You may not realize it, but the financial industry is currently undergoing one of its biggest shifts in recent memory. Just a little over a decade ago, over 50 percent of our purchases were still conducted using cash. Today, that number is below 20 percent. This is, in large part, driven by the advancements of … Read more
Executive Summary: Honey is a browser extension that scrapes the web to automatically find the best deals for its users. The company works with over 30,000 retailers across industries such as fashion, electronics, travel, and many more. Honey makes money from commissions that it earns for every coupon that customers redeem. The company operates under … Read more
Executive Summary: Discord is a communication platform that allows gamers (and everybody else) to organize themselves in so-called servers. The platform is available on Android, iPhone, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC devices. Discord makes money from premium subscriptions, fees from game sales and memberships, as well as server boosting. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in … Read more
Executive Summary: GoFundMe is a crowdfunding platform that simply allows anyone to raise money for social causes. Campaigns can be launched in various categories, ranging from emergencies to medical. GoFundMe makes money from platform and transactions fees as well as donations provided by users. Founded in 2008, GoFundMe has become one of the world’s most … Read more
Executive Summary: Acorns is a mobile-first investment platform that allows users to invest their spare change. Members can also open a savings (both for adults and children) as well as an IRA account while saving money through the company’s cashback program. Acorns makes money via subscriptions, interchange fees, management fees, and interest earned on cash. … Read more
Executive Summary: Credit Karma is a personal finance company that is best known for providing credit scores free-of-charge. It allows users to access their credit data at any time. Credit Karma makes money through referral fees, interchange fees, as well as interest on cash. The company operates on an affiliate business model. Founded in 2007, … Read more
Executive Summary: Redfin is a real estate brokerage that utilizes technology to optimize the home buying and selling experience. The business model of Redfin is based on charging a listing fee for every home sold through its platform. Furthermore, Redfin makes money by flipping homes, charging a service fee (via RedfinNow), referral fees from mortgages, … Read more
Executive Summary: OfferUp is a mobile-first C2C marketplace on which users can buy and sell items. Available categories include clothing, furniture, automobiles, and many more. OfferUp makes money from fees paid by sellers, advertising on its platform, subscriptions, and from selling software to car dealers. Founded in 2011, OfferUp has quickly grown to become one … Read more
Executive Summary: Zillow is a real estate company that offers various products targeted at both home buyers and sellers. Its services include, amongst other, advertising tools for agents and other real estate professionals, a home-buying business, or marketplace to advertise homes for sale and rent. Zillow makes money by flipping homes (and charging a sales … Read more
Executive Summary: trivago is a hotel booking platform that gathers and displays listings from over 100+ travel-related websites across the web. Users can browse a selection of over 2.5 million hotels and make a booking on trivago’s partner site (including platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.com). The business model of trivago is based on a … Read more