The marketplace revolution is here, and it’s transforming how we buy, sell, and share everything from vintage furniture to professional services. While giants like Airbnb and Uber dominate headlines, thousands of entrepreneurs are building their own successful marketplace empires using platforms like Sharetribe – and the numbers are staggering.
Sharetribe powers over 1,000 marketplace businesses across 70+ countries. The momentum is accelerating rapidly: as of Q2 2025, Sharetribe powers 560 live marketplace stores with a strong 5.8% quarter-over-quarter increase and a remarkable 668% year-over-year growth rate. Even more impressive? The global sharing economy market was valued at $381 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow to $827 billion by 2032.
But what makes some Sharetribe examples thrive while others struggle? We’ve analyzed ten standout success stories to uncover the strategies, insights, and lessons that every marketplace founder should know.
1. Turo – Peer-to-peer car sharing
Turo is one of the most famous Sharetribe website examples, often dubbed the “Airbnb for cars.” It lets individuals rent out their vehicles to others, creating flexibility for owners and affordable options for drivers.
Success factors:
- Building trust through reviews, identity verification, and insurance coverage
- Robust vehicle listing features with flexible options
- Strong customer support ensuring smooth experiences
Lesson learned: Transparency builds trust. A marketplace lives and dies by how safe people feel using it.
2. The Octopus Club – preloved baby & maternity items
Parenthood can be expensive, and The Octopus Club steps in as a community-driven solution. Built on Sharetribe, it enables parents to buy, sell, and exchange preloved baby and maternity items, while putting the focus on community over commerce.
Success factors:
- Cultivating a warm, community feel instead of just transactional exchanges
- Custom features developed via Sharetribe APIs to fit the specific needs of parents
- Building trust among families through shared values and support
Lesson learned: Communities > transactions. By prioritizing connection and designing features tailored to its users, The Octopus Club proves that marketplaces can thrive when they focus on belonging, not just buying.
3. Nomady – sustainable travel marketplace
Nomady is a Sharetribe example built for eco-conscious travelers. It focuses on nature-based accommodations and experiences, supporting hosts and communities that share sustainable values.
Success factors:
- Personalized recommendations for unique eco-stays
- Clear sustainability mission that resonates with users
- Strong community engagement across Europe
Lesson learned: Shared values matter. When your marketplace aligns with your community’s values (in Nomady’s case, sustainability), you don’t just get customers, you build loyalty.
4. Drive lah – shared mobility in Asia-Pacific
Drive lah is another Sharetribe marketplace in the car-sharing vertical, but it’s uniquely successful in the Asia-Pacific region. Launched in Singapore and upgraded with the help of Roobykon Software, it has since expanded into multiple countries.
Success factors:
- Lightning-fast launch thanks to Sharetribe’s ready-made framework
- Raised over $9M in funding, fueling rapid expansion
- Cross-border scalability designed into the platform
Lesson learned: Speed to market matters. Drive lah leveraged Sharetribe to launch quickly and attract investors early – a playbook worth following for founders in competitive spaces.
5. Swimmy – rent a private pool
Why go to a crowded public pool when you can rent a private one? Swimmy tapped into a niche yet highly scalable market in France and Spain, enabling hosts to earn money while families enjoy exclusive spaces.
Success factors:
- Capitalizing on seasonal demand patterns
- Simple, user-friendly booking flow
- Scaling to millions of bookings across regions
Lesson learned: Niche doesn’t mean small. By focusing on a seasonal, specific need, Swimmy grew into a widely recognized brand.
6. Socialbnb – travel meets social impact
Socialbnb goes beyond accommodation. It connects travelers with social impact projects worldwide, letting users stay in eco-lodges or community projects while supporting local initiatives.
Success factors:
- Targeting socially conscious consumers
- Partnerships with over 500 organizations across 45 countries
- Unique mix of travel and impact that sets it apart
Lesson learned: Niches with purpose thrive. Socialbnb shows how blending commerce with cause can win both hearts and wallets.
7. GearSource – pro audio & lighting equipment
GearSource has been serving the professional sound and lighting industry since 2002, evolving through multiple platform iterations. By adopting Sharetribe, it modernized while staying true to its core community.
Success factors:
- Longevity built on trust in a professional B2B niche
- Willingness to rebuild and adapt the platform as tech evolves
- Strong network effects in a specialized industry
Lesson learned: Adaptability sustains success. Marketplaces that evolve with their industries can last decades.
8. Lemoncat – food catering marketplace
Event catering is notoriously fragmented, and Lemoncat (now called MyMyCatering) tackled this head-on by connecting event organizers with caterers and restaurants.
Success factors:
- Solving a real pain point for event planners
- Strong operational efficiency to manage logistics
- Founder-led, mission-driven growth
Lesson learned: Solve a genuine pain point. Lemoncat shows that when your marketplace addresses a real headache, adoption comes naturally.
9. Gritty In Pink – empowering women-owned businesses
Gritty In Pink, one of the creative Sharetribe marketplaces, supports women-owned businesses and artisans, combining commerce with community activism.
Success factors:
- Building a supportive, mission-driven community
- Highlighting underrepresented voices and products
- Consistent user engagement through events and content
Lesson learned: Purpose-driven marketplaces resonate deeply.
10. Decathlon – enterprise marketplace expansion
Even enterprise-level brands are embracing the marketplace model. Sporting goods giant Decathlon used Sharetribe to extend its offerings into a marketplace for services and equipment rentals.
Success factors:
- Leveraging an existing, massive customer base
- Seamless integration of marketplace functionality into the brand
- Offering new value without losing core identity
Lesson learned: Established brands can use marketplaces to diversify, engage customers, and unlock new revenue streams.
At the end of the day, these Sharetribe marketplaces remind us that there’s no single formula for success. Some, like Turo and Swimmy, scaled by meeting everyday needs in smarter ways. Others, like Socialbnb or The Octopus Club, thrived by building communities around shared values. What they all prove is this: if you combine a clear vision with the right platform, you can turn even the smallest idea into something that resonates globally.
