Silicon Valley is betting $750 million that people don't want to buy stuff anymore. These 14 startups are bringing the sharing economy to sailboats, swimming pools, and luxury watches.

The sharing economy is booming, with giants like Airbnb and Rent the Runway, as well as a long list of smaller startups, targeting specific markets.From construction equipment and RVs to party supplies and luxury jewelry, consumers can rent almost anything.Some of these startups are peer to peer, while others offer an inventory of rentable items.We took a look at 14 startups and their venture-capital backers in the sharing economy.Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Rent the Runway has shoppers renting everything from high-end designer clothes to everyday staples, and Airbnb lets users share entire homes or even spare rooms.

Similar apps and websites have sprung up all around the country, offering digital-forward twists on the not-so-new business of renting secondhand items.

Be it for cost, convenience, or storage constraints, US consumers are getting used to the idea of sharing through both peer-to-peer platforms and direct-to-consumer sites.

While some services offer users the option to buy their rented items, many of the brands say they're helping consumers shop more sustainably by sharing things they may use only once or twice.

And this all plays into a bigger theme: changes in the way we buy and pay.

Here's a look at 14 startups that are changing the way consumers think about shopping — and the venture capital that's backing them.

Original author: Shannen Balogh