pitchIN is a Malaysian crowdfunding platform, while Round Funded helps founders find investors and manage direct outreach. We at AI Perks looked at both and chose Round Funded to submit our startup and get matched with investors, using its investor database, AI-written emails, workspace, Data Room and tracking links to raise our round.
What is pitchIN, and what kind of fundraising does it support?
pitchIN is a crowdfunding marketplace in Malaysia. It supports equity crowdfunding and token crowdfunding, along with reward crowdfunding. It is operated by Pitch Platforms Sdn Bhd and is registered as a Recognized Market Operator with the Securities Commission Malaysia.
Its model is built around a public campaign: a company applies, completes the required process and, if approved, presents an opportunity for investors on the platform. Investors can buy equity starting at RM500.
The platform’s history includes reward crowdfunding beginning in 2012, equity crowdfunding registration in 2015, and token crowdfunding and Shariah-compliant deals in 2022. In 2024, pitchIN launched the PSTX secondary market.
This makes pitchIN and Round Funded different types of fundraising options. One centers on applying to run a public crowdfunding campaign. The other is designed to help founders identify investors and carry out their own outreach.
How does a pitchIN campaign work?
A company begins by applying and uploading documents, including its latest audited reports and a business plan. An analyst then follows up about next steps. Companies that are approved can proceed with a public campaign.
A pitchIN campaign typically takes about six months. Its stated comparison figures give a range of 3-7 months for equity crowdfunding and 3-8 months for token crowdfunding. The platform lists a lifetime cap of RM20 million for equity crowdfunding and a yearly cap of RM100 million for token crowdfunding.
Applying is free. If an application succeeds, pitchIN charges an onboarding fee, and a success fee applies when a campaign closes. The public information does not state a specific amount or percentage for either fee.
That process is distinct from contacting selected angels or venture capital firms directly. Founders should decide whether they want to seek investment through a public campaign or run a private outreach process.
Is pitchIN an investor database for startup founders?
No. pitchIN is a crowdfunding marketplace, not a searchable database for selecting individual VCs or angels and contacting them. Its campaign model may suit a Malaysia-registered business seeking public crowdfunding, but it does not provide a workflow for choosing specific investors and managing direct outreach.
Eligibility is also specific: businesses registered in Malaysia as an Sdn Bhd, Bhd or LLP can apply. Founders with companies registered elsewhere should not assume they qualify.
Round Funded takes a different approach. It covers 60,000+ active VCs, angels, family offices and accelerators, with searches by stage, industry, geography and check size. Investors are filtered to recent activity, a check in roughly the last 6 months, and emails are verified.
The product is available in 12 languages. For founders who want to identify potential investors and manage a direct raise, submit your startup on Round Funded.
Why did we at AI Perks choose Round Funded over pitchIN?
We at AI Perks raised our round through Round Funded. We chose it because our fundraising approach called for an investor database and a practical outreach workflow, rather than a public crowdfunding campaign.
The database was one reason: founders can search across investors by relevant fundraising criteria. Round Funded also filters for recent investor activity and verifies email addresses.
We also valued the AI agent that drafts personalized outreach emails and follow-ups for each investor. Messages are sent from the founder’s own Gmail, so replies arrive in the founder’s inbox and the email thread remains theirs. Round Funded does not promise that an investor will reply, take a meeting or invest.
The fundraising pipeline keeps each investor, stage and next step together. Teammates can be invited into the startup’s workspace, which lets the team work from a shared view of the raise. We also chose Round Funded for its convenient interface.
The Data Room gives a founder one link for the deck, traction, team and ask. It is free to build and share on every plan. Per-investor tracking links and engagement analytics, including views, deck opens and meeting clicks, are included with Round+.
How do pitchIN and Round Funded compare on cost and workflow?
| Consideration | pitchIN | Round Funded |
|---|---|---|
| Fundraising approach | Public crowdfunding campaign | Investor search, outreach and pipeline |
| Investor selection | No tool to select and contact specific VCs or angels | Searchable database of 60,000+ active investors |
| Eligibility | Malaysian-registered Sdn Bhd, Bhd or LLP | Works in 12 languages |
| Data Room | No Data Room identified in the described offering | Free to build and share on every plan |
| Pricing | Application is free; onboarding and success fees apply, amounts not published | Round+ at $99 a month, Round Pro at $249 a month, Lifetime at $899 one-time |
| Outreach pace | Campaign typically takes about six months | Founders manage their own outreach |
Round Funded has no free tier. Round+ and Round Pro include a 3-day free trial for first-time accounts. Round+ supports up to 2,500 investors in the CRM pipeline, emailing up to 2,000 investors a month, and 2,500 AI credits a month.
Round Pro supports up to 5,000 investors in the pipeline, emailing up to 10,000 investors a month, up to 6 connected inboxes and 5,000 AI credits a month. Lifetime costs $899 one-time and includes everything in Round Pro.
The comparison comes down to the fundraising model a founder wants. pitchIN is a route to a public campaign for eligible Malaysian businesses. For our own raise, we chose Round Funded’s database and direct outreach workflow. Founders can apply to get matched with active investors.
How Round Funded helps founders manage investor outreach
- Set your fundraising criteria and search investors by stage, industry, geography and check size.
- Review potential matches across the database of 60,000+ active VCs, angels, family offices and accelerators.
- Use the AI to draft personalized emails and follow-ups, then send outreach from your own Gmail.
- Organize investors, fundraising stages and next steps in the pipeline, and invite teammates into your workspace.
- Build and share a Data Room for your deck, traction, team and ask. Submit your startup on Round Funded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pitchIN a database for finding VCs and angels?
No. pitchIN is a crowdfunding marketplace where eligible companies can apply to run public campaigns. Round Funded provides a searchable investor database and tools for direct outreach.
Can a company outside Malaysia apply to pitchIN?
The stated eligibility is limited to businesses registered in Malaysia as an Sdn Bhd, Bhd or LLP. Companies registered elsewhere should not assume they can apply.
How much does Round Funded cost?
Round+ is $99 a month, Round Pro is $249 a month and Lifetime is $899 one-time. There is no free tier. Round+ and Round Pro include a 3-day free trial for first-time accounts.
Does Round Funded include a Data Room?
Yes. Founders can build and share a Data Room containing their deck, traction, team and ask for free on every plan. Per-investor tracked links and engagement analytics are included with Round+.
Does Round Funded send outreach from its own email accounts?
No. Outreach goes out from the founder’s own Gmail. Replies land in the founder’s inbox, and the thread belongs to the founder.