Palo Alto Networks has acquired Console, a two-year-old startup specializing in AI agents for automating routine IT help desk operations, for $500 million in a combination of cash and stock, according to two sources familiar with the transaction. The cybersecurity firm publicly announced the deal on Tuesday but did not disclose its financial terms.

Since its establishment in 2024, Console has secured $29 million in funding across two rounds: a $6.2 million seed investment led by Thrive Capital, followed by a $23 million Series A co-led by DST Global and Thrive. Prior to the acquisition, Console carried a valuation of $157 million, as reported by PitchBook, generating a swift return for backers such as SV Angel, Abstract Ventures, and notably Nikesh Arora, Palo Alto Networks' CEO, who had participated as an angel investor. Palo Alto Networks declined to comment on the specifics.

The company has stated that Console will be folded into Cortex, its AI-driven platform designed to automatically detect and neutralize security threats. Console’s agentic capabilities will enable security teams to investigate and resolve alerts through natural language, equipping Cortex with what Arora described in a statement as "the arms and legs to deliver autonomous security outcomes across the entire enterprise."

Console was founded by Andrei Serban, shortly after his previous venture—the code-security platform Fuzzbuzz—was acquired by Rippling. The startup, which counted Ramp, Flock Safety, and Scale AI among its clients, handled tasks such as password resets, granting access to applications like Figma and Miro, and performing standard troubleshooting without requiring direct human intervention.

As a standalone company, Console primarily competed with Serval, another challenger to ServiceNow that achieved a $1 billion valuation after raising a $75 million Series B round led by Sequoia in December. Serval initially launched as an AI tech support tool but quickly broadened its scope to offer AI assistance for HR, legal, and finance departments.

According to PitchBook, this marks Palo Alto Networks' seventh acquisition in 2026. Other venture-backed firms acquired by the cybersecurity giant this year include Chronosphere, an observability platform supported by Greylock and Lux Capital, valued at $3.35 billion, and Koi, a cyber startup backed by Battery and Team8, purchased for $400 million.