Nous Research confirmed a $90 million Series B funding round at a $1.5 billion valuation, the company announced today. The startup, known for its open-source Hermes AI agent, plans to use the capital to expand its enterprise offerings with Hermes for Businesses. This funding round brings Nous Research's total capital raised to $158 million since its founding three years ago, according to techcrunch.com.
The Series B round was led by Robot Ventures and included participation from Nvidia, Union Square Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Samsung, and 1789 Capital, where Donald Trump Jr. is a partner. Hermes, popular among developers and individuals, has been cloned over 24 million times and accounts for approximately 2.5% of global AI token usage, the startup estimates. Nous Research aims to enable companies to deploy customized AI agents capable of handling complex workflows while maintaining data privacy and security.
The startup's growth reflects rising demand for AI agents in enterprise settings, where automation of multi-step processes is increasingly critical. Nous Research reported about $36 million in annualized revenue by mid-September 2026 and projects surpassing $100 million in revenue before year-end, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company's open-source approach and strong developer adoption distinguish it in the competitive AI agent market, which includes players focusing on tailored business solutions.
Nous Research’s next milestone will be scaling Hermes for Businesses to enterprise clients, leveraging the $90 million funding to accelerate product development and market penetration. The startup’s rapid revenue growth and broad adoption of Hermes position it as a notable player in AI agent technology, with the Series B round closing in early October 2026.