Khadim Batti, co-founder and CEO of Whatfix, passed away on 1 September.
He co-founded Whatfix with Vara Kumar Namburu in 2014 and built it out of Bengaluru into a global enterprise software company. He was one of the most respected founders in Indian SaaS, and one of the most helpful. He made time for other founders, and was candid about how Whatfix had actually been built, including the years when it did not work.
Whatfix
2mo
It is with deep sorrow and profound sadness that we share the sudden passing of our beloved co-founder and CEO, Khadim Batti, today.
His legacy is the resilient organization and the committed leadership team he built along with all the lives he touched. We remain united in carrying forward the vision and values he championed.
Avinash Raghava runs AIBoomi, the community of Indian SaaS and AI founders.
Avinash Raghava
2mo
I'm deeply shocked and saddened by the passing of Khadim Batti, Co-founder of Whatfix, earlier today.
I'm truly struggling to find the right words while processing this news.
Khadim has been such an important part of our AIBoomi community and of the larger SaaS and AI ecosystem in India. Someone many of us have known over the years, shared rooms and conversations with, learnt from, and deeply respected.
His journey with Whatfix inspired so many founders in this community. But beyond everything he built, I will remember Khadim for the person he was.
A wonderful friend. A generous mentor. Someone who always made time for the ecosystem and showed up for founders with warmth and sincerity.
We have lost someone very special today.
My heart goes out to his family, the entire Whatfix team, and everyone who was close to him.
Rest in peace, Khadim. You will be deeply missed.
Kabandi Saikia co-founded Omnify.
Kabandi Saikia
2mo
This is such a heartbreak news! Khadim was one of the rare kind ones. May his soul rest in peace 🙏
Anand Jain co-founded CleverTap.
Anand Jain
2mo
@avinashraghava So sorry to hear this. He was such a genuine person. Hard to process this for me. May his family find the strength to bear the loss.
Om Shanti 🙏
Nikunj Thakkar is at Snezzi, an AI search visibility agency in Bengaluru, and worked with Khadim.
Nikunj Thakkar
2mo
Still finding it difficult to process this.
@KhadimBatti was much more than someone I had the privilege of working with. He was a dear friend, a mentor, and someone whose presence in my life I will always be grateful for.
Some people make you feel that you can reach out to them, no matter how much time has passed or where life has taken you. Khadim was one of those people for me. I’ll deeply miss knowing that he was just a call or message away.
I will always carry the conversations, encouragement, trust, and kindness he showed me. I feel incredibly fortunate that our paths crossed and that I got to know him beyond work.
Gone far too soon, Khadim. You will be deeply missed.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, @whatfix team and everyone whose life he touched. 🙏
Parth worked with Khadim at Whatfix.
Parth
2mo
One of my favourite ex-bosses is no more - @KhadimBatti died of cardiac arrest.
I am very sad at his passing.
He was a kind & patient man. He had a presence. A good judge of character. He taught me fairness can exist with scale.
I will miss him.
May Universe guide his soul.
Harshdeep Rapal is a co-founder of Legitt AI.
Harshdeep Rapal
2mo
This is beyond shocking.
When we were launching Legitt AI I dropped him a cold-mail to pick his brains on reaching out to US customers. He agreed for a call and walked me through his journey.
Such a genuine person and a wonderful founder.
May his soul rest in peace!
PJ is building Raise The Bar.
PJ
2mo
@avinashraghava Shocking to hear this.
May his soul rest in peace 🙏
Ashish Sinha founded NextBigWhat and runs UnPluggd, the conference Whatfix launched at.
Ashish Sinha
2mo
very shocking and sad to hear this. Whatfix launched at UnPluggd and later, we used to meet frequently over chai. an amazing friendly and helpful guy. RIP my friend.
Lakshmi Narayanan G worked at Whatfix.
Lakshmi Narayanan G
2mo
Sad & shocking to hear this 😭
Khadim is one of the best superbosses I've worked for.
