Lynk announced today that its “knowledge-as-a-service” platform will be integrated into UBS’ investment process. The collaboration means the banking giant’s research analysts and institutional clients, including hedge funds, private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds, will have access to Lynk’s database of 840,000 experts around the world.
Founded in 2015, Lynk has raised a total of $30 million in funding, including a $24 million round announced in January that was led by Brewer Lane Ventures and MassMutual Ventures, with participation from the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund. The startup has offices in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, Shanghai and Toronto, and serves about 200 enterprise clients, including Fortune 500 corporations, investment firms and government agencies.
UBS’s global research analysts now have access to Lynk’s database of experts, while UBS Global Markets will introduce the startup’s solutions to its institutional clients.
Lynk’s technology uses machine learning algorithms to match clients with experts in its database. Lynk’s experts cover a wide range of industries and sectors and include C-suite executives, independent consultants, lawyers, engineers, financial analysts and scientists. The platform also has collaboration tools, so teams can automatically transcribe question-and-answer sessions, search transcripts and share notes.
“Our platform capabilities, the scope and depth of our network and our customer service that’s paired with technology is really quite synergistic with how UBS is looking at their business,” Lynk co-founder and chief executive officer Peggy Choi told TechCrunch. “They have demonstrated a very strong innovation track record in the equity research space, so this is a great extension to their suite of offerings.”
During the pandemic, Lynk’s clients in the investment sector have used it to perform research and due diligence on potential investments remotely, which Choi expects to continue even after travel picks up again.
“Relying on on-the-ground experts, working with them to verify assumptions and develop convictions before making an investment is a must,” said Choi. “We’re really seeing a structural change and that is also what UBS is hearing from its customers.”
In press statement, UBS Global Head of Research Dan Dowd said, “We are proud of our innovation track record and are highly focused on helping investors get to the crux of key investment debates as rapidly as possible. Showcasing Lynk’s technology and expertise has the potential to substantially accelerate the investment processes of our clients.”