Early Life and Education
Sekar Vembu was born in 1968 in Tamil Nadu, India, into a family of farmers. He received a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, in 1989. He furthered his education at Princeton University, earning Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering.
Rise to Success
Vembu co-founded AdventNet in 1996 with his brothers and friends. In 2009, AdventNet was renamed Zoho Corporation, transitioning from a network management software provider to an online applications provider. Zoho has grown to become a global cloud services company, offering over 55 integrated applications. Vembu was the CEO of Zoho until January 2025, when he transitioned to the role of Chief Scientist. Zoho's revenue reached $1.5 billion in 2024. Vembu also founded Vembu Technologies in Chennai.
Key Business Strategies
Zoho's success is attributed to its bootstrapped business model, growing without external funding and emphasizing user privacy. The company focuses on R&D, investing significantly in AI technologies and developing products organically. Vembu has also focused on rural development, establishing offices and the Zoho School of Learning in rural Tamil Nadu.
Philanthropy
Sekar Vembu is involved in philanthropy, supporting education and rural development. He has donated to organizations such as the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.