Factual, launched in October 2009, is an open data platform developed to maximize data accuracy, transparency, and accessibility. It provides access through web service APIs and reusable, customisable web applications. It is described by its founder, Gil Elbaz as "a platform for anyone to share and mash open data". Factual has data sets about local place information, entertainment and information derived from government sources. Dr Tim Chklovski co-founded the company. Commercial consumers of the datasets include Facebook Places and SpatialMatch. Factual intends to provide discounts to data consumers that contribute improved data back, in order to encourage crowd sourcing and other collaborative approaches to data creation and curation.