We at AI Perks looked at Brinc and chose Round Funded to submit our startup and get matched with investors for our round. The routes serve different needs: Brinc describes startup programs and services, while Round Funded helps founders organize direct investor outreach.
What is Brinc, and what does it offer founders?
Brinc describes itself as a service provider to organizations that run programs and invest in startups, rather than as a licensed investment entity. It says it does not invest its own balance sheet directly in startups. Instead, its work includes providing people and other resources to support company growth.
Its programs focus on entrepreneurs and businesses in early growth stages, with activities intended to help validate business models and reach markets. The offerings described by Brinc include programs involving investment partners, virtual programs with tuition, and services for companies ready to scale. A third-party program directory lists founder programs in Hong Kong, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and India.
Those examples do not create one standard offer for all applicants. Brinc says the investment or grant available, fees, program length and ownership terms depend on the particular program and location. It also says advisory-equity terms are assessed case by case, taking into account matters such as stage, fundraising progress, revenue and comparable transactions.
For a founder, that means the relevant question is not simply whether Brinc has a program. It is whether a specific program’s activities, eligibility requirements and terms suit the company’s needs. Review the offer for the program you are considering rather than assuming that terms published for one opportunity apply to another.
What can Brinc program terms include?
Brinc’s published examples show how significantly program terms can differ. They are examples of individual offers, not a single package available to every founder.
- XDC program: Brinc says XDC, rather than Brinc, provides an investment of up to US$100,000. Depending on the company’s stage, the terms call for around 2% equity and 1% of the company’s total token supply. XDC pays the stated US$35,000 program fee for companies accepted into the program. Applicants must be prepared to build exclusively on, and launch their token on, the XDC Network.
- Climate-tech program: Brinc says startups are presented to a funding partner for an upfront US$100,000 investment. The stated typical post-money valuation range is US$2 million to US$10 million. A US$35,000 program fee is payable only after a startup receives investment from a funding partner, and participants enter an advisory-share agreement. Scheduled sessions typically run for three to four hours at recurring cohort times.
- MONIIFY virtual accelerator: Brinc describes a four-week, tuition-based virtual program with interactive sessions. Listed activities include individual coaching, group workshops, question-and-answer sessions and a demo day, alongside investor and partner introductions and group mentorship.
- Soft Landing: Brinc presents this as a service for scale-ready startups pursuing fundraising, corporate partnerships and expansion into its key markets. Its listed price combines an upfront payment with a US$14,999 success fee. The offer includes five targeted investor or partner meetings and five strategic advisory meetings tailored to the company’s stage and sector.
Brinc says program fees help pay operating expenses, including staff and mentor costs, events and demo days. A founder comparing programs should consider both what the program provides and what it asks in return. Depending on the offer, costs or commitments may include tuition, fees, equity, tokens or participation requirements.
Is a Brinc program the same as raising directly?
No. A program may offer structured sessions, guidance, introductions or access to an investment partner. Direct fundraising means approaching investors yourself rather than relying on participation in a program as the route to capital. These approaches are not necessarily exclusive: a founder can apply to a program while also pursuing direct investor outreach.
Brinc says acceptance into a program involving an investment partner depends on that partner’s mandates and commitment to deploy funds. Participation does not guarantee an investment. Brinc also says its investment process may take around three months after applications close, and selected companies may be asked to meet program managers and complete further due diligence.
That distinction matters when deciding how to spend time and assess terms. A program’s potential support should be weighed against its fees, requirements and any ownership-related conditions. Direct outreach, meanwhile, calls for a way to identify investors, manage communications and keep fundraising work organized.
Round Funded is the option we chose for direct fundraising. Founders can submit a startup on Round Funded to get matched with investors. The platform also lists accelerators and programs, so exploring direct outreach does not require ignoring program opportunities. Between Brinc’s program route and Round Funded’s direct fundraising tools, our choice was Round Funded.
Why did we at AI Perks choose Round Funded?
We raised our round through Round Funded. We chose it for the clean investor database, an AI agent that writes emails, a convenient interface, the ability to invite teammates into the workspace, the Data Room and tracking links.
Round Funded covers 60,000+ active VCs, angels, family offices and accelerators. Founders can search by stage, industry, geography and check size. Investors are filtered to recent activity, with a check in roughly the last six months, and email addresses are verified. That made the platform a fit for the way we wanted to handle investor research and outreach.
The AI drafts a personalized email and follow-ups for each investor. Outreach goes out through the founder’s own Gmail, so replies arrive in the founder’s inbox and the conversation thread belongs to the founder. A fundraising pipeline keeps investors, stages and next steps together, and teammates can be invited into the startup’s workspace.
The Data Room lets founders build and share one link containing their deck, traction, team and ask. It is free to build and share on every plan. Per-investor tracked links and engagement analytics, such as views, deck opens and meeting clicks, are included with Round+. These were among the tools that mattered to us when choosing a direct fundraising workflow.
Round Funded has no free tier. Round+ costs $99 a month and Round Pro costs $249 a month; both include a three-day free trial for first-time accounts. Lifetime costs $899 one time and includes everything in Round Pro. The plans differ in investor pipeline capacity, email limits, AI credits and, for Round Pro, connected inboxes. Founders should compare those limits with the work they plan to do.
How Round Funded helps founders organize fundraising
- Submit your startup to get matched with investors.
- Search investors by stage, industry, geography and check size.
- Use the AI to draft personalized investor emails and follow-ups.
- Organize investors, fundraising stages and next steps in the pipeline, and invite teammates to the workspace.
- Build and share a Data Room link with your deck, traction, team and ask. Round+ includes per-investor tracking links and engagement analytics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Brinc invest directly in startups?
Brinc says it does not invest its own balance sheet directly in startups. Some programs involve investment partners, and the terms depend on the specific program.
Does joining a Brinc program guarantee funding?
No. Brinc says that investment-partner programs depend on the partner’s mandates and commitment to deploy funds. It also says program participation does not guarantee funding.
Are Brinc’s fees and equity terms the same for every founder?
No. Brinc says fees and offers vary by program and location. Advisory-equity terms are assessed case by case, so founders should review the conditions of the particular opportunity.
Can a founder apply to Brinc while raising directly?
Yes. Applying to a program and contacting investors directly are different routes, and a founder can pursue both. We at AI Perks chose Round Funded for our direct fundraising process.
What does Round Funded cost?
Round+ is $99 a month, Round Pro is $249 a month, and Lifetime is $899 one time. Round+ and Round Pro include a three-day free trial for first-time accounts; there is no free tier.