Console Secures $6.2M Investment from Thrive to Revolutionize IT Efficiency with AI Solutions

If you’ve ever found yourself locked out of your work computer, you can relate to the urgent need to contact IT support. However, help desk staff are often busy attending to other issues, resulting in significant delays before you can regain access.

Andrei Serban recognized the crucial nature of IT’s manual tasks during his time as a product lead on Rippling’s apps and integrations team. After Rippling acquired his coding security startup, Fuzzbuzz, in 2023, Serban saw a chance to leverage AI to automate numerous basic help desk functions, including resetting passwords, granting access to applications like Figma and Miro, and performing routine troubleshooting.

Excited to bring his vision to life, Serban departed from Rippling last year to establish Console, a startup dedicated to helping IT teams minimize mundane and repetitive tasks. This shift allows help desk professionals to concentrate on more strategic and complex projects.

Although automating help desk functions isn’t a novel idea, Console sets itself apart from competitors, including Moveworks (acquired by ServiceNow for $2.85 billion in March), by eliminating lengthy and intricate installation procedures. With its seamless integration with Slack, Console’s AI assistant can be deployed throughout the company in just a matter of weeks.

“We can achieve such rapid deployment because we don’t require you to replace your help desk,” he explained.

Console positions itself as an AI partner that enhances the capabilities of existing help desk teams. Serban believes that as organizations increasingly digitize operations, the role of IT will become even more crucial.

Employees can message Console via Slack, and the AI agent responds promptly, understanding everything about the user—from their specific laptop model to the applications they’re authorized to access. Console’s AI can independently resolve over 50% of the tasks and will involve IT staff for more complicated issues, Serban noted.

The quick installation attracted clients like Scale AI, Flock Safety, and Calendly. These successes have enabled Console to secure $6.2 million in seed funding from Thrive Capital.

Vince Hankes, a partner at Thrive, mentioned that the firm has been optimistic about AI’s potential to assist IT tasks since ChatGPT’s release in the fall of 2022. Although he acknowledged that Console’s rapid integration might suggest it could be easily replaced, he believes the AI technology will evolve swiftly through user adoption, ultimately becoming an essential and deeply integrated system for all users within a company.

Looking ahead, Console aims to expand its support to include other functions, such as addressing employee inquiries related to HR, finance, and legal matters. “We want Console to be the first point of contact for any assistance employees need,” Serban stated.