Girish Mathrubootham, the former CEO and co-founder of Freshworks, is embarking on a new quest: to cultivate India's next generation of AI giants. After stepping down as executive chairman of Freshworks effective December 1st, Mathrubootham is dedicating his full attention to Together Fund, an AI-focused venture fund he launched in 2021 with Eka Software founder Manav Garg.
Mathrubootham's transition comes at a pivotal moment, as AI is being hailed as the most significant technological revolution since the internet. He recognized the disruptive potential of AI several years ago, leading Freshworks to invest in its AI agent, Freddy. Mathrubootham believes AI presents a massive opportunity for India, potentially exceeding the impact of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). He estimates the total enterprise market to be around $300 billion, but with the introduction of AI agents, the combined software and salary time could unlock a $1 trillion opportunity.
Together Fund invests in early-stage AI startups, typically providing initial funding of $1-10 million at the seed and Series A stages. The fund distinguishes itself by making only eight to ten investments annually, ensuring substantial support for each portfolio company. Mathrubootham's investment philosophy is centered around backing founders and products he believes in.
In early 2025, Mathrubootham launched Together AI Studio, a 12-week venture-building initiative designed to help AI-first founders transform their ideas into scalable businesses. The program, which begins in Bengaluru before concluding with a week-long immersion in the United States, offers access to funding of up to $1 million, mentorship from AI entrepreneurs, and cloud credits worth $600,000 from OpenAI, AWS, Azure, and GCP. The studio actively seeks AI builders in sectors such as B2B AI applications, healthcare, security, and automation.
Mathrubootham's vision extends beyond mere investment; he aims to foster bold innovation and guide companies in navigating the AI landscape. He acknowledges that AI is both exciting and potentially disruptive, even to the SaaS industry. Mathrubootham stresses the importance of incumbents adapting to AI by building agentic AI platforms to retain customers. Freshworks itself has embraced this strategy by launching Freddy, an AI agent that provides self-service automation for customers and a co-pilot for human users.
Mathrubootham's journey from a "non-IIT/IIM, non-Harvard, Stanford graduate" to the founder of a billion-dollar SaaS company has made him a role model in the Indian startup ecosystem. His book, "All In," chronicles his life story and the rise of Freshworks leading up to its IPO in 2021. Now, with his focus on Together Fund and Together AI Studio, Mathrubootham is channeling his entrepreneurial zeal and experience to empower the next wave of Indian AI startups and propel India to the forefront of the global AI revolution.
