Links

What Links does

Links International is a Hong Kong-headquartered HR outsourcing and recruitment firm serving multinational corporations across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions. The company delivers four integrated service lines: HR outsourcing (payroll, EOR/PEO, visa processing, company formation, outplacement, and HR system integrations), recruitment (contingent search, retained executive search, recruiter-on-demand, and sector-specialized hiring across IT, banking and finance, life sciences, construction, legal, and supply chain), HR advisory and consulting, and HR technology platform licensing. Its core technology is the Links One HR platform, a cloud-based, microservices-architecture solution with mobile-first design that consolidates payroll, leave, and workforce management data, supported by add-on modules including Links Integration Hub (with Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, and Oracle HCM connectors), Workforce Asia for time and roster management, On Demand Pay for earned wage access, and HR Analytics for workforce insights. The company operates 100% in-country service delivery across 30 locations in 20+ countries spanning Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, the UAE, Bahrain, Myanmar, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, with regional headquarters in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai.

The business model is a hybrid of managed services (HR outsourcing and EOR/PEO), professional services (recruitment and advisory), and subscription/recurring SaaS revenue (Links One platform licensing). Pricing is quote-based and varies by employee headcount, countries of operation, and service scope, with multi-year enterprise contracts. Go-to-market is sales-led, using regional business development managers, dedicated account managers for key accounts, website-driven inbound inquiries, and content marketing via quarterly Labour Law Insider publications, annual salary guides, and country-specific compliance pages. The company is privately held and operates as a subsidiary of Ascentium Group, with Managing Director Scott Thomson leading a management team of functional and regional directors across EOR, HR Outsourcing, Technology, Mainland China, Human Capital Solutions, Recruitment, and APAC sales. Marquee clients include Moncler, Nord Anglia Education, Pernod Ricard, Tory Burch, Shangri-La, Shell, Sephora, Payoneer, Lovisa, Shopback, and CH Robinson, with award recognition including 11 consecutive years of Best HR Outsourcing Partner in Hong Kong and Singapore and Everest Group Star Performer in the 2025 MCP PEAK Matrix.

Name

Links

Legal name

Links International

Website

https://linksinternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Links International is a Hong Kong-based HR outsourcing and recruitment firm delivering payroll, EOR, visa, and HR technology services to multinational corporations across 20+ countries in APAC and the Middle East, supported by its Links One platform and 1,800+ professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Outsourcing & Recruitment Services

NAICS

Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Mobility, Immigration & Relocation Administration Outsourcing (BPACAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Global Mobility, Immigration & Relocation (BPACAPAN)

Keywords

• HR outsourcing services
• Multi-country payroll
• Employer of record
• Recruitment services
• HR technology platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Wan Chai

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. HR Outsourcing Services: Comprehensive HR outsourcing including payroll processing, EOR/PEO services, visa processing, and HR administration for multinational clients operating across APAC and Middle East regions.
2. Recruitment Services: Contingent search, retained executive search, and recruiter-on-demand services for filling permanent, contract, and temporary positions across multiple industries.
3. HR Technology Platform Licensing: SaaS licensing for Links One platform, Links Integration Hub, and other HR technology products including Workforce Asia and On Demand Pay.
4. HR Advisory & Consulting: Advisory services including HR consulting, compliance advisory, company formation assistance, and outplacement services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Links International is an HR outsourcing and recruitment agency that provides payroll processing, employer of record (EOR/PEO) services, visa application, HR advisory, company formation, and recruitment services (permanent, contingent, and retained search) to multinational corporations operating across APAC and the Middle East. The company supplements these services with the Links One HR technology platform, Links Integration Hub, Workforce Asia, On Demand Pay, and HR Analytics products.

