What CentralNic does
CentralNic Group PLC (LON:CNIC) is a provider of registry services for internet domains, a string of characters (e.g. ‘.com’, ‘.net’, or ‘.gov’) used to identify administrative authority or control of different websites online.
Headquartered in London but also with offices in New York, Dubai and Los Angeles and account executives in Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi and Melbourne, the group operates its own proprietary registry engine that uses in-house IT systems to distribute its portfolio of domains across a network of 1,500 registrars, such as domain retailer GoDaddy.
The firm also owns domain name technology firm KeyDrive, which develops and operates software platforms used for selling subscription-based tools for businesses to operate online, including domain names, hosting, email, domain portfolio management and online advertising services.
How it's doing
In January, CentralNic acquired French firm SafeBrands, a provider of online brand protection software and corporate internet services, for up to €3.6mln.
The deal comes two months after completing the acquisition of Zeropark and Voluum, collectively known as Codewise, for US$36mln. The addition is expected to be more than 20% earnings accretive for the company.
In the first nine months of 2020, revenue rocketed 118% to US$168.5mln with record organic revenue growth of 17%. Adjusted underlying earnings (EBITDA) jumped 68% to US$22.1mln.
What the boss says: Ben Crawford, chief executive
"The acquisition of SafeBrands is an important next step for CentralNic in our strategy to provide comprehensive end-to-end digital domain name and online brand protection services to enterprise clients, globally."
“We are delighted that SafeBrands, its talented team of domain and IP protection experts, cutting-edge software and service portfolio and established business relationships, are becoming part of our group. Intellectual Property is the lifeblood of any company, creating value and differentiation, and the successful future of any brand depends on protecting its IP with maximum efficiency. SafeBrands' brand protection products will help CentralNic further broaden our capabilities in this space, creating an unparalleled suite of solutions for our current and future customers."