I joined Whatfix at a time when Khadim was still interviewing new joiners & I remember feeling awe at how approachable he was. Always had time for all. A good mentor. Level headed & calm.
Krishna Mehra co-founded Capillary Technologies and is a partner at Elevation Capital.
Krishna Mehra
2mo
Shocked and saddened to hear this news. Khadim was a mentor to so many. Condolences to his family and the broader Whatfix family. Om shanti 🙏
Tejeshwi Sharma is the founder of Mettle Capital.
Tejeshwi Sharma
2mo
Today is a tragic day for the Indian start up ecosystem. Still processing what just happened...
Rest in peace, my friend @KhadimBatti
Chirag
2mo
As I read this, it reminds me of my first conversation with him. I was in my 2nd year of engineering, and Khadim was just casually wandering around the Innovation Cell. I used to be the student prez back then.
I talked to him for more than 1.5 hours without even knowing that he headed a multi-million-dollar startup. I only found out after going back and Googling his name, much to my shock.
One of the most approachable and humble guys I’ve ever met. RIP 🙏
Siddarth Pai founded Sahasranshu Technologies.
Siddarth Pai
2mo
OMG, so sad! I remember how he came out with unique insight on software sales and built a unicorn.
Zishaan Hayath co-founded Toppr.
Zishaan Hayath
2mo
Shocked and deeply saddened to lose @KhadimBatti. You will always be remembered for your kindness and helpful nature.
Prukalpa Sankar co-founded Atlan.
Prukalpa Sankar
2mo
@KhadimBatti was an authentic, humble, helpful and all around amazing human being. Still processing this news. RIP.
Rishabh Shukla is building RevQ.
Rishabh Shukla
2mo
Shocked in disbelief.
Apart from inspiring many in the SaaS community, and leading the front with Whatfix....
Khadim also took time to give back to our engg college (Fr Agnels, Vashi).
Had the pleasure to interact with him during a Covid-period online session... where he shared his journey from a graduate of the first batch of engg to whatfix (and beyond)
Rest In Peace, Sir! Go well!
Kalpesh Bhalekar co-founded Scoutflo.
Kalpesh Bhalekar
2mo
Very sad to hear that Mr.Khadim, Co-Founder of Whatfix, passed away a few hours ago.
He was one of the most approachable CEO in HSR, always open to a quick chat if you happened to run into him at Third Wave.
Absolutely heartbreaking to hear this ☹️
Manisha Raisinghani is the founder of SiftHub.
Manisha Raisinghani
2mo
@avinashraghava This is shocking. Don’t know how to process this
Arvind Jha is building Mithila Stack.
Arvind Jha
2mo
@avinashraghava Shocking. So young. Prayers for his soul.
Aashish Punjabi is at Peak XV Partners.
Aashish Punjabi
2mo
@avinashraghava May his soul rest in peace. Condolences to the family and to everyone whose life he touched.
Mayank Jain is an investor at Stellaris Venture Partners.
Mayank Jain
2mo
Shocked and heartbroken to hear of the sudden passing of @KhadimBatti, founder of Whatfix.
I only met him a handful of times — but he left a mark. No airs despite all his success. Humble, helpful, calm, always smiling.
Gone far too soon. Strength to his family & the team 🙏
Rajesh Sawhney founded GSF, the accelerator and fund.
Rajesh Sawhney
2mo
This is one of the saddest days of my life. We lost Khadim Bhatti, founder of Whatfix today.
@gsf_fund was the first investor in @whatfix.
Khadim and I shared a deep bond. A few weeks back he pinged me. He wanted to meet me to show his 2 new AI products for the US market.
I visited Whatfix 2 weeks back & spent hours with him. He was in great mood & looked in fine fettle. He told me he runs 5Kms frequently.
I am shocked, why did God take away a promising life and a great soul who was always full of help.? He had hired 5 ex-GSF founders as his CXOs
I would make Whatfix as my base whenever I visited HSR, this was home to me. And he made it home for me. I would meet other portfolio founders in my new comfort zone.
