Brand loyalists and marketing experts firmly believe that a domain name is the most precious online marketing asset that a company can own. And, really, they’re not wrong. After all, it is your place of business in the virtual world.
A short, memorable domain name is important to help create a successful web presence and eliminate the chance of getting lost in cyberspace. Your web address will be printed across all marketing feeds and communicated with your partners, customers and stakeholders. New domain extensions – AKA nTLDs (New Top-Level Domain Names) – help overcome the limitations that generic domain names pose. Instead, they serve as a unique avenue for startups to secure a brandable space on the web.
With over 1,200 new domain names available, startups have a wealth of choice at their fingertips when it comes to picking a unique domain name. New domain extensions give startups an exclusive opportunity to growth hack their way to success. Listed below are stories of five such startups that are using new domain extensions as their online identity:
Boutir.STORE is a mobile commerce platform that empowers small merchants and business owners to easily set up an online store and manage it via a smartphone app. The Hong Kong-based startup recently made it to the top 3 in the eCommerce segment of the JumpStarter pitching competition. Furthermore, Erik Ng, founder and CEO, won the Grand Prize Award from AngelHack HK 2013 for the Boutir product.
Photo by Carlos Muza / Unsplash
Sensei.TECH, headquartered in Lisbon, is a cutting-edge startup packed with a smart business intelligence platform that serves physical store owners with precise analytics to track customer behaviour for business optimization. Sensei is a brilliant example of a tech startup using a distinctive, crisp and relevant domain name – one that stands out from the clutter of tech startups on a .COM domain extension. What’s more, Sensei has participated in pitch competitions and accelerator programs across the globe and is slated to join the TechStars Metro Retail Accelerator program, a highly selective mentorship program for technology-first startups.
Tscg.ONLINE, an AR (Augmented Reality) startup based in Lisbon, is a member of the Startup League. Their first product,MTG Manager, is a tool for Magic: the Gathering™ cards collectors and players. The unique startup, founded by Tiago Pereira, selected a simple and unassuming domain extension that is understood across 24 languages to mark its territory on the internet. TSCG has recently been accepted in Portugal 2020, a €310,000 public fund by Portugal and the European Commission.
Lorem.TECH is an interesting startup that hails from New York City and seamlessly connects web freelancers with business houses to offer the latter with technical help pertaining to web design, development and bug fixes. With a name that comes from filler text ‘lorem ipsum’, Lorem chose to adopt a .tech extension to simplify their web address and make it synonymous with the tech industry. Founded by Sam Wilcoxon and Charlie Fogarty, Lorem recently raised $1.1M as it aims to become the go-to resource that businesses can turn to for technical help. Graduating from the Techstars Boston Accelerator, Lorem’s seed funding was led by Flybridge, supported with participation from Founder Collective and notable angel investors.
Photo by rawpixel.com / Unsplash
Leaf.SPACE is a satellite communications and aerospace startup. Headquartered in Milan, Leaf Space is driven with an unhindered objective of becoming the leading service provider for the emerging microsatellite market. The futuristic startup recently raised a funding of $1.12M from 4 Investors.
Nu-Rise.TECH, founded by Luís Moutinho (CEO), João Veloso and Filipe Castro, is a Portugal based innovation-led technology startup that specializes in the manufacture of radiation detectors. The startup moved from .pt (a Portugal specific domain extension) to .tech to give their domain name global appeal, meaning, and relevance. Nu-Rise raised a seed capital investment of $109k by Caixa Capital which empowered them to develop nuclear radiation sensors and equipment for a variety of applications across the fields of industry and healthcare. Nu-Rise’s competency includes a new product that addresses the lack of radiation monitoring in prostate brachytherapy. This device will be commercialized in 2018.
Photo by Toa Heftiba / Unsplash
But it’s not just startups using new domain extensions. Co-working spaces, accelerators and others in the global startup ecosystem are adopting them, too. Some examples include Mosaik.SPACE, a co-working space and academy in Budapest, Hungary, and Extreme.TECH, an accelerator and startup service provider in Ontario, Canada.
New domain extensions are the go-to choice for the startup ecosystem, helping them secure an innovative and brandable space that stands out.
Naturally, Rebel has all of these domain extensions available, including .TECH, .STORE, and .ONLINE.
