Vespa Capital invests in Com Laude & Valideus
May 2017
Com Laude Group, a newco setup by Vespa Capital completed the acquisition of Com Laude and Valideus, two companies founded by Nick Wood and Lorna Gradden in 2005 to provide support for brand owners seeking to protect and position their intellectual property in the domain name system. Com Laude is a corporate domain name registrar and Valideus is a market-leading consultancy, which delivers strategic advice and services to Dot Brand new gTLD registry operators.
"Domain names are mission critical corporate infrastructure. Consumers trust them to signpost authentic content. Without them email does not work and apps and websites cannot be readily found. With the advent of the Internet of Things and the expansion of the domain name system from 300 registries to over 1,200 in the past five years, corporations need a trusted partner now more than ever to guide them safely through cyberspace.
Our expert multi-lingual teams in London, Valencia, Seattle and Washington DC support many leading brand owners. Working on the foundation of a Best in Class technical solution, we register and renew domains anywhere in the world and help brands to run their own secure registries”.
Nick Wood, Managing Director, Com Laude
“The opportunity to partner with Vespa Capital is an exciting moment for us. We are proud of our heritage and the quality of the team we work with. It is our staff’s expertise in the provision of domain management security and strategic advice that sets us apart. This investment will strengthen our market position and enable us to grow.”
Matt Lyons, Partner, Vespa Capital
“We are delighted to have invested in Com Laude Group. The security and effective management of online Intellectual Property is of growing importance to multinational corporates. Nick and Lorna have built a high-quality business which delivers outstanding service levels. The group is well positioned to capitalise on attractive market dynamics: there are now over 330 million registered domains and 600 new gTLD domain registries operated by brands. Round Two of the new gTLD program will arrive before 2020 and no-one understands the process as well as Valideus or can match their track record of success”