When Freshworks began in 2010, on the bustling streets of Chennai, few could have imagined it would one day ring the opening bell on Wall Street.
What started as a small startup aiming to build simple, user-friendly customer support software has evolved into a global SaaS juggernaut, worth billions and serving clients around the world.
Freshworks was founded by Girish Mathrubootham and Shan Krishnasamy to deliver software that companies could set up and use with minimal fuss. Chennai, a city not always thought of as a startup hub, became the unlikely birthplace of a business that would go on to challenge global giants.
Their early focus on ease-of-use and a clean, distraction-free user experience helped Freshworks stand out in a crowded market even as it grew slowly from humble roots.
Building a global footprint
Freshworks’ core strength was in customer engagement tools, CRM platforms and help-desk systems that allowed businesses to communicate better with their clients. The company’s early belief was simple, provide powerful cloud-based tools that even small and medium businesses can adopt without steep learning curves. As businesses around the world moved to cloud-based operations and customer service became a priority, Freshworks found itself perfectly placed to expand quickly.
What began as support software transformed into a broader offering. Over time, Freshworks diversified into marketing automation, IT service management, and tools for employee engagement. This flexibility kept it relevant as customer expectations changed and as the SaaS market grew in complexity.
A turning point came with Freshworks’ initial public offering on the Nasdaq in September 2021. The IPO raised around $1 billion a watershed moment for Indian SaaS firms. Overnight, Freshworks moved from being a quietly growing startup out of Chennai to a global company backed by public investors and recognized worldwide. The valuation jumps, funding rounds, and investor confidence all pointed to something bigger: Freshworks was no longer just an Indian success story. It had become a global SaaS exporter.
That IPO and the impressive valuation milestones leading up to it helped establish Freshworks as a serious contender in enterprise software worldwide. Its growth from inception to a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse explain what many now call the big dream.
Impact beyond numbers
Freshworks’ success played out not just on stock tickers, but in real lives. Many of its early employees, engineers, support staff, and sales teams based in Chennai became millionaires as a result of stock options and public listing gains. Their stories illustrate how startup success can build wealth and opportunity for ordinary people, beyond the founders and investors.
Moreover, Freshworks’ rise has energised India’s broader startup ecosystem. Its journey shows other Indian tech companies that it’s possible to build world-class software from Indian cities, even ones not traditionally seen as tech capitals. Entrepreneurs in smaller cities now believe that global scale is within reach.
Even as it grew large, Freshworks stuck to the values that helped it succeed: building software that is easy to use, scalable, and constantly evolving. Its leadership recognised early that in a fast-moving world, simplicity and reliability matter,especially for small and mid-size businesses.
Under Girish Mathrubootham’s guidance, Freshworks managed to balance ambition with humility: expand globally, yes, but keep the user at the center. That focus allowed it to compete with established giants, especially in markets like the United States, where its AI-powered customer and employee experience tools earned strong adoption.
Today, Freshworks continues to innovate, integrating AI and expanding its product suite to serve wide-ranging business needs. It remains a vivid example of how a startup founded on modest streets can rise to global prominence a success story powered by vision, perseverance, and smart execution.The company’s valuation reached $3.8 billion, telling us its transformation from a modest startup in Chennai to a major global SaaS contender.