Product overview

Links International offers a unified HR service portfolio consisting of the Links One platform as the core HR management system, complemented by specialized modules including Links Integration Hub, Workforce Asia (Time & Roster Management), On Demand Pay, and HR Analytics. The platform enables 100% in-country payroll service delivery across 30 locations in APAC and the Middle East. In addition to the technology platform, Links provides human resource services including recruitment (permanent, contingent, and retained search), HR outsourcing, EOR/PEO services, and employer branding solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Links One: HR platform for payroll, leave and workforce management
• Links Integration Hub
• Workforce Asia
• On Demand Pay
• HR Analytics

Products and services

• HR Outsourcing Services Comprehensive HR outsourcing services including payroll processing, multi-country payroll, PEO/EOR services, visa application and work visa processing, company formation, outplacement/career transition, employee assistance programme, HR system integrations, SAP SuccessFactors implementation, Statement of Work (SOW) services, and emerging markets payroll. Targeted at multinational corporations operating across APAC and the Middle East.
• Recruitment Services Full recruitment services including permanent placement, contingent search, retained executive search (Apex Search), recruiter-on-demand for spiking hiring needs, temporary and contract recruitment, and salary benchmarking & market mapping. Specialised across Banking & Finance, IT, Sales & Marketing, HR, Life Sciences, Supply Chain, Construction, Property & Engineering, Legal, and Healthcare industries.
• HR Advisory & Consulting HR advisory and consulting services including HR consulting, compliance advisory, and outplacement services for organizations across APAC and the Middle East.
• Links One HR Platform A single HR platform consolidating payroll, leave, and workforce management data with in-country support, reporting, comparison, and evaluation capabilities for company payroll across multiple countries. Cloud-based with microservices architecture and mobile-first design.
• Links Integration Hub Integration platform enabling seamless connections with Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM, and other enterprise HR systems.
• Workforce Asia - Time & Roster Management Time and attendance tracking and roster management solution designed for workforce management across Asian markets.
• On Demand Pay

Quantifiable outcome

• 47% growth in number of employees being payrolled year on year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ADP (Automatic Data Processing): ADP is a global HR outsourcing and payroll giant with multi-country payroll solutions (ADP Streamline, ADP Celergo). It is a broad incumbent competing for the same multinational clients as Links but with a much wider global footprint and product portfolio.
• TriNet: TriNet is a US-focused PEO providing HR outsourcing, payroll, and benefits administration. While primarily US-based, it competes for global enterprise accounts where multinationals need PEO/EOR services similar to those Links provides in APAC.

Direct peers

• Deel: Deel is a global EOR, payroll, and contractor management platform operating in 150+ countries. It is a direct competitor to Links' EOR/payroll services across APAC and Middle East, with a tech-first self-serve model versus Links' in-country service delivery.
• Velocity Global: Velocity Global provides global EOR, payroll, and immigration services in 185+ countries. It competes directly with Links for APAC and Middle East multi-country HR outsourcing contracts.
• Globalization Partners: Globalization Partners is an established global EOR provider with operations across 180+ countries. It directly competes with Links for enterprise multi-country payroll and EOR contracts in APAC and Middle East.
• Remote: Remote provides global EOR, payroll, and HR services for distributed teams. It directly competes with Links in APAC multi-country payroll, with overlapping customer segments among multinational employers hiring internationally.
• Papaya Global: Papaya Global offers a SaaS-based global payroll, EOR, and workforce management platform with coverage in 160+ countries. It is a direct competitor targeting similar multinational enterprise customers as Links for multi-country payroll consolidation.
• Safeguard Global: Safeguard Global offers global EOR, multi-country payroll, and managed HR services across 170+ countries. It is a comparable direct peer competing for the same multinational enterprise clients seeking regional HR outsourcing.
• Atlas HXM: Atlas HXM (formerly Elements Global Services) is a global employer-of-record and multi-country payroll provider. It directly competes with Links in the same enterprise HR outsourcing category with overlapping APAC coverage.

Emerging players

• WorkMotion: WorkMotion is a European-headquartered global HR platform offering EOR, payroll, and immigration services. It is an emerging player expanding into APAC, representing the type of regional-to-global competitor Links faces for multi-country HR outsourcing contracts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/links-international
• Xx.com/Links_Asia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Links