Nous Research raises Series B to expand Hermes Agent offerings

M12: M12 is Microsoft's corporate venture capital arm that invests in early-stage technology companies, particularly in AI and cloud infrastructure. It seeks to back innovations that complement Microsoft's ecosystem. In this news, M12 joined the investor group for Nous Research's Series B focused on enterprise AI tools. USV: Union Square Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in networked and open-source technologies across software and internet infrastructure. It emphasizes platforms that enable user-owned and decentralized systems. In this news, USV backed Nous Research's Series B for its open AI agent initiatives. Nous: Nous Research is an AI research lab focused on building open-source models and agents that prioritize user alignment and extensibility over centralized control. It develops Hermes Agent, an open-source AI assistant released under the MIT license that learns from usage and allows users to select models and deployment environments. In this news, Nous has raised a Series B to expand Hermes Agent into enterprise offerings while maintaining its open-source foundation. NVIDIA: NVIDIA develops graphics processing units and AI computing platforms that power training and inference for large models. It actively invests in AI startups to support ecosystem growth around its hardware. In this news, NVIDIA participated as an investor in Nous Research's Series B to advance open-source AI agent development. Samsung Next: Samsung Next is the investment and innovation arm of Samsung that funds startups in AI, semiconductors, and emerging technologies. It targets opportunities that align with Samsung's hardware and software portfolio. In this news, Samsung Next participated in Nous Research's Series B to support open AI agent advancement. Y Combinator: Y Combinator is a startup accelerator that provides funding, mentorship, and resources to early-stage companies across various sectors including AI. It has a track record of supporting open-source and developer-focused projects. In this news, Y Combinator invested in Nous Research's Series B to scale its Hermes Agent platform. Dillon Rolnick: Dillon Rolnick is the CEO of Nous Research, leading its efforts in open-source AI model fine-tuning and agent development. He has guided the company's focus on user-aligned systems and decentralized training approaches. In this news, Rolnick announced and provided context on Nous Research's Series B fundraise for Hermes Agent expansion. Menlo Ventures: Menlo Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in technology companies with a focus on AI, enterprise software, and consumer applications. It partners with teams building scalable infrastructure and tools. In this news, Menlo Ventures participated in Nous Research's Series B to advance enterprise AI solutions. Robot Ventures: Robot Ventures is a venture firm specializing in robotics, AI, and deep tech investments. It backs founders building foundational technologies in autonomous systems and intelligent agents. In this news, Robot Ventures invested in Nous Research's Series B to extend Hermes Agent capabilities. Open Source Focus: Nous Research released Hermes Agent under an MIT license to enable broad customization and trust in AI tools. Investor Alignment: Prominent AI hardware and software investors are supporting open-source agent development to foster decentralized AI ecosystems. Enterprise Expansion: The funding supports delivery of Hermes for businesses, adding features like integrations while keeping the core agent open-source.