Top Level Design


Type:	Private
Founded:	2012
Founder(s):	Raymond King, Peter Brual
Country:	USA
Website:	toplevel.design
LinkedIn:	[1]
Key People
Raymond King, CEO Owen Borseth, CTO Andrew Merriam, Business Development Director Summer Fang, Partnership Manager Ross Brackett, Support Manager Kimberly Sheng, Registry Manager

Top Level Design, LLC is a company created in 2012 by Raymond King and Peter Brual to apply for TLDs in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The company submitted 10 applications to ICANN for: .art, .blog, .design, .gay, .group, .ink, .llc, .photography, .style and .wiki.

It now acts mostly as the parent company of registrar Porkbun, having sold its TLD portfolio to GoDaddy Registry in 2023. ^[1]

In June 2013, Top Level Design LLC participated in the first round of private^[2] gTLD Auctions held by Innovative Auctions. The auction resulted in Donuts out-bidding Top Level Design in the .photography contention set.^[3] CEO, Raymond King, was quoted as saying, "The applicant auction process was great, the software functioned without a hitch and all of the folks involved were responsive and highly professional. We look forward to participating in future auctions with Innovative Auctions."^[4]

In September 2014, Top Level Design acquired .design through private auction. Ray King was quoted as saying, "Think of all the things that require design. Design permeates all aspects of culture."^[5] .Design became generally available on May 5th, 2015.

In March 2019, Top Level Design won the .gay contention set at private auction.^[6]

Top Level Design has contracted CentralNic for its backend registry services and is using Iron Mountain for its required data escrow services.^[7]

Relation to ICANNWiki.com edit

This site, ICANNWiki.com, is also managed by Raymond King. The ICANNWiki team notes that its content and presentation of new gTLD information will in no way interfere with or be compromised by the separate Top Level Design, LLC venture.

References edit

↑ https://registry.godaddy/blog/new-tlds-to-join-the-godaddy-registry-domain-portfolio
↑ http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130102_private_vs_icann_auction_of_last_resort/
↑ User Submitted, June 11 2013
↑ First Private Auction for Generic Top Level Domains Completed, CircleId.comPublished 6 June 2013, Retrieved 11 June 2013
↑ Top Level Design Wins Design Contention Set
↑ http://domainincite.com/23927-the-internet-is-about-to-get-a-lot-gayer
↑ http://domainincite.com/9367-icannwiki-boss-applies-for-10-gtlds

[1] ttps://registry.godaddy/blog/new-tlds-to-join-the-godaddy-registry-domain-portfolio

[2] ttp://www.circleid.com/posts/20130102_private_vs_icann_auction_of_last_resort/

[3] User Submitted, June 11 2013

[4] First Private Auction for Generic Top Level Domains Completed, CircleId.comPublished 6 June 2013, Retrieved 11 June 2013

[5] Top Level Design Wins Design Contention Set

[6] ttp://domainincite.com/23927-the-internet-is-about-to-get-a-lot-gayer

[7] ttp://domainincite.com/9367-icannwiki-boss-applies-for-10-gtlds

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