusp of
becoming the first Indian product company to go public.
Expansion and Clientele
Today, Freshworks offers a comprehensive suite of solutions,
including Freshdesk, Freshchat, and Freshservice. Its products cater to over
150,000 businesses globally, including major clients such as Honda, Cisco,
Toshiba, Bridgestone, the University of Pennsylvania, and Hugo Boss. Since
2015, Freshworks has expanded its client base to include large enterprises like
Burger King and 3M, which have procured hundreds of licenses.
Global Presence
Headquartered in California, Freshworks maintains a strong
presence in India, with Chennai serving as its research and development hub.
The company's international offices are located in the United Kingdom, France,
Australia, and Germany.
Contributions and Investments
Beyond his role at Freshworks, Girish Mathrubootham is an
active member of the Product Council for NASSCOM, a trade association for
Indian software companies. He has also made personal investments in over 60
startups, further demonstrating his commitment to fostering innovation and
supporting emerging businesses.
Freshworks IPO
In September 2021, Freshworks made headlines by listing on
the NASDAQ. It became the first Indian-founder-led VC-funded unicorn SaaS
company to go public in the US. On its first day of trading, Freshworks sold
approximately 10% of its stock, equating to about 28.5 million shares, at a
listing price of $36 per share. This milestone underscored the company's
significant growth and established it as a major player in the global software
industry.
Acquisitions
Freshworks has strategically expanded its portfolio through
various acquisitions:
2015: Acquired 1CLICK, a video, voice, and text chat
platform; Frilp, a social recommendation app; and Konotor, an engagement
platform for new mobile users.
2016: Acquired Framebench, an online collaboration platform;
Airwoot, a customer service solutions platform; and Chatimity, a social chat
platform.
2017: Acquired Pipemonk, a data integration startup; Joe
Hukum, a chatbot building platform; and Zarget, which provides conversion rate
optimization (CRO) tools for marketers and designers.
2019: Acquired Natero, an analytics service platform, and
CanvasFlip, a SaaS platform for HTML5 animated web content, banners, and ads.
2020: Acquired Answeriq, an AI-enabled customer support
ticket management solution, and Flint, an IT process automation company.
Girish Mathrubootham: A Committed Philanthropist
Disaster Relief and Community Support
Girish Mathrubootham has shown a strong commitment to
philanthropy through various initiatives. In 2021, he donated $500,000 to the
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund to support relief efforts
following Cyclone Gaja, which had severely impacted the state. His generosity
extends beyond disaster relief, as he actively supports NGOs that focus on
education and social welfare.
Contributions to Education and Research
Mathrubootham's dedication to advancing education and
research is evident in his significant donations to prominent institutions. In
2019, he contributed $1.5 million to the Indian Institute of Technology Madras
(IIT-M) to establish the “Freshworks Centre for Advanced Research.” This center
is dedicated to exploring cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence
and machine learning.
In 2021, he furthered his support for education by donating
$1 million to Anna University in Chennai. This donation funded the creation of
the “Freshworks School of Entrepreneurship,” aimed at fostering
entrepreneurship among engineering students and equipping them with the skills
and resources needed to launch their own ventures.
Net Worth
As the CEO of Freshworks, Girish Mathrubootham has an
estimated net worth of $700 million. Freshworks reported $250 million in
revenue for 2020, though it also faced a net loss of $57 million. By the end of
2021, when the company went public, Freshworks' market value was approximately
$13 billion.
Timeline for Girish Mathrubootham story
March 29, 1975: Born in Tamil Nadu, India.
1990: Completed Bachelor's degree in Electrical and
Electronics Engineering.
1992: Graduated with an MBA in Marketing from the University
of Madras.
2001: Joined Zoho Corporation as a PreSales Engineer.
2010: Co-founded Freshdesk (now Freshworks).
2015: Freshworks reached a multibillion-dollar valuation.
September 2021: Freshworks listed on NASDAQ.
2021: Donated $500,000 to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Public
Relief Fund.
2019: Contributed $1.5 million to IIT Madras for research.
2021: Donated $1 million to Anna University for
entrepreneurship.
