OpusDNS acquires domain sales platform fruits.co and its 2.6M domains
What's the deal? OpusDNS, a domain reseller platform, has acquired fruits.co, a domain sales and monetisation platform with 2.6 million domains listed. The deal brings together two relatively young companies trying to modernise the domain name market.
Fruits launched in 2022 as a broader digital goods marketplace before pivoting to focus solely on domain names. It charges a 9.9% commission on sales and also offers domain monetisation services.
OpusDNS was founded by veterans of the domain reseller world, including Robbie Birkner, co-founder of Hexonet, and Hakan Ali, co-founder of InterNetX. The two companies already had a relationship — OpusDNS invested in fruits' second funding round.
Why now? Fruits carved out a niche by solving a real pain point for European domain sellers: value-added tax compliance across borders. The platform automatically calculates and remits the correct VAT when, say, a German seller transacts with a Spanish buyer — eliminating manual processes.
That capability, combined with a growing inventory of 2.6 million domains, made fruits an attractive bolt-on for OpusDNS as it builds out a modern, full-stack domain reseller platform.
What could go wrong? Both companies are relatively new entrants in a market dominated by established players. Integrating two young platforms carries execution risk, and competing against incumbents with deeper pockets and larger customer bases is never easy.
The signal: The domain industry is seeing a wave of consolidation and modernisation. Legacy systems built decades ago are being challenged by startups that offer cleaner interfaces, automated compliance, and tools designed for how the internet works today. This deal suggests that even within a mature market like domain names, there's room for new entrants — especially those that solve specific regulatory headaches like cross-border VAT.
Read more: domainnamewire.com