I will always miss you my friend.
GSF family of 300 + founders will always miss you.
May you rest in peace!
IIIT-Bangalore
2mo
We are deeply saddened by the sudden and untimely passing of Shri Khadim Bhatti, a valued member of our Board, a distinguished alumnus of the Institute, the co-founder of Whatfix, and a highly accomplished entrepreneur.
Through his association with the Institute, Shri Khadim Bhatti made significant contributions and served as a respected member of the IIITB Board. He will be remembered with great pride and affection for his dedicated service, professional achievements, entrepreneurial vision, and the distinction he brought to the Institute as an alumnus. His untimely demise is a profound loss to his family, colleagues, friends, and the entire Institute community.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones and pray that they find strength and solace during this difficult time.
May his soul rest in peace.
Ashsingh
2mo
@avinashraghava We competed against Khadim at some point in time. Always admired the way he was building WhatFix.
Rajeev Singh is building EqualByte.
Rajeev Singh
2mo
Really sad to hear that an old colleague passed away so early. Was with him in Huawei and he was very focused in his craft.
RIP Khadim
Riten is the founder of Fueler.
Riten
2mo
deeply shocked by the news of khadim sir :(
i recently accidently met khadim sir at chaayos hsr and even got his autograph. it was on the same book i got to read more about him and whatfix (the grit stories by saas bhoomi)
really admired what he built with whatfix. taking a small startup and making it a globally recognised tech company is such an incredible feat (they were infact planning for IPO by 2026 end, early 2027)
i used to walk past the whatfix office almost every day and was always so inspired by what they had built, impacting so many lives.
you will be missed sir...thanks for all the learnings 🙏
Ananda Verma is founder and CTO of Fasal.
Ananda Verma
2mo
@rajeshsawhney @gsf_fund @whatfix Khadim was our hero entrepreneur from IIITB alums network. We have always looked to him for inspiration and grit. We all are shocked to hear this news. May his soul rest in peace 🙏.
Gaurav is the founder of Maximem AI.
Gaurav
2mo
Really sad to hear about the passing of Mr. Khadim Batti of Whatfix. Never had a chance to meet or hear him speak. But a fan of the business and category he created. Just 6 days back, was chatting with one of the early employees and he had the nicest things to say about him. RIP, legend.
Gopi Krishna is building Hyperleap AI.
Gopi Krishna
2mo
@amnigos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmxxS8ZiMy4 gem of a person. Learned so much in that one interview. 🙏🙏
Virendra Maloo is the founder of Rarome.
Virendra Maloo
2mo
I heard a lot about Khadim and attended one of session where he was the speaker. He was always willing to help the founders and was one of the prominent figures in Indian startup scene.
Only last week I was telling someone about Whatfix.
May God give strength to his family at this time. Rest in Peace, Khadim.
Mohamad Faraz co-founded Upsparks Capital.
Mohamad Faraz
2mo
Rest in peace, Tragic news of Whatfix founder and CEO Khadim Batti , Didn't knew him personally but had heard great things about him and his work across startup ecosystem. Big loss gone too soon , prayers for him and his family.
Sanket Shah is the CEO of InVideo.
Sanket Shah
2mo
Deeply saddened by the passing of Khadim :( may god give strength to his family and team. Life is so fragile 💔
Arnav is building Leap.
Arnav
2mo
@avinashraghava This is saddening. I only met him once, reached out for help out of the blue.. but he was so kind and helpful.
One of the nicest people in the ecosystem. 😢
Bhavya Dilipkumar covers startups and tech at Moneycontrol.
Bhavya Dilipkumar
2mo
Deeply saddened by the passing of Khadim Batti, co-founder & CEO of Whatfix.
I had the privilege of moderating a session with Khadim. I remember his clarity, conviction and love for what he was doing.
