Nous funding could speed up Hermes, but user control is the key test
, the company behind Hermes Agent, is reportedly discussing a funding round of at least $75 million at a $1.5 billion valuation. If completed, the deal could give the team more people and resources to improve Hermes faster. Nous has also worked on and research, while Hermes has become one of its most visible products.
The main concern is that pressure for investor returns could change the product’s direction. Key features might move behind , self-hosted use could receive less attention, or development could focus mainly on large business customers. A convenient and paid products can coexist with the current approach, but users want the open-source, self- to remain a core product rather than a limited edition meant to push them toward the cloud.
OpenClaw offers a contrasting path because it has moved toward a foundation intended to support a more neutral, community-led agent ecosystem.
Key points
- is reportedly discussing at least $75 million in funding at a $1.5 billion valuation.
- More funding could help the Hermes team improve the product faster.
- Watch whether self-hosted use and user control remain first-class parts of Hermes.
- Track the growth of cloud-only features and features restricted to s.
- Back up settings and prompts so important workflows can be moved if the product changes direction.