[Digital Today reporter Chi-gyu Hwang] AI business messaging company Linq has raised $20 million in a Series A funding round, TechCrunch reported on Sunday.

Linq supports AI assistants operating within messaging apps such as iMessage and RCS.

Linq started as a digital business card service, but is growing rapidly after shifting to AI business messaging. It supports companies sending messages directly in iMessage to make conversations with customers more natural. It is focused on reshaping the existing B2B messaging market with AI.

The company also partnered last year with an AI assistant called Poke. Poke performs various functions in iMessage, including schedule management and answering questions, and grew rapidly using Linq's messaging API, TechCrunch said. After that, many AI companies pursued AI integration within messaging platforms through Linq, and its customer base increased 132 percent.

Linq plans to use the new funding to expand its team, develop technology and strengthen market efforts. Some have pointed out that its current structure, which relies on iMessage, could become a risk depending on changes in Apple's policies.

In response, CEO Elliot Porter said Linq's goal is not limited to a specific platform. He said it will build infrastructure to support AI-based conversations across channels such as Slack, email, Telegram and WhatsApp.