Heartbreaking to see a remarkable entrepreneur gone so soon. RIP, Khadim!
Shubham
2mo
We used to have an office right next to Whatfix.
One random day, I was wondering what these guys had done to build such a big brand. Opened YouTube, searched for the founders and found this video.
I know it's a very old video, but it's still a gem.
RIP Khadim.
Rahul Chandra
2mo
RIP Khadim 🙏🏼 helpful, generous and gentle in every interaction. May God bestow strength to your family to bear your loss
Arvind is building Loop AI.
Arvind
2mo
Deeply saddened by the passing of Khadim. Remember him very fondly from our one interaction back in 2019..
Prabhhav Sharma is the founder of Zintellix.
Prabhhav Sharma
2mo
Reading about how khadim sir play a role in their startup life.
How he inspired others and shared advice on growing business in heartwarming.
We lost one of the legends of Indian Saas Ecosystem.
Also a reminder for other founders to focus on their health.
Arun
2mo
@amnigos What terrible news. Such a warm and humble human. He left too soon. Condolences to everyone he touched.
Suresh Sambandam founded Kissflow and co-founded SaaSBoomi.
Suresh Sambandam
2mo
I am shocked, saddened and left with no words to truly express my feelings for the loss of a good friend founder and ceo of @whatfix #KhadimBatti . He passed away suddenly today morning due to cardiac arrest and was texting one of my other friends while he was hitting the "personal emergency" and will be missing a meeting. I first met him late 2014 or early 2015 at Leela palace bangalore. He had a small booth next our large booth and he and Vara his cofounder were so curious to learn anything and everything. 10 years later in 2025 I went to him for inputs to understand the nuances of scaling US enterprise market. He built $70m approx company and raised north of $200m and mentored 100s of founders. This is a big blow and a great loss to his family, his company, our close friends and the ecosystem. Still can't believe this has happened 😭
Prasanna K runs Upekkha, the B2B founder community.
Prasanna K
2mo
@whatfix This is a terrible loss for all of us..
My condolences to the whatfix team and his family..
Kumar Manish is the founder of Communicate Karo.
Kumar Manish
2mo
Gujarat-origin SaaS company Whatfix’s co-founder and CEO Khadim Batti has passed away.
From a small village in North Gujarat to making a mark in the global tech ecosystem, his journey was nothing short of meteoric.
Beyond building a successful company, he was a respected mentor and a generous ecosystem enabler who helped many entrepreneurs find their way.
A remarkable journey, cut tragically short. Condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and the entire Whatfix community. 🙏
@eChaiVentures
Ritesh Banglani co-founded Stellaris Venture Partners.
Ritesh Banglani
2mo
Shocked beyond words at Khadim's sudden demise. So gentle a soul taken away so soon and so abruptly.
Khadim faced the toughest of situations with such courage and grace - and a permanent half-smile - that his mere presence made you feel calm and optimistic.
My heart goes out to his family, his cofounder Vara and his colleagues at Whatfix. May you have the strength to deal with this tragic loss.
Faisal Farooqui founded MouthShut.
Faisal Farooqui
2mo
RIP
Dearest Khadim (Batti). Forever you defined grace.
Spriha Biswas is an entrepreneur and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree.
Spriha Biswas
2mo
It feels so unfair. You want good humans to win and have a great life.
One of the most humble founders I have met, so astute and so full of fire and aspiration.
Met Khadim several times these past few months. Still in shock and disbelief.
Nadeem Jafri
2mo
I met Khadim Batti in my office in early 2016. I don’t remember exactly whether he was just about to start Whatfix or had already started it, but I clearly remember him coming to visit me with his cousin.
I have been a witness to his meteoric rise; of course, built entirely on his hard work, determination, and astute workmanship. Khadim was ever humble and was always just a call away whenever I needed his advice, and he extended the same generosity to anyone who approached him.
For our community, Khadim was one of the most reliable pillars and a true inspiration. He encouraged and guided many people to take the entrepreneurial path, inspiring tech-based startup entrepreneurs within the community and far beyond.
