Liner secures $36.1 million to bring its evidence-first AI search to corporate clients.

      TL;DRLiner has successfully raised $36.1 million in Series C funding, led by LB Investment, resulting in a total capital of $64.3 million. The South Korean AI search startup boasts 14 million registered users across 220 countries and achieved a score of 95.3 on OpenAI’s SimpleQA benchmark. Its enterprise strategy involves integrating its technology into HUMAIN ONE, a government-supported AI platform in Saudi Arabia. Liner emphasizes the citation layer that connects user inquiries to model responses, rather than developing new foundational models.

      Liner, based in South Korea, has secured $36.1 million in Series C funding as it aims to transform its consumer research platform, utilized by millions, into an enterprise-focused AI business. The funding round was led by LB Investment, with participation from returning investors like InterVest, Atinum Investment, and CJ Investment, alongside new contributors such as Korea Development Bank, KB Securities, Daishin Securities, STIC Ventures, and Helios Private Equity. This funding brings Liner's total raised funds to approximately $64.3 million.

      The investment reflects confidence in Liner's citation-enhanced search and retrieval technology, which has potential appeal for corporate and government sectors seeking verifiable AI-generated responses. Founded in South Korea and helmed by CEO Luke Kim, Liner started as a web information organization tool before evolving into an AI research assistant. Since its last funding round 22 months ago, Liner has broadened its product offerings and expanded its B2B initiatives with specialized agent services. Current products offered include Liner Scholar for academic use, Liner Write for business applications, and Liner Finance for investment research.

      Liner operates globally, with its headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, and an office in San Francisco, USA. The company has 14 million registered users spread across 220 countries and territories. Liner was also ranked 30th worldwide for AI-service web traffic by Similarweb in late July 2026, outperforming several well-known AI brands. Furthermore, Liner has been recognized in four consecutive Andreessen Horowitz rankings of leading consumer generative AI products since 2024.

      This consumer reach may set Liner apart in a market that is becoming increasingly cautious about AI. Unlike companies focused on developing new foundational models, Liner's emphasis lies on the layer that links user inquiries to the AI model providing answers, ensuring that responses are supported by relevant, traceable source material.

      The recent funding comes at a moment when investors seek more than just user growth and benchmark achievements from AI companies. While Liner does not develop foundational AI models, it prioritizes ensuring that AI responses are grounded in verifiable material. This aspect is critical, particularly since generative AI can generate flawed or unfounded responses, especially when influencing financial or governmental decisions. Liner claims its system scored 95.3 on OpenAI’s SimpleQA benchmark, which evaluates responses to short factual inquiries, surpassing GPT-4 in search-response capabilities.

      However, a benchmark focused solely on short factual questions does not by itself confirm enterprise readiness. A significant test of Liner’s goals is its initial commercial deployment. Liner's AI search technology has been incorporated into HUMAIN ONE, an enterprise platform developed by AI firm HUMAIN, which is backed by the Saudi government. Liner asserts it was chosen for this deployment after being evaluated against other global technology providers. The HUMAIN ONE integration serves as a key reference point in an environment where data control, source quality, and explainability are paramount.

      The partnership with HUMAIN highlights the B2B business model that Liner aims to expand. Although consumer AI products are experiencing rapid adoption, they often lack sustainable revenue due to the prevalence of free alternatives. Enterprise contracts may provide larger, more stable revenue streams, but Liner must demonstrate that its technology can satisfy requirements for integration reliability, privacy, and support.

      Liner intends to utilize the Series C funding to enhance R&D and infrastructure, recruit talent globally, and grow its enterprise business in South Korea and other regions. This shift toward B2B sales does not imply a loss of focus on its B2C roots, as Liner plans to develop monetization strategies for its consumer offerings.

      “This investment signifies more than just an expansion of our presence,” Kim stated. “It lays a strategic foundation for securing world-class infrastructure and attracting top global talent, which are crucial for establishing reliability, the bedrock of any AI agent.”

      Liner's forthcoming challenge will be translating its reliability narrative into consistent enterprise sales. Its consumer reach, citation-based product design, and HUMAIN deployment provide concrete evidence to bolster its enterprise claims. The Series C funding equips Liner with the resources needed to determine whether these assets can coalesce into a sustainable global AI business.