Nous Research, the startup behind the open-source AI agent Hermes, has raised $90 million in Series B funding, reaching a valuation of $1.5 billion as it expands into the business market.
Robot Ventures led the round, with participation from investors including Nvidia, Union Square Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Samsung and 1789 Capital. The investment brings the three-year-old company’s total funding to $158 million, according to TechCrunch.
Bringing Hermes to Businesses
Alongside the funding announcement, Nous Research introduced Hermes for Businesses, a product designed to help companies deploy customised AI agents that perform tasks involving multiple steps.
The company says the offering is intended to give organisations greater control over their data while supporting privacy and security. The launch extends its ambitions beyond the developers and individual users who have adopted Hermes.
An Emphasis on User Control
Hermes allows users to inspect and modify its code. The assistant can browse the web, read and edit files, and adapt to users over time.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Nous offers Hermes for free while charging for optional enterprise features. Its approach also allows organisations to switch underlying AI models while retaining the assistant’s functionality.
Turning Adoption Into a Business
The funding gives Nous backing for its move into corporate AI, where attracting users must translate into dependable paid services.
For the startup, the next challenge is scaling Hermes to meet enterprise requirements while preserving the flexibility and community trust that helped build its following.
