Gupshup
Gupshup is a global conversational messaging platform that enables businesses to build, deploy, and manage AI-powered chatbots, agents, and customer engagement solutions across messaging, voice, and multimodal channels.[1] Founded in 2004, the company specializes in automating marketing, commerce, and support interactions, powering over 120 billion conversations annually for more than 50,000 customers in 130+ countries as of 2025.[2][3] Established by Beerud Sheth, Rakesh Mathur, Viswanath Ramachandran, and Milind R. in Fremont, California, Gupshup initially focused on SMS-based services before evolving into a comprehensive AI-driven ecosystem.[4] The platform's core offerings include the Gupshup Communicate suite for scalable messaging, industry-trained AI agents for personalized interactions, and tools that integrate with over 30 channels such as WhatsApp, SMS, and voice platforms.[1] These solutions deliver up to 2x higher engagement rates compared to traditional channels and reduce support costs by up to 60%, making it a key enabler for enterprise-scale automation.[3] With headquarters in San Francisco and operations across 14 global offices, including Mumbai, Gupshup employs approximately 1,200 people as of 2023 and underwent layoffs of over 100 employees in September 2025. The company has raised significant funding, including a Series F round and over $60 million in July 2025 from Globespan Capital Partners and EvolutionX, to expand its infrastructure.[5][6][7] The company has earned recognition as a Leader in Juniper Research's OTT Messaging quadrant for 2024 and Partner of the Year awards from Meta and Google in 2023 and 2024, underscoring its influence in the conversational AI sector.[3]Overview
Founding and leadership
Gupshup was founded in 2004 in Fremont, California, by Beerud Sheth, Rakesh Mathur, Viswanath Ramachandran, and Milind R. Agarwal, initially as a consumer-facing SMS-based messaging service aimed at facilitating short message sharing among users.[4][8] Sheth, a serial entrepreneur who previously co-founded Elance (now Upwork), envisioned the platform as a way to enable seamless mobile communication, starting with SMS to connect individuals privately and publicly.[9][10] Over time, Gupshup evolved from its SMS origins into an enterprise-focused conversational messaging platform, shifting emphasis toward business-to-consumer (B2C) interactions via mobile channels.[3][11] This transformation positioned the company to support brands in engaging customers through scalable messaging solutions, building on its early foundation in mobile communications.[12] Beerud Sheth continues to serve as co-founder and chief executive officer, guiding the company's strategic direction.[3] Key leadership includes Krishnamurthy Tammana as chief technology officer, responsible for technology strategy and engineering since his appointment in 2022.[3] The board features representation from major investors such as Tiger Global Management, which has played a pivotal role in the company's growth through significant funding.[13][14]Mission and global presence
Gupshup's mission is to make business-to-customer communication as effortless and fulfilling as chatting with a friend, by building the most advanced and innovative platform for conversational engagement that delivers customer delight through personalized interactions.[3] Its vision envisions a world where businesses engage consumers through personalized conversations, leveraging AI-powered messaging across multiple channels to enable intelligent, automated, and impactful exchanges.[3] This focus on effortless, human-like interactions underscores the company's commitment to transforming traditional business-customer dialogues into seamless, scalable experiences. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Gupshup maintains a robust global presence with 14 offices worldwide and a workforce of approximately 1,400 employees as of 2025.[5][3] The company operates primarily in key regions including India, the United States, Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, with dedicated offices in locations such as India (multiple sites), Bangladesh, Indonesia, Italy, Colombia, Mexico, and the USA to support localized operations and expansion.[3] Gupshup serves over 50,000 businesses across more than 130 countries, powering 120 billion conversations annually to establish its scale in the conversational AI landscape.[3] This extensive reach positions the company as a leader in enabling cross-border, multilingual engagement, particularly in high-growth markets like emerging economies in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.[3]History
Early development and milestones
