Tested like the best

What is Innofest?

Innofest exists to speed up the social and sustainable transition. It connects impact innovators with real test locations, such as festivals, so they can get relevant feedback, sharpen their solution and grow their impact.

The idea is simple and a little uncomfortable. Too much time goes into testing prototypes in a lab and too little into putting them in front of real people. Innofest says nearly 90 percent of innovations fail, often because they were never properly tested. Their answer is to test early, with a large audience, in a setting that feels like the real world. They have supported more than 350 innovators so far, and we are grateful to be one of them.

Why a fact-checking tool belongs in a testlab

Misinformation is a social problem. It touches elections, health choices and how families talk to each other. A tool that helps people check a claim before they share it only works if people actually use it, trust it and understand it. You cannot learn that from inside your own head.

What the six weeks gave us

Our expo survey at Hogeschool Utrecht showed the same thing from another angle. People who tried the extension on several sites rated it far higher than people who had only heard about it. That is why the new Android app opens with a short tour and why we keep putting working demos in people's hands.

Thank you

A big thank you to the whole Innofest team and the director for the guidance, the workshops and the energy across these six weeks. Thank you also to everyone who took part, answered our questions and told us honestly what was not working.

A certificate is not a finish line. We will keep testing with real people, keep listening and keep building in the open. Try FactChecker Pro on something you read today and tell us what you think.