Lynk
Asia-Pacific focused 'Knowledge-as-a-Service' platform with 840,000+ experts, using machine learning to match clients with regional specialists across Greater China, Southeast Asia, and global markets. Raised $35M+ in venture funding.
- 840K+ experts
- Asia-Pacific depth
- SaaS self-service platform
- Cross-border APAC research
- Experts
- 840K+Verified confidence
- Employees
- 200+Partially unverifiable confidence
- Per-call with SaaS subscription options
- Per-callVerified confidence
Services
- Expert Calls
- Surveys
- Compliance Tools
- Asia Research
- KaaS Platform
Buyer fit
Best for
- Asia-Pacific
- Cross-Border
- Financial Institutions
When not ideal
- US/Europe only focus
- Need operational stability
- Want white-glove service
- Risk-averse compliance needs
Key strengths Verified confidence
- 840,000+ expert database — one of the largest in the industry, with deep Asia-Pacific coverage
- First SaaS platform built on an expert network — pioneered the KaaS model
- Founder Peggy Choi's Silver Lake/TPG background provides authentic PE expertise
- Multi-city presence across APAC (Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, Shanghai, Manila) ensures local knowledge
- Prestigious investor base including UBS, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, and MassMutual Ventures
- ML-driven matching technology enables scalable expert sourcing across diverse geographies
- $35M+ total funding demonstrates institutional investor confidence
Watch-outs Verified confidence
- 2022 acquisition by Eden followed by layoffs and senior leadership departures creates uncertainty
- Reports of late payments to experts and employees during 2022-2023 downturn may impact expert engagement quality
- Departure of CCO, CFO, and SVPs across product, sales, and marketing signals organizational instability
- Less established in Western markets compared to GLG, AlphaSights, or Guidepoint
- KaaS self-service model may lack the white-glove touch expected by premium institutional clients
- Platform's current operational status and team capacity unclear following 2022 restructuring
Deep dive
1OverviewVerified confidence
Lynk is an Asia-Pacific-focused expert network operating as a 'Knowledge-as-a-Service' (KaaS) platform — described as the first SaaS platform built on top of an expert network. Founded in 2015 in Hong Kong by Peggy Choi, a former Silver Lake and TPG private equity professional, Lynk uses machine learning to match clients with experts from its database of 840,000+ professionals.
The company raised approximately $35 million across five funding rounds from a diverse investor base including Brewer Lane Ventures, MassMutual Ventures, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, UBS, and Wavemaker Partners. At its peak, Lynk had over 200 employees across offices in Hong Kong, New York, Singapore, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Hyderabad, Toronto, and Manila.
However, Lynk faced significant challenges during the 2022 market downturn. The company was acquired by Eden in April 2022 and subsequently experienced major layoffs, late payments to experts and employees, and departures of senior leaders. Despite these difficulties, Lynk's platform and expert database remain among the largest in the Asia-Pacific region.
2HistoryVerified confidence
Peggy Choi founded Lynk in 2015 in Hong Kong (originally as The Straits Network, incorporated in Singapore). Choi had worked at Silver Lake and TPG in private equity, where she was a heavy user of expert networks and saw an opportunity to build a technology-first alternative. She was joined by co-founders Jennifer Li and Evan Xiao Han, a Wharton MBA recruited through the Hong Kong-Penn alumni network.
Lynk raised a $1M seed round from Wavemaker Partners in 2015, followed by a $4M Series A in 2017 from Hong Leong Financial Group, Cyberport, and CRE Venture Capital. A $1M round in 2019 was led by MassMutual Ventures Southeast Asia with Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund. The major funding came in January 2021: a $24M Series B from Brewer Lane Ventures and MassMutual Ventures. UBS invested an additional $5M in September 2021 to cross-sell UBS analysts as experts on the platform.
The 2022 market downturn hit Lynk hard. The company was acquired by Eden in April 2022. Subsequent reports indicated late payments of expert honorariums and employee salaries, major layoffs, and departures of senior leaders including the CCO, CFO, and SVPs across product, sales, and marketing.
- 2015Founded by Peggy Choi, Jennifer Li, and Evan Xiao Han in Hong Kong (originally as The Straits Network)
- 2015Raised $1M seed round from Wavemaker Partners
- 2017Raised $4M Series A from Hong Leong Financial Group, Cyberport, and CRE Venture Capital
- 2019Raised $1M from MassMutual Ventures SEA and Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund
- 2021 (January)Raised $24M Series B from Brewer Lane Ventures and MassMutual Ventures; 840,000+ experts, 200+ employees
- 2021 (September)UBS invested $5M to integrate UBS analysts as experts on the Lynk platform
- 2022 (April)Acquired by Eden; faced market downturn with layoffs and operational challenges
3Services in detailPositioning confidence
- Knowledge-as-a-Service Platform
- Lynk's SaaS platform enables clients to access expertise on-demand through a self-service interface. Unlike traditional expert networks where clients submit requests and wait for matches, the KaaS model allows direct search, filtering, and engagement with experts across the 840,000+ database.
- Expert Consultations
- One-on-one phone consultations with vetted industry experts across Asia-Pacific and global markets. Leverages ML matching to connect clients with specialists in Greater China, Southeast Asia, India, Japan, and other regions.
- Survey Services
- Quantitative survey research leveraging the expert database for targeted B2B sampling, with particular strength in Asia-Pacific markets where other networks have limited coverage.
