Glonce

Nous Research confirms $90M Series B at $1.5B valuation for Hermes Agent

businessThe Glonce editorsTechCrunch🔥63Glonce rating63Impact60Novelty45Relevance95Surprise35Players55Credibility75
Nous Research confirms $90M Series B at $1.5B valuation for Hermes Agent

Nous Research, the startup developing the open source Hermes Agent, has raised a $90 million Series B at a $1.5 billion valuation. The announcement confirms TechCrunch's earlier reporting on the round.

Robot Ventures led the round. Other backers taking part include 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.

Hermes Agent is popular among developers and individuals. According to the startup's own estimates, it has been cloned more than 24 million times and drives roughly 2.5% of global AI token usage.

The new capital will fund Nous Research's push into the enterprise sector under the name "Hermes for Businesses". The product is meant to let companies deploy customized AI agents that can handle multi-step workflows while keeping their data private and secure.

On revenue, The Wall Street Journal reported that Nous was at roughly $36 million in annualized revenue by mid-September 2026 and expects to pass $100 million before the end of 2026.

Key facts

  • Nous Research raised a $90 million Series B at a $1.5 billion valuation, led by Robot Ventures; total funding is now $158 million.
  • Participants include Nvidia, Union Square Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Samsung and 1789 Capital, where Donald Trump Jr. is a partner.
  • By the startup's own estimates, the open source Hermes Agent has been cloned more than 24 million times and drives roughly 2.5% of global AI token usage.
  • The money will fund Hermes for Businesses, which lets companies deploy customized AI agents for multi-step workflows while keeping data private and secure.
  • The Wall Street Journal reported roughly $36 million in annualized revenue by mid-September 2026, with an expectation of passing $100 million before the end of 2026.

Why it matters

The round puts a $1.5 billion valuation on a three-year-old company whose flagship product is open source. Nous is using the money to move from developers and individuals into the enterprise market with Hermes for Businesses. The investor list is broad, from Robot Ventures as lead to Nvidia and Samsung, and total funding now stands at $158 million.

Who it affects

Developers and individuals who already use the open source Hermes Agent are the current base. The enterprise push is aimed at companies that want customized AI agents handling multi-step workflows with their data kept private and secure. The investors named in the round are also directly involved.

How to use it

Hermes Agent is open source, and the source describes it as popular among developers and individuals. Hermes for Businesses is meant to let companies deploy customized agents for multi-step workflows. No pricing, launch date or availability for Hermes for Businesses is given.

How solid is it

The funding itself is solid: the announcement confirms TechCrunch's earlier reporting, with the round size, valuation, lead investor and total funding stated. The usage figures are weaker. The 24 million clones and the 2.5% share of global AI token usage are the startup's own estimates. The revenue figures of roughly $36 million annualized by mid-September 2026 and an expected $100 million before the end of 2026 are attributed to The Wall Street Journal.

Risks and caveats

The source does not say whether the $1.5 billion valuation is pre-money or post-money. It does not say how the clone count or the token share were measured, and no individual investment amounts are given for Nvidia, Samsung or any other participant. No named Nous Research executive is quoted. The $100 million revenue figure is an expectation, not a result.