Zoho Corporation
Zoho Corporation is a privately held software company headquartered in Chennai, India, and the successor to AdventNet. It offers business applications and IT management software under brands including Zoho, ManageEngine, Qntrl and TrainerCentral. Its origins date to late 1995 and early 1996; Sridhar VembuSridhar VembuSridhar Vembu is an Indian software entrepreneur, co-founder and chief scientist of Zoho Corporation. He helped establish Zoho’s predecessor AdventNet, led the company as chief executive for many years, and has supported enterprise software, technical training and rural technology development in India. He became chief scientist in 2025.Open the full entry is one of its co-founders.
Contents14 sections
Key facts
Late 1995–Early 1996Origins and Early Organization
Co-founder Sridhar Vembu places the company’s beginnings around late 1995 to early 1996, with early teams in India and the United States. AdventNet began in network management software, with several technical and commercial partners involved.[1]
2003Network Management and Product Transition
In 2003, the company’s main business was WebNMS network management software. After a customer project was cancelled, the team reconsidered its direction; Vembu connected that experience with the later development of Zoho CRM.[2]
2005Training and Recruitment
Zoho Schools of Learning began in 2005 with six recent high-school graduates, providing training in mathematics, engineering and English followed by apprenticeship opportunities. Zoho presents the program as a recruitment and training pathway.[3]
2005–2009Zoho Brand and Company Name
The company began building software services under the Zoho brand in 2005 and changed its name from AdventNet to Zoho Corporation in 2009. Zoho is both a common company name and a software brand; the group also operates other brands.[4]
July 25, 2017Zoho One
In July 2017, the company launched Zoho One, initially combining more than 35 web applications with mobile apps under centralized administration and single sign-on. Zoho described the suite as an operating system for business; its product count and features could change later.[5]
December 23, 2021Freshworks Settlement
In a 2021 announcement, Freshworks said Zoho had sued it in California federal court in 2020 over alleged trade-secret misappropriation. Freshworks said a former sales employee improperly accessed and used Zoho sales-lead information without company direction; the parties settled and Zoho dismissed the suit.[6]
2025Leadership Change
In 2025, co-founder Sridhar Vembu became chief scientist to focus on research and development, while Shailesh Kumar Davey became Zoho Corp’s chief executive. The company also changed the leadership of other businesses.[7]
May 2025Chipmaking Plan Paused
In May 2025, Zoho paused a chipmaking plan estimated at $700 million. A person familiar with the matter cited difficulties finding an appropriate technology partner; Vembu subsequently confirmed the pause and said the company lacked sufficient confidence in the technology path.[8]
February 2026Product Integration and Market
In February 2026, Zoho presented AppOS at ZohoDay as a shared data foundation for customer and partner extensions. Forrester analyst Cheryl McKinnon viewed AppOS as a further step in consolidating Zoho’s underlying platform. She also observed that the company was developing industry offerings in North America and Europe, while revenue growth in developing markets including India, the Middle East, Africa, Brazil and Latin America outpaced established markets.[9]
February 18, 2026Businesses and Brands
In its February 18, 2026 announcement, Zoho Corporation identified four brands: Zoho, ManageEngine, Qntrl and TrainerCentral.[10]
February 18, 2026Customers and Scale
In February 2026, Zoho Corporation announced more than one million paying customers and over 150 million users worldwide. It also reported 2025 year-over-year growth of 32% in customers and 20% in revenue. These are company-reported figures, and paying customers and users are different measures.[10]
September 23, 2026Industry Software
On September 23, 2026, the company described software offerings for different industries, saying they connect industry workflows with its wider application suite. Coverage and functions vary by offering.[11]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Zoho Corporation: Official website: https://www.zohocorp.com/ (opens in a new window).[12]
Zoho: Official website: https://www.zoho.com/ (opens in a new window).[12]
ManageEngine: Official website: https://www.manageengine.com/ (opens in a new window).[12]
Qntrl: Official website: https://www.qntrl.com/ (opens in a new window).[10]
TrainerCentral: Official website: https://www.trainercentral.com/ (opens in a new window).[10]
Zoho: LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zoho/ (opens in a new window).[14]
Zoho: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/@Zoho (opens in a new window).[15]
Sources
- 25 years of Zoho (opens in a new window)
- How a Cancelled Project at StorageTek Led to Zoho CRM (opens in a new window)
- People | 25 Years of Zoho (opens in a new window)
- Sridhar Vembu (opens in a new window)
- Introducing Zoho One (opens in a new window)
- Freshworks and Zoho Reach Settlement to End Litigation (opens in a new window)
- Zoho | About Us (opens in a new window)
- Zoho suspends $700 million chipmaking plan in latest setback for India (opens in a new window)
- ZohoDay 2026: One Stack, More Stakes (opens in a new window)
- Zoho Corporation Surpasses One Million Customers (opens in a new window)
- Zoho for your industry: Where business software meets industry knowledge (opens in a new window)
- Zoho Corp | Home page (opens in a new window)
- Zoho (@Zoho) / X (opens in a new window)
- Zoho | LinkedIn (opens in a new window)
- Zoho - YouTube (opens in a new window)