As distinctions between public and private lives continue to blur, consumers – particularly those from Generation Y – are finding increasingly ingenious ways of monetising every minutiae of their existence.

From being accustomed to renting our homes, and that power drill you only need once, we now don’t mind renting a nail polish that someone else has already had their hands on, or not owning our washing machine. But why aren’t people so keen to own material possessions anymore?

The rapid rise of smart technologies can make creating and maintaining meaningful human relationships a challenge. In response, EatWith offers its users an authentic dining experience coupled with the opportunity to form new social bonds.

ParkatmyHouse connects the owners of unused parking spaces with the drivers who desperately need them, proving the power of peer-to-peer consumption and its potential to challenge the annoyances that were previously just taken for granted.