Icon.com Sold for $12 Million in 6th Largest Publicly Reported Domain Sale of All Time

In a post on LinkedIn today Icon CEO Kennan Davison revealed that his company paid $12 million to acquire the exact match domain for their artificial intelligence based startup. The sale was made by Andrew Miller (ATM Holdings and Managing Director for Hilco Digital Assets) with Lumis.com representing the buyer. This is the 6th highest publicly reported domain sale since we began tracking the market in 2003 and just the latest of many landmark sales that Miller has helped orchestrate (details of which are in a DNJournal Cover Story profile of Andrew that we published in April of last year).

Acquiring this premier asset was a bold and decisive move by Davison who, based on his post, clearly believes in the go big or go home philosophy. Kennan stated, "I know I’m not supposed to say this publicly, but I want to make Icon the greatest company of all time. I want to deliver insane value to our customers. I want to create generational wealth for my team and investors. I want to break the $0 to $100M ARR world record!"

Those are obviously lofty goals but many of the greatest business success stories of all time began with the leader of a company understanding how valuable a great domain name can be to the enterprise in the long run - and acting to acquire it. So, we are in Kennan's corner on this move.

Regarding Icon's product, Davison describes it as "the world’s first AI CMO (Chief Marketing Officer): it can plan, create and run 1000s of winning ads end-to-end." He added, "We're backed by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and execs of frontier AI labs like OpenAI (ChatGPT), Cognition and Pika

No one knows exactly how the Icon story will play out from from here but, given Davison's stated goals and this key acquisition of Icon.com, he has commanded people's attention, guaranteeing a lot of us will be closely following the company's iconic journey in the months and years ahead.

We will be charting the Icon.com sale and adding it to our YTD Top 100 Sales Chart when our next bi-weekly report comes out Wednesday evening, April 30. The eight-figure blockbuster is more than five times higher than the top 2025 sale prior to Icon.com.

International Food Exhibitions and Wine & Spirits Show 2024 start on 13 November

Five specialised business exhibitions for food, beverage, packaging, machinery and technology exhibitions for the food industry in the Balkans and South-Eastern Europe

  WHY TO VISIT THE EXHIBITIONS?

  Meatmania – new technologies in the meat processing industry
  Dairy Expo Sofia - novelties and trends in dairy processing
  Bulpek - everything starts with the grain and bread
  Interfood & Drink - international product presentations
  Wine & Spirits Show – wines, spirits, craft drinks and beer from all around the world
  For the third year, BoulevArt of Tastes touches the senses with surprising, traditional and impressive offerings
  7th International Pizza Championship
  Professional conferences, seminars and presentations

Wine & Spirits Show presents Bulgarian and international brands from the production of vodka, whiskey, cognac, wine, beer, gin to craft and art products in each category.

Agritech: Scottish Africa Business Association and Scottish Development International Join Forces to Unlock Global Opportunities for Scottish Companies

ABERDEEN, Scotland, May 12, 2025/ -- The Scottish Africa Business Association (SABA) (www.AfricaScot.com) is delighted to announce its upcoming event, “SABA Briefing: Unlocking Global Opportunities with SDI,” taking place on 29th May, 2025.

This important online briefing, delivered in partnership with Scottish Development International (SDI), will offer Scottish businesses practical insights into accessing and expanding in African markets — some of the fastest-growing and most dynamic economies in the world.

With increasing demand across sectors such as renewable energy, infrastructure, agritech and maritime, Africa represents a major opportunity for Scottish companies with the ambition and capability to expand globally. From its growing middle class to its thriving innovation hubs, the continent offers diverse commercial prospects that align closely with Scotland’s world-class strengths.

The briefing will provide expert guidance on market entry, highlight real-world success stories and offer networking opportunities with peers and industry specialists.

Frazer Lang, CEO of SABA, commented: “At SABA, we believe that partnerships are at the heart of meaningful and sustainable international growth. We’re proud to work alongside Scottish Development International and other valued partners to deliver our SABA Briefings, which give Scottish companies the insights, connections and confidence they need to succeed in African markets. Africa is full of opportunity, but success comes from understanding local contexts, building trusted relationships and collaborating with the right partners. This event is the perfect starting point for companies looking to explore these dynamic markets.”

