When EventBoard.io decided to rebrand in 2016, the founders faced a familiar challenge: the software was gaining traction, but the domain name still sounded like a beta project. The company needed something simpler and more credible, a word that could travel easily across enterprise clients.
That word was Teem. The Strategic-Grade domain name Teem.com was owned by Rick Schwartz, a veteran domain investor known for his patience and precision in negotiations. Schwartz had long refused quick deals for his top names, yet the EventBoard founders brought something different: traction and vision.
A Practical Deal with Hidden Leverage
The transaction was structured with $36,000 in cash and an equity stake in the newly branded company. For a name of that caliber, the cash seemed unusually low. Yet Schwartz recognized that ownership, even at a small percentage, could outpace a fixed price if the startup executed well.
The Exit That Proved the Model
In late 2018, Teem was acquired by WeWork for roughly $100 million. The acquisition triggered a buyout of Schwartz’s shares, and his equity stake delivered the kind of result that validates years of patience.
According to his own reports and industry coverage from DomainInvesting, the payout from his stock alone reached nearly $650.000, bringing his total return on Teem.com to around $1.15 million. What began as a modest mixed deal ended as a seven-figure outcome.
By January 2020, WeWork sold Teem to iOFFICE. In October 2022, iOFFICE + SpaceIQ (which included Teem) merged with UK-based Condeco to form Eptura, a new workplace tech company backed by Thoma Bravo and JMI Equity. As a result, Teem.com now redirects to Eptura.com, marking the full integration of the original brand into a broader workplace technology ecosystem.
What the Teem.com Case Reveals
Teem.com illustrates how flexibility in deal structure can amplify long-term returns. For founders, it shows that even when cash is limited, credible offers that include equity can open access to valuable assets. For domain name owners, it confirms that measured risk in the right company can multiply results far beyond an immediate sale.
Alignment defined the outcome. Each side believed in what the brand could become. Founders gained a domain name that signaled professionalism and scale, while the seller gained a share in that success.
The Broader Pattern
Across cases from Mint.com to Uber.com to Candy.com, one principle repeats. The most valuable transactions begin with limited capital and shared vision. The Teem.com story reinforces that Strategic-Grade domain names can serve as instruments of equity creation, building wealth through participation in growth rather than through a one-time transfer.
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