Nous Research confirms it hit $1.5B valuation, launches AI agents for business users
Nous Research raised $90 million at a $1.5 billion valuation and launched Hermes for Businesses.
Nous Research confirmed a $90 million Series B at a $1.5 billion valuation, led by Robot Ventures with Nvidia, Union Square Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Samsung, and 1789 Capital. The round brings total funding to $158 million and will support Hermes for Businesses, enterprise agents for multi-step workflows with private data. Nous says the open-source Hermes agent has been cloned more than 24 million times and accounts for about 2.5% of global AI token usage. The Wall Street Journal reported roughly $36 million in annualized revenue by mid-September 2026, with Nous expecting to pass $100 million before year-end.
- Robot Ventures led the round, with Nvidia, USV, Menlo, Samsung, and 1789 Capital.
- Total funding is now $158 million for the three-year-old startup.
- Hermes has been cloned more than 24 million times, Nous estimates.
- Annualized revenue was about $36 million in mid-September 2026.
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In Brief
Posted:
1:48 PM PDT · October 7, 2026
Nous Research, the startup developing the open-source Hermes agent, has raised a $90 million Series B at a $1.5 billion valuation, confirming TechCrunch’s earlier reporting.
The round was led by Robot Ventures, with participation from other backers including Nvidia, Union Square Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Samsung, and 1789 Capital, where Donald Trump Jr. is a partner. The new financing brings the three-year-old startup’s total funding to $158 million.
Popular among developers and individuals, the open-source Hermes agent has been cloned more than 24 million times, driving roughly 2.5% of global AI token usage, according to the startup’s estimates.
The capital will fund Nous Research’s push into the enterprise sector with “Hermes for Businesses,” allowing companies to deploy customized AI agents that can handle multi-step workflows while keeping their data private and secure.
Nous was at roughly $36 million in annualized revenue by mid-September 2026 and expects to pass $100 million before the end of 2026, The Wall Street Journal reported.
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