Mercor AI, Eyeing $10 Billion Valuation, to Establish New York City Presence in 2026

Mercor AI, a rapidly expanding artificial intelligence recruitment platform, announced its plans to open a new office in New York City in January 2026. The move signifies a strategic expansion for the San Francisco-based company, which aims to enhance its access to top engineering and operational talent in the United States. The announcement was made by Brendan Foody, CEO of Mercor AI, via a tweet, highlighting the company's continued scaling.

The upcoming New York City office will serve as a hub for recruiting specialized professionals. Mercor AI is actively seeking to fill key positions, including Strategic Project Leads, Software Engineers, and Machine Learning Engineers, with a particular interest in candidates with backgrounds in consulting, banking, and private equity analysis. This expansion underscores the company's commitment to securing high-caliber talent to support its accelerated growth.

Mercor AI has distinguished itself with remarkable financial performance, claiming to be the "fastest growing company in the world by revenue." The company scaled from $1 million to $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in just 11 months, maintaining an average monthly growth rate of 50-60%. Recent reports indicate Mercor AI is currently operating at an annualized revenue run rate of approximately $450 million and has achieved profitability, generating over $1 million in profit in February 2025.

Founded in 2023 by Thiel Fellows Brendan Foody, Adarsh Hiremath, and Surya Midha, Mercor AI operates an AI-powered platform that connects job seekers with companies, particularly by providing domain experts for training and refining AI models. The company generates revenue through a finder's fee model, charging clients for successful placements. Its clientele includes major AI labs such as OpenAI, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Tesla, and Nvidia.

The company's valuation has seen a meteoric rise, securing $100 million in a Series B funding round in February 2025, which valued it at $2 billion. More recently, Mercor AI is reportedly in discussions for a Series C round, potentially pushing its valuation beyond $10 billion. As stated in the tweet by Brendan Foody, the new NYC office will "bring us closer to some of the most talented engineers and operators in America," reinforcing the strategic importance of talent acquisition for its sustained trajectory.