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RealNames
RealNames is an online platform providing an internet naming and navigation system for users
About RealNames
RealNames, a service of Tucows Inc., offers a customized e-mail service. The domain, realnames.com, was acquired by Tucows in 2014 and is now used to provide personalized email addresses. This service is made possible through Tucows' acquisition of Mailbank and its extensive portfolio of surname domain names.
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The original RealNames Corporation was a company founded in 1996 that developed a system to translate keywords typed into a browser's address bar into a website address, as an alternative to the Domain Name System (DNS). This company ceased operations in 2002 after a significant partner, Microsoft, decided not to renew its contract.
The current business model focuses on providing a paid email service that allows individuals and families to have a personalized email address based on their surname. The company leverages its large database of surname domain names to offer this service, targeting users who are looking for a unique and personal digital identity.
Latest news
Press, funding announcements and product moves mentioning RealNames.
Funding history
Company financing events and reported valuations.
| Deal type | Date | Amount | Valuation | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERIES DOther financing | Dec 2000 | $47M | $186M | Emigrant Capital · DWS Group | — |
| SEEDOther financing | Mar 2000 | — | — | Microsoft | — |
Growth signals
Latest recorded traffic for RealNames is 20 monthly website visits, down 99.3% over the last three months. RealNames's team grew 50% over the past year.
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Investors
From Dealroom's funding and investor records, grouped by the round each investor first entered.
Seed1 investor entered at this stage
Series A3 investors entered at this stage
Idealab- AAAmerindo Investment Advisors
Network Solutions
Series B and later7 investors entered at this stage
Morgan Stanley- BCBowman Capital
Goldman Sachs- RPRobertson Stephens Partners
- APAccess Technology Partners
- ECEmigrant Capital
DWS Group
Source: Dealroom Talent Intelligence.
Global footprint
team presence
Market sentiment
An AI-synthesised read of the highest-engagement posts about RealNames on X, ranked by likes and reposts, corporate channels excluded.
Reading the room on X — pulling top posts and synthesizing themes…
Source: X recent search ranked by engagement (likes + retweets) · Synthesis by Claude · Cached for 1 hour
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