AI driven knowledge-as-a-service platform, Lynk and UBS, the global wealth manager and financial services provider are collaborating to help UBS's institutional clients globally to integrate expert access into their investment process.

This dynamic opportunity enables the banking giant’s research analysts and institutional clients, including hedge funds, private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds, having access to Lynk’s database of 840,000 experts around the world.

Established 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 presence across the world with its offices located in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, Shanghai and Toronto, serving 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.

In a statement, Peggy Choi, co-founder and CEO, Lynk states, “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.” He adds, “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.

Choi says, “Relying on on-the-ground experts, working with them to verify assumptions and develop convictions before making an investment is a must. We’re really seeing a structural change and that is also what UBS is hearing from its customers.”

Dan Dowd, Global Head of Research, UBS says, “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.”