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Khadim Batti, cofounder of SaaS soonicorn Whatfix, passed away due to a cardiac arrest. Batti cofounded Whatfix with Vara Kumar Namburu in 2013. He served as the CEO of the Bengaluru and San Francisco-based startup. He was about 50 years old. "It is with deep sorrow that we confirm the unexpected passing of our beloved cofounder and CEO, Khadim Batti, who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest today. The company requests the media and the public to respect the privacy of Khadim’s family during this difficult time. A visionary leader known for his transformative impact on the global enterprise SaaS landscape, Khadim’s passion, clarity, and conviction shaped not just Whatfix, but everyone who had the privilege of meeting him. He inspired entrepreneurs beyond technology to dream big and pursue their ambitions with conviction. His legacy lies in the resilient organization and deeply committed leadership team he built. Our leadership team remains steadfast in carrying his vision forward," Whatfix said. In a post on X, Avinash Raghava, CEO of AIBoomi, remembered Batti as a friend and mentor who supported founders and the wider Indian startup ecosystem. The founder community, formerly known as SaaSBOOMi, was rebranded as AIBoomi earlier this year to reflect its growing focus on AI. “His journey with Whatfix inspired so many founders in this community,” Raghava said. Whatfix offers an AI-powered digital adoption platform that helps enterprises train employees, drive the adoption of software applications, and derive greater value from their technology investments. The startup serves more than 700 enterprises, including over 80 Fortune 500 companies. Its product portfolio also includes a product analytics platform and Whatfix Mirror, which allows enterprises to create interactive simulations of applications for employee training. It is currently focusing on strengthening its AI capabilities post the acquisition of personalisation platform Airim in 2019, whose technology was integrated into Whatfix’s digital adoption platform. It subsequently launched ScreenSense, its patented AI technology that helps the platform understand graphical user interfaces and powers its digital adoption, product analytics, and simulation products. Whatfix has also invested in hiring AI talent, upskilling its engineering workforce, and allocating dedicated AI budgets across departments. In an interaction with Inc42 in 2025, Batti said Whatfix reached an ARR of $58 Mn and was targeting the $150 Mn mark ahead of a potential public listing. At the time, Batti said the startup could go public within two years, with AI expected to play a key role in its growth. Startup Ecosystem’s Recent Losses Batti’s death comes amid the passing of several members of India’s startup ecosystem this year. In July, the ecosystem mourned the death of Akhilesh Agarwal, a member of Accel’s investment team who focused on pre-seed and seed-stage startups. In April, Regan Mithani, cofounder of SaaS startup Xpedize, passed away at the age of 45. He died on March 29 while on a family holiday in Singapore. In May, Unnati Agri cofounder Ashok Prasad died following a cardiac arrest. The startup said he played a key role in strengthening its growth, institutional capabilities, and long-term strategic direction. Earlier this year, Icertis cofounder Samir Bodas passed away at 61 following a prolonged battle with cancer.
document fetched 2026-09-02 06:33 · canonical https://inc42.com/buzz/whatfix-cofounder-khadim-batti-passes-away