Girish Mathrubootham to exit Freshworks; says, ‘We started from a small office in Chennai...’

Fifteen years after founding Freshworks in a small office in Chennai, Girish Mathrubootham will step down as executive chairman and board chair of the Nasdaq-listed software firm on December 1, 2025.

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The announcement marks the final step in a transition that began in May 2024, when he handed over the CEO role to Dennis Woodside.

Freshworks said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that Mathrubootham’s departure was not the result of any disagreement on the company’s operations or governance. Roxanne Austin, the lead independent director since 2021 and a board member at CrowdStrike and Verizon, will succeed him as chairperson. The reshuffle will also reduce the board size to nine members.

Mathrubootham, often referred to as “G,” founded Freshworks in 2010 and led it through investments from Accel, Sequoia and Tiger Global before steering its $10 billion Nasdaq debut in 2021, making it the first Indian SaaS company to list in the United States. He currently holds a 4.28% stake in the company after partially selling shares in late 2024.

In a post on LinkedIn, he called the decision “not easy” but said it was the “right one” at this stage. 

“What began in that garage grew into something much bigger — a company that serves thousands of customers around the world, went public on Nasdaq, and proved that India can build global product companies,” he wrote.

Mathrubootham said he would now devote his attention to Together Fund, the venture capital firm he co-founded with Manav Garg in 2021. The fund, which raised $85 million in its debut and targeted $150 million for its second vehicle, invests in early-stage startups building artificial intelligence applications and infrastructure. He has also been active as an advisor to dozens of companies and as a co-founder of SaaSBoomi, a pay-it-forward community for software entrepreneurs.

“I believe the world is at the beginning of a new era, and India has the talent and ambition to become a true Product Nation. That is the dream I want to dedicate my energy to,” he wrote.

Freshworks, under Woodside, has leaned into artificial intelligence as a growth driver. Its Freddy AI line of products recently crossed $20 million in annual recurring revenue, helping the company lift guidance for the year. Total revenue rose to $204.7 million in the June quarter, up from $174 million a year earlier, while operating losses narrowed by 80% to $9 million.