Chennai-born entrepreneur, Girish Mathrubootham, initiated his venture in October 2010, starting from an air conditioning warehouse in Tamil Nadu’s capital city. At that time, he was backed by a team of six talented individuals. In a surprising turn of events, the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company experienced immediate success, garnering an impressive 200 B-to-B customers within a mere six months of its launch. This exponential growth led to the company achieving the esteemed status of a Unicorn in 2018. Taking another significant leap forward, Freshworks was listed on NASDAQ in the United States in 2021, attaining an outstanding valuation of 13 billion dollars.
Transitioning to the heart of innovation, Mathrubootham moved his company’s headquarters from Chennai to San Mateo, California. Presently, Freshworks caters to a vast clientele, serving over 50,000 customers across 120 companies. The company offers a comprehensive platform equipped with various software tools that support diverse fields such as sales, productivity, marketing, human resources, and IT services.
Prior to this entrepreneurial venture, Mathrubootham had an engineering background and spent a decade honing his skills at Zoho, where he eventually reached the position of Vice President of Product Management before venturing out on his own.
Initially, Mathrubootham took on the responsibility of managing the rapidly expanding business. As the company soared to new heights, he wisely appointed a dedicated management team to lead the operations.
The NASDAQ listing proved to be a life-changing event for many of the company’s employees, with a substantial number becoming crorepatis (millionaires) in the United States. Mathrubootham’s own net worth witnessed an impressive surge, reaching a staggering 700 million dollars (approximately Rs 5788 crore at the current exchange rate).
Growing up in Tiruchi, Girish Mathrubootham’s journey to success was not without its challenges. Despite facing ridicule from relatives for not being academically exceptional, he persevered and proved his critics wrong. While he couldn’t secure admission to the prestigious IIT, he completed his engineering degree from the Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy near his hometown. Later, he pursued an MBA from the University of Madras, further enriching his knowledge and skills.
Remarkably, Mathrubootham’s first office was rented at a modest cost of just 100 dollars.
Today, Freshworks stands as a testament to Mathrubootham’s determination and entrepreneurial vision, with a notable achievement of 500 employees becoming crorepatis through their association with the company. Even more impressive is the fact that 70 of these individuals were below the age of 30.
Hailing from humble beginnings, Girish Mathrubootham is the son of a retired bank officer, and his journey to success exemplifies the power of perseverance and passion to overcome obstacles and achieve greatness.
