Mercor raises $750 million at a $20 billion valuation

Key Takeaways

• Mercor raised $750 million at a $20 billion valuation, with Nvidia and Salesforce among its investors, and plans to expand enterprise AI evaluation and agent-training offerings.
• Rox raised $100 million at a $1.3 billion valuation; Databricks Ventures joined the backers of its AI sales agents, and the company reported more than tenfold first-year revenue growth.
• Paloren found a $497 median listed price for one-day live AI training; course prices varied by provider and topic, and the index excludes fixed-price private team training.
• Rumble’s Quake AI unit contributed $68.2 million, over 70% of third-quarter revenue; its approximately 22,000 NVIDIA GPUs were running at 85% capacity.
• A Rabobank and WEO report says AI, sensors, computer vision and robotics could improve egg-production efficiency, though adoption is early and likely to take years or decades.
• UK GDP rose 0.7% in the third quarter of 2026, with computer programming services making the largest single contribution to growth and the ONS linking some industrial strength to AI.
• Nokia is supplying One New Zealand with network data and assurance tools designed to support automation and AI while allowing the operator to monitor decisions and retain control of its systems.
• Google is rolling out Gemini 4 Hydrogen, which the article says improves performance by 25% and reduces latency by 15% compared with its predecessor; no public release date was announced.
• Sanmina is expanding its AI-rack production capabilities across components and testing, aiming to supply more of each build and improve margins.
• Anthropic is targeting a $1.4 trillion–$1.5 trillion valuation and adding workplace products, while its backers Google, Amazon and Microsoft also have commercial ties to its tools; SimpleFX’s TiMi Trading Competition runs November 12–December 10, 2026.

Mercor doubles valuation to $20 billion in $750 million funding round

Mercor raised $750 million in a Series D round at a $20 billion valuation, about double its $10 billion valuation in October 2025. Investors include Nvidia, Salesforce, Benchmark, Felicis and General Catalyst. The company connects more than 5 million experts across over 800 occupations to work on AI training and evaluation. Mercor plans to use the money to expand its enterprise evaluation platform and training environments for AI agents, as it shifts beyond frontier AI labs to serve more businesses.

Rox raises $100 million to expand its AI sales agents

Rox raised $100 million in Series B funding at a $1.3 billion valuation, with General Catalyst and March Capital co-leading the round. Sequoia Capital and Factory also invested, alongside new backers Databricks Ventures and Prosperity7 Ventures. Founded in 2024, the San Francisco company builds AI agents that use each customer's data warehouse to find prospects, manage deals and grow accounts. Rox says its annual recurring revenue grew more than tenfold in its first year, and it plans to use the funding for AI research, custom models and expansion into more industries.

Rox raises $100 million at $1.3 billion valuation for enterprise sales AI

Rox raised $100 million in Series B funding at a $1.3 billion valuation, co-led by General Catalyst and March Capital. Existing investors Sequoia Capital and Factory increased their investments, while Databricks Ventures and Prosperity7 Ventures joined the round. Founded in 2024, Rox makes AI agents that help large sales teams find prospects, build sales pipelines and manage customer accounts within existing systems. The company says revenue grew more than tenfold in its first year and reports results including $330 million in qualified pipeline for an IT services firm in eight weeks. Rox notes that pipeline figures are potential sales, not closed revenue.

Paloren index finds one-day AI training costs a median $497 per person

Paloren launched its US AI Training Price Index on November 12, 2026, comparing published prices from 16 providers that offer AI training to US businesses and employees. For one-day, live instructor-led courses, the median price was $497 per person, based on 14 courses from eight providers, with prices ranging from $295 to $995. Claude courses cost $295 to $895 per person, Microsoft Copilot courses ranged from $99 to $700, and ChatGPT courses ranged from $99 to $549. Paloren checked prices on November 10, 2026, and said the index is a dated sample, not a full count of the market or a ranking of course quality.

Paloren index compares prices for business AI training courses

Paloren released its US AI Training Price Index on November 12, 2026, to help employers compare published AI training prices as they plan 2027 budgets. The study reviewed 16 providers and found a median price of $497 per person for a one-day, live instructor-led course, with prices ranging from $295 to $995. Published prices for Claude courses ranged from $295 to $895, Microsoft Copilot courses from $99 to $700, and ChatGPT courses from $99 to $549. Paloren checked prices on November 10 and said private team training prices were not published as fixed amounts by any provider in the study.

Rumble’s AI business now brings in over 70% of revenue

Rumble reported third-quarter revenue of $96.6 million, up 290% from a year earlier and above analyst estimates. Its Quake AI business brought in $68.2 million, more than 70% of total revenue, after Rumble acquired Northern Data in June. The company operated about 22,000 NVIDIA GPUs at 85% capacity, which CEO Chris Pavlovski said meant the fleet was nearly sold out. Rumble expects fourth-quarter revenue of $88 million to $94 million and says cost cuts in its video business should bring savings in 2027.

