Palo Alto Networks has completed a $500 million acquisition of Console, a startup barely two years old that applies artificial intelligence agents to automate routine IT help desk operations. The deal, confirmed by two individuals familiar with the transaction, was paid out in a combination of cash and stock.

Both companies made the acquisition public on Tuesday, though neither disclosed the financial terms in their official announcement. Console was founded in 2024 and had raised a total of $29 million before the sale, spread across two funding rounds. The first was a $6.2 million seed round led by Thrive Capital, followed by a $23 million Series A co-led by DST Global and Thrive.

According to data from PitchBook, Console carried a pre-acquisition valuation of $157 million, representing a swift and substantial return for its investor base, which included SV Angel, Abstract Ventures, and Palo Alto Networks' own chief executive, Nikesh Arora, who had backed the company as an angel investor. Palo Alto Networks did not respond to requests for comment on the deal's financial specifics.

Strategic Integration Into the Cortex Platform

The cybersecurity company announced that Console's technology will be folded into Cortex, its AI-driven platform designed to automatically identify and respond to security threats. The addition of Console's agentic capabilities is intended to give security teams the ability to investigate and resolve alerts through natural language interactions, reducing dependence on manual processes.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Arora described the integration as giving Cortex "the arms and legs to deliver autonomous security outcomes across the entire enterprise." The framing underscores Palo Alto Networks' broader push toward fully automated, AI-native security operations that require minimal human intervention at the task level.

Console's Origins and Customer Base

Console was founded by Andrei Serban, who had previously built Fuzzbuzz, a code-security platform that was acquired by workforce management company Rippling. With Console, Serban set out to eliminate the friction involved in everyday IT support workflows. The platform handled tasks such as password resets, access provisioning for software tools like Figma and Miro, and routine troubleshooting - all without requiring a human technician to intervene directly.

Among Console's customers before the acquisition were fintech company Ramp, public safety technology firm Flock Safety, and AI data platform Scale AI. These clients reflect the startup's focus on fast-moving, technology-forward organizations where IT support volume tends to be high and operational efficiency is a priority.

Competitive Landscape in IT Service Automation

In the startup market, Console's closest rival was Serval, another company positioning itself as a challenger to legacy platforms like ServiceNow. Serval reached a $1 billion valuation last December after completing a $75 million Series B round led by Sequoia Capital. While Console initially focused on IT help desk automation, Serval has since expanded its scope to cover AI-assisted workflows across human resources, legal, and finance departments.

With Console now absorbed into Palo Alto Networks, Serval stands as the most prominent independent startup in the IT service management automation space. One investor, who holds no financial stake in Serval, noted that the company is now the category leader to watch among startups targeting this segment.

A Busy Year of Acquisitions for Palo Alto Networks

The Console deal marks the seventh acquisition completed by Palo Alto Networks in 2026, according to PitchBook data. The company has been on an active buying spree this year, targeting venture-backed businesses that complement its security and infrastructure ambitions.

Earlier acquisitions this year included Chronosphere, an observability platform backed by Greylock and Lux Capital, which was acquired at a valuation of $3.35 billion. The company also acquired Koi, a cybersecurity startup supported by Battery Ventures and Team8, in a deal valued at $400 million. Together, these transactions signal a deliberate strategy by Palo Alto Networks to build out its platform through targeted acquisitions of well-funded, category-specific startups rather than relying solely on internal development.

The pace and scale of these deals reflect the intensifying competition among major cybersecurity vendors to incorporate AI-native capabilities across their product lines, as enterprise customers increasingly demand integrated platforms capable of autonomous threat detection, response, and IT management.