The Platform Economy
France develops significant platform businesses:
BlaBlaCar: Shared Mobility Pioneer
The long-distance ridesharing platform achieved rare French platform success: - 90 million users across 22 countries - Valued at €1.8 billion - Pandemic resilience through adaptation - Bus marketplace expansion - Daily carpooling experiments
Doctolib: Digital Health Infrastructure
Medical appointment booking became essential infrastructure: - 60 million patients using platform - 300,000 healthcare professionals - Vaccination campaign management during COVID - Teleconsultation integration - €5.8 billion valuation
Vinted: Circular Fashion
Though Lithuanian-founded, Vinted's French operations are substantial: - 16 million French users - Second-hand clothing mainstream adoption - Social commerce features - Environmental impact messaging - Challenging fast fashion
These platforms demonstrate network effects creating winner-take-all dynamics while raising regulatory questions about market power.