Rapidly growing industry

The online review industry shows signs of explosive scale and long-term value — yet remains one of the most under-innovated and unfairly monetized digital markets.

Market size & growth

• 97% of internet users consult reviews for local businesses (BrightLocal, 2024)

• 77% use them regularly

• 91% of 18–34-year-olds trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations

• Industry projected to hit $34.5B by 2030, growing at 17% CAGR

Usage at scale

• Yelp receives 26,830 new reviews every minute

• Yelp saw 244 million total reviews in 2021

• 178+ million people visit Yelp every month

• TripAdvisor passed 1 billion reviews in 2022

• Yelp generated $1.3B in revenue in 2024

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The user activity is massive. The business value is undeniable. But the value distribution? Completely broken.

These numbers give weight to everything that follows: Fake reviews don’t just hurt trust — they undermine a $34B+ market.

Lack of incentives doesn’t just frustrate users — it limits revenue potential. Platforms profit, while contributors are left with nothing.

The next platform to solve this imbalance will reshape a global industry.