The .VC domain extension is becoming pretty darn popular with Venture Capitalists

In 2020 there are a ton of options when it comes to buying a domain name. While .COM is and probably always will be king, niche-specific domain name extensions are becoming increasingly popular. From .TECH to .AI, more and more companies are looking at what comes after the dot to give context to what it is that they do.

Enter .VC, while this is technically the domain name extension for St. Vincent and Grenadines, doesn’t ring a bell? Here it is on a map:

as for what it looks like, you guessed it – island paradise.

Of course VCs aren’t flocking to this domain name because it’s a beautiful vacation spot, to them, and most people that see a .VC domain extension they’re thinking one thing – Venture Capital.

The increased popularity of this domain extension in recent years has led to some decent sales but most end up in the four-figure range making this a massive discount off of what you’d normally pay for a one-word .COM. Here are some examples of some notable .VC sales:

  • VS.vc – $10,000
  • Bond.vc – $6,120
  • EOS.vc – $5,500
  • Feitopra.vc – $5,000
  • Apollo.vc – $4,789
  • Scale.vc – $4,240

As for the Venture Capital firms that brand on .VC, the list is getting longer every month. Most VCs I’ve talked to about the extension like it because when someone sees it they know exactly what they do. Take 2048 Ventures started by Alex Iskold, former MD of Techstars NYC and a well-known Angel Investor – if they branded on 2048.com, you’d have to visit the site to know what they do, 2048.vc makes it clear they’re a VC firm.

Here’s some examples of other VCs branding on .VC domains:

Cowboy Ventures (Cowboy.vc)

Cowboy Ventures

Primary Ventures (Primary.vc)

Primary Ventures

2048 Ventures (2048.vc)

2048 Ventures

Hustle Fund (HustleFund.vc)

Hustle Fund

Chapter One (ChapterOne.vc)

Chapter One Ventures

Decibel (Decibel.vc)

Decibel Ventures

Like most domain extensions, most of the best domains were taken a long time ago which means if you’re trying to buy a .VC domain for your fund, you’ll probably have to buy it from someone who already owns it. The good news is, unlike .COM where even two-word .COMs like MyWorld.com can sell for over a million dollars, there’s a good chance you can get the .VC domain you want for less than $5,000.

Unlike the startups VCs invest in that pay six-figures and seven figures to get the domain name they want, VCs are getting lucky, for now. My guess is over time .VC domain names will increase in price and we’ll start to see more five-figure sales like we’re seeing in the .IO space right now.

Until then, it seems like now is a great time to be a VC looking for a domain because the opportunity to get your first choice .VC domain probably costs less than what you spend attending a single conference. At the same time, I’d also recommend buying the two other variants in .COM, i.e. CompanyNameVC.com and CompanyNameVentures.com, IMO those two with the .VC name is the trifecta you’re looking for if you really want to own your brand online.

It will be interesting to watch the market for .VC names continue to grow over time, I’ll be watching and reporting more on my blog. On that note if you know of any notable .VC sales that haven’t yet been reported, feel free to send them my way. Like so many higher-value domain sales, some of the top sales in any domain extension don’t get reported so you can bet there are deals happening all the time that nobody knows about.

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton