TechCrunch Startup News Linq raises $20M to enable AI assistants to live within messaging apps
Feb 3, 2026
A startup raised $20M to let AI assistants live inside iMessage, SMS and other messaging channels. The company pivoted from digital cards to becoming messaging infrastructure for conversational AI. Discussion covers native iMessage experiences, growth after the pivot, platform dependency risks, and plans to expand to voice and other chat platforms.
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Multiple Pivots Led To Messaging Focus
- Link started as a digital business card and pivoted multiple times before finding product-market fit in messaging.
- The founders rebuilt their API to let businesses message natively in iMessage, RCS, and SMS to leverage platform features.
AI Agents Unlock Messaging As Primary Interface
- AI agents created new demand for Link's messaging API as assistants wanted to live inside native messaging apps.
- This removed the need for standalone apps and let developers build messaging-native interfaces for AI assistants.
POKE's Viral Launch Changed Strategy
- The viral launch of an AI assistant called POKE drove many companies to request Link's API.
- That surge convinced Link to pivot toward supporting AI assistants inside messaging platforms.