Apps like Airbnb and Uber have transformed the way we think about business, sparking a wave of new companies that have found unique ways to tap into the shared resources of the almighty crowd.
We took a look at some the local tech companies using the sharing economy to see how they’re connecting people across the world with the talents and resources they need.
Few businesses today can thrive without a digital presence, but maintaining that presence — and the digital content that fuels it — is often too much for business owners to keep up with. Verblio’s content creation platform leverages a crowd of more than 3,000 U.S.-based writers with expertise in a wide range of industries to deliver businesses and agencies with a steady stream of high-quality content. From blog posts to e-books, videos to product descriptions, users simply submit a request for the content they need and Verblio’s writers jump in to help.
Holo isn’t your average cloud host. Rather, its distributed peer-to-peer cloud is owned and operated by the very same people using the platform. Doing for web hosting what Airbnb did for the hospitality industry, this blockchain startup leverages an international community of hosts who earn a cryptocurrency, called Holo fuel, in exchange for sharing their spare computing capacity to host applications built on the platform’s Holochain network. Beyond merely tapping the sharing economy to keep its platform running, Holo encourages members to build new apps, participate in meetups and hackathons, and share their knowledge with the broader Holo community.
For the DIY car and motorcycle hobbyist, finding the right space and tools to tinker on your next project can be tough, particularly in urban areas where garage and driveway space is hard to come by. GarageTime aims to connect those auto enthusiasts with people looking to rent out their home or commercial garages when not in use. Users can simply rent space to work on their projects or filter searches by the amenities they need, like vehicle lifts, air tools or tire changers. Headquartered in Denver, the startup operates in cities all over the country.
Roomdock is a house sharing and apartment rental app that helps international exchange students find compatible long-term stays in the U.S. Founded by former foreign exchange student Smith Tanny, Roomdock has set itself apart by leveraging Tanny’s own experiences finding and living with a host family in the States. The platform lets students search for housing situations based on their interests and preferences — things like schedule, diet and lifestyle — so both renters and rentees have a positive experience in cultural exchange.
There are plenty of reasons why more and more city-dwellers are ditching their cars — cost, environmental impact, access to public transportation. But inevitably, there comes a time when even the savviest minimalist needs a car. Rather than getting that car from a rental chain, Getaround lets users rent vehicles that are already out on the streets of their neighborhood. Through the peer-to-peer app, users can browse, book and unlock cars right from their phones. Rates start at just $5 an hour and include insurance and roadside assistance. Though headquartered in San Francisco, Getaround is currently in the process of launching its Denver office.
