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Swedish domain registrar and intellectual property services group Abion announced on 15 October 2026 that it has acquired the corporate domain management business of Brandsec, an Australian company headquartered in Melbourne.
The acquisition adds an established Australian team and an enterprise customer base to Abion's international operations. According to the announcement, the transaction strengthens Abion's activities in Australia and New Zealand and provides a platform for further expansion across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
Brandsec, established in 2019, serves more than 100 enterprise clients, according to the companies. Its customers are primarily based in Australia, with additional clients in New Zealand and Singapore. The company serves organisations in sectors including banking and aviation.
The financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
What Abion Is Acquiring
The transaction specifically covers Brandsec's corporate domain management business rather than the entirety of Brandsec's operations.
The acquired business provides a range of domain registration, portfolio management and security services, including:
These services will be added to Abion's existing operations, which include domain registration and management, trademark services, intellectual property law, online brand protection and web security.
Abion stated that its existing trademark and legal capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region will be combined with Brandsec's Australian domain management and technical services.
Brandsec's Existing Team Will Remain
Abion confirmed that Brandsec's existing team will remain in place following the acquisition.
Customers are expected to continue working with their existing account contacts, while gaining access to additional services available through the wider Abion group.
Jesper Knudsen, CEO of Abion, described the acquisition as part of the company's expansion in Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific region. He identified Brandsec's local expertise, customer relationships and complementary services as factors behind the transaction.
Joe Thymian, General Manager and General Counsel at Brandsec, said the arrangement would allow customers to access a wider range of international services while retaining their existing Australian contacts.
No specific timetable has been announced for transferring customers to Abion's technology platforms, changing customer contracts or integrating Brandsec's internal systems.
Unphish Is Not Included in the Acquisition
An important distinction in the transaction is the exclusion of Unphish, Brandsec's digital risk and online brand protection business.
Abion explicitly confirmed that Unphish is not part of the acquisition and will continue operating independently.
Unphish provides technology for detecting, investigating and removing online threats, including phishing websites, fraudulent websites and brand impersonation.
Brandsec has invested in the development of this platform separately from its corporate domain management activities.
In September 2024, Brandsec announced that it had received an A$231,000 grant through the Australian Government's Industry Growth Program to support Unphish development. The company said the funding would support additional AI-driven functionality, automation and enforcement capabilities.
The October 2026 acquisition announcement does not identify the future ownership structure of Unphish or disclose whether other operations will remain within Brandsec Pty Ltd.
Abion's Position in the Domain Registrar Industry
Abion is an ICANN-accredited domain registrar headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The company operates under IANA registrar ID 73, as confirmed by the official IANA registrar database.
Alongside registrar services, Abion provides domain portfolio management, intellectual property services, trademark protection, web security and related legal services to business customers.
According to figures published in the October 2026 acquisition announcement, Abion has:
These figures are reported by Abion and have not been independently audited for this article.
The company has operations across Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, including offices in Sweden, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, China, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand.
Abion also operates Abion Core, its centralised platform for managing domain names, trademarks and web security services.
The company has not disclosed how many domain names are currently under its registrar management, how many domains are managed by Brandsec, or how many additional domain registrations the acquisition will bring to the group.
Abion's Ownership and Previous Acquisitions
Abion's development has included acquisitions and the integration of domain management, brand protection and intellectual property businesses.
The group was previously known as Ports Group.
On 31 August 2023, private equity investor Bridgepoint announced its acquisition of a majority stake in Ports Group through its Bridgepoint Development Capital IV fund.
Bridgepoint confirmed that the transaction had closed on 30 August 2023. Swedish private equity firm Priveq sold its interest, while management and key employees reinvested alongside Bridgepoint. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The investment was intended to support international expansion, additional services and further acquisitions.
On 5 June 2024, Abion announced the acquisition of Lane IP, a UK-based intellectual property services company with operations extending into Asia and Australasia.
Through Lane IP, Abion expanded its geographical presence to include existing operations in China, Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.
On 23 September 2025, Abion appointed Jesper Knudsen as CEO, succeeding Magdalena Bonde, who moved into a strategic advisory role supporting the company's board.
On 10 March 2026, Abion announced that Spanish intellectual property and technology law firm Baylos was joining the group. Baylos was founded in 1943 and operates from Madrid and Barcelona.
Abion said the Baylos integration would take place over approximately six to twelve months, with a planned rebranding during 2026.
The group has also participated in ICANN's 2026 new gTLD application round.
On 30 April 2026, Abion announced its intention to apply for the .abion top-level domain. ICANN's application records subsequently listed the .abion application as active and in the pre-evaluation processing stage as of 7 October 2026.
Timeline of Key Developments
21 October 2019 – Brandsec Pty Ltd became active in Australia's business register. The company is registered under Australian Business Number (ABN) 81 636 937 678.
30 August 2023 – Bridgepoint completed its majority investment in Ports Group, subsequently announced on 31 August.
5 June 2024 – Abion announced its acquisition of Lane IP, extending the group's international footprint.
September 2024 – Brandsec announced A$231,000 in Australian Government grant funding for the development of Unphish.
