Freshworks Founder Girish Mathrubootham to Step Down as Executive Chairman in Dec

Girish Mathrubootham, the founder who built Freshworks from a Chennai startup into a Nasdaq-listed software company, will retire as executive chairman and from the board effective December 1, 2025, the company said in an SEC filing dated September 3, 2025.

The company clarified that his resignation “was not the result of any disagreement on matters relating to the company’s operations, policies, or practices.”

Roxanne Austin, who has served as Freshworks’ lead independent director since May 2021, will take over as chairperson on December 1, 2025. With this change, the board will be reduced to nine members, and the number of Class III directors will drop from three to two.

Mathrubootham’s exit marks a high-profile founder handover at one of India’s earliest SaaS success stories and underscores a broader trend of founders moving from operating roles into venture capital and ecosystem building. Mathrubootham will concentrate full-time on Together Fund, the operator-led venture vehicle he co-founded, signalling a shift in his personal focus from running a public company to backing the next generation of SaaS founders.

Transition & Governance

Freshworks said Mathrubootham will collaborate with Austin over the coming months to ensure a smooth handover. The company emphasised the move was part of a planned transition and not prompted by operational disagreements. The board resizing and class changes reflect the company’s governance adjustments as it evolves from founder-led startup to mature public company.

Mathrubootham co-founded Together Fund in 2021 with other India SaaS operators; the fund manages more than $200 million and bills itself as an operator-led, AI-first venture vehicle focused on the US–India corridor. His departure will allow him to devote full attention to investing and mentoring startups from that platform.

Company Performance & AI Focus

Freshworks has continued its expansion under CEO Dennis Woodside following Mathrubootham’s departure in September 2024, with recent results reflecting a strong growth trajectory.

The company reported June quarter revenue of $204.7 million, marking an 18% year-on-year increase. Its Freddy AI products, including Freddy AI Copilot and Freddy AI Agent, have already generated about $20 million in annual recurring revenue.

Building on this momentum, Freshworks has raised its FY25 revenue guidance to a range of $822.9 million to $828.9 million, which management attributes to growing traction from its AI-driven offerings.

Founder Stake & Past Moves

Mathrubootham remains a meaningful shareholder: disclosures show he owns roughly 4.28% of Freshworks, a stake reduced after he sold 2.5 million shares in December 2024 for about $40 million. His exit from board duties does not immediately change his public-company ownership.

Analysts and investors typically scrutinise founder departures at listed tech firms because such moves can affect strategy, culture and investor confidence. Freshworks’ steady revenue growth and the board’s appointment of an experienced independent chair provide continuity, but the market will watch whether the company can sustain its momentum as it scales AI products and competes with larger enterprise software incumbents.

Background

Mathrubootham founded Freshworks in 2010 in Chennai, and the company went on to list on Nasdaq in 2021, becoming a flagship example of India-built SaaS achieving global scale. Roxanne Austin, who has served on multiple public company boards, will now bring her independent governance expertise to the chair role.

Mathrubootham’s planned exit marks the completion of a long-running transition from founder-CEO to chairman and now to investor–mentor. For Freshworks, the move signals a full shift into the next phase of its public-company journey, with independent board leadership and a management team focused on driving growth through AI-enabled software revenue.