Mercor could reach a $20B valuation: a signal for the AI startup market

Friends, here’s a note from the AI and startup world: Mercor is discussing a round at a $20B valuation.

What stood out to me:
• last year, the company raised at a $10B valuation
• today, Mercor says its annualized revenue run rate is above $2B
• it also announced the acquisition of Deeptune, a team focused on training AI agents
• against this backdrop, it looks like the early-2026 issues may now be behind it

Why this matters: the market continues to place a high value on AI infrastructure and model training, even after reputational risks.

Do you see this as sustainable growth or overheated valuations?

#AI #startups #venture #HackerNews