Executive Summary: Polyvore was a social commerce platform that allowed users to browse and curate fashion, beauty, and interior design items. Polyvore was shut down because its user base, as well as profits, likely declined over time. When it closed down, its parent company Verizon was focusing on salvaging losses than investing in a declining … Read more
Executive Summary: Axie Infinity is a blockchain-based game in which players breed, raise, and battle monsters that are called Axies. Axie Infinity makes money by charging a 4.25 percent fee for transactions taking place in its own marketplace. Founded in 2018, Axie Infinity has become one of the world’s leading blockchain-based games. The company behind … Read more
Executive Summary: Telltale Games was an American video game development studio that primarily published adventure games via an episodic format. Telltale had to shut down because it ran out of money and failed to secure the necessary funding to keep the company afloat. Founded in 2004, the company managed to raise over $54 million in … Read more
Executive Summary: Paragon was a third-person MOBA game in which two teams of five players each were pitted against each other. Paragon was primarily shut down because it failed to attract a significant player base while Epic’s other titles, Fortnite in particular, began to take off. What Was Paragon? Paragon was a third-person MOBA (Multiplayer … Read more
Executive Summary: Blender is a free and open-source-based creation software allowing users to create high-quality still images and video animations using three-dimensional geometry. Blender makes money via donations, subscriptions, merchandise sales, annual conferences, as well as from ads. Officially established in 2002, Blender has grown to become one of the world’s leading 3D animation programs. … Read more
Executive Summary: Pinduoduo (拼多多) is an online marketplace that allows users to purchase goods directly from manufacturers through group buying. Pinduoduo makes money from online marketing services, transaction services, as well as merchandise sales. The company operates on a marketplace business model. Founded in 2015, Pinduoduo has grown to become China’s largest marketplace (measured by … Read more
Executive Summary: Brave is a privacy-focused internet browser that lets users navigate to websites, execute web apps, and consume online content. Brave makes money via banner ads, subscription fees, affiliate commissions, search ads, and by selling digital and physical products through its online store. Founded in 2015, Brave has managed to attract $42 million in … Read more
Executive Summary: Substack is a platform that allows anyone to set up a paid newsletter and promote their own written content. Substack makes money by taking a portion off of the monthly subscription fees it charges. Its fee is equal to 10 percent. Founded in 2017, Substack has managed to attract over 500,000 paying subscribers. … Read more
Executive Summary: Uniswap is a decentralized exchange that is powered by Ethereum and allows users to swap tokens using its ERC20 standard. Uniswap makes money via protocol fees that can be optionally turned on by UNI governance. On top of that, it generates income through the issuance of its own UNI token. Founded in 2017, … Read more
Executive Summary: OpenSea is an online marketplace that allows users to purchase, sell, and trade non-fungible tokens via its website. OpenSea makes money from service fees. These fees are paid whenever a digital asset is successfully sold via the platform. Founded in 2017, OpenSea has grown to become the world’s largest NFT marketplace. It has … Read more