PX3 enters definitive agreement for Com Laude to acquire Markmonitor, creating a $450 million global leader in corporate domain management

LONDON, Sept. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- PX3 Partners ("PX3"), the London-headquartered private equity firm, announces today that it is acquiring Markmonitor, through its portfolio company Com Laude, in a corporate carve-out from Newfold Digital. This transformative combination will create a leading global supplier of corporate domain management services, with a combined enterprise value of c. $450 million. It will allow Com Laude to quadruple its revenue and is expected to complete in late 2025.

Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, Com Laude is a tech-enabled business services provider that manages internet domain name portfolios, monitors digital brand infringement, and ensures secure online brand presence for large companies. Com Laude provides mission-critical internet domain name services to many of the world's foremost branded companies, essential to the smooth functioning of their internet presence and infrastructure. The company operates globally, with offices across Asia, Europe, and North America.

Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Markmonitor is a tech-enabled business services provider that manages internet domain name portfolios and ensures secure online brand presence for large companies. Markmonitor provides mission-critical internet domain name services to many of the world's foremost branded companies. The company serves 2,000 customers in a wide range of industries across 80 countries.

Com Laude and Markmonitor are highly complementary across geographies and service offerings. While both businesses already operate globally, the combined company will benefit from Com Laude's strong presence in Europe and Markmonitor's strong presence in the U.S. Upon completion, the combined business will move its headquarters to the U.S. Benjamin Crawford, CEO of Com Laude, will serve as CEO of the enlarged group, with Stu Homan remaining as Head of Markmonitor.

This landmark transaction is closely aligned with the three pillars of PX3's investment strategy. By helping customers protect and compete with their brands and enhance the security of their online presence, Markmonitor benefits from three of the transformative themes that PX3 seeks to underwrite, namely Compete Smarter, Net Citizenship, and Re-Invent Living. Furthermore, it operates within data and specialised corporate services, two of the three focus segments within PX3's business services sector focus, and displays the strong business fundamentals that PX3 exclusively invests behind.

The transaction leveraged PX3's situational differentiation and Connected Acceleration™ value creation model. PX3 benefited from its relationships and expertise in domain name management and its experience in engineering bespoke transactions, including executing corporate carve-outs and transformative M&A and managing transatlantic situations.

The Managing Partners of PX3 commented: "This transaction marks a landmark moment for PX3 and Com Laude. Only 18 months after our initial investment in Com Laude, the company is now significantly increasing its scale and establishing itself as a leading global supplier of corporate domain management services. The combination reflects the ambitious growth strategy pursued jointly by PX3 and the company's management team and demonstrates the strong execution capabilities of the business. With its broadened service offering, enhanced scale, and expanded global reach, the enlarged group is exceptionally well positioned to capitalise on further growth opportunities in its markets."

Benjamin Crawford, CEO of Com Laude, remarked: "Uniting Com Laude and Markmonitor, two undisputed leaders in delivering quality of service for corporate customers, allows us to deliver an unparalleled service offering to the most demanding companies worldwide. With expanded offering and size, global reach, state of the art tools, and an enhanced team of domain name and online brand protection experts, we are uniquely positioned to protect and grow the digital presence of the world's largest companies and most valuable brands, and the emerging corporate giants of the future. We are excited to work with our new colleagues across the company and to leverage technology to pursue the next phase of our growth strategy."

Stu Homan, Head of Markmonitor, remarked: "With this acquisition, Markmonitor has found owners who value our dedicated enterprise services as much as our customers do. Com Laude is deeply committed to preserving and building upon our ability to continue to deliver industry-leading customer service while growing to new levels with dedication and investment. Our entire team is excited to bring Com Laude's advanced tools and services to our customers, and to be part of the most exciting development in corporate domain services since we invented the white glove service model twenty-six years ago."

J.P. Morgan is serving as financial advisor to PX3 for the transaction and KKR-managed credit funds and accounts are serving as lead investor for the debt financing. PX3 further enlisted the support of Alvarez & Marsal as accounting and tax advisor; Aon as benefits, insurance, and pension advisor; Debevoise & Plimpton as tax structuring advisor; ERM as ESG advisor; Kearney as carve-out, value creation, and technology advisor; Marlborough Partners as debt financing advisor; and Perkins Coie as legal advisor.

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About PX3 Partners

PX3 stands for purpose, passion, and performance. It is a pan-European private equity firm founded by Petter Johnsson, Gianpiero Lenza, and Sébastien Mazella di Bosco with headquarters in London. It invests behind transformative themes and targets companies operating within select segments of the business services, consumer and leisure, and industrials sectors with strong business fundamentals. PX3 is committed to supporting ambitious entrepreneurs and management teams build great businesses through transformative growth internationally and operational improvement. PX3 is the continuation and consolidation of the founding partners' investment strategy and their relationship-focused and distinctive value creation model honed over 20 years working together.

For more information see: https://www.px3partners.com/