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ben
Aug 95 min read

TLD’s on the Rise: .CO domains are looking pretty, pretty good

Domain names play a crucial role in shaping a brand's identity. There’s no debate that .com has held the torch as being the premium domain TLD and is highly coveted by brands. But there are a small number of others that are increasingly becoming the TLD of choice – especially for startups. And, .co domains seem to be on the rise.


Recently, for domain investors and startup founders alike, .co has been gaining popularity and value – fast. So, when there’s gold, grab a pick axe. Let's dive into the history and significance, and some standout examples of websites using the .co domain.


A Brief History of .co: From Colombia to the Cosmos

The .co domain originally launched in 1991 as the ccTLD (country-code top-level-domain) for Colombia. For roughly 20 years, .co wasn’t a highly sought after domain but, eventually, the game changed. In 2010, .co relaunched globally with a small and scrappy team who co-founded a company called .CO Internet to push the TLD forward, and operated as the original registry for the TLD. The team included Juan Diego Calle, Lori Anne Wardi, Nicolai Bezsonoff and Eduardo Santoyo.


But, it wasn’t as easy as creating a campaign around the TLD and “launching” it. The .CO Internet team underwent a highly competitive RFP process to persuade the Government of Colombia that their small startup was better equipped to launch the TLD than Verisign (the .com registry) and other competitors. .CO Internet had a very big vision for the TLD, and that’s how they eventually won the contract to operate as the registry for the TLD.


Prior to launching .co in 2010, there had never been a credible global competitor to .com. When the .CO Internet team started working towards the launch of .co, they wanted to take on .com head-on. So, they looked at all the TLDs that had tried and failed before (like .info, .mobi, and .tel, amongst others), and they tried to reverse engineer what not to do. They didn’t want to be another “domain graveyard” without having secured any memorable businesses or brands in the space.


To be competitive and create a buzz around the TLD, .CO Internet focused on creating a vibrant community of startups, innovators and entrepreneurs who were building the future online – a web address for big ideas. Their first order of business was to get some strong anchor customers, so that it would provide social proof for other businesses to secure .co domains. Shortly after launching the TLD, Twitter agreed to brand its official URL shortener as t.co. Over the next couple of years, other startup community influencers followed suit, building flagship communities and brands like 500 Startups (500.co), Angel List (angel.co), Founders Institute (fi.co), Summit (summit.co) and Founders Forum (ff.co), to name a few.


Eventually, in 2014, .CO Internet was acquired by Neustar Registry, and then changed hands again in 2020 with GoDaddy acquiring the rights to be the registry and operator for the .co TLD.


Why .co is increasing in popularity for Domain Seekers

As of August 2024, and there are over 2 million .co domains registered, proving that this TLD is not just a flash in the pan. The appeal of .co lies in its simplicity and flexibility. It's short, easy to remember, and can stand for various terms like "company," "corporation," or "community." This versatility is making it more popular for startups and businesses looking for a distinctive online presence, especially when the .com domain isn’t available of prohibitively expensive. And let's not discount the fact that it’s just plain cool to have a short, 2-letter TLD.


Five Rockstars of the .co World

Here are five examples of websites that have used the .co TLD – some for brand building, and others as part of their domain strategy.

  1. ro.co: Ro is a direct to consumer health and wellness company that provides personalized treatments and care for a range of conditions – everything from hair loss to mental health – all delivered discreetly to your door.

  2. hinge.co: Hinge is a dating app designed to be deleted. Unlike other dating apps, Hinge focuses on helping people to build meaningful relationships.

  3. launch.co: Launch is an early-stage investment firm founded by Jason Calacanis, focusing on incubating and investing in seed-stage startups.

  4. 500.co: 500 Startups is a VC fund and seed accelerator, established in 2010. With investments in thousands of companies, including companies like Credit Karma and Canva, 500 Startups chose .co as its primary domain – short and memorable.

  5. ta.co: Taco Bell's .co is a fun domain hack and url shortener that they often use for promotional campaigns and marketing purposes.

  6. elastic.co: Elastic is the home of Elastic provides scalable tools for search, observability, and security, enabling organizations to search, analyze, and visualize their data in real-time.


Some Big Brands Own .co Domains

Even when companies own .com domains, many are investing in the .co counterparts of their brand, as part of their domain strategy – Starbucks (sbux.co), American Express (amex.co), IBM (ibm.co), Apple (apple.co), to name a few. Investors take note – .co domains are increasing in popularity and value, and the race for domain aggregation is heating up.

Here are a few perspectives from companies and co-founders who see the value in owning .co domains.

"We love our website ro.co and how it’s short, concise and also a bonus that it rhymes. It’s been a hit with consumers and good for brand recall, too. A nice win!” - Rob Schutz, co-founder at Ro
"Back in the early days when we sat around brainstorming our vision for what we wanted .co to become – it was literally our dream to have innovative businesses like ro.co launch in the .co space." - Lori Anne Wardi, co-founder at .CO Internet
“The .co domain name became trendy because it was the next best alternative to .com. We wanted something short and easy to remember, sb.co. Many start-ups have since rebranded their domain name, moving to .CO.” – Kay Koplovitz, founder of Springboard
“.Co was just different enough to work but also mainstream enough to be taken seriously.” – Sam Parr, co-founder of The Hustle

The Relevance of .co in Today's Digital Landscape

In the grand tapestry of the internet, .co has woven itself a significant place. It’s become a go-to for startups, innovators, and anyone looking to make a bold statement online. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the demand for short, memorable, and versatile domains like .co will only grow.


So, whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned business mogul, remember that .co is more than just a TLD — it’s a statement, a brand, and a community. It’s here to stay, and it’s ready to help you co-nquer the digital world.


 

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