NZ Domain Registrar ‘iwantmyname’ acquired by CentralNic

NZ Domain Registrar ‘iwantmyname’ acquired by CentralNic Group Plc for 5.2Mil NZD

Thursday 8 August 2019 - New Zealand company iwantmyname (ideegeo Group LTD), an internet domain management service, has been acquired by UK headquartered international company CentralNic Group Plc for 5.2mil NZD.

CentralNic Group, based in the United Kingdom, has acquired the entire share capital of ideegeo (trading name ‘iwantmyname’), a privately-owned domain name retailer registered in New Zealand, serving an international customer base.

Co-founded in July 2008 by Paul Spence, Lenz Gschwendtner and Timo Reitnauer, and originally headquartered in Wellington, iwantmyname has grown to have around 80,000 customers and 180,000 domain names under management.

The three co-founders started the company from Island Bay in July 2008, initially working out of their living rooms. It took just over three months from writing the first lines of code in August to taking their first order in November 2008.

“We saw an opportunity in the market for a simple offering that does one thing well and that's domain name management. We bootstrapped the company without any outside funding, but just a lot of blood, sweat, and tears,” says co-founder Timo Reitnauer.

As entrepreneurs, the founders are active in Startup communities throughout New Zealand, supporting and mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs with their technical and business knowledge.

“Much of our success has been attributable to building a solid community base around our product, whilst delivering the highest levels of customer support through our wonderful and dedicated team,” “says Paul Spence.

iwantmyname has grown to be an international team of 11 across New Zealand, Canada, USA, Germany, and Sweden, and over the years the company has managed to create a gender pay gap of zero and enable a remote working culture. iwantmyname founders say the current team members will not only keep their jobs but find more career opportunities for themselves within the larger group.

Co-founder Timo Reitnauer will stay on as a product manager in the retail team planning and overseeing customer engagement strategy and execution.

“We brought positive change to an industry that didn't have a very good reputation 10 years ago. We started in New Zealand, but we always saw ourselves more as an international company from day one, which is not only reflected in our customer base but also the team, who work remotely around the globe. We believe CentralNic were impressed with our team and their knowledge to improve their retail products, a stable recurring revenue stream and the company’s growth opportunities,” says Lenz Gschwendtner.

The founders started reaching out to potential buyers at the end of 2018. There were several interested parties, Timo Reitnauer says CentralNic’s offer was best for the team and customers.

“For our customers, that means everything you love about iwantmyname will stay as is for now. We will continue to strive to provide the best user experience of any domain retailer, but with the support and resources of CentralNic, the fastest-growing company in the industry, behind it,” says co-founder Timo Reitnauer.

ENDS.

About iwantmyname

iwantmyname is a privately held NZ domain management service founded by Paul Spence, Lenz Gschwendtner and Timo Reitnauer in 2008, offering domain registration and DNS hosting.

Headquartered in NZ, iwantmyname services over 80,000 customers and has 180,000 domain names under management. iwantmyname has a team of 11 remote workers across New Zealand, Canada, USA, Germany, and Sweden.

www.iwantmyname.com

About CentralNic Group

One of the world's pioneering registry service providers, CentralNic Ltd (a wholly-owned subsidiary of CentralNic Group PLC) provides registry services, distribution, and strategic consultancy for new TLDs, ccTLDs and SLDs.

CentralNic uses its in-house developed IT platforms to distribute its portfolio of popular domains to a global network of over 1,500 registrars (retailers such as GoDaddy LLC), which sell these to end users. Further, CentralNic provides consultancy services to companies seeking to create their own domains.

CentralNic's powerful registry engine has more than 20 years' track record of uninterrupted service, and it is supported by innovative marketing and personal customer service. CentralNic's flexible and scalable platform is above ICANN specification for new TLDs.

CentralNic operates from its headquarters in London. CentralNic also has on-the-ground account executives in Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi, and Beijing.

https://www.centralnic.com/

ends

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