Data and AI could reshape egg production

A report from Rabobank and WEO says data and artificial intelligence could improve egg production and efficiency across the value chain. Author Dan-Nirk Mulder says digital adoption remains early and uneven, while labor shortages, disease risks, changing costs, and demands for transparency and sustainability are driving investment. The report outlines eight connected functions, including sensors, computer vision, data platforms, AI, and robotics, and says their value comes from working together. Digital tools could help producers monitor flocks, plan supply around demand, reduce risks, and improve productivity, though the shift is expected to take years or decades.

AI investment helps UK economy grow 0.7% in third quarter

The UK economy grew 0.7% from July to September 2026, its fastest quarterly growth in two and a half years, according to the Office for National Statistics. Growth reached 1.9% over the year, and computer programming and related services made the largest single contribution in the quarter. The ONS also said computer manufacturing led industrial production, which rose 4.6% in the three months to September, and linked some industry strength to artificial intelligence. The Bank of England raised its 2026 growth forecast to 1.6%, but economists warned that high energy costs and interest rates could weigh on future growth as investors considered another rate increase in December.

Nokia expands One New Zealand deal for AI driven network tools

Nokia will provide One New Zealand with its Assurance Center and Autonomous Networks Data Suite, along with research and development work and consulting services. The tools are designed to create a trusted data foundation so the operator can anticipate network conditions, make faster decisions, and address problems before they affect customers. Nokia will also provide network management tools that let One New Zealand monitor operations and understand automated decisions. The expanded deployment is intended to support AI applications and network automation while helping the operator keep control of its data and systems.

Google begins rolling out Gemini 4 Hydrogen to replace Flash models

Google is rolling out Gemini 4 Hydrogen, a faster and more economical model that replaces the Flash models used across its services. The article says Hydrogen delivers a 25% performance increase and 15% lower latency than its predecessor. Google previously limited access to some recent models, including Argon and Carbon, first to cybersecurity researchers and then to users of its most expensive services. Google has not announced a public release date for Hydrogen, but the article expects it to reach all users in the coming months.

Sanmina expands AI rack production to capture more value

Sanmina is expanding its work on metal fabrication for AI racks, high technology PCBs, transformers, liquid cooling and testing. The company aims to provide more parts of each AI and cloud rack build and improve its gross and operating margins over time. The article says a key pressure point in its AI hardware ramp could affect pricing power and the quality of its earnings. It points readers to Sanmina’s earnings and revenue growth information as of November 2026.

Anthropic IPO could reward and challenge its Big Tech backers

Anthropic is aiming for a valuation of about $1.4 trillion to $1.5 trillion. Google and Amazon together own about a quarter of the company, while Microsoft also holds a stake from an early investment. The article says Amazon’s $18 billion investment could be valued at $250 billion next week, while Goldman Sachs forecasts Anthropic could bring in $600 billion in annual revenue by 2030. Anthropic has also launched office tools, including a video call assistant, Claude Whiteboards and Claude Sheets, putting it in competition with some of its backers even as they sell its tools through cloud platforms.

SimpleFX launches TiMi trading contest for AI assistant users

SimpleFX is promoting TiMi, its AI-powered trading assistant. The TiMi Trading Competition runs from November 12 to December 10, 2026. The article says the contest is live and invites readers to learn how to take part.

Sources

• AI Training Data Firm Mercor's Valuation Doubles to ¥3.2 Trillion; Nvidia Also Invests
• Rox: $100 Million Series B At $1.3 Billion Valuation Expands Enterprise Revenue AI
• Sequoia-backed Rox raises $100M at $1.3B valuation: can AI agents unseat Salesforce in sales?
• Best AI Training Company in the USA: Paloren's US AI Training Price Index Compares Corporate AI Training, ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot Course Costs
• Best AI Training Company in the USA: Paloren's US AI Training Price Index Compares Corporate AI Training, ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot Course Costs
• Rumble’s AI Business Now Drives 70% Of Revenue – CEO Chris Pavlovski Says GPU Fleet Is ‘Nearly Sold Out’
• Data and artificial intelligence: The next revolution
• AI investment gives UK economy growth boost in Q3
• Can Nokia's Expanded One New Zealand Deal Accelerate Its AI Growth?
• Google rolls out Gemini 4 Hydrogen, finally replacing 3.8 Flash
• Nvidia Export Curbs Could Shift AI Demand Toward These Data Center Stocks
• Anthropic’s IPO Is Both Boom and Bust for Big Tech
• AI is finding its place in trading, and SimpleFX is bringing