Freshworks vs Zendesk

10-Q Financial Filing Analysis for Freshworks (2026-08-04)

Freshworks Inc. reported solid financial performance for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026, with revenue increasing 16% year-over-year to $237.38 million. The company achieved GAAP operating income of $6.06 million and net income of $3.24 million, turning profitable compared to a net loss of $1.74 million in Q2 2025. Gross margin held strong at 85%, supported by 16% growth in subscription services. In addition, the company implemented a restructuring plan in May 2026 to streamline operations and leverage AI, incurring $7.03 million in restructuring charges during the quarter. Freshworks also continued its aggressive capital return strategy, repurchasing 18.35 million shares of Class A common stock for $159.0 million during Q2 2026 under its $400.0 million program approved in February 2026 ($195.5 million remains available). Free cash flow generation remained healthy at $52.01 million for the quarter. Growth with larger enterprise customers continued, with customers generating over $5,000 in ARR increasing 6% year-over-year to 25,356 and representing 92% of total ARR, despite net dollar retention rate moderating slightly to 104% due to FX headwinds.

• Q2 2026 total revenue increased 16% YoY to $237.38 million, with GAAP net income reaching $3.24 million ($0.01 per diluted share) compared to a net loss of $1.74 million in Q2 2025.
• The company recognized $7.03 million in pre-tax restructuring charges in Q2 2026 associated with organizational streamlining and AI automation initiatives.
• Freshworks repurchased 18.35 million shares for $159.0 million in Q2 2026 ($204.5 million across 24.04 million shares in H1 2026), leaving $195.5 million in authorization remaining.

Zendesk Appoints Rachita Sundar as Chief Financial Officer

Zendesk today announced Rachita Sundar has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer, effective September 28,…

Good Tape Raises Funding, Launches Explore for Interview Insights

Copenhagen-based AI transcription startup Good Tape has raised €600k from Nordic Makers, an investment group founded by former unicorn founders. Zendesk co-founder Alexander Aghassipour led the investment and joined Good Tape's board. The funding is part of a management buyout that made Good Tape an independent company, with co-founders Lasse Finderup and Ýmir Gyðuson Gíslason buying out Zetland, the Danish newsroom from which it spun out. Good Tape also launched Explore, a feature that connects new recordings to a user's entire transcription history, surfacing contradictions, opinions, and supporting arguments. Explore is free initially. With over 15 million transcriptions in 100+ languages, Good Tape serves journalists, researchers, lawyers, and consultants, and is used by 3 million people in over 150 countries. The company emphasizes EU data residency, GDPR compliance, and does not train AI on customer data.

• Good Tape raised €600k from Nordic Makers, led by Zendesk co-founder Alexander Aghassipour, who joined the board.
• The funding is part of a management buyout, making Good Tape independent from Zetland.
• Good Tape launched Explore, connecting new recordings to past transcriptions to surface patterns.

Zendesk Names Rachita Sundar as CFO

Zendesk announced the appointment of Rachita Sundar as Chief Financial Officer, effective September 28, 2026. Sundar, who brings over 20 years of experience in finance and operations at technology companies including Microsoft Azure, HubSpot, and Qualtrics, succeeds Julie Swinney, who transitions to Chief Administrative Officer and executive sponsor of Zendesk's Employee Service business. At Qualtrics, Sundar helped finance and close the $6.75 billion acquisition of Press Ganey Forsta. CEO Tom Eggemeier highlighted her financial rigor and operational expertise as Zendesk scales toward a multi-billion-dollar AI business.

• Rachita Sundar appointed CFO of Zendesk, effective September 28, 2026.
• Sundar has over 20 years of experience at Microsoft Azure, HubSpot, and Qualtrics.
• At Qualtrics, Sundar helped finance and close the $6.75 billion acquisition of Press Ganey Forsta.