Nous Research, the AI startup building Hermes agents, is in advanced fundraising discussions valuing the company at $1.5 billion. The round raises at least $75 million with Robot Ventures leading and strong participation from Union Square Ventures and other unnamed institutional backers.

Nous Research has built recognition in the AI agent space through its Hermes models, open-source systems designed to power autonomous agents. The company competes directly in a crowded market where OpenAI, Anthropic, and others race to dominate agent infrastructure. Robot Ventures, which backs AI automation companies, represents a strategic fit for Nous's core focus.

The $1.5 billion valuation reflects investor appetite for agent-building platforms. As AI companies move beyond chat interfaces toward autonomous systems that execute tasks independently, infrastructure providers like Nous occupy a critical layer. Hermes agents can operate without constant human supervision, making them attractive to enterprises seeking process automation.

The funding round positions Nous against other agent builders including Devin (which raised $35 million last year), multimodal AI labs, and in-house development teams at larger AI companies. Nous's open-source approach differentiates it from closed proprietary competitors, potentially enabling faster adoption across developer communities.

Union Square Ventures' participation carries weight in founder and ecosystem circles. USV backed companies like Stripe and Airbnb early and has invested in AI infrastructure broadly. Their confidence validates Nous's technology and market timing as enterprises shift budgets toward agent deployment.

The raise also signals investor confidence that agent infrastructure will separate from general-purpose LLM providers. Rather than OpenAI or Google monopolizing agent capabilities, specialized builders like Nous can capture value by offering optimized, modular alternatives.

Nous Research has not disclosed its revenue or customer base publicly, though agent adoption remains early. The capital will likely fund R