Palo Alto Networks acquired Console for $500 million in cash and stock, according to two sources familiar with the deal.
The cybersecurity firm and the startup officially confirmed the purchase on Tuesday without disclosing specific terms. Console, founded in 2024, had raised $29 million previously. That funding came in a $6.2 million seed round led by Thrive Capital and a $23 million Series A co-led by DST Global and Thrive.
Before the sale, the company was valued at $157 million based on PitchBook data. This return benefited investors like SV Angel, Abstract Ventures, and Nikesh Arora, the CEO of Palo Alto Networks, who invested as an angel. Palo Alto Networks declined to comment further.
Integration into Cortex
The company intends to merge Console into Cortex, its existing platform for detecting and neutralising threats. Console’s agentic features will let security teams investigate and resolve alerts using natural language. Nikesh Arora stated this gives Cortex “the arms and legs to deliver autonomous security outcomes across the entire enterprise”.
Andrei Serban founded Console shortly after selling his previous startup, Fuzzbuzz, to Rippling. Console’s client list included Ramp, Flock Safety, and Scale AI. The tool automated password resets, granted access to applications like Figma and Miro, and handled routine troubleshooting without human input.
Competition with Serval
Console competed mainly with Serval, a ServiceNow alternative that reached a $1 billion valuation last December after raising a $75 million Series B round led by Sequoia. Serval began as an AI support tool and expanded to cover human resources, legal, and finance departments. One investor who does not back Serval told TechCrunch that the company remains the category leader to watch among startups automating IT service management.
Console marks Palo Alto Networks’ seventh acquisition in 2026. PitchBook records show the company also bought Chronosphere, an observability platform backed by Greylock and Lux Capital, at a $3.35 billion valuation. It also acquired Koi, a cyber startup supported by Battery and Team8, for $400 million.
Impact on IT operations
For IT teams, the shift means routine interruptions like password resets or access requests disappear from their queues. Agents handle these tasks directly, allowing staff to focus on complex incidents rather than administrative overhead. The integration aims to extend this automation across the wider enterprise, reducing the need for manual intervention on standard alerts.
