Domain Empire: Com Laude Buys Markmonitor Creating $450M Global Leader

LONDON, UK – January 12, 2026 – In a transformative move that reshapes the corporate digital asset landscape, London-based Com Laude has completed its acquisition of US domain registrar titan Markmonitor. The deal, backed by private equity firm PX3 Partners, creates a new global powerhouse named Markmonitor Group, which launches with an initial enterprise value of approximately $450 million.

The merger forges what the company calls the first truly full-service provider of advanced tools and high-touch advisory for corporate domain name managers. Ben Crawford, formerly CEO of Com Laude, has been appointed CEO of the new entity, with Stu Homan, the former head of Markmonitor, taking the role of Chief Operating Officer. The combined group boasts a formidable global footprint with headquarters in Boise, London, and Tokyo, supported by a team spanning sixteen countries.

This consolidation comes at a pivotal moment in a rapidly expanding market. The corporate domain management sector, valued at over $760 million in 2024, is projected to surge to nearly $1.9 billion by 2033, fueled by increasing digitization and the escalating need for robust online brand protection. The new Markmonitor Group is now positioned as a dominant force, serving thousands of companies globally, including a majority of America’s twenty largest enterprises.

“The combined resources of Markmonitor and Com Laude offers the highest quality proposition to companies needing help with managing their domain name portfolios,” said Ben Crawford, CEO of Markmonitor Group. He emphasized that the group’s services cater not only to the world’s most valuable brands but also to companies of any size that require the highest standard of service and modern management tools.

A New Market Powerhouse

The creation of the Markmonitor Group is more than a simple merger; it is a strategic consolidation designed to create a specialized leader for the complex needs of large enterprises. The $450 million valuation, which represents a significant premium over the $300 million Newfold Digital paid for Markmonitor in 2022, underscores the soaring value placed on expert-level domain security and corporate brand defense.

This move is a clear execution of the strategy by owner PX3 Partners, which specializes in corporate carve-outs and building sector-leading companies. By combining Com Laude’s strength in Europe with Markmonitor’s deep roots in the US market, the new group achieves unparalleled global coverage and expertise. The company states it now employs more domain portfolio advisors and strategists than any other firm in its category, even offering to second dedicated staff directly into client organizations to provide deeply integrated support.

At the core of its technical offering is the proprietary 'Domain Intelligence' software, which provides clients with comprehensive data and actionable insights across intellectual property, IT, network security, and compliance functions. This integrated approach is critical in a market where a company’s domain portfolio is no longer just a list of web addresses but a core component of its security posture and brand identity.

The DotBrand Gold Rush of 2026

Perhaps the most critical aspect of the merger’s timing is its alignment with a rare, once-in-a-decade event: the opening of the next application window for new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs). The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is expected to open this window in April 2026 for a limited period of 12-15 weeks, allowing corporations to apply for their own 'dotBrand' TLDs for the first time since 2012.

A dotBrand TLD allows a company to operate its own exclusive corner of the internet, with URLs like https://cloud.microsoft or https://home.barclays. Unlike domains such as .com, which are open to the public, a dotBrand is controlled entirely by the brand owner. This creates a trusted, secure digital ecosystem that inherently combats cybersquatting, phishing, and brand impersonation. For consumers, the assurance is simple: as the company notes, “if there's a brand name to the right of the dot, it's really that brand's site”.

The strategic benefits are immense. Beyond enhanced security and consumer trust, dotBrands offer marketing freedom and can lead to significant cost savings compared to acquiring premium .com domains. However, the application process is technically demanding and costly, with application fees alone expected to be around $227,000, and requires months of strategic preparation.

With 280 successful TLD applications from the last round under its belt, the Markmonitor Group is positioning itself as the indispensable guide for corporations navigating this complex but valuable opportunity. The mid-2026 deadline creates a tangible sense of urgency for CMOs, CIOs, and legal counsel to finalize their digital identity strategies now or risk waiting another decade.

Beyond Registration: Building a Digital Fortress

The new Markmonitor Group is making it clear that its mission extends far beyond simple domain registration. The merger combines the strengths of both companies into a holistic service suite designed to function as a digital fortress for corporate brands.

This comprehensive offering includes sophisticated online brand protection and enforcement to combat counterfeiting and piracy, expert advisory on internet governance policy, and specialized IT and hostmaster support. Furthermore, the group provides domain acquisition and disposal services, leveraging anonymous acquisition tactics to secure valuable digital assets for clients without inflating prices.

The integration of advanced technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is a key pillar of the group’s future strategy. The goal is to develop innovative AI-based services that automate risk detection, streamline portfolio optimization, and enhance the monitoring of online threats. By combining this technological prowess with its deep bench of human experts, the Markmonitor Group aims to provide a level of proactive defense that is essential in today’s high-stakes digital environment, where a single domain-related vulnerability can lead to catastrophic security breaches or brand damage.