The 'meat proxy' problem
Ever feel like you’re just a glorified messenger for your company’s AI? Sara Du, the founder of the new startup Ando, calls this the "meat proxy" phenomenon. It’s that vibe where a human has to manually copy-paste info between AI tools and human team members because current platforms like Slack and Teams weren't originally built for AI to be full participants.
Meet your new AI coworker
Ando, which just dropped out of stealth mode today, is a messaging platform designed specifically for a workspace where AI agents are coworkers, not just fancy plugins. Unlike standard apps where agents are basically restricted to being bots you install, Ando treats agents like legitimate team members.
They get their own identities, their own inboxes, and can hop into DMs or channels naturally. They can even join live calls to transcribe and digest context. Most impressively, these agents aren't just sitting there waiting for a prompt; they can actively notify human workers if they spot a conflict or a project update, essentially managing the coordination work that usually clogs up our schedules.
The roadmap
Du says the company is already working with teams in software, real estate, and finance across 15 countries. While early versions were a bit "janky"—a common hurdle for new tech—the team is scaling up with a fresh $20 million in pre-seed and seed funding from big-name investors like Accel, Index Ventures, and Emergence.
They aren't the only ones trying to redefine workplace comms, but they’re betting that a native, agent-first architecture is the move to beat out the legacy incumbents.
Why it matters
Real talk: We're all being asked to do more with less. Ando’s theory is that by letting agents handle the low-level execution and research, humans can finally stop being the glue and focus on high-level strategy and judgment. If it actually works, it’s a massive W for efficiency, essentially letting tiny startups operate with the coordination power of a much larger team.
