After nearly two years of negotiations, Extend acquires extend.ai for $50,000

Extend co-founder and CEO Kushal Byatnal recently shared on LinkedIn that the company had successfully acquired the domain extend.ai for $50,000 — and the timing couldn’t be better, as they were launching their “launch month” campaign.

It’s not just the price that’s worth noting, but the persistence behind it. According to Kushal, the deal took nearly two years to close. The original owner had no intention of selling for the first 15 months. For months, they didn’t respond to messages, and when they did, they just politely declined. Despite this, Extend continued to contact him every few months — no pressure, just constant reminders that they were still interested. Eventually, the two sides started a conversation, and after some back-and-forth, they reached a deal earlier this year.

While $50,000 may sound like a lot, it’s completely in line with how hot the .ai domain market is. As artificial intelligence startups flourish, there is an increasing demand for simple, branded .ai domains, especially single-word domains that match the company’s brand. In fact, the highest-priced .ai domain reported so far this year is rush.ai, which went for $300,000.

We’re seeing more and more premium .ai domains changing hands, and the trend continues. For companies focused on AI, a strong domain is more than just a show-off, it’s an important way to build credibility, trust, and visibility from day one.

Extend’s patience paid off, and the domain fits their brand perfectly. Expect more high-priced deals like this to happen in 2025 as more startups enter the space.