What: Andreessen Horowitz releases its 4th update of its Marketplace 100 ranking.

Why it is important: Marketplaces are getting specialized and curated, away from the “anyone can list” approach that dominated 2010 to 2020.

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz made extensive global research in order to update its Marketplace 100 ranking, after three years of economic volatility.

It includes, among others, three dozen newcomers, including marketplaces for refurbished electronics, precious metals, sustainably-raised meat, vacation villas and used car parts. The company identifies the following key take aways:

•    After two years of unprecedented growth, ecommerce penetration has returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, the way we shop has changed, as consumers are now buying sports cards via live drops and discovering sneakers curated by a personal algorithm.

•    Consumers opted to repair their cars, rather than buy new ones, a fallout from continued supply chain disruptions and inflation. This behavioral shift had big implications for auto parts marketplaces like RockAuto.

•    There’s big money in mental health, particularly for marketplace companies that help consumers navigate the perplexing insurance policies governing many therapy practices. Four companies on this year’s list help patients find in-network providers.

•    Nearly every ticketing company on the Marketplace 100—a noteworthy eight—outperformed already impressive 2022 numbers. But there’s reason to think this trend may level off in the coming months.

•    Marketplaces are getting opinionated, with platforms that carefully curate supply popping up across categories like food, clothing, and pets. This is a stark departure from the wave of “anyone can list” marketplaces that dominated 2010 to 2020.

•    While the top of the Marketplace 100 remains stable—Instacart has claimed the number one spot for three years running—younger companies like Whatnot (#9), TodayTix (#54), and Headway (#56) are growing quickly and showing signs of breaking out.

The top 100 marketplaces in the world