Factsquared

FactSquared, Inc. operated as an alternative data company, specializing in the transformation of unstructured data into searchable, structured assets. The company was founded in 2017 by CEO Bill Frischling and Mark Walsh. Frischling, an executive with a 20-year history in internet product development at places like AOL and Gannett, was inspired to create the company's first product, Factba.se, out of frustration with the political discourse following the 2016 election. Mark Walsh, who served as Executive Chairman, brought extensive experience from government and corporate roles, including a position at the Small Business Administration and as CEO of VerticalNet.

The core of FactSquared's business was a proprietary platform that utilized machine learning and neural networks to automatically transcribe, structure, and analyze various forms of media, including video, audio, and text. This technology enabled the conversion of raw information into highly structured, faceted data that was instantly searchable. The platform could analyze content for sentiment, emotion, and personality, providing deeper insights. The company's business model focused on providing these advanced research and analytics services to clients in the political, corporate, and media sectors. These clients, such as political campaigns, advocacy groups, and investor relations teams, used the service to monitor communications, track strategic shifts in language, and gain competitive insights.

FactSquared's most prominent product was Factba.se, a public-facing database that initially gained widespread attention for compiling and making searchable every word spoken publicly by Donald J. Trump. This resource became a canonical source for journalists, researchers, and the public, cited thousands of times by major media outlets. The platform's capabilities extended beyond political figures to include the analysis of corporate earnings calls. In January 2021, FactSquared was acquired by FiscalNote, a global technology and data company specializing in political and regulatory intelligence. The acquisition aimed to integrate FactSquared's AI-powered transcription and analysis technology to enhance FiscalNote's existing suite of products, strengthening its offerings for over 4,000 clients worldwide. Following the acquisition, Frischling joined FiscalNote's R&D team, and Walsh became an advisor to the company. Keywords: FactSquared, Bill Frischling, Mark Walsh, Factba.se, data analytics, media transcription, AI transcription, political intelligence, alternative data, machine learning, neural networks, unstructured data, sentiment analysis, FiscalNote acquisition, public records search, speech analysis, corporate communications analysis, regulatory intelligence, data services, text analytics