Q&A with NameSilo CEO Kristaps Ronka

NameSilo CEO explains the background of the fast-growing registrar.

NameSilo seems to have come out of nowhere.

The domain name registrar doubled its domains under management in just one year. It is usually among the top ten registrars each month in terms of new .com registrations.

So where did the registrar come from and how has it grown so quickly? I asked CEO Kristaps Ronka some questions to find out the story.

DNW: What’s the history of NameSilo? Who created it and when?

NameSilo was created by a trio of entrepreneurs in Phoenix Arizona who started the business in 2010. Through their hard work and dedication, they built the platform on their own from scratch and got accredited with ICANN. Having set the foundation and having looked at the domain name registrar landscape, they saw their opportunity in building a business focused on providing the lowest-cost domains, so as to deliver the maximum value possible for customers. Over the next couple of years, the platform grew, both in domain count and functionality. Not only did the team build out value-added services such as domain parking, e-mail forwarding as well as account security features like domain defender and 2-factor authentication, but also started to expand beyond solely domain name registration by building out a low-cost Marketplace to allow customers to buy and sell NameSilo domains.

It took some time for the business to hit its stride and for word of mouth to spread across the industry but by August of 2017, NameSilo joined the top 1% of ICANN accredited domain registrars with over 1 million active domains under management. And since then, the growth has only amplified – today, NameSilo is now one of the fastest growing domain name registrars in the world with over 2.5M active domains under management.

DNW: What is Brisio Innovations and when did it come into the picture?

Brisio Innovations (now NameSilo Technologies) is an investment issuer and a Canadian public company (CSE:URL). We purchased NameSilo through Brisio. NameSilo was the first deal of its kind for Brisio where, instead of investing in the company, we fully acquired the entity. The business opportunity and potential synergy became apparent between the team members and the deal was structured to provide ample resources, both financial and human capital, for NameSilo to continue the current growth trajectory. The acquisition was completed in August 2018 and the team has been rolling since.

DNW: Who is NameSilo’s target customer?

NameSilo’s target customer is anyone seeking low-cost domain name registration services without compromising on quality or support. Generally, the user will be savvy about domain names and prefers the DIY approach. They would have an extensive domain name portfolio, making the cost savings gained through us that much more substantial. An exemplification of this target customer would be someone or a Small/Medium Business providing hosting services – they use us for their domain name registrations and focus their time on actually building the hosting service and customer base.

DNW: The domain registrar business is cutthroat. What differentiates NameSilo?

We have built our business on providing the lowest everyday pricing while not compromising on the quality of our platform, features or support. This customer-first approach has enabled us to achieve the success we’ve managed thus far, so we don’t want to sway too far from it. We have had exceptional growth through word of mouth. We continue to strive for improvements in all our products and services on a daily basis. Our feeling is that as long as we’re delivering on these fundamental offerings, success and growth will follow.

DNW: Are you part of Sedo MLS or Afternic DLS?

Yes, we are a part of SEDO MLS & Afternic DLS to provide additional avenues for our customers to buy and sell domain names.

DNW: Are the original founders still with the company? Who leads it now?

The founders are now in an advisory role.

My background is the following: I co-founded a company called AdParlor in 2008. We were a social media advertising company offering a third cost model – cost per acquisition on Facebook. We sold in 2011 to a company called AdKnowledge out of Kansas City. I am an entrepreneur, developer, advisor.

Our CMO, Endrit Muca, joined NameSilo from AdParlor shortly after we took over the business. Our new COO is Arthur Poghosian and our new CTO is Eugene Melnichenko. Both have joined us from NamePal.