What Factly does

Factly (Factly Media & Research) is a Hyderabad-based data journalism and fact-checking organization founded in 2014 that operates as a non-paywalled digital media platform serving the Indian general public. It publishes fact-checks, data-driven stories, and infographics backed by official government data and information obtained through Right to Information (RTI) requests, covering politics, elections, education, crime, health, business, and public policy. The platform supports IFCN-compliant fact-checking standards, publishes in both English and Telugu, and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License for free redistribution with attribution.

The company's core technology is a web-based content management and publishing platform operating the factly.in website, supplemented by three specialized products: interactive Data Dashboards at dashboards.factly.in, an election-data tool called Counting India (countingindia.com), and a dedicated video platform at videos.factly.in. The proprietary stack includes multi-language content publishing, data visualization tools, and a partnership with Dataful that delivers clean, structured, analysis-ready datasets derived from official government sources such as AISHE, PGI, NCRB, and railway accident data. Factly's archive contains over 400 pages of published stories and 660+ fact-checks in English, and the organization holds IFCN signatory status and Facebook Third Party Fact-Checker certification.

Factly's revenue model is grant- and partnership-driven rather than consumer-monetized. Documented revenue streams include a $30,000 IFCN SUSTAIN grant awarded in 2026 and a $35,000 investment from Llama in 2024-09-24, with the Facebook Third Party Fact-Checking partnership serving as a distribution and credibility channel. Content is freely accessible with no paywalls, subscription tiers, or advertising offerings disclosed; the go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on organic content discovery, social sharing, search visibility, and free newsletter subscriptions. Target audiences are the general Indian public, researchers and policy analysts seeking structured datasets, and the broader professional fact-checking community.

Name

Factly

Legal name

Factly Media & Research

Website

https://factly.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Factly is a Hyderabad-based data journalism and fact-checking platform that publishes fact-checks, data stories, and infographics backed by official government data for the Indian general public, researchers, and policy analysts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital News & Fact-Checking

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Journalism & News Intelligence Publishers (Indexes, Election/Market Data) (MPAJADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

News & Current Affairs Aggregators (MPACAKAA)

Keywords

• Data journalism
• Fact checking
• Public information
• Government data
• Infographic content

Headquarters

HQ city

Hyderabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. IFCN SUSTAIN Program Grants: Factly received $30,000 as part of a $750,000 grant pool distributed to 25 fact-checking organizations through the IFCN SUSTAIN program. This is an unrestricted grant to support financial sustainability while continuing publishing operations.
2. Platform Partnership - Facebook Third Party Fact-Checking: As a Facebook Third Party Fact-Checker, Factly participates in Meta's fact-checking program, which typically involves partnership arrangements with fact-checking organizations to combat misinformation on the platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Factly is a data journalism and public information portal that publishes fact-checks, data-driven stories, infographics, and videos based on official government data and Right to Information (RTI) requests. The platform operates across English and Telugu languages, providing freely accessible content to combat misinformation and make complex government data meaningful for the Indian public. Supporting offerings include interactive data dashboards and the Counting India election data tool.