His passing is indeed a huge loss to the startup fraternity, to the Cheliya community, and, for me, a deeply personal loss.
Rest in peace, my friend. May Allah grant you maghferat and the highest honour in the Hereafter. Ameen.
Stellaris Venture Partners backed Whatfix. Its co-founder Ritesh Banglani and its partner Alok Goyal have both posted here separately.
Stellaris Venture Partners
2mo
It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of Khadim Batti.
Our relationship with Khadim was always a special one. He was one of the first founders we had the privilege of backing, and, just as importantly, he placed his trust in us when we were still a young fund finding our feet. That trust has always meant a great deal to us.
Khadim was also someone our portfolio founders deeply looked up to. He was generous with his time, always willing to make himself available, share his experience, offer advice, or simply lend a listening ear. He had a rare warmth and humility that made people feel comfortable reaching out to him.
We will remember him not only for all that he built, but for the people he supported and the impact he had on those around him.
Our deepest condolences and prayers are with his family, loved ones, and the entire Whatfix team. May his memory, kindness, and vision continue to be a source of strength in the days to come. 🙏🏻
Siddhartha Ahluwalia hosts The Neon Show and is a founding partner at Neon Fund. Khadim recorded with him more than once, and the picture is from one of those sittings.
Siddhartha Ahluwalia
2mo
At loss of words to describe the sense of loss I feel for Khadim’s passing.
He was one in a million.
Among the stalwarts of Indian SaaS ecosystem. He showed other Indian SaaS founders who had scaled on how to give back to the community.
Anyone who had any question on US GTM, founders would be redirected to Khadim. Khadim was genuinely kind and super helpful.
The podcasts I recorded with him are fond in my memory.
We laughed a lot during our last recording. And he was always a message away for our founders.
This is how Khadim was.
My prayers to his family.
Alok Goyal is a partner at Stellaris Venture Partners, which backed Whatfix. This post carries a longer piece he wrote, Remembering Khadim.
Alok Goyal
2mo
Yesterday we lost Khadim, co-founder and CEO of Whatfix. Words cannot do justice to what I am feeling. The reality of what has happened will take time to sink in. He was by far my closest relationship in the VC ecosystem.
Rajesh Bhattad is a GTM advisor in Bengaluru who worked at Whatfix. He is answering Alok Goyal's piece.
Rajesh Bhattad
2mo
@alokgoyal1971 Beautifully penned, Alok. I could perfectly imagine "his childlike joy" on his first car you mention - that's how we all have his face imprinted in our memories when we remember him.
Rajas Neve was an investor at Powerhouse Ventures, General Catalyst and Picus Capital, and is building something of his own now in Bengaluru. He met Khadim at 22.
Rajas Neve
2mo
Yesterday was one of the toughest days I've had this year. We lost @KhadimBatti suddenly.
I first met Khadim when I was 22, starting at Powerhouse Ventures. He was one of the most approachable and beloved founders in our ecosystem, and he inspired countless founders, especially in SaaS, to build global companies from India (myself included). I learnt so many things from him.
I still can't quite believe he's gone. Words fall short of what everyone who knew him is feeling right now.
My deepest condolences to his Khadim's family, to Vara, and to everyone at @whatfix. May his soul rest in peace.
Chandra R. Srikanth is the executive editor for technology and startups at Moneycontrol. She is sharing a tribute by her colleague Bhavya Dilipkumar, who covers startups there; the passage in quotes is Bhavya's.
Chandra R. Srikanth
2mo
Khadim Batti: A relentless builder, generous mentor and lifelong learner 🙏🏽
My colleague @BhavyaDKumar , who tracks the Indian SaaS ecosystem closely has written this beautiful tribute based on her conversations with Khadim over the years.
"Almost every young founder I met seemed to have a meeting scheduled with Khadim either in Bengaluru or in the US. At some point, my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him if he was mentoring so many startup founders.
