Before diving into the rapid emergence of .io domains, it‘s important to clearly define what we‘re talking about…
The .io top-level domain (TLD) is assigned to the British Indian Ocean Territory, a disputed overseas territory of the UK. On the tech side, .io also represents the computing concept of "input/output".
This unique dual meaning has led .io domains to become the virtual landrush for tech startups and software companies – sought after for branding differentiation, identifiability, and global relevance.
But how exactly did this tiny island nation‘s TLD turn into a tech status symbol seemingly overnight? And what is driving tech companies to migrate?
The Surprising History Behind .io
The seeds that eventually sprouted today‘s .io tech boom originate from a much darker history…
Diego Garcia and the Chagos Archipelago
The Chagos Islands are a remote archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, about halfway between Africa and Indonesia. While breathtakingly beautiful, their history is mired in controversy.
The largest island, Diego Garcia, was settled in the late 18th century by French colonists bringing slaves from Africa and Asia to work on coconut plantations. It passed to British control after the Napoleonic wars.
In the 1960s, the UK struck a secret deal with the U.S. to provide Diego Garcia as a strategic military base. But there was one problem – the islands were still inhabited by nearly 2,000 native Chagossians…
The Expulsion of Island Natives
In 1971, the entire population was forcibly removed and barred from ever returning. The intensifying Cold War made the Indian Ocean location extremely valuable for covert bomber missions into Afghanistan and the Middle East.
After the last inhabitants were relocated to Mauritius and Seychelles, the Pentagon wasted no time in constructing a sprawling base including a harbor, airfield, weapons, fuel storage, and nuclear subs.
It served as a critical launch point for bombers during both Gulf Wars. The island remains home to over $1 billion in military infrastructure and 2,000 U.S troops supporting operations across the Middle East and Africa.
Origins of the .io Domain
Despite no native population, the UK retained control over the islands as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Although the motives were controversial, the BIOT did require internet connectivity back to Britain to enable all the military operations.
So in 1997, the islands were officially delegated the .io domain – representing both the Indian Ocean origin as well as Input/Output – by IANA regulators.
And while the .io domain remained nearly unused for over a decade, the growing intersect of technology and controversy was soon to erupt…
The Explosive Growth of .io Domains
Flash forward to 2022 – that sleepy island TLD has now become the virtual hub for tech startups. Just look at the domain registration growth curve:
| Year | .io Domain Registrations |
|---|---|
| 2013 | ~18,000 |
| 2017 | ~144,000 |
| 2022 | ~330,000 |
But how did we get here in under 10 years?
I spoke with domain investor Michael Cyger of DomainSherpa.com on the pivotal shift:
"In 2014, crypto companies began using .io domains during the Bitcoin boom since many normal TLDs were blocking these sites. That association with cutting edge technology started the .io adoption wave across all tech verticals."
Here are the key drivers fueling the .io explosion:
Tech Meaning Overrides Geography – The implicit input/output abbreviation has made the domain globally relevant despite officially representing remote islands.
Name Scarcity – With legacy TLDs unavailable, startups flocked to wide open .io namespace. 3-5 letter .io domains are now valued in the millions.
Mainstream Acceptance – As prominent startups raised billions with .io domains, it overcame credibility concerns. Now investors don‘t blink at .io names.
Today‘s tech giants have certainly taken notice – recursively grabbing up their .io matches across all products and brands before the namespace fills.
Why Startups Are Migrating to .io
The tech industry‘s embrace of .io prefixes makes sense when you consider the key benefits:
Identifiability – The .io TLD signals a technology focus, differentiating from generic domains. It‘s now an adopted tech badge of honor.
Memorability – The distinctiveness of .io aids memorability and brand recognition compared to a crowded .com namespace.
Future-Proofing – Tech startups are future-looking – so a next-gen domain sets the tone. Much like adopting AI and crypto early.
Real-World .io Domain Usage
Curious what creative ways tech companies are putting .io domains to work? Here are some interesting examples I‘ve come across:
-
Stripe – The $100B fintech company forwards stripe.io to their site to protect their brand.
-
Cloudflare – The web infrastructure giant uses cloudflare.io for their influential developer docs portal.
-
MongoDB – The popular document database uses mongo.io to present their free cloud tier offering.
-
Basecamp – The leading SaaS project management platform powers their marketing blog at basecamp.io.
The variety of real-world applications highlights the versatility of .io domains.
Conclusion – Stake Your Claim
In closing, I hope this piece has properly explained the exploding .io movement and why tech startups are rapidly adopting this once obscure island domain.
My advice to founders and tech marketers is simple – secure the .io version of your brand before being priced out.
Even if you don‘t launch it yet, you‘ll have it in your back pocket once customers start expecting .io domains from innovative companies.
I‘d be happy to address any other questions you may have! Just contact me below.
