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

Companies can now deploy their own AI agents that keep proprietary data private, directly addressing a key business concern.

Nous Research has secured $90 million in Series B funding, achieving a $1.5 billion valuation and confirming earlier reports. The funding round, led by Robot Ventures with significant contributions from Nvidia, Union Square Ventures, and Samsung, brings the startup's total funding to $158 million over three years. Nous Research is known for its open-source AI agent, Hermes, which has been cloned over 24 million times and accounts for approximately 2.5% of global AI token usage. The company plans to leverage this new capital to expand into the enterprise market with "Hermes for Businesses." This new offering will enable companies to deploy private and secure AI agents capable of managing complex, multi-step workflows. Nous Research's annualized revenue was around $36 million in mid-September 2026 and is projected to exceed $100 million by the end of the year.

Nous Research's move into enterprise AI agents with a focus on data privacy signals a growing market demand for secure, customizable AI solutions beyond general consumer applications. The significant valuation achieved, despite being a three-year-old startup, underscores investor confidence in the enterprise AI agent space and Nous Research's specific approach with its open-source Hermes agent.

This development impacts businesses by offering a pathway to integrate sophisticated AI workflows without the risks associated with sharing sensitive information externally. For competitors, it highlights the need to either match Nous Research's privacy-focused enterprise offerings or find a niche that caters to different business needs within the rapidly evolving AI agent landscape.