Palo Alto Networks spends $500 million to buy AI-driven IT help-desk startup Console

Palo Alto Networks announced a $500 million cash-and-stock acquisition of Console, a startup that employs AI agents to handle routine IT help-desk functions. Console, launched in 2024 by Andrei Serban after his earlier venture Fuzzbuzz was bought by Rippling, had secured $29 million in funding from Thrive Capital, DST Global, SV Angel and Abstract Ventures. The purchase, confirmed on Tuesday, will integrate Console’s capabilities into Palo Alto’s Cortex AI platform, enabling security teams to manage alerts via natural-language commands.

Prior to the sale, Console was valued at $157 million and served clients including Ramp, Flock Safety and Scale AI. The move follows Palo Alto’s aggressive 2026 acquisition spree, which also included Chronosphere and Koi, and leaves rival Serval as the leading startup in the automated IT service-management space.