Octopus Energy is not your typical power company. While most utilities focus on delivering electricity and sending invoices, Octopus built something entirely different. It combined renewable energy with a proprietary tech platform to create a business that looks more like…
Carta has quietly become one of the most important infrastructure companies in the startup world. It started as a simple cap table management tool. Today it sits at the center of how startups, investors, and employees manage equity, ownership, and…
Blinkit’s business model runs on quick commerce. It delivers groceries and essentials within minutes using a network of dark stores, making money through product margins, delivery fees, platform commissions, and brand partnerships, while using logistics tech and demand forecasting to…
Deezer is a French music streaming platform founded in 2007 that gives users access to tens of millions of tracks worldwide. It makes money through premium subscriptions, ad-supported free listening, and telecom/device partnerships. What sets Deezer apart is its Flow…
Indiegogo is a crowdfunding platform that connects creators with backers. It makes money through platform fees, payment processing fees, and premium services like marketing support and campaign promotion. This breakdown covers everything: how the platform works, where the revenue comes…
The GetYourGuide business model is a two-sided marketplace that connects travelers with local tour and activity providers. It earns revenue primarily through commissions on bookings, along with featured listings, advertising, and strategic partnerships. Intro Most travelers have figured out how…
Grindr is more than a dating app. It is a location-based social networking platform built specifically for the LGBTQ+ community. Since its launch in 2009, Grindr has become one of the most recognized names in queer digital spaces, running on…
Klook is a travel experiences marketplace founded in 2014. It connects travelers with local tours, attractions, and activities across Asia and beyond. The platform makes money primarily through commissions on bookings, markup pricing on experiences, sponsored listings for merchants, and…
Zillow makes money primarily through its Premier Agent program, where real estate agents pay for leads generated from buyers and sellers on the platform. Additional revenue comes from advertising, mortgage services through Zillow Home Loans, rental marketplace fees, and closing…
The short answer: Uber Eats makes money through delivery fees, service fees, restaurant commissions, advertising, and subscriptions like Uber One. But the full picture is way more interesting than that. If you’ve ever looked at your Uber Eats receipt and…
Klarna lets you split a $200 purchase into four easy payments. No interest. No fees. Sounds too good to be true. So who’s actually paying? The answer reveals one of the smartest business models in fintech. Klarna doesn’t make money…
Affirm makes money through merchant fees, interest on consumer loans, interchange fees, and loan securitization. Unlike most financial products, Affirm does not charge late fees. Instead, it monetizes both sides of every transaction, the merchant and the consumer, making it…
OnlyFans makes billions by taking a 20% commission from every dollar creators earn. It runs on a direct-to-consumer subscription model, zero ads, and no middlemen. But the real reason behind its $6.3B success isn’t just subscriptions. It’s the psychology, platform…
Ever wondered how food reaches your door in 30 minutes and the platform still makes money? That question sits at the heart of one of Europe’s most successful tech-enabled businesses. Lieferando is not a restaurant. It does not cook anything.…
Calendly runs on a freemium SaaS model. The product is free to start, and the company earns money through paid subscription tiers that unlock advanced features like team scheduling, workflow automation, and third-party integrations. Its biggest growth engine is not…
Caviar is a food delivery platform that took a different approach from the start. Instead of signing up every restaurant in a city, it handpicked high-quality dining options and delivered them to customers willing to pay a premium. Founded under…
What is CookUnity? CookUnity is a chef-to-consumer food marketplace that connects independent chefs with customers through a subscription-based meal delivery platform. How it makes money: CookUnity earns revenue through weekly subscription fees paid by customers and takes a commission from…
A dark store is a retail fulfillment center that looks like a grocery store on the inside but has zero customer access. No foot traffic, no shopping carts, no checkout lines. It exists solely to fulfill online orders as fast…
Expedia Group is one of the largest travel technology companies in the world. But most people only see the surface a website where you book flights and hotels. The real story is different. Expedia is a demand aggregation machine that…
Flipboard operates on a content curation and aggregation business model. It collects articles, blogs, and social content into a personalized magazine-style feed and monetizes primarily through advertising, brand partnerships, and content distribution deals. This model positions Flipboard as a middle…
