SAN FRANCISCO / NEW YORK — Linkup, a startup building a search engine designed specifically for artificial intelligence systems, has raised $10 million in seed funding. The round was led by Gradient, with participation from prominent angel investors, including founders of Mistral AI, Datadog, and Dataiku.
The fresh capital will be used to expand Linkup’s technology and global footprint as it works to solve one of the most pressing challenges facing modern AI systems: access to reliable, real-time information from the web.
Solving AI’s “Airplane Mode” Problem
Most AI models operate with knowledge that is frozen at the time of training, leaving them unable to access current events, live market data, or recent research. This limitation—often referred to as AI operating in “airplane mode”—significantly reduces effectiveness in real-world environments where information changes constantly.
The impact is especially critical in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and enterprise operations, where decisions based on outdated data can lead to costly errors, operational risk, and reputational damage. As AI agents become more autonomous, their reliability increasingly depends on direct access to accurate, up-to-date information.
Why Traditional Search Doesn’t Work for AI
Connecting AI systems to traditional search engines is not a viable solution. Platforms like Google are designed for human users, delivering ranked lists of links that require interpretation and navigation. AI agents, by contrast, require structured, machine-readable data that can be consumed instantly.
In addition, conventional search engines prioritise engagement signals such as popularity and SEO optimisation, which can surface content designed for clicks rather than factual accuracy. For AI systems, this model introduces noise and risk. Linkup bypasses this engagement-driven approach by focusing solely on verified data and trusted sources, optimised for non-human consumption.
Rebuilding Web Search for AI-Native Use
Linkup is rebuilding search infrastructure from the ground up with technology designed specifically for how AI systems process information. Instead of indexing entire web pages, the platform extracts and indexes individual “atoms of information”—distinct facts, data points, and statements.
This granular indexing enables more precise and context-aware responses. The system uses embeddings to understand the semantic meaning of queries, allowing AI agents to retrieve relevant information beyond simple keyword matching.
When an AI system queries Linkup’s API, it receives structured, verified data from hundreds of sources within milliseconds. This capability powers Linkup /fast, the company’s sub-second web search API built for AI applications.
Funding to Drive Global Expansion
The newly raised capital will be used to accelerate product development and global expansion. Linkup plans to scale its engineering and research teams across New York, San Francisco, and Paris, strengthening its core infrastructure to meet growing demand from AI developers and enterprises.
As adoption of autonomous AI agents accelerates, the need for real-time, trustworthy web access is becoming foundational rather than optional.
Early Enterprise Adoption Signals Market Demand
Since launch, Linkup has already gained traction among AI-first companies and large enterprises. Its platform is being used by AI companies such as Artisan and global organisations including KPMG to power systems that depend on current, high-confidence information.
This early adoption highlights a growing recognition across industries that AI performance is only as strong as the data it can access.
Building the Infrastructure Layer for Autonomous AI
With fresh funding, proven technology, and early enterprise validation, Linkup is positioning itself as a core infrastructure provider for the AI-powered web. By enabling AI agents to reliably access and process real-time information, the company is addressing a fundamental bottleneck in AI deployment.
As autonomous systems become more deeply embedded in decision-making and operations, Linkup’s approach could redefine how intelligent agents interact with the world’s information—moving AI from static knowledge to live, continuously updated intelligence.
Ruchi Kumar is the associate editor at Entrepreneur News Network and TVW News India, where she leads editorial strategy, brand storytelling, and startup ecosystem coverage. With a strong focus on innovation, business, and marketing insights, he curates impactful narratives that spotlight India’s evolving entrepreneurial landscape.