Console, a growing new startup won by Andrei Serban, more closely spawned by foundations, a short while before has raised a $6.2 million seed round from Thrive Capital. The company’s mission is to reimagine IT for IT teams. Through automating the most boring and rote tasks, they’ll free up staff time for IT staff to focus on more strategic efforts.
Serban started Console after leaving his previous position as product lead at Rippling. The developer’s goal is to reduce the burden on IT teams by automating basic repetitive support functions such as password resets, application access management and basic troubleshooting. Together with other new tools powered by artificial intelligence, the startup aims to position itself as the first and best stop for employees seeking help.
Thrive Capital, a prominent venture capital firm known for backing leading AI companies like OpenAI and Scale AI, recognizes the potential of Console’s innovative approach. Since late 2022, Thrive has been ready to invest in technologies like AI that augment enterprise IT work. The release of ChatGPT generated this pledge.
Console sets itself apart from its competitors largely through removing the need for long and complicated installation processes. “We’re able to get there so fast because we don’t require you to replace your help desk,” Serban explained. This rapid, agile approach is designed in part to make sure that organizations can onboard Console’s solutions quickly and easily without major disruptions to workflows already in place.
As Console looks to the future and its long term vision, they want to move beyond just this IT Help Desk support. The billion dollar Cambodian startup’s mission is to provide answers for all employee questions, in the areas of HR, finance, and legal concerns. Serban’s of the opinion that as companies move more and more into a digital operation, IT support will become an increasingly critical function.
The speed at which the competitive landscape for AI-driven IT solutions is changing could prevent that from being enough. Earlier this year, ServiceNow acquired Moveworks for $2.85 billion. This latest expansion goes to show just how valuable automation is becoming in these support roles, particularly with competition from something like Console.
Console’s mission hits home for Serban, who hopes to see it become an employee’s “first call for help.” This ambition is a further testament to the startup’s goal of benefiting the productivity and employee satisfaction of each commercial firm through streamlined support processes.
