SaaS in current form is dead, we need to adapt and evolve: Freshworks’ Girish Mathrubootham

Freshworks’ Girish Mathrubootham at SaaSBoomi in Chennai on March 25.

Freshworks founder and chairman Girish Mathrubootham has said SaaS companies should embrace artificial intelligence (AI) or risk obsolescence.

“AI is exciting and scary at the same time. Exciting because we are disrupting other industries, scary because we are disrupting our own industry,” Mathrubootham said on March 25 at the SaaSBoomi annual event in Chennai.

Mathrubootham’s remarks reflect a broader trend where AI-driven automation is redefining traditional software as a service (SaaS) models. He said companies stuck in the old ways of building and selling software will not survive.

“SaaS in the current form is dead but we need to adopt, evolve, and compete,” he said.

He also talked about the rise of vertical AI SaaS, AI-powered solutions tailored for specific industries, gaining prominence. While traditional horizontal SaaS platforms have dominated the market, AI-driven vertical SaaS is gaining ground by offering hyper-personalised and efficient solutions for niche segments.

"If you are not adopting AI, throw away your roadmap. It’s time to throw away the old SaaS roadmap," he said.