- Cross-Border Research
- Multi-jurisdictional research spanning Asian and Western markets, supported by local teams across Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, Shanghai, and other key cities with native language capabilities.
4AI & platformPositioning confidence
Lynk positioned itself as the first SaaS platform built on an expert network, differentiating from traditional expert networks through technology-first engagement. The platform uses machine learning algorithms to match clients with the most relevant experts from its 840,000+ database, considering factors including expertise relevance, availability, compliance status, and past engagement quality. The KaaS model enables self-service expert search and direct engagement, reducing the traditional expert network's reliance on human project managers for every interaction.
- ML-driven expert matching across 840,000+ professionals
- Self-service SaaS platform for direct expert search and engagement
- Multilingual search supporting English, Mandarin, Japanese, and other Asian languages
- Cross-border compliance automation spanning multiple APAC jurisdictions
- Real-time expert availability tracking and scheduling
- Client analytics dashboard with engagement and spend insights
5CompliancePositioning confidence
Lynk operates across multiple Asia-Pacific jurisdictions, requiring compliance with diverse regulatory frameworks including Hong Kong SFC, Singapore MAS, and other regional standards. The platform's cross-border compliance automation handles the complexity of multi-jurisdictional expert engagements, managing cooling-off periods, conflict-of-interest screening, and MNPI policies across different regulatory environments.
- Multi-jurisdictional compliance across APAC regulatory frameworks
- Cross-border compliance automation for multi-country engagements
- MNPI monitoring aligned with Hong Kong SFC and Singapore MAS standards
- Conflict-of-interest screening with regional regulatory alignment
- Cooling-off period enforcement across all jurisdictions
- Audit trail for all expert interactions
6Client fitInference confidence
Lynk is best suited for clients needing deep Asia-Pacific expertise, particularly in Greater China, Southeast Asia, and India. The SaaS platform model appeals to organizations that prefer self-service expert engagement over traditional intermediated models. Clients focused exclusively on Western markets may find networks with deeper US/European coverage more suitable.
- Private equity firms and investors conducting Asia-Pacific due diligence
- Fortune 100 companies evaluating market entry or competitive dynamics in Asia
- Consulting firms needing regional specialists across multiple Asian markets
- Government entities and development organizations researching APAC markets
- Financial institutions requiring cross-border Asia-Western research
7Notable factsVerified confidence
- Founded by Peggy Choi, a former Silver Lake and TPG private equity professional
- Described as the first SaaS platform built on an expert network (Knowledge-as-a-Service)
- UBS invested $5M in September 2021 specifically to cross-sell UBS analysts as experts on the platform
- Raised $35M+ total funding from investors including Brewer Lane Ventures, MassMutual Ventures, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, and UBS
- At peak had 200+ employees across offices in 8+ cities spanning Asia, US, and Europe
- Acquired by Eden in April 2022 during the market downturn
- Co-founder Evan Xiao Han was recruited through the Hong Kong-Penn alumni network and holds a Wharton MBA
- Expert database of 840,000+ is among the largest globally alongside GLG and Guidepoint
8Source notes & methodology
- TechCrunch (January 2021) — $24M Series B funding announcement and company overview
- PR Newswire (November 2019) — funding round with MassMutual Ventures SEA and Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund
- Tracxn — total funding ($35M+), funding rounds, and acquisition by Eden
- YourStory — Hong Kong startup profile and founding story
- Capital Watch — Peggy Choi interview on founding story and credibility
- GPCA (Global Private Capital Association) — startup spotlight on Lynk
- Crunchbase — company profile, funding history, and founder details
- INEX ONE Expert Network Directory — Lynk profile and industry context
9Data confidence ratings
Each data point in this profile is graded for source confidence. Here's what each badge means:
- Verified confidence
- Confirmed by official company disclosures, regulatory filings, or multiple independent sources.
- Positioning confidence
- Based on company marketing claims or self-reported data that could not be independently verified.
- Inference confidence
- Estimated or inferred from indirect evidence, third-party aggregators, or industry context.
- Partially unverifiable confidence
- Some aspects verified but full claim cannot be independently confirmed (e.g., private company financials from third-party estimates).
This profile's ratings
| Founded | Verified confidence |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Verified confidence |
| Expert count | Verified confidence |
| Employee count | Partially unverifiable confidence |
| Pricing model | Verified confidence |
| Services | Verified confidence |
| Compliance | Positioning confidence |
| Overview | Verified confidence |
| History | Verified confidence |
| Services in detail | Positioning confidence |
| AI & platform | Positioning confidence |
| Compliance (detailed) | Positioning confidence |
| Client fit | Inference confidence |
| Strengths | Verified confidence |
| Caveats | Verified confidence |
| Notable facts | Verified confidence |
10How we researched this
This profile was researched and written by the ExpertNetworks.net editorial team using a multi-source methodology:
- Primary sources: Company website, press releases, SEC/regulatory filings, and official announcements
- Third-party verification: Industry reports (Integrity Research, Inex One), news coverage (TechCrunch, Bloomberg, FT), and data aggregators (PitchBook, Tracxn, Crunchbase)
- Cross-referencing: Claims were checked against multiple independent sources where possible; single-source claims are flagged
- Confidence grading: Each data point is rated as Verified, Positioning (company-claimed), or Inference (estimated from indirect evidence)
We do not accept payment from any expert network for inclusion or favorable coverage. If you spot an error, contact us with the correction and source.
Last fact-checked:
Industries served
- Financial Services
- Technology
- Consumer
- Industrials
- Healthcare
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