Linq
Category: AI Infrastructure
A communication infrastructure platform providing APIs that enable AI agents and assistants to interact natively with users via iMessage, SMS, RCS, and Voice. Linq was founded in 2019. The company is led by Elliott Potter. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Team size: 11-50. Total funding raised: $22.5M. Latest round: Series A (Feb 2025). Key investors include TQ Ventures, Mucker Capital, Alabama Futures Fund, Redhawk VC.
- Founded
- 2019
- Headquarters
- Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Team size
- 11-50
- Total funding
- $22.5M
Value proposition
Drives superior engagement by embedding AI assistants directly into native messaging apps, achieving response rates up to 60% (iMessage) compared to 24% for standard SMS, while eliminating 'app fatigue.'
Products and solutions
Linq Messaging API (Programmatic iMessage, RCS, SMS, and Voice), Linq Blue (Native iMessage integration for CRMs and sales teams), Linq for Teams (Professional networking and lead management), Digital Business Cards (NFC-enabled contact sharing)
Unique value
Linq provides a rare programmatic gateway to Apple's iMessage ('blue bubble') ecosystem for AI agents, allowing businesses to appear as a 'contact' rather than a generic short-code or gray-bubble business message.
Target customer
AI agent developers, enterprise marketing and sales teams, CRM platforms, and customer experience (CX) providers.
Industries served
Artificial Intelligence, Real Estate, E-commerce & Retail, Sales & Marketing, Enterprise Software
Technology advantage
Offers a device-agnostic infrastructure that allows iMessage campaigns to be managed from any platform (including Android and Web) and bypasses complex A2P/10DLC compliance requirements for standard SMS.
How they differentiate
Linq differentiates by providing programmatic access to the iMessage ('blue bubble') ecosystem, offering 60% response rates compared to the 24% industry average for standard SMS. Unlike traditional CPaaS providers that rely on short-codes, Linq allows AI agents to appear as native contacts.
Main competitors
Twilio, Attentive, Sinch
Key partnerships
TQ Ventures (Lead Series A investor), Mucker Capital (Seed lead & Series A participant), GoHighLevel (Linq Blue CRM integration), REsimpli (Real estate CRM integration), Alabama Futures Fund / Redhawk (seed investors)
Notable customers
Poke (Interaction Company of California), Tomo, Hypercard, Lindy, Clay, Ramp, GoHighLevel, Emergent, Pika, Slash
Major milestones
Founded in 2019 as a digital business card platform., Raised $2.5M Seed round in May 2021 (Mucker Capital) to scale networking tools., Launched programmatic iMessage API in February 2025; pivoted GTM toward AI agent messaging infrastructure., Closed $20M Series A led by TQ Ventures in February 2026.
Growth metrics
At Series A (Feb 2026): 30M+ messages/month, 100+ customers, AI agents reaching ~134k MAU via platform; customer base +132% QoQ, account expansion +34% avg, 295% NRR / zero churn (TechCrunch). Site later claims 150M+ messages and 1,000+ teams; 60% iMessage engagement rates cited historically.
Market positioning
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) for AI-to-consumer communication, positioned as a premium alternative to legacy SMS gateways.
Geographic focus
Global, with a primary focus on North America due to the high market penetration of iMessage and iOS devices.
Patents and IP
No registered patents disclosed as of August 2026 verification; relies on proprietary messaging orchestration/routing and SOC 2 Type II–certified iMessage API infrastructure.
About Elliott Potter
Elliott Potter was a founding team member and Director of Engineering/Marketing Technology at Shipt, where he played a pivotal role in scaling the platform from its early stages through its $550 million acquisition by Target in 2017. He spent four years at Shipt (2015–2019) before co-founding Linq to revolutionize professional networking and AI communication.
Latest news about Linq
- Linq raised $20 million in Series A funding to build an AI agent communication layer that integrates natively with iMessage, RCS, and voice. 🚀 By offering pricing 90% below legacy providers and suppor
- Linq raised 20 million USD in Series A funding to scale an API that embeds AI assistants natively within iMessage and RCS. The platform facilitates 30 million messages monthly with a 295 percent net r
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Official website: https://linqapp.com