Nous Research Finalizes $75M Funding Round at $1.5B Valuation

Nous Research, the open-source AI lab behind the Hermes agent, is finalizing a funding round of at least $75 million led by Robot Ventures at a $1.5 billion valuation, TechCrunch reported Monday citing unnamed inside sources. The raise drew strong investor interest, with USV participating alongside other investors. The $1.5 billion valuation marks a sharp increase for the startup, which closed a $50 million Series A led by Paradigm just over a year ago in April 2025 at a $1 billion token valuation, The Block reported.

Robot Ventures Leads $75 Million Funding Round at $1.5 Billion Valuation

Robot Ventures is leading the funding round of at least $75 million, with USV participating alongside other investors, TechCrunch reported. The $1.5 billion valuation represents a significant step up from the $1 billion token valuation assigned during Nous Research's $50 million Series A in April 2025, which Paradigm led. Total funding before the current round stood at around $70 million, from backers including Paradigm, Robot Ventures, North Island Ventures, OSS Capital, and Balaji Srinivasan.

Hermes Agent Draws 214,000 GitHub Stars and Developer Following

Hermes competes directly with OpenClaw, the agent that runs locally on a user's PC and executes tasks on their behalf. Nous Research released Hermes weeks after OpenClaw's agent went viral, shipping it with built-in skills spanning web search, coding, and image understanding, and designing it to learn from usage and build new skills on its own. The agent has drawn roughly 214,000 stars and nearly 40,000 forks on GitHub, per the report. Users can run Hermes on a desktop or a virtual private server, or opt for a cloud-hosted version priced at tiers ranging from $20 to $200 per month. Hermes users can automate tasks and exchange messages with agents through apps, including Telegram and Discord, as well as tools that let them run agents remotely around the clock.

Nous Research Founded in 2023 with $70 Million Prior Funding

Nous Research was founded in 2023 by Jeffrey Quesnelle, Karan Malhotra, Ryan Teknium, and Shivani Mitra. The project's total funding before the current round stood at around $70 million. The new capital will go toward expanding Hermes' products and business model, sources told TechCrunch.

FAQ

What is Nous Research's new funding round valuation?
Nous Research is finalizing a funding round of at least $75 million led by Robot Ventures at a $1.5 billion valuation, TechCrunch reported Monday.

How many GitHub stars does the Hermes agent have?
The Hermes agent has drawn roughly 214,000 stars and nearly 40,000 forks on GitHub, per the report.

Who founded Nous Research and when?
Nous Research was founded in 2023 by Jeffrey Quesnelle, Karan Malhotra, Ryan Teknium, and Shivani Mitra.