What Rtist does

Rtist is a Malaysian creative talent marketplace that connects businesses with local freelancers, job seekers, and creative agencies across disciplines including graphic design, illustration, photography, video production, interior design, web development, and writing. The platform operates as a two-sided hub offering a Freelancer Directory, Job Seeker Directory, Portfolio Browsing, job boards for full-time/intern and freelance roles, an Agency Directory, and an Events section, all accessible via a self-serve web platform at rtist.co. The company is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur and is operated by Zeroo Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian private limited company (Company No. 201501015933 / 1141266-V), founded in 2015 with 11-50 employees.

The underlying technology is a cloud-based marketplace platform with portfolio hosting, a talent directory, and a ratings/verification system, built on AWS infrastructure with an OSS bucket used for media storage. Distinguishing platform features include a Talent Verification and Ratings System to help clients screen creatives before hiring, a Handpick Service where Rtist curates and recommends verified talent based on client requirements, and a portfolio showcase with engagement metrics (likes, views, recommendations). Marketing is multi-channel, leveraging content (rtist.co/blog), community (Talent Community Facebook group rtistclub), events, a referral program, and SEO/organic search.

Rtist's revenue mechanics combine freemium, subscription, and transaction-based monetization. Clients can post 1 job for free; additional posts require a paid Unlimited Hiring Pass (monthly subscription). Talent contact details are gated behind a credit system (10 credits per unlock) purchased via the platform, functioning as a transaction fee on client-talent introductions. A talent-side Membership program and an add-on Handpick Service provide further monetization surfaces. The marketplace is single-country (Malaysia), with 1,000+ companies reported to have hired through the platform, and a talent directory spanning over 120 pages.

Name

Rtist

Legal name

Zeroo Sdn Bhd

Website

https://rtist.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rtist is a Malaysian creative talent marketplace connecting local businesses with freelancers, job seekers, and agencies across graphic design, photography, video, and interior design disciplines via a cloud-based directory and job-matching platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kuala Lumpur

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Unlimited Hiring Pass: Paid subscription allowing unlimited job postings. Users who exceed the free 1-job limit must purchase this pass to continue posting jobs.
2. Contact Credit System: Platform uses credits to unlock talent contact details. Clients purchase credits to access talent's contact information for direct outreach.
3. Free Job Posting (Freemium): Basic tier offers 1 free job post at a time, driving user acquisition with paid upgrades for unlimited posting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rtist is a two-sided online marketplace that connects Malaysian businesses seeking creative talent with freelance creative professionals, job seekers, and creative agencies. The platform provides searchable directories, portfolio galleries, and job boards spanning disciplines such as graphic design, illustration, interior design, photography, video, writing, and marketing. It monetizes through a freemium job posting model, a paid Unlimited Hiring Pass subscription, and a credit-based system for unlocking talent contact details.

Product overview

Rtist is a unified talent marketplace platform operating in Malaysia that connects businesses with creative professionals. The core Rtist Platform serves as a centralized hub offering multiple interconnected services: the Freelancer Directory and Job Seeker Directory for sourcing talent, Portfolio Browsing for evaluating creative work, job boards for Full-Time & Intern Jobs and Freelance Jobs, an Agency Directory for larger engagements, and an Events section for industry activities. The platform supplements its marketplace with premium services including Handpick Service (curated talent matching), Unlimited Hiring Pass (subscription for employers), and Membership (for talent visibility). A grant program (RM5000 Grant) supports creative entrepreneurs. The platform covers creative specializations including graphic design, illustration, interior design, photography, video/animation, web and apps, industrial design, fashion design, writing, marketing, and architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rtist Platform A Malaysian creative talent marketplace that connects businesses with freelancers, job seekers, and agencies across creative disciplines including graphic design, illustration, photography, video production, and interior design.
• Freelancer Directory A searchable directory of freelancers available for hire, allowing businesses to browse and filter talent by specialization, location, and availability.
• Job Seeker Directory A directory of job seekers seeking full-time, contract, or internship positions in creative fields.
• Portfolio Browsing A gallery of creative portfolios showcasing talent work across categories such as graphic design, illustration, interior design, photography, and video/animation.
• Full-Time & Intern Jobs Board Job board for in-house creative positions including full-time, part-time, contract, and internship opportunities.
• Freelance Jobs Board Job board for freelance creative projects posted by clients seeking to hire remote or local creative talent.
• Agency Directory A directory of creative agencies available for client hiring, covering branding, digital marketing, and design services.
• Handpick Service A curated talent matching service where Rtist recommends verified creatives suited to client project requirements.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GERAN DIGITAL PMKS MADANIminorOthersRtist hosts the RM5000 Grant program for creative professionals as part of GERAN DIGITAL PMKS MADANI initiative, providing funding opportunities to Malaysian creative businesses and freelancers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• PeoplePerHour: UK-based freelance marketplace connecting businesses with creative and digital freelancers, with a similar tiered subscription model. Comparable to Rtist on marketplace model and creative-category focus, but operates primarily in UK/European markets rather than Southeast Asia.

Emerging players

• Glints: Southeast Asia-based talent marketplace and recruitment platform with mobile-first experience, serving employers and job seekers across the region. Comparable to Rtist on Southeast Asia regional focus and two-sided talent matching, though Glints covers broader professional categories rather than creative-only.
• Designhill: Design-focused crowdsourced marketplace offering contests, direct hire, and a design store. Comparable to Rtist on creative-only vertical focus and portfolio-based hiring, with partial overlap on freelance job matching.

Direct peers

• Freelancer.com: Global freelance marketplace spanning creative, technical, and writing categories with auction-style and direct-hire models. Directly comparable to Rtist on marketplace structure, broad creative category coverage, and tiered access monetization.
• 99designs: Design-focused freelance marketplace (now part of Cimpress/Vista) that connects businesses with graphic designers via contests and direct hire. Directly comparable to Rtist on creative-only vertical focus and portfolio-based hiring, though with global reach and a contest-driven workflow.
• Upwork: Largest global freelance marketplace for both creative and technical talent, offering job postings, freelancer profiles, and portfolio browsing. Closely comparable to Rtist on marketplace structure, two-sided matching, and tiered monetization (free + paid).
• Fiverr: Global two-sided freelance marketplace connecting businesses with creative and digital freelancers across categories including graphic design, illustration, video, and writing. Directly comparable to Rtist in business model (marketplace + subscription/transaction monetization) and category focus, though operating at global scale versus Rtist's Malaysia-only focus.
• Dribbble: Design community and freelance marketplace for creative professionals, with portfolio hosting, job board, and direct hiring features. Closely comparable to Rtist on creative-only specialization, portfolio-centric discovery, and two-sided matching for design talent.
• Toptal: Curated freelance marketplace for top-tier creative, design, and technology talent, with a screening/verification process similar to Rtist's Handpick Service. Comparable on the curated-matching business model and quality-vetted talent pool, though Toptal positions at the premium end.

Broad incumbents

• Behance: Adobe-owned creative portfolio platform with job listings and talent discovery, serving as a broader incumbent in the creative-talent discovery space. Comparable to Rtist on portfolio-centric talent browsing, though Behance is part of Adobe's broader Creative Cloud ecosystem and not a pure marketplace.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Rtistmalaysia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rtist-creative-platform

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Rtist