Ando, a new team messaging platform for human and AI workers, has announced it has raised $20 million in pre-seed and seed funding. The funding round included investments from Accel, Index Ventures, and Emergence.
The startup, which came out of stealth on Thursday, aims to offer a full replacement for existing messaging platforms such as Slack. Ando's app is designed to allow AI agents to have their own identities and inboxes, enabling them to participate in conversations alongside human colleagues.
According to Sara Du, Ando's founder, the platform addresses technical hurdles in integrating AI agents into traditional communication tools. She noted that agents can browse and join channels, engage in direct messages, and participate in group conversations without needing to be tagged. The fresh capital will be used to hire more staff and manage token usage.