US startups with exact-match .com domains receive funding 18% faster than those with alternate extensions. VCs view premium domain as: Professional judgment, market seriousness, brand foresight.
VC Domain Perception
Tier 1 VCs notice: CloudStorage.io vs CloudStorage.com. .io acceptable for developer tools. .com expected for consumer, B2B SaaS, marketplace, fintech. Wrong extension signals: Lack of planning, budget constraints, amateur execution.
Domain Premium vs Funding
Pre-seed startup spending $10,000 on premium .com: Bad allocation (use for product). Series A spending $50,000 on premium .com: Smart investment (3-5% of raise, huge brand value).
Rebrand Before Funding
Operating on non-ideal domain? Rebrand before fundraising roadshow. Investors see: YourStartup-App.com (current), ask about .com ownership. Discovering you don't own .com = valuation concerns. Secure matching .com first.
Trademark Lens checks startup domain availability for US market - secure .com before pitching investors to demonstrate brand strategy competence.