Com Laude has completed its acquisition of Markmonitor, forming a new combined entity valued at approximately $450 million and establishing the world’s first full-service, global corporate domain name registrar focused exclusively on enterprise clients.

The newly formed Markmonitor Group brings together advanced technology, deep policy expertise, and high-touch “white glove” service tailored for in-house domain and brand protection teams at multinational corporations.

Leadership and Global Footprint

• Ben Crawford, former CEO of Com Laude, has been appointed CEO of Markmonitor Group

• Stu Homan, former Head of Markmonitor, becomes Chief Operating Officer

The group operates with regional headquarters in Boise, London, and Tokyo, supported by five additional regional offices and staff in 16 countries, serving enterprises that collectively generate trillions of dollars in global revenue.

A Unified Corporate Domain Powerhouse

Markmonitor Group now offers a comprehensive portfolio of services, including:

• Corporate domain portfolio management

• Domain acquisitions and disposals

• Internet infrastructure and hostmaster support

• Cybersecurity and online brand protection

• Intellectual property and enforcement services

• Internet governance and policy advisory

• AI-enabled domain intelligence and portfolio optimization

The group employs more domain portfolio advisors and strategists than any other provider, including offering secondments of dedicated domain professionals to enterprise clients.

Clients also gain exclusive access to the group’s proprietary Domain Intelligence software, designed to optimize and future-proof large domain portfolios.

Industry Leader in dotBrand Top-Level Domains

Markmonitor Group is one of the most experienced advisors globally in dotBrand top-level domains, having supported 280 successful new TLD applications, including corporate brand TLDs.

dotBrand domains allow companies to operate exclusive, trusted namespaces, such as:

• cloud.microsoft

• home.barclays

Unlike generic TLDs such as .com, dotBrand TLDs are fully controlled by the brand owner, delivering:

• Strong protection against cybersquatting and phishing

• Higher consumer trust and recognition

• Greater IT and security oversight

• Creative freedom for marketing teams

• Potential cost savings compared to premium .com acquisitions

With the ICANN application window for new dotBrand TLDs closing in mid-2026, companies now have only a limited window to assess feasibility and prepare applications. Markmonitor Group’s scale, expertise, and proven processes position it as a key advisor during this once-in-a-decade opportunity.

Strategic Significance

According to CEO Ben Crawford:

“The combined resources of Markmonitor and Com Laude offer the highest-quality proposition for companies managing complex domain portfolios, seeking new top-level domains, or requiring best-in-class support across compliance, infrastructure, security, and online brand protection.”

While the group serves many of the world’s most valuable brands — including most of the 20 largest U.S. enterprises — it also supports organizations of all sizes seeking enterprise-grade domain services.

Bottom Line

The acquisition marks a major consolidation in the corporate domain services market, creating a single, global provider capable of supporting enterprises across domains, security, policy, and brand protection at unprecedented scale.

With dotBrand deadlines approaching and digital risk increasing, Markmonitor Group emerges as the dominant force in enterprise domain strategy worldwide.