His answer surprised me.
He said he probably learnt more from the founders he met than they learnt from him
Our last conversation was in August. As usual, AI came up.
“There is so much in AI, Bhavya,” he told me. “I wish I could go back to college.”
He laughed about how, as a founder, staying updated was simultaneously “too exciting” and “a nightmare”.
He made learning feel less like something you finished and more like something you owed yourself.
And perhaps that is how many founders will remember him, not simply as the CEO of Whatfix, but as the founder they could call, the mentor who would listen, and the friend who would always argue back.
He was 51 when he died following a cardiac arrest on September 1.
For an ecosystem that talks endlessly about building companies, Khadim leaves behind a much bigger lesson: build people, too."
Prime Venture Partners · with Gaurav Ranjan · 20 Aug 2025 · 52 min
The most recent full telling of the Whatfix story: the pivot, the first customers, the move into the US, the $270M raised, and where AI fits now.
Forbes India · 9 Feb 2025 · 47 min
On the roadmap to an IPO, with Alok Goyal. Also carried as a Forbes India podcast.
Prime Venture Partners · 11 Nov 2022 · 42 min
On building an enterprise SaaS business out of India.
The Neon Show · with Siddhartha Ahluwalia · 16 Apr 2023 · 69 min
Both co-founders together. First published as "From Scratch to Success: Whatfix Founders".
Bessemer Venture Partners · with Anant Vidur Puri · 30 Sep 2022 · 6 min
An investor's conversation on building the category.
TechHerald · 10 Jan 2021 · 29 min
Whatfix · with Judy Khan Shaw · 7 Nov 2023 · 5 min
Filmed on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
The SaaS Podcast · with Omer Khan
Audio only. The Search Enabler pivot, 500 cold emails, and the first customer signed before any code was written.
The SaaS Podcast · with Omer Khan
Audio only. The follow-up episode, on go-to-market fit after product-market fit.
SaaSBoomi Founder's Deep Dive · with Suresh Sambandam · 29 Nov 2021
Audio only. The land-and-expand playbook, pricing, and creating a category.
Indian Silicon Valley · with Jivraj Singh Sachar · 4 Sep 2022 · 49 min
Audio only. Building a global go-to-market flywheel from India.
Winners' Circle · with Russ · 2 Jun 2026 · 27 min
Audio only. One of his last recorded conversations, on "userization" and AI agents.
DealMakers · with Alejandro Cremades · 25 min
Audio only, with a full transcript on the page. On fundraising.
Himanshu Upreti
AI Palette
2w
The first time I came to IISc, I was a math student sitting in the audience.
Last Saturday, I was back as a speaker.
That first visit was for an IFCAM workshop. IFCAM is the Indo-French Centre for Applied Mathematics, where Indian and French researchers work together on applied math problems. It’s based at Indian Institute of Science (IISc). For a student from Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, it felt like walking into the big leagues.
This time, eChai Ventures and D-CoE hosted “Built By Design: hardware, software, and everything people make” at IISc’s Department of Design and Manufacturing.
50+ people showed up on a weekend morning.
Hardware founders building physical products from scratch.
Software founders shipping AI.
Students with prototypes and big plans.
What struck me most was the ambition. Nobody in that room was thinking small. Long India 🇮🇳
I learned a lot from my fellow panelists too. K Joshil Raj, Ph.D, Mrinal Rai & Harsha Bhurani - hearing about your experiences and the work you’re doing was genuinely inspiring.
I earlier wrote about walking the same roads as CV Raman, Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai.
A young Sarabhai once did research here under Raman. Nobody back then knew he would go on to lead India’s space program.
Sitting in that room, I kept wondering who in it will be the name someone else walks past in 50 years.
Maybe it’s the student sitting in the audience today.
Lovely campus. Even better people.
Thank you to eChai, Jatin Chaudhary and the D-CoE IISc team for having me.
Jash Gor
5w
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