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The Domains Behind Fundraising Companies

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COVID-19 has not only had a major impact in many realms such as public health and education, it has also significantly affected startups and fundraising over the past few months. Beyond the usual challenges that running a company entails, many founders are finding themselves questioning how to approach the valuation, timing, and amounts of their next raise.

Despite the recent tumultuous economic climate, below is a quick look at a few companies that have raised funds during this unprecedented time and what they’re doing now and of course, we’ll take a look at the domain names they are using.

Privacy.com raises $10.2M

First up, we have Privacy.com, a virtual payment card startup. The company just raised $10.2M in Series A.

Privacy.com is an English, single, dictionary word .com domain. These domains often sell for well into the six figures.  It would be interesting to know the story behind the domain as it looks like it changed hands back in 2015 and the company was just getting off the ground then.

Privacy.com offers a solution that allows anyone to generate virtual and disposable payment card numbers for free so that people can keep their actual credit card numbers private. It also puts more control in the hands of users who can cut off companies from their bank accounts. 

Skydio (Skydio.com) raises $100M

Next, we have Skydio (Skydio.com), an autonomous drone startup. The company recently raised $100 M in Series C.

Skydio.com may not be a dictionary word; however, it’s a clearly brandable term that adds value to the domain. The domain was registered in 1999 and looks to have at one point been used for a webhosting company.

According to the company using the domain now, the new funding will help them with their product development efforts. It’ll also go towards helping them cover consumer applications, as well as enterprise and public sector drone technology. 

In previous years, Skydio has launched consumer-focused drones with artificial intelligence technology for autonomous flight capabilities. 

Klook (Klook.com) raises $225M 

Finally, there’s Klook (Klook.com) – a unique name for a “world leading travel activities and services booking platform.” They raised $225 M in a Series D funding round. 

Klook is a unique, short, brandable term. It just goes to show that you don’t necessarily have to have a great domain to raise money. The domain was registered in 2005. The advantage of a domain like this is that you can potentially associate the category with your name (think Kleenex or Google), but that also means that you are likely starting from scratch.

The travel industry has been hit hard by COVID-19. Klook quickly changed up their offers. They responded to the demand by offering and delivering DIY kits for baking, drink and candle-making, and more. They also partnered with other sites for virtual tours.

As attractions continue to reopen, they’re staying on top of current events to offer their services to people looking for vacation and staycation ideas. 

These three sites give you a good idea of different approaches you can take to naming your business. Privacy.com is obviously one of the best possible domains the company could use. Skydio.com is a brandable, but it includes a clue with ‘sky’ to what the company is about.  Meanwhile, Klook.com is trying to blaze their own trail, since the domain doesn’t tell you anything about the company.  As a domain broker, you can probably guess the approach we would suggest.

6-Figure Domain Sales in 2020 (So Far)

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We’re 3 months into 2020 and there are already several noteworthy 6-figure domain sales so far.

Here they are: 

  1. Palace.com for $306,0000 on 2/26/20

    The domain appears to be parked at the moment, but there are plenty of potential options and opportunities for this short, strong, .com domain. 
  1. Results.com for $264,000 on 1/22/20

    The domain is currently home to a company that reviews and compares hundreds of SaaS solutions to help people find the best tools for their business.

  2. Profitable.com for $200,000 on 2/12/20

    Nothing here yet, but if the name gives us any indication, it looks like something profitable may be in store for this 1-word .com domain.

  3. BettingTips.com for $150,000 on 2/26/20

    This is our first 2-word domain in the list, and at $150K, it’s not a shabby sale at all. Currently parked, the domain would be a great fit for a gambling site.

  4. Live.chat for $125,000 on 2/6/20



    This domain is one of only 2 on our list that isn’t a .com. According to their website, LiveChat is an “embedded live chat solution for your website and mobile platforms. We let you and your team connect to the people visiting your web properties, in real time.”

  5. January.com for $107,000 on 3/4/20

    The most recent sale on our list is January.com which sold at just above the 6-figure mark. With the announcement of the sale being so recent, there’s no telling what’s in store just yet. From the looks of the existing page that’s up now, the domain may be available for sale.

