Ando wants to take on Slack with a team messaging app that lets humans and agents work together
techcrunch ·
Ando has emerged from stealth mode with a team messaging platform designed to integrate human workers and AI agents seamlessly, aiming to replace incumbents like Slack. Founder Sara Du identified that traditional platforms treat AI as mere apps rather than active participants, leading to inefficient 'meat proxies' where humans must relay agent work. Ando solves this by giving agents their own identities and inboxes, allowing them to join conversations, understand context, and notify humans when judgment is required. The startup recently raised $20 million in pre-seed and seed funding from investors including Accel and Index Ventures. Although major players like Microsoft and Slack have begun integrating AI, Ando argues there is still market space for an agent-native solution that avoids the limitations of legacy software pivots. Early feedback was mixed due to initial interface issues, but customers began staying longer once they saw agents proactively coordinating across channels. Currently serving small teams in software, real estate, and finance across 15 countries, Ando aims to enable small groups to operate at scales previously requiring hundreds of employees.
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