The SMS Gupshup service was launched in 2007 in India by the Webaroo co-founders, including Beerud Sheth and Rakesh Mathur, enabling users to send group messages and build communities through text-based interactions on mobile phones.[8] The platform quickly gained traction, reaching 70 million users by 2010 by subsidizing messaging costs to foster real-time connections, but faced sustainability issues due to high operational expenses and regulatory limits on advertising.[8] By 2011, the company began pivoting toward enterprise applications to address these challenges, focusing on business-to-consumer communications such as alerts and notifications.[12] This shift accelerated in 2014 with the launch of Teamchat, an enterprise-grade messaging app that introduced "smart" messages—dynamic, context-aware communications tailored for team collaboration and workflow efficiency.[15] In 2015, Gupshup rolled out a multi-channel, serverless bot platform, allowing developers to build and deploy automated conversational tools across various messaging channels without managing infrastructure.[16] The momentum continued in April 2016 with the debut of gupshup.io, one of the world's first dedicated chatbot building platforms, which empowered over 25,000 developers to create bots for marketing, support, and commerce use cases.[17] That year, the company also expanded into voice messaging capabilities, integrating audio interactions to complement text-based services. In 2018, Gupshup established an early partnership with WhatsApp for its Business API, facilitating scalable, two-way business conversations on the platform used by billions.[18] Further innovation came in 2020 with the introduction of Gupshup IP (GIP) Messaging, a proprietary channel enabling rich, interactive experiences like carousels, buttons, and payments directly in SMS-like interfaces without app downloads.[19] Gupshup also broadened its scope by incorporating RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging, supporting advanced features such as high-resolution media and branded interactions for enhanced business engagement.[20] These developments culminated in April 2021, when the company attained unicorn status, underscoring its transformation into a leading conversational platform handling billions of messages monthly.[12]Funding rounds
Gupshup was initially bootstrapped by its founders following its establishment in 2004, before securing external capital. The company's first institutional investment came in June 2005 with a Series A round of $1.13 million led by Cambrian Ventures.[21] Subsequent early-stage rounds included a $10 million Series B in January 2007 from investors such as Lloyd George Investment Management, Cambrian Ventures, and HTSG; a $12.3 million Series C in October 2008 backed by CRV and Helion Venture Partners; a $12 million Series D in January 2010 led by Globespan Capital Partners; and a $10 million Series E in August 2011 from Tenaya Capital.[22][23] These rounds cumulatively built the foundation for Gupshup's growth in conversational messaging, culminating in a $1.4 billion valuation by 2021.[12] The company's major funding acceleration occurred in 2021 through its Series F, starting with a $100 million tranche in April led by Tiger Global Management, which elevated Gupshup to unicorn status at the $1.4 billion valuation.[12] Just four months later, in July 2021, Gupshup raised an additional $240 million in the same series from a syndicate including Tiger Global Management, Fidelity Investments, Malabar Investments, Think Investments, Neuberger Berman, White Oak, and Harbor Spring Capital, maintaining the $1.4 billion valuation.[14] In May 2022, the company raised another $100 million in Series F from existing investors including Tiger Global Management.[22] These infusions totaled $440 million and represented the largest capital raises in Gupshup's history at that point. In July 2025, Gupshup secured over $60 million in a mixed equity and debt round, with more than half in equity, led by Globespan Capital Partners and EvolutionX Debt Capital; the valuation was not disclosed but estimated below $500 million based on prior investor adjustments.[24] This funding supports platform expansion and working capital amid a potential domicile shift to India.[25] To date, Gupshup has raised over $544 million across 10 funding rounds from more than 25 institutional investors, including Tiger Global Management, Fidelity Investments, CRV, and Globespan Capital Partners.[22] The company has indicated plans for an initial public offering in India within 18 to 24 months from mid-2025, targeting 2026 or 2027.[25]| Round | Date | Amount | Lead Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series A | June 2005 | $1.13M | Cambrian Ventures |
| Series B | January 2007 | $10M | Lloyd George, Cambrian Ventures, HTSG |
| Series C | October 2008 | $12.3M | CRV, Helion Venture Partners |
| Series D | January 2010 | $12M | Globespan Capital Partners |
| Series E | August 2011 | $10M | Tenaya Capital |
| Series F (Tranche 1) | April 2021 | $100M | Tiger Global Management |
| Series F (Tranche 2) | July 2021 | $240M | Tiger Global Management, Fidelity Investments |
| Series F (Tranche 3) | May 2022 | $100M | Tiger Global Management |
| Mixed Equity/Debt | July 2025 | $60M+ | Globespan Capital Partners, EvolutionX |