Prashan Paramanathan

Prashan Paramanathan is the Founder and CEO of Chuffed.org, a crowdfunding platform for socially-conscious projects.1 He started Chuffed.org in 2013, which has since grown into an international platform supporting various social causes.12

Paramanathan's background includes:

1. Education: He has a background in engineering.1
2. Early career: He began as a corporate management consultant.4
3. Non-profit experience: Worked in the non-profit sector, including at Social Ventures Australia, a management consulting firm for non-profits.1

Key aspects of his entrepreneurial journey:

• Accidental entrepreneur: Paramanathan describes himself as an "accidental entrepreneur," having started Chuffed.org as a side project that grew into a venture-backed company.2
• Funding: Initially secured a $460,000 grant from the Telstra Foundation, then raised a $1.1 million round led by Blackbird Ventures, marking the first time an Australian tech VC invested in a social enterprise.2
• Innovation: Developed ChuffedAmplify, a tool that allows campaigns to advertise effectively, potentially raising significant funds with high ROI.1

Paramanathan's vision for Chuffed.org is to make charitable giving as enjoyable as buying a pair of shoes, transforming it from an obligation into a pleasurable experience.2 As of January 2025, Chuffed.org continues to operate under his leadership, with recent job postings for senior engineering roles.3