Annual list recognizes Shanthi Shanmugam as one of the nation’s most innovative women entrepreneurs, who collectively generated approximately $12.3 billion in 2025
NEW YORK, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Casap, an agentic AI-powered disputes automation and fraud prevention platform, is proud to announce that its Co-founder and CEO, Shanthi Shanmugam, has been named to Inc.’s 2026 Female Founders 500, an annual list honoring the most dynamic women business leaders in the United States. The honor recognizes founders whose bold ideas, resilience, and execution are shaping the future of their industries.
The 2026 Female Founders honorees collectively generated approximately $12.3 billion in revenue in 2025 and $12.2 billion in funding to date, underscoring the economic impact of women-led businesses across sectors.
Each year, Inc. editors evaluate applications through a rigorous, multi-round selection process. Founders are assessed on both quantitative performance metrics, including revenue growth, funding, sales, and audience size, as well as qualitative factors such as innovation, social impact, and brand momentum. The final list represents entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and measurable progress over the past year. Previous honorees have included game-changing leaders such as Billie Jean King, Sallie Krawcheck, Serena Williams, and Emma Grede — all of whom have transformed their industries and broken barriers along the way.
“We’re building a future where trust is a given and fraud is rare,” said Shanmugam. “Recognition like this reinforces that the industry is ready for change. For years, slow, painful dispute processes were just accepted as inevitable. With Casap’s AI Agents, we’re proving they don’t have to be. Financial institutions no longer need to choose between delivering a great experience and reducing fraud losses. They can finally have both.”
Over the past year, Shanmugam has led Casap through its transition from product development to full market launch. Under her leadership, Casap onboarded its first customers and brought them live on the platform, validating the company’s agentic AI technology through real-world deployment. This foundational year validated Casap’s market impact, with customers now resolving disputes in 27 days compared to the 90-day industry standard, while cutting costs by 90%. That market traction helped Casap close a $25 million Series A at a $105 million valuation.
After building customer support infrastructure at Robinhood, Shanmugam recognized the systemic inefficiencies plaguing dispute management across the industry and set out to solve them at scale. She has since built strategic partnerships with financial institutions in half the typical sales cycle time, demonstrating the ability to translate complex AI capabilities into clear, quantifiable business value. With first-party fraud representing a $100 billion crisis for the financial sector, Shanmugam is positioning Casap as the defining category leader in AI-powered dispute management.
“Each year, we are increasingly amazed by the extraordinary leaders on our Inc. Female Founders 500 list,” says Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. “The honorees on this year’s list include innovators in AI, beauty and wellness trendsetters winning devoted fans, and nonprofit leaders making a real impact in their communities. Together, they’re showing all of us what trailblazing female leadership looks like.”
Several honorees will be featured in Inc. magazine’s Spring print issue, on newsstands March 17, 2026. To see the complete list of honorees, please visit: https://www.inc.com/female-founders/2026.
About Inc.
Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
About Casap
Casap is an agentic AI-powered disputes automation and fraud prevention platform. With built-in regulatory expertise and network integrations, Casap’s intelligent automation identifies fraudulent claims early and delivers fast, frictionless dispute and chargeback resolution at a fraction of today’s cost. Growing financial institutions use Casap to scale with a triple shield—back office efficiencies, fraud protection, and consumer trust and delight. Casap is backed by top-tier VCs and notable fintech founders. Learn more at casaphq.com.
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