Nous Research Raises $90 Million at $1.5 Billion Valuation, Launches Enterprise AI Agents
Nous Research raises $90 million at a $1.5 billion valuation, launches Hermes for Businesses, and targets over $100 million revenue by the end of 2026.
Summary
Nous Research, founded three years ago, raised a $90 million Series B at a $1.5 billion valuation on October 7, 2026. Robot Ventures led the round, joined by Nvidia, Union Square Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Samsung and 1789 Capital, where Donald Trump Jr. is a partner. The financing brings total funding to $158 million.
Hermes, its open source agent popular with developers and individuals, has been cloned more than 24 million times and accounts for roughly 2.5% of global AI token usage, based on Nous Research estimates. The capital will support Hermes for Businesses, which lets companies deploy customized agents for workflows spanning multiple steps while keeping data private and secure. Nous Research reached roughly $36 million in annualized revenue by mid September 2026 and expects to exceed $100 million before the end of 2026.
Positives
- The $90 million Series B values three year old Nous Research at $1.5 billion and lifts its total funding to $158 million.
- More than 24 million Hermes clones indicate substantial adoption among developers and individual users.
- Roughly 2.5% of global AI token usage comes from Hermes, based on Nous Research estimates.
- Annualized revenue reached roughly $36 million by mid September 2026, with more than $100 million expected before year end.
- Hermes for Businesses extends customized agents into enterprise workflows while promising private and secure data handling.
Risks & concerns
- Reaching more than $100 million from roughly $36 million in annualized revenue requires rapid growth during the final months of 2026.
- Hermes clone totals and its 2.5% share of global AI token usage rely on Nous Research estimates and methodology.
- Hermes for Businesses has no disclosed pricing, release timetable or named enterprise customers.