The majority of big brands around the world, who have funding available for domain purchases, have already acquired their exact-match .COM names. Established companies such as Freedom Mortgage (freedom.com) and ICE (ice.com) have spent seven-figure fees to upgrade their domain names. However, not all big brands own their exact-match .COM. Below, we profile five famous brands that haven't upgraded their names for one reason or another.
Argos - Argos.com
In the UK, Argos is a retailer that operates over eight-hundred stores and also offers a huge amount of products online at Argos.co.uk. Whilst the .CO.UK name may suffice for the British market, the company would need Argos.com to thrive internationally.
However, Argos.com is likely out of reach. After spending vast sums of money including six days in court, Argos Limited failed to gain control of the Argos.com domain with the name remaining under the ownership of American company Argos Systems Inc.
Lime - Lime.com
Founded just over a year ago, Lime is receiving a lot of attention after securing a $335 Series C million funding round in July 2018 which was led by Google Ventures (GV). The company is operating on LimeBike.com and the hack name LI.ME.
As for Lime.com, the name looks to be owned by Cable & Wireless (CWC), forwarding to DiscoverFlow.co after CWC rebranded its subsidiary from Lime to Flow in 2015. It's possible that CWC may part with the name, but the deal hasn't happened yet.
Bird - Bird.com
Dockless scooter company Bird is another 2017 company that is receiving plenty of publicity after receiving $415 million in funding in three rounds this year. The startup, with strong "Bird" branding on all products, operates on the Bird.co domain name
The Bird.com domain has been developed by TABcom LLC, a company that owns and operates many premium names including Dog.com, Fish.com, and Garden.com. To acquire Bird.com, the scooter company would likely have to produce a substantial offer.
Ola - Ola.com
Ola offers a similar ride-sharing service to Uber and Lyft, having started in India in 2010. Since then, the company has raised $3.2 billion in funding and has moved into a number of other markets aside from India.
Despite the success and the $3.2 billion funding, the company still operates on OlaCabs.com, with Ola.com developed as an online auction platform.
Oscar - Oscar.com
Oscar Health, also known simply as Oscar, is a health insurance company based in New York that has raised a total of $1.3 billion since launching in 2012, with the latest $375 million funding round being announced in August 2018.
The company is, however, unlikely to be able to acquire Oscar.com since the name is currently owned by The Academy Awards, also known as The Oscars.
Argos - Argos.com
In the UK, Argos is a retailer that operates over eight-hundred stores and also offers a huge amount of products online at Argos.co.uk. Whilst the .CO.UK name may suffice for the British market, the company would need Argos.com to thrive internationally.
However, Argos.com is likely out of reach. After spending vast sums of money including six days in court, Argos Limited failed to gain control of the Argos.com domain with the name remaining under the ownership of American company Argos Systems Inc.
Lime - Lime.com
Founded just over a year ago, Lime is receiving a lot of attention after securing a $335 Series C million funding round in July 2018 which was led by Google Ventures (GV). The company is operating on LimeBike.com and the hack name LI.ME.
As for Lime.com, the name looks to be owned by Cable & Wireless (CWC), forwarding to DiscoverFlow.co after CWC rebranded its subsidiary from Lime to Flow in 2015. It's possible that CWC may part with the name, but the deal hasn't happened yet.
Bird - Bird.com
Dockless scooter company Bird is another 2017 company that is receiving plenty of publicity after receiving $415 million in funding in three rounds this year. The startup, with strong "Bird" branding on all products, operates on the Bird.co domain name
The Bird.com domain has been developed by TABcom LLC, a company that owns and operates many premium names including Dog.com, Fish.com, and Garden.com. To acquire Bird.com, the scooter company would likely have to produce a substantial offer.
Ola - Ola.com
Ola offers a similar ride-sharing service to Uber and Lyft, having started in India in 2010. Since then, the company has raised $3.2 billion in funding and has moved into a number of other markets aside from India.
Despite the success and the $3.2 billion funding, the company still operates on OlaCabs.com, with Ola.com developed as an online auction platform.
Oscar - Oscar.com
Oscar Health, also known simply as Oscar, is a health insurance company based in New York that has raised a total of $1.3 billion since launching in 2012, with the latest $375 million funding round being announced in August 2018.
The company is, however, unlikely to be able to acquire Oscar.com since the name is currently owned by The Academy Awards, also known as The Oscars.