Girish Mathrubootham to exit Freshworks by December

Girish Mathrubootham, co-founder of Nasdaq-listed Freshworks and one of the leading voices of India’s Software as a Service (SaaS) sector, will step down as Executive Chairman of the company effective December 1, 2025.

In a filing with the US SEC, Freshworks said Mathrubootham will focus on Together Fund, the venture capital fund he co-founded. The company also clarified that “Mathrubootham’s resignation was not the result of any disagreement on matters relating to the company’s operations, policies, or practices.”

Founded in in 2010 in Chennai, Freshworks grew under Mathrubootham’s leadership into a unicorn and became the first Indian startup to list on Nasdaq. He continued to serve as CEO during its growth journey before moving into the Chairman role.

In May 2024, Mathrubootham announced that he would be stepping down from his role as CEO and transitioning into the chairman’s position. “Today, I am announcing a new chapter in our company’s story and my career. I have decided to step down as CEO of Freshworks and transition into the role of Executive Chairman. This decision was not made lightly and comes with a deep belief in our collective vision and the future of our company,” said Girish Mathrubootham in a statement.

Following the latest development, Freshworks has appointed Roxanne Austin, Lead Independent Director, to serve as Chairperson of the Board beginning December 1, 2025.

The filing by Freshworks also stated, “Prior to the effective date of his resignation, Mr. Mathrubootham will work with Ms. Austin to facilitate a smooth transition of Board leadership.”

In its latest quarterly results, Freshworks raised its full year revenue guidance on the back of increasing customer adoption. The company now expects FY25 revenue to be between $822.9 million to $828.9 million.

Freshworks expected FY25 revenue to be within the range of $815.3 million to $824.3 million. It also said it is expecting its adjusted net income from operations to be between $153 – $157 million, compared to prior guidance of $139.5 – $147.5 million. On a quarterly basis, the company reported a 18% jump in total revenue to $204.7 million.