Lynk, the “knowledge-as-a-service” platform with more than 840,000 experts, announced today it has added $5 million raised from UBS’ Investment Bank division to its previously announced Series B. This brings the round’s new total to $29 million.
The strategic investment marks the first time UBS has invested private equity in Lynk. The startup, which has now raised $35 million in funding, added UBS as a client in May, giving the banking giant’s research analysts and institutional investor clients access to Lynk’s database and tools.
Founded in 2015 by chief executive officer Peggy Choi, Lynk uses machine learning algorithms to match users with experts on its platform. Its goal is to connect its clients, including financial institutions and government organizations, with people they might not usually find online or at traditional consultancy. The company has offices in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, Shanghai and Toronto.
As part of the funding, Lynk will broaden its collaboration with UBS Group. UBS Investment Bank’s Global Markets team was already offering Lynk to its institutional investor clients. Lynk has also brought some of UBS Global Research’s top-ranked analysts onto its platform as experts, including in areas like Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), valuation and accounting, and industry trends in China.