Scottish businesses of all sizes and sectors are encouraged to sign up for this free event to better understand the commercial potential across Africa and how to navigate opportunities effectively.

Register here:  https://apo-opa.co/4jNIfAD
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Scottish Africa Business Association (SABA).
About the Scottish Africa Business Association (SABA):
SABA is the preeminent non-political, Africa focussed, members trade organisation with an unrivalled board of experienced directors which promotes trade, investment and knowledge sharing between Scotland’s world class expertise and Africa’s priority sectors including energy, agriculture, the blue economy, healthcare, skills training and education by leveraging extensive commercial, trade, political and government contacts across Scotland and Africa.
 

Vantage Capital concludes a €14.0m deal with Société de Production Maraîchère Samir S.A. (SPMS) SPMS has ambitions to expand further and will utilise Vantage Capital's investment to finance its development strategy and triple its cultivated area to 300+ h

AGADIR, Morocco, September 23, 2024/ -- Vantage Capital (www.VantageCapital.co.za), Africa’s largest mezzanine fund manager, announced today that it closed a €14 million mezzanine investment in Société de Production Maraîchère Samir S.A. (“SPMS”) to part-fund the company’s investment programme.

SPMS was founded by Mr. Samir Jbali and Mr. Samir Belhouari, two Moroccan agronomists with a shared entrepreneurial vision, and the company has since grown into a leading agricultural player. Headquartered in Agadir, Morocco, it has specialised in cherry tomato production since 1992 and then expanded into red fruits (raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) in 2014 through a partnership with the US-based group Driscoll’s, a leading global seller of fresh berries. The company currently manages a planted area of 101 hectares and employs over 2,000 people, mostly farm workers that it trains in modern agricultural practices.

SPMS is a high-performing grower, achieving some of the highest yields in the region. It is constantly seeking new berry varieties and optimising processes to enhance product quality and yield, while minimising its environmental impact. This includes the use of dual-irrigation systems and desalinated water for farming to address water scarcity issues, digital solutions to monitor temperature, humidity and other parameters in its greenhouses, and following best-in-class prevention measures against biological threats. SPMS’s commitment to supporting local communities is seen through its vibrant Corporate Social Responsibility programme. In addition to providing employment and training opportunities, the company actively undertakes various initiatives to uplift the surrounding villages, such as supplying drinking water or rehabilitating local schools.

SPMS has ambitions to expand further and will utilise Vantage Capital's investment to finance its development strategy and triple its cultivated area to 300+ hectares.

Mr. Samir Jbali, CEO of SPMS, commented, “We are very pleased to have the support of Vantage Capital. This transaction marks a significant milestone for our company and will enable us to execute our long-term strategic vision of expanding our market presence.”

Mr. Luc Albinski, Executive Chairman at Vantage Capital, added, “We are proud to support SPMS in its next phase of growth. The agricultural sector is very dynamic in Morocco and SPMS has consistently demonstrated strong leadership. This transaction represents our fourth deal in the country, and we are thrilled to provide a tailored mezzanine solution to this fast-growing management-owned business.”

Mr. Driss Benabdeslam, Partner at Vantage Capital, concluded, “Investing in SPMS reflects our confidence in management’s strategic vision and operational excellence within the agricultural industry. We welcome the opportunity to partner with a company that continues to innovate and lead in the cultivation of high-quality produce. We are confident that this transaction will unlock significant value for all stakeholders.”

This transaction represents Vantage Capital’s 38th investment across four generations of funds with its portfolio of investments spread across eleven African countries.

Vantage Capital was advised by Clifford Chance (in Morocco) who acted as its legal counsel. Deloitte (in Morocco) and Backer McKenzie (in Luxembourg) provided tax advice, Deloitte (in Morocco) was the financial advisor, Emerton (in France) provided commercial advice, and Ibis Consulting (in Morocco) reviewed the environmental impact.

SPMS was advised by Mouttaki & Partners (in Morocco) who acted as their legal counsel and Majorelle Capital (in Morocco) who acted as financial advisor.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Vantage Capital Group.