11x Founder Hasan Sukkar Steps Down as CEO to Focus on Strategic Growth

Hasan Sukkar, the founder of AI startup 11x, has announced his decision to step down from the CEO role. Sukkar shared this update on LinkedIn, explaining that he will transition into a non-executive chairman position. In this new role, he will collaborate closely with the incoming CEO, Prabhav Jain, who is currently the company’s CTO. Sukkar emphasized his passion for building startups from the ground up and his belief that passing the CEO baton is necessary for 11x’s next growth phase.

Prabhav Jain, a former Brex executive and three-time founder, is stepping into the CEO position to guide 11x as it evolves from a single-product startup to a platform powering hundreds of go-to-market (GTM) teams worldwide. This leadership change reflects the company’s growth and strategic shift toward scaling its platform capabilities.

Despite 11x’s promising funding history, including more than $70 million raised from top-tier investors like Benchmark and Andreessen Horowitz, the company has faced challenges. Reports surfaced about customer retention issues, product concerns, and workplace culture difficulties. Additionally, controversy arose when 11x displayed inactive companies as customers on its website, leading to legal threats.

Investors remain supportive of the company and its leadership. Benchmark’s Sarah Tavel and Andreessen Horowitz’s Joe Schmidt have publicly expressed strong conviction in the team, product, and market opportunity. Tavel, who recently shifted to a venture partner role at Benchmark, highlighted her continued confidence in 11x’s progress and potential.

The leadership transition at 11x is a strategic move to position the company for its next phase of growth. By appointing Prabhav Jain as CEO, 11x aims to leverage his technical expertise and entrepreneurial experience to scale its platform and expand market reach. Meanwhile, Hasan Sukkar will focus on guiding the company’s strategic direction, product vision, and industry relationships from his chairman role.

This transition underscores a common pattern in startup evolution, where founders who excel at early-stage innovation step aside to enable growth-focused leaders to drive scale and operational maturity. For AI startups like 11x, navigating this shift effectively can be critical to long-term success and market leadership.

As 11x moves forward, the company’s ability to address past challenges, strengthen product-market fit, and capitalize on its platform evolution will be key to sustaining investor confidence and customer growth. The leadership change is a pivotal step in this journey, signaling a renewed focus on scaling and operational excellence in the competitive AI landscape.