AI NewsNous Research confirms it hit $1.5B valuation, launches AI agents for business users

Nous Research confirms it hit $1.5B valuation, launches AI agents for business users

3:02 AM IST · October 8, 2026

Nous Research, the startup developing the open-source Hermes agent,has raised a $90 million Series Bat a $1.5 billion valuation, confirming TechCrunch’searlier 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 Journalreported.