Palo Alto Networks to integrate Console agents into Cortex
Palo Alto Networks has agreed to acquire Console, an AI startup focused on automating routine IT help-desk work, for $500 million in cash and stock, two people familiar with the transaction said. The cybersecurity company and Console announced the acquisition on Tuesday without disclosing the terms.
Console, founded in 2024, will be integrated into Palo Alto Networks' Cortex platform, which uses artificial intelligence to detect and neutralize threats. Palo Alto Networks said Console's agentic capabilities will enable security teams to investigate and resolve alerts through natural-language interactions.
Agentic workflows move into security operations
Nikesh Arora, Palo Alto Networks' chief executive, said Console gives Cortex “the arms and legs to deliver autonomous security outcomes across the entire enterprise.” The planned integration positions Console's technology beyond its original help-desk use cases and inside the vendor's security operations platform.
As an independent company, Console automated password resets, access grants for applications including Figma and Miro, and routine troubleshooting without direct human involvement. Its customers included Ramp, Flock Safety and Scale AI. The company was founded by Andrei Serban after Rippling acquired his previous code-security startup, Fuzzbuzz.
Rapid return after two funding rounds
Console raised $29 million over two rounds: a $6.2 million seed led by Thrive Capital and a $23 million Series A co-led by DST Global and Thrive. PitchBook listed its valuation at $157 million before the acquisition. Its investors included SV Angel, Abstract Ventures and Arora, who invested as an angel.
The deal is Palo Alto Networks' seventh acquisition in 2026, according to PitchBook. Other venture-backed companies acquired by the company this year include observability platform Chronosphere, valued at $3.35 billion, and cyber startup Koi in a $400 million transaction.
What the transaction means for IT teams
Console competed mainly with Serval, another ServiceNow challenger. Serval began as an AI technical-support tool and expanded into assistance for human resources, legal and finance teams; it reached a $1 billion valuation after a $75 million Series B led by Sequoia in December.
For businesses, the acquisition highlights a practical convergence between IT service management and security operations: teams evaluating AI agents should map which repetitive access, support and alert-resolution tasks can be handled through natural-language workflows while retaining appropriate operational oversight.