  6. BTI.com for $100,000 on 2/19/20



    Tony Robbins fans may enjoy checking out this website. The 3-letter .com domain currently redirects to bravethinkinginstitute.com, a company that appears to offer a number of tools and resources focused on life and business coaching.

  7. Apuestas.es (“bets” in Spanish) for €111,625 = $122,788 on 2/6/20

    The second non .com and first non English word on our list, Apuestas.es, which means “bets” in Spanish, currently points to a blank website. Like BettingTips.com, this domain may be a great fit for a betting or gambling site.

  8. Barri.com for $100,000 on 1/15/20



    This 5-letter .com domain points to a financial company website that seems to offer help with various items such as Money Transfers, Loans, and Insurance.

One name you will not see on this list is Add.com. It was reported recently that the $800,000 bid from the NamesCon live auction fell through.

Turning Over a New Leaf: Domain Upgrades & Rebranding

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Out with the old and in with the new. March is here, so our fingers are crossed that bright blooming flowers and leafy trees will soon replace the snow, hail, and ice that we experienced in February. 

It looks like the seasons aren’t the only ones changing, as we’ve picked up on news about company rebrands and consequently, domain upgrades.

Without further ado, here are some recent domain upgrades worth mentioning. 

Varidesk Acquires Vari.com and Rebrands to Vari 

Those of us who sit in front of a computer for most of the day can appreciate what a good stretch and walk around the office can do to give us a quick boost during the workday. Varidesk, now Vari, provides a great solution, manufacturing office furniture and equipment that allows you to work while sitting or standing at your desk

The company officially rebranded to Vari on February 24, 2020. The reason? Like other companies, their offerings expanded beyond what they initially started with, so an upgrade was in order. The company, well known for its stand-up desks, has gone from offering just desks to “a growing line of office furniture and solutions that help you create a workspace that’s happier, healthier, and more productive”.

It looks as though Vari acquired Vari.com back in 2016, making the rebrand process a bit smoother. 

Rebranding because of a new broader focus is not uncommon. Bus.com, for instance, rebranded and upgraded their domain name from Sharethebus.com when they evolved to become a more comprehensive group transport solution.  

More Domain Upgrades: Bernette.com, BTI.com, and iDecide.com

Here, we see more companies who have upgraded their domains, contributing to a stronger brand. MyBernette.com, a sewing machine company, now goes by just Bernette.com. Brave Thinking Institute, a life and business coaching company, shortened its name to BTI.com, which redirects to the much longer BraveThinkingInstitute.com. Similarly, iDecideInteractive, an interactive presentation tool, shortened their domain to the short, memorable iDecide.com.  

B-social ditches the hyphen 

B-social, a company offering an app that allows users to easily spend, split, and settle shared expenses, is rebranding to Kroo.com. The 4-letter domain, which was registered in 1996, currently redirects to B-social.com.

Your Domain is Your Brand

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Why should you spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a domain name when MyBusinessNameInMyCity.whatever is available? Because your domain name is an important part of your brand.  Upgrading your domain name can give your brand more authority and could ultimately save you money on marketing.

Generic domains or category defining domains like diapers.com or housesitter.com won’t create a business for you, but they give you a head-start.  Users know what to expect when they visit a premium descriptive domain and the business seems more authoritative.  Even if you are a small business, a premium domain can give you the outward appearance of a much larger company.

An easy to remember domain could also save you marketing dollars.  If you’re running a marketing campaign, a person usually needs to see or hear an ad a few times before they remember the message.  A long domain or one with a hyphen in it is harder to remember and most people still assume that a domain ends in .com (or the dominant country code of the area). With a complicated domain, your potential customers may need to see or hear your message more times to remember it.  You also risk sending customers to a competitor if they own a similar but simpler domain.

You should also consider how your domain will look when you are emailing customers or potential customers.  If you’re using a free email address like Hotmail or Gmail, it could make your business look unprofessional.  If you’re using a new domain extension like .top or .click, your emails may not even be delivered at all. Some new TLDs have been exploited for sending spam.  In response, some IT managers have been blocking all email coming from those extensions.

A great domain is the beginning of a great brand.  It should describe your business without confining it.  It should be easy to remember and hard to forget.  It’s an asset for your business and as a result it’s something you should consider as an investment into your business’ success.  Our domain brokers are here to help you get the perfect domain!