Product overview

FACTLY is a data journalism and public information portal operating as a unified platform with multiple content channels. The core product is the factly.in website featuring fact-checks, data stories, and infographics backed by official government data and RTI requests. Supporting products include Data Dashboards for structured datasets and Counting India for election data. Content is distributed across multiple categories (Stories, Fact Checks in English and Telugu, Infographics) and formats (text, video). FACTLY is an IFCN-accredited fact-checker and Facebook Third Party Fact-Checking partner.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FACTLY Website (factly.in) The main data journalism and public information portal that publishes fact-checks, data-driven stories, infographics, and news articles backed by official government data and RTI requests. Targets the general public in India seeking verified information on politics, elections, crime, health, education, and governance.
• Data Dashboards Interactive data dashboards providing clean, structured, and analysis-ready datasets on various topics including education, elections, and public safety. Targeted at researchers, policy analysts, and journalists needing analysis-ready government data.
• Counting India A specialized data tool focused on election-related data and statistics for India, providing structured election-related information for public access.
• Factly Videos Video content platform featuring fact-checks and explanatory content in both English and Telugu languages, extending Factly's fact-checking mission to multimedia audiences.
• Fact Checks (English & Telugu) Fact-checking articles in English and Telugu debunking misinformation, viral claims, and misleading posts on social media. Targets Indian general public across multiple language groups.
• Data Stories Long-form data journalism stories analyzing government data on topics including education, health, crime, elections, and infrastructure. Targets readers interested in detailed analysis of Indian public affairs.
• Infographics Visual data representations including electoral bonds, government schemes, census data, and budget breakdowns, making complex government data accessible to general audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 pages of published stories with regular new content published weekly
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026IFCN, part of the Poynter Institute, awarded Factly a $30,000 unrestricted grant through the SUSTAIN program. The program received 50 eligible applications and selected Factly based on need, sustainability planning, timeline and budget, and likelihood of success. The grants target organizations facing shrinking institutional funding, fewer platform partnerships, and rising demand for fact-checking services.
• Poynter InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Poynter Institute hosts the International Fact-Checking Network and administers the SUSTAIN program that provided financial support to Factly. Factly is an IFCN signatory, indicating compliance with Poynter's standards for fact-checking organizations.
• Meta (Facebook)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFactly is certified as a Facebook Third Party Fact-Checker, participating in Meta's fact-checking program to combat misinformation on the Facebook platform. This partnership provides both credibility and distribution reach for Factly's fact-checking content.
• DatafulsupportingTechnology or IntegrationFactly partners with Dataful (dataful.in) to provide clean, structured, and analysis-ready datasets. Dataful transforms raw government data into downloadable datasets related to topics covered by Factly stories, including railway accidents, education statistics (AISHE, PGI), and other public data. The datasets include state-wise, year-wise, and time-of-occurrence-wise information suitable for research and policy analysis.
• Creative CommonssupportingOthersContent on Factly (except videos) is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, allowing free redistribution with proper attribution. This open licensing approach supports the organization's public information mission.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Snopes: Pioneer U.S.-based fact-checking site and IFCN signatory. Comparable to Factly in editorial focus on misinformation verification and standards compliance, though operating at much greater scale and English-only.
• Alt News: Indian fact-checking portal that, like Factly, publishes misinformation debunking and investigative reporting. Both are IFCN signatories and Facebook Third Party Fact-Checkers operating in the Indian market.
• PolitiFact: Pulitzer-winning U.S. fact-checking outlet (IFCN signatory). Compares to Factly on standards and methodology for political and public-interest misinformation, though PolitiFact is U.S.-focused and far larger.
• Boom Live: Mumbai-based fact-checking organization publishing English and regional-language debunks. Competes directly with Factly for Indian misinformation coverage and IFCN-certified status.
• Vishvas News: IFCN-signatory Indian fact-checking outlet publishing in multiple Indian languages. Directly competes with Factly for platform partnerships and reader attention on misinformation debunking.

Broad incumbents

• AFP Fact Check: Global wire-service fact-checking operation covering India and worldwide. Comparable to Factly in IFCN methodology and standards but operates from a global news agency with significantly larger resources.
• The Quint / WebQoof: WebQoof is the fact-checking vertical of The Quint newsroom, one of India's larger digital media houses. Competes with Factly on fact-checks but operates from a much broader editorial platform.
• India Today Fact Check: Fact-checking vertical of the India Today media group, a major Indian broadcaster. Overlaps with Factly on misinformation debunking but draws from a much larger newsroom and TV distribution.

Regional players

• Full Fact: UK-based fact-checking charity and IFCN signatory using AI tools for misinformation detection. Comparable to Factly in editorial approach and nonprofit-style operating model, though operating in a different geography.

Others

• Dataful: Indian data platform partnered with Factly to provide clean downloadable datasets from official sources. Ecosystem partner rather than competitor; relevance stems from being the data infrastructure underpinning Factly's data-journalism products.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/factlyindia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/factlyindia
• Facebookfacebook.com/factlyindia
• Instagraminstagram.com/factlyindia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/factlyindia

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Factly