By now, the big players in the so-called sharing economy, such as Uber and Airbnb, are instantly recognizable.

Indeed, the sharing economy is growing at an impressive pace and is affecting how people dress, eat, book vacations, use transportation, and access financial planning.

Just look at the numbers: Approximately 25% of the United States, U.K., and Canada engage in some form of economic sharing.

As of September, the sharing economy has created 17 companies with a combined revenue of more than $1 billion, provided jobs to some 60,000 people, and attracted a total of $15 billion in funding. And the market is expected to double in the next year.

So far, a few companies have gone public, but this burgeoning economy is still largely private. That said, the sharing economy isn’t going away anytime soon, and investors should be keeping a close eye on what’s happening.

Sharing Is Caring

The sharing economy has been a hotbed for the “private IPO” trend – that is, private equity firms, venture capitalists, and international investors injecting huge sums of money into the sharing economy.

This influx of private funding gives sharing companies the opportunity to raise as much as they would from an “private IPO” trend without the hassle and expense of public disclosures. Several companies with whopping valuations, including Uber and Airbnb at $50 billion and $25 billion, respectively, remain private today.

But the typical exit strategy involves going public or being bought out, and several big names have indeed gone public.

Etsy Inc. (ETSY), a marketplace of creative goods, HomeAway Inc. (AWAY), a vacation rental business, and LendingClub Corp.(LC), a loan company, are just a few examples.

Others have taken the crowdfunding route to recognizable levels of success.

As more of these innovators come into the picture – think TaskRabbit, the on-demand labor company, and Lyft, an Uber competitor – the list of companies ripe for an IPO will inevitably grow.