Freshworks is a customer engagement software company founded by Girish Mathrubootham and Shan Krishnasamy in Chennai, India, in 2010. The company initially began as a side project when Girish Mathrubootham, a former Vice President at ManageEngine, an IT management software company, experienced a frustrating customer service incident with a well-known software provider.
This experience motivated him to create a user-friendly and affordable customer service solution. Together with Shan Krishnasamy, he launched Freshdesk in 2010, marking the company's entry into the customer service software market.
Freshdesk was designed to help businesses manage customer support inquiries more efficiently by providing a streamlined and intuitive platform for customer service teams. It offered features such as email ticketing, knowledge base management, and multi-channel support, making it easier for companies to provide timely and effective customer support.
Over the years, Freshdesk gained popularity and expanded its product offerings to include features like live chat, phone support, self-service options, and integrations with various other business tools and platforms. The company also rebranded itself as Freshworks to reflect its broader focus on customer engagement beyond just customer support.
In 2017, Freshworks introduced a new version of Freshdesk called "Freshdesk Mint." This was a significant update that aimed to provide a more modern and intuitive user interface, enhanced automation capabilities, and improved reporting and analytics features. Freshdesk Mint represented a milestone in Freshworks' ongoing efforts to innovate and improve its customer service software.
Since its launch, Freshdesk, now part of the Freshworks suite of products, has continued to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of businesses, helping them deliver exceptional customer service and support. Freshworks has grown into a global company with a diverse range of products that cater to various aspects of customer engagement, including marketing, sales, and customer success.