Fundrise is a crowdfunding platform democratizing commercial real estate investment for non-accredited investors. Can it compete with the well-established public REIT market for retail investor capital?
multi-sided platform
GrubHub: Slimy or Satisfying?
GrubHub has scaled profitably and brought together restaurants, hungry people, and drivers, but can they sustain their business amidst rampant competition?
Everything is teachable – Platform play in education
A closer look at the Airbnb of education
Boatsetter: Democratizing The Sailing Experience
Defined as the 'Airbnb of yachts', Boatsetter gets rid of the boat ownership barrier and offers a reliable and seamless way to enjoy a unique day out.
Old Clothes, New Strategies: ThredUP’s Evolution
ThredUP, the self-proclaimed “world’s largest fashion resale marketplace,” began as a pure multi-sided platform, matching sellers with buyers to trade their clothing directly. In an effort to create a better experience and more value for both sides, ThredUP pivoted to a consignment model taking more control over transactions (and, subsequently, more risk). The risk appears to be paying off as its latest “Resale-as-a-Service” launch allows brands and retailers to directly plug into the ThredUP platform to fuel their own businesses.
Klarna: One-click Wonder or International Online Banking Powerhouse?
Since first appearing on the e-commerce scene in 2005, this Swedish company has been exacerbating online shopping addictions and helping retailers combat #cartabandonment. With 60 million unique customers, flexible payment options, a vault of transaction data, and a new shiny banking license, Klarna has big plans on the horizon.
Grubhub: Delivering a Valuable Platform
Grubhub is attempting to increase network effects and increase barriers to multi-homing for customers on both sides of their platform
Meet Thumbtack: Your Local Handyperson Reimagined
From guitar lessons to bed bug extermination to dunk tank rentals, Thumbtack offers services from over 250,000 providers to millions of customers via its online marketplace platform.