In June of 2017, I wrote about the Pillow.com domain name. At the time of the article, the startup using Pillow.com had not purchased the domain name but had the option to purchase it in the future.
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Expedia acquired Pillow. The terms of the acquisition were not revealed by either party. At the present time, it is unclear whether Expedia plans to keep Pillow operating separately or fold it into one of its other brands.
I exchanged emails about the acquisition with Jamie Zoch this morning, and he reminded me that I should reconnect with Craig Clark, the prior registrant of the Pillow.com domain name, to see if Pillow.com was acquired since I published my article. Craig responded to me this afternoon, and here’s what he told me about the Pillow.com domain name:
The company we sold the domain name to was acquired by Expedia. As part of that acquisition Expedia wanted to exercise the option to purchase the domain and did so.
I think it is smart that Expedia exercised the option to buy the matching Pillow.com domain name. In doing so, it retains the ability to keep Pillow operating as its own standalone brand.
Unfortunately, Craig was unable to share the purchase price or a price range due to confidentiality clauses. My guess is that this was a six figure deal. It’s unlikely, but perhaps Expedia will report the acquisition price in a subsequent SEC filing.
Craig still owns Pillows.com, which he uses for his pillow business.