Fort Lauderdale, FL, Aug. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- USA Made in America Inc., founded by Colin Campbell and Michele Van Tilborg, today announced that it has submitted an application to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for the new generic top-level domain .factory.
USA Made in America submitted only one primary gTLD string in the current application round: .factory.
The company believes .factory has the potential to become a valuable global digital asset serving manufacturers, technology companies, entrepreneurs, brands and businesses across a wide range of industries.
While the word “factory” traditionally refers to a place where physical goods are manufactured or produced, USA Made in America believes its commercial potential extends well beyond traditional manufacturing into technology, software, artificial intelligence, media, design and other areas where products, ideas and services are created.
“We strongly believe that this gTLD will be a great asset to America,” said Colin Campbell, co-founder of USA Made in America Inc. “The Internet has created entirely new categories of digital real estate, and strong generic words can become valuable infrastructure. We believe .factory has the qualities we look for in a top-level domain: it is short, memorable, globally understood and commercially relevant across many industries.”
Michele Van Tilborg, co-founder and President of USA Made in America Inc., said the opportunity is especially compelling for businesses seeking stronger digital identities.
“Businesses around the world want domain names that actually mean something to their customers,” Van Tilborg said. “We believe .factory can give companies a new opportunity to secure a meaningful, memorable identity that reflects what they make, build or create, whether that happens in a physical facility or entirely through technology.”
Preparing for Possible Contention
If more than one qualified applicant seeks the same or a conflicting gTLD string, the applicants may ultimately need to resolve the contention through settlement or an auction process.
USA Made in America has established a financing strategy that contemplates raising up to $10 million through a private securities offering conducted in reliance on Rule 506(b) of Regulation D.
The financing is intended to provide the company with additional capital, if required, to pursue .factory through a potential contention-resolution process or auction and to support related registry development and operating requirements.
The financing is contingency capital and may not be required if .factory is not contested or if contention is resolved without an auction.
This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase securities.
Experience from the 2012 ICANN Round
Campbell brings direct experience from ICANN’s previous new gTLD expansion.
He was the founder and CEO of .CLUB Domains, LLC, which applied for .club during ICANN’s 2012 new gTLD round.
The .club string was contested by multiple applicants, and Campbell and his company ultimately secured the rights to operate .club through a private auction used to resolve the contention set.
“Having gone through the 2012 round with .CLUB, including the auction process required to secure the string, I understand both the opportunity and the complexity involved in obtaining and building a new top-level domain,” Campbell said.
“A great registry starts with a word that people immediately understand but whose commercial possibilities are much larger than they first appear. We believed that about .CLUB in 2012, and today we see that same type of opportunity with .factory.”
Building .factory as a Global Namespace
Subject to successful completion of the ICANN application, evaluation and contracting process, USA Made in America intends to operate .factory as an open generic top-level domain available through ICANN-accredited registrars.
Potential registrants could include manufacturers, suppliers, industrial businesses, technology companies, software developers, creative firms, brands, entrepreneurs, startups and organizations involved in creating or producing physical or digital goods and services.
The company believes the strength of .factory lies in the universal nature of the word. Manufacturing is increasingly connected to software, automation, artificial intelligence, robotics and digital production, while technology companies increasingly describe systems for producing software, data and content in terms traditionally associated with manufacturing.
USA Made in America believes this evolution gives .factory the potential to bridge traditional industry and the digital economy while providing businesses around the world with another opportunity to obtain relevant and memorable Internet identities.
About USA Made in America Inc.
USA Made in America Inc. is a Florida corporation co-founded by Colin Campbell and Michele Van Tilborg, focused on opportunities connected with American manufacturing, commerce, entrepreneurship and digital infrastructure.
The company is pursuing the .factory generic top-level domain as part of its strategy to develop a commercially useful global Internet namespace centered on manufacturing, production, technology, creation and enterprise.
Securities Notice
This press release is being issued for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities.
Any securities offering by USA Made in America Inc. conducted in reliance on Rule 506(b) of Regulation D will be conducted in accordance with applicable federal and state securities laws, including applicable restrictions on general solicitation and advertising.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning USA Made in America Inc.’s application for .factory, potential contention proceedings, financing plans, registry development and future commercial opportunities. Actual results may differ materially due to risks and uncertainties associated with the ICANN application process, competition for the .factory string, financing, regulatory requirements, market adoption and other factors.
About USA Made in America Inc.
USA Made in America Inc. is a Florida corporation co-founded by Colin Campbell and Michele Van Tilborg, focused on opportunities connected with American manufacturing, commerce, entrepreneurship and digital infrastructure. The company is pursuing the .factory generic top-level domain as part of its strategy to develop a commercially useful global Internet namespace centered on manufacturing, production, technology, creation and enterprise.
Press Inquiries
Michele Van Tilborg
m [at] startup.club
701 N. Andrews Ave.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305
