Linq, a company providing infrastructure for AI assistants in messaging apps, has successfully closed a $20 million Series A funding round. Led by TQ Ventures, the investment will fuel the company's mission to integrate conversational AI directly into platforms like iMessage and RCS. This strategic funding highlights the growing demand for seamless, app-free interactions between businesses and consumers through their native texting applications.
A Strategic Pivot from Sales Tools to AI Infrastructure
Founded by former Shipt executives, Linq initially launched as a digital business card and lead capture tool for sales teams. The company soon recognized a unique market desire from its customers to communicate more authentically with their clients. This insight led to an initial pivot toward enabling businesses to send native "blue-bubble" iMessage communications instead of standard gray business texts.
A significant turning point came with the viral success of Poke, an AI assistant built using Linq's early API. The overwhelming interest from other AI companies wanting to embed their agents in iMessage prompted a major strategic decision. Linq chose to evolve from a specific application provider into a foundational infrastructure layer for the entire AI agent ecosystem.
Redefining User Interaction with Conversational AI
Linq's core technology enables developers to deploy intelligent agents directly within a user's existing messaging apps, effectively bypassing the need for separate application downloads. This approach directly combats app fatigue by meeting users on the platforms where they are already most active. The result is a frictionless, intuitive interface for interacting with AI that feels as natural as texting a friend.
The company's pivot has been validated by remarkable growth metrics, demonstrating strong product-market fit in its new vertical. Linq reported a 132% expansion of its customer base in the last quarter and an impressive 295% net revenue retention with zero churn. Its platform now facilitates over 30 million messages monthly, reaching more than 134,000 active end-users.
Fueling Growth with Strategic Investment
The new $20 million in Series A funding was led by TQ Ventures, with participation from Mucker Capital and several angel investors. This capital infusion is earmarked for significant strategic initiatives, including expanding the engineering and sales teams. The company also plans to develop a new go-to-market motion and continue advancing its core technology platform.
Andrew Marks, a co-founding partner at TQ Ventures, expressed strong confidence in the company's direction and leadership team. He stated that by making AI-to-human communication incredibly seamless, Linq is pioneering an entirely new category of technology companies. This endorsement underscores the massive market opportunity that investors see in Linq's infrastructure-focused approach to conversational AI.
A Vision Beyond a Single Channel
While initial success has been built on iMessage, RCS, and SMS, CEO Elliott Potter has outlined a much broader vision for the company. Linq aims to become the comprehensive platform for building all forms of conversational technology, regardless of the channel. Future plans include expansion into platforms like WhatsApp, Slack, Telegram, Discord, and even programmatic voice services.
This ambitious roadmap positions Linq to become a channel-agnostic leader in the conversational AI space, mitigating risks associated with reliance on any single platform. The strategy is to be present wherever customers are, enabling businesses to deploy intelligent agents across the entire digital communication landscape. This positions the company for sustained growth in a rapidly evolving global market.
Linq's successful $20 million funding round marks a pivotal moment not just for the company, but for the broader conversational AI industry. By shifting its focus to provide the foundational plumbing for AI agents in messaging apps, the company has tapped into a significant market need. This investment validates its vision and provides the resources to build the future of human-computer interaction, one text at a time.