Birmingham-based startup Linq has raised $20 million in funding to enhance customer-business communication by enabling AI assistants to operate within messaging apps. The company’s API allows businesses to interact with customers via iMessage, RCS, and SMS, offering a more personalized and authentic messaging experience.
Linq’s approach aims to differentiate businesses’ messages by allowing them to appear as blue-bubble iMessages, creating a more genuine connection with customers. This technology leverages Apple’s messaging platform features, including group chats, emojis, images, and voice notes, to enhance customer engagement and user experience.
Founded by former Shipt executives Elliott Potter, Patrick Sullivan, and Jared Mattsson, Linq experienced rapid growth after launching the API in February 2025. The company’s revenue doubled within eight months, indicating strong market demand for its solution. Linq’s focus on integrating AI assistants, exemplified by the successful deployment of an AI assistant named Poke, showcases its commitment to advancing customer-business interactions.
With the recent funding, Linq plans to expand its AI assistant capabilities within messaging apps, offering businesses a powerful tool to streamline tasks, provide information, and manage schedules seamlessly. This strategic move underscores the growing importance of AI in enhancing customer communication and signifies Linq’s dedication to innovation in the messaging technology sector.
Source: TechCrunch