Linq Secures $20M Series A to Power AI Assistants Inside Everyday Messaging Apps
In a market increasingly saturated with standalone applications, one startup is betting that the future of AI interaction lies not in another app icon, but within the messaging platforms we already use daily. Linq, a Birmingham, Alabama-based company, has announced a $20 million Series A funding round to scale its API platform that allows businesses and AI developers to embed their assistants directly into iMessage, RCS, and SMS conversations.
The funding, led by TQ Ventures with participation from Mucker Capital and angel investors, arrives as Linq reports explosive growth following a strategic pivot. Initially launched as a digital business card service, the company found its niche by helping sales teams communicate with customers via richer iMessage and RCS channels, moving beyond basic SMS. However, the real catalyst came from an unexpected source: the viral launch of an AI assistant named Poke last September, which used Linq's API to operate entirely within iMessage.
"We were inundated," said Elliott Potter, Linq's CEO and co-founder. "Suddenly, a wave of AI companies wanted to bypass app stores and meet users where they already are—in their messaging inbox. The question became, do we remain a niche tool, or build the foundational infrastructure for this new paradigm?"
Linq chose the latter. The company's technology allows AI agents to function natively within messaging threads, enabling features like group chats, emojis, and voice notes while maintaining the familiar, trusted interface of a personal text conversation. For consumers, this means interacting with an AI assistant feels as casual as texting a friend. For developers, it eliminates the need to build and maintain a separate app interface.
The strategic shift appears to be paying off. Linq says its customer base grew 132% last quarter, with average account expansion of 34%. The platform now facilitates over 30 million messages monthly for AI agents reaching 134,000 active users, claiming a net revenue retention rate of 295% with zero churn.
Despite the momentum, challenges loom. Linq's current success is heavily tied to Apple's iMessage, a platform where policy changes could disrupt third-party access. Furthermore, global messaging dominance belongs to services like WhatsApp and WeChat, markets where Linq has yet to establish a presence. Potter acknowledges this, framing the current offering as just the beginning of a broader ambition to become the omnichannel layer for all conversational AI, spanning email, Slack, Telegram, and beyond.
"By making AI-to-human communication as frictionless as texting a friend, Linq is enabling an entirely new category of companies," said Andrew Marks, co-founding Partner of lead investor TQ Ventures.
User Reactions
Maya Chen, Product Lead at a FinTech Startup: "This is the logical next step for AI usability. App fatigue is real. If I can book a flight, manage my calendar, and order groceries all from my iMessage thread without downloading another app, that's a massive win for user experience."
David Park, Independent Security Researcher: "The convenience is undeniable, but the privacy and authentication implications are terrifying. How do you verify you're actually talking to your bank's AI and not a sophisticated phishing agent impersonating it in a 'blue bubble'? This blurs the lines of trust in a dangerous way."
Rebecca Foster, Small Business Owner: "As someone who uses basic SMS for customer updates, the upgrade path to richer messaging is appealing. If this helps my business look more professional and lets me automate simple queries without forcing customers to an app, I'm interested."
Leo Grant, Tech Blogger: "Yet another startup building a moat on Apple's walled garden. It's a clever hack for the US market, but it's fragile. The moment Apple decides to prioritize its own Business Messaging or clamp down, Linq's core utility evaporates. This feels less like a vision and more like a lucrative, temporary exploit."