Thoughts

The Accelerated Timeline of Business Creation

August is typically a time to rejuvenate. In Europe, people go on vacation for the month. It is the part of summer where kids go back to school or college, and people re-set. This summer feels different and that is because we are living in the most unprecedented time, certainly in my lifetime. Yesterday, I listened to the Moonshots podcast with Peter Diamandis with special guest Dave Blundin, one of the smartest tech entrepreneurs I know. In the podcast there were some facts and quotes that were eye opening. “There have been 36 unicorns in the first half of 2025; Dave called this the “biggest peak of his lifetime”; It now takes 5 months and small teams to get to 7 figure ARR. Everyone is in a full sprint and it’s not slowing down.” This explains why this August is different. I sense it in the most valuable domain names. We have done more deals and total transaction dollars in the first 7 months of 2025 than any prior time, and it is not slowing down. As these AI companies continue to be born and grow up fast, as M&A outpaces any prior time, and the IPO market gets going, the most valuable exact match and category defining domains will be acquired as the saviest CEOs, Founders, investors realize that the most important strategic asset they can acquire for their AI or tech biz is its brand name and address. As they see their peers doing so, more and more follow suit. This will certainly be led by .com but will bring .ai names along for the ride, especially when the .com is not available.

Malleability With Domain Acquisitions is Supporting This Evolution

Accompanying the growth above is that more domains are being financed over time. While we have closed many all cash transactions, I have been tasked with being creative to keep up with the demand for the highest level domain names we oversee. It is a sign of growth and innovation in the domain asset class. And why not? Forever, we have borrowed money to buy a home, live in it for 30 years , receive utility and value from it, and when we are ready, sell it for a profit. Companies can now do the same to assure they own their digital real estate that defines their company and brand. Of course, just like a home, the risks of biting off more than one can afford exists but based on the speed of success discussed above, the ability to pay off the financing and own the domain is faster than ever and thus, lowers the risk. The main difference is that unlike a home, there is only one single word .com domain that is an exact brand or category match for your company. That rarity is what separates the value of this asset class from all others.