Freshworks Founder Girish Mathrubootham Exits Four Years After IPO
Girish Mathrubootham, the founder who guided Freshworks from its establishment in 2010 to its initial public offering in 2021, has announced that he will resign as executive chairman effective December 1, 2025, signifying his departure from the company.
His exit represents a major shift for one of India’s leading SaaS (software as a service) firms, occurring just four years after its public listing in the United States, and highlights the difficulties that founder-led companies encounter as they evolve beyond their original creators, as he redirects his attention to his venture fund, Together.
Freshworks revealed this information in an 8-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
“On September 3, 2025, Rathna Girish Mathrubootham notified Freshworks Inc. (the “Company”) of his intention to retire from his positions as Executive Chairman, a Class III member of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), and Chairman of the Board effective December 1, 2025, in order to dedicate his full-time efforts to Together Fund, the venture fund he co-founded.”
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“Following this notice, the Board appointed Roxanne Austin, Lead Independent Director, to take on the role of Chairperson of the Board starting December 1, 2025. Ms. Austin has been a member of our board of directors and has served as lead independent director since May 2021.
“Mr. Mathrubootham’s resignation was not due to any disagreements regarding the Company’s operations, policies, or practices. Effective December 1, 2025, the Board will be reduced to nine members, and the total number of Class III directors will decrease to two members,” the filing stated.
Mathrubootham’s departure signifies the conclusion of a significant chapter for one of India’s most notable SaaS founders and angel investors.
In the past year, he has dedicated more time to Chennai and his venture fund, Together, where he is supporting the upcoming wave of SaaS companies as the industry experiences a transformation due to AI.
Since establishing the startup in 2010, Mathrubootham has played a pivotal role in Freshworks' evolution from a modest startup in Chennai to a Nasdaq-listed software company in the US. In addition to being a renowned founder, he is recognized for nurturing and guiding the next generation of SaaS startups from Chennai through initiatives like SaasBoomi and the Together Fund.
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Mathrubootham currently holds approximately 4.28 percent of Freshworks Inc. His ownership percentage has decreased from around five percent following the sale of 2.5 million shares in December 2024, which was valued at roughly $40 million.