Factual Inc. is a company.
Key people at Factual Inc..
Factual Inc. was founded by Gil Elbaz (Founder/CEO).
Key people at Factual Inc..
Factual Inc. was founded by Gil Elbaz (Founder/CEO).
Factual Inc. is a location data company founded in 2009 that provides trusted, accurate, and comprehensive data on places and people worldwide to product teams, marketers, and data analysts, enabling smarter digital products, advertising, and business decisions in a mobile-first world.[1][4][5] It serves the world's most valuable brands and technology companies, such as Microsoft, Uber, Samsung, Snap, and Twitter, by delivering location intelligence that transforms customer experiences and drives revenue, with a combined revenue exceeding $150 million across more than 20 global markets post-merger.[3][4]
The company solves the challenge of contextualizing data in an increasingly mobile economy, where location powers navigation, brand interactions, problem-solving, and service discovery.[1] Its growth momentum peaked through a 2020 merger with Foursquare, creating the leading independent location technology platform with top solutions in audiences, points-of-interest, developer tools, and attribution, trusted by over half of the Fortune 100.[3][4]
Factual Inc. was founded in 2009 by Gil Elbaz, who built it initially as an open data repository that evolved into a marketing platform leveraging superior location and audience data.[4][5] Elbaz, backed by investors like Index Ventures and partner Danny Rimer, shifted focus to help developers, publishers, and advertisers create relevant, personalized mobile experiences using location context.[5] Early traction came from its reputation for responsible data stewardship and high-quality audience segments, positioning it as a category leader.[3][4]
A pivotal moment arrived in April 2020 when Factual merged with Foursquare, combining strengths—Factual's top audience data with Foursquare's attribution and developer tools—to form a location data powerhouse under the Foursquare name, with Elbaz joining the board and executive team.[3][4] This merger accelerated its scale, generating over $150 million in annual revenue and solidifying its market leadership.[3][4]
Factual rides the explosive growth of location intelligence in a mobile, data-driven economy, where computing is ubiquitous and location data fuels navigation, advertising, and discovery services.[1][3] The 2020 merger timing capitalized on post-social-network shifts for both companies—Foursquare from check-ins to enterprise platforms, Factual from open data to marketing—amid rising demand for privacy-compliant, accurate data amid GDPR and similar regulations.[4]
Market forces like the proliferation of apps, e-commerce, and hyper-personalized ads favor Factual's stack, influencing the ecosystem by enabling brands to harness location for better customer experiences and smarter decisions, as seen in partnerships with tech giants.[3][4] It accelerates location tech adoption as a business essential, powering the infrastructure for AI-enhanced mapping and targeted services.[1][3]
Factual's merger into Foursquare positions it to dominate the evolving location data market, expanding into AI-driven predictions, edge computing, and privacy-first solutions amid growing regulatory scrutiny. Trends like real-time geospatial analytics and AR/VR integration will shape its trajectory, potentially boosting revenue through new verticals like autonomous vehicles and smart cities. Its influence may grow by standardizing location data ethics and interoperability, reinforcing its role as the backbone for contextual intelligence—much like how it transformed mobile experiences from open data origins into a $150M+ powerhouse.[3][4]