Nous Research hits $1.5B valuation, launches enterprise AI agents
The open-source AI lab raises $90 million as it pushes its Hermes agent into the enterprise market.
Open-source success meets enterprise ambition
Nous Research, a three-year-old startup known for its open-source AI work, has raised $90 million in Series B funding at a $1.5 billion valuation, according to TechCrunch. The round was led by Robot Ventures, with participation from Nvidia, Samsung, Union Square Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Microsoft's M12, and 1789 Capital, where Donald Trump Jr. is a partner.
The total funding now stands at roughly $158 million since the company's founding in 2023. By mid-September 2026, Nous was bringing in about $36 million in annualized revenue and expects to surpass $100 million before the year ends, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Hermes goes corporate
Alongside the funding news, the company launched "Hermes for Businesses" — an enterprise platform that lets companies deploy customized AI agents to handle multi-step workflows while keeping data private and secure.
Hermes Agent, the open-source product that made the company famous, has been cloned over 24 million times and drives roughly 2.5% of global AI token usage 1. It runs across desktop, terminal, cloud, and communication apps like Slack and Discord, and can retain memory, schedule tasks, browse the web, and connect to more than 200 models through the Nous Portal.
For businesses, the new platform adds single sign-on, employee permissions, workspace isolation, auditing, cost management, and integrations with Slack and Microsoft Teams 3. The core Hermes code remains free and open-source under an MIT license; the company makes money through model licensing, cloud hosting, and enterprise management services — a model known as open-core .
Betting against closed AI
CEO Dillon Rolnick framed the raise as a challenge to centralized AI platforms. In a note about the funding, he argued that access to powerful AI should not be controlled by a handful of companies 3. He also pushed back against calls for heavy regulation, saying he fears such moves serve the interests of big tech rather than protecting users.
Instead, Nous says safety should come from systems that anyone can inspect and audit, rather than from gatekeepers 3. The new capital will fund both the enterprise platform and a mobile app for Hermes Agent 4.
The launch comes at a time when companies are racing to build AI agents — software that can carry out multi-step tasks on behalf of users 5. Mais competition is growing, but Nous is betting that organizations want more control over their models, data, and deployment environments than closed AI stacks typically offer 3.
Key facts
- Nous Research raised $90 million in Series B at a $1.5 billion valuation
- Hermes Agent has been cloned over 24 million times and drives 2.5% of global AI token usage
- Total funding now reaches approximately $158 million
- Annualized revenue was about $36 million as of mid-September 2026
- Hermes for Businesses adds enterprise controls like SSO, auditing, and Slack integration
Sources
- Nous Research confirms it hit $1.5B valuation, launches AI agents for business users | TechCrunch — techcrunch.com
- Nous Research Raises $90M at $1.5B Valuation, Launches Hermes for ... — aitoolsoasis.com
- Nous Research Raises $90M Series B at $1.5B Valuation to Expand Hermes ... — tao.media
- Nous Research hits $1.5B with $90M Series B for Hermes — cryptobriefing.com
- Nous Research Hits $1.5B Valuation, Launches AI Agents for Business ... — ainewstrend.com