23 September 2025 – Jesper Knudsen was appointed CEO of Abion.
10 March 2026 – Abion announced that Spanish intellectual property law firm Baylos was joining the group.
30 April 2026 – Abion announced its intention to apply for the .abion top-level domain.
15 October 2026 – Abion announced the acquisition of Brandsec's corporate domain management business.
Transaction Value and Other Undisclosed Details
Although Abion has confirmed the acquisition, its announcement does not provide several financial and operational details.
No purchase price, annual revenue figure for the acquired business, or valuation multiple has been disclosed.
The companies have also not published the number of domain names managed by Brandsec, the number of employees covered by the acquisition or the number of customer contracts being transferred.
The announcement identifies the acquired operation as Brandsec's corporate domain management business but does not explain the exact legal structure of the transaction or identify all transferred assets.
Public Australian Business Register records show that Brandsec Pty Ltd remained an active Australian private company as of 16 October 2026.
The public register identifies the company under ABN 81 636 937 678 and Australian Company Number (ACN) 636 937 678, with its main business location in Victoria.
Abion has stated that the acquisition will support its expansion into additional enterprise accounts in Australia and New Zealand, followed by further development in Asia-Pacific.
No additional acquisition targets, revenue projections or regional expansion dates were announced.
Sources
Abion – Official acquisition announcement, 15 October 2026:
https://abion.com/abion-advances-global-growth-strategy-with-brandsec-acquisition/[/url]
Brandsec – Acquisition announcement:
https://www.brandsec.com.au/abion-press-release/[/url]
IANA – Official registrar ID database:
https://www.iana.org/assignments/registrar-ids[/url]
Bridgepoint – Acquisition of Ports Group, 31 August 2023:
https://www.bridgepointgroup.com/ab...eleases/2023/bridgepoint-acquires-ports-group[/url]
Abion – Acquisition of Lane IP, 5 June 2024:
https://abion.com/acquisition-of-lane-ip/[/url]
Abion – Baylos joins the group, 10 March 2026:
https://abion.com/abion-strengthens-its-global-leadership-as-baylos-joins-the-group/[/url]
Brandsec – Unphish government funding announcement:
https://www.brandsec.com.au/unphish-gets-a-major-boost-from-the-australian-government/[/url]
Australian Business Register – Brandsec Pty Ltd:
https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=81636937678[/url]
The acquisition adds an established Australian team and an enterprise customer base to Abion's international operations. According to the announcement, the transaction strengthens Abion's activities in Australia and New Zealand and provides a platform for further expansion across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
Brandsec, established in 2019, serves more than 100 enterprise clients, according to the companies. Its customers are primarily based in Australia, with additional clients in New Zealand and Singapore. The company serves organisations in sectors including banking and aviation.
The financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
What Abion Is Acquiring
The transaction specifically covers Brandsec's corporate domain management business rather than the entirety of Brandsec's operations.
The acquired business provides a range of domain registration, portfolio management and security services, including:
- Corporate domain name registration and renewal management
- Enterprise domain portfolio management
- DNS management and infrastructure services
- SSL certificate lifecycle management
- Email and domain security
- Domain name brokerage and acquisitions
- Domain name dispute management
These services will be added to Abion's existing operations, which include domain registration and management, trademark services, intellectual property law, online brand protection and web security.
Abion stated that its existing trademark and legal capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region will be combined with Brandsec's Australian domain management and technical services.
Brandsec's Existing Team Will Remain
Abion confirmed that Brandsec's existing team will remain in place following the acquisition.
Customers are expected to continue working with their existing account contacts, while gaining access to additional services available through the wider Abion group.
Jesper Knudsen, CEO of Abion, described the acquisition as part of the company's expansion in Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific region. He identified Brandsec's local expertise, customer relationships and complementary services as factors behind the transaction.
Joe Thymian, General Manager and General Counsel at Brandsec, said the arrangement would allow customers to access a wider range of international services while retaining their existing Australian contacts.
No specific timetable has been announced for transferring customers to Abion's technology platforms, changing customer contracts or integrating Brandsec's internal systems.
Unphish Is Not Included in the Acquisition
An important distinction in the transaction is the exclusion of Unphish, Brandsec's digital risk and online brand protection business.
Abion explicitly confirmed that Unphish is not part of the acquisition and will continue operating independently.
Unphish provides technology for detecting, investigating and removing online threats, including phishing websites, fraudulent websites and brand impersonation.
Brandsec has invested in the development of this platform separately from its corporate domain management activities.
In September 2024, Brandsec announced that it had received an A$231,000 grant through the Australian Government's Industry Growth Program to support Unphish development. The company said the funding would support additional AI-driven functionality, automation and enforcement capabilities.
The October 2026 acquisition announcement does not identify the future ownership structure of Unphish or disclose whether other operations will remain within Brandsec Pty Ltd.
Abion's Position in the Domain Registrar Industry
Abion is an ICANN-accredited domain registrar headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The company operates under IANA registrar ID 73, as confirmed by the official IANA registrar database.
Alongside registrar services, Abion provides domain portfolio management, intellectual property services, trademark protection, web security and related legal services to business customers.
According to figures published in the October 2026 acquisition announcement, Abion has:
- More than 12,000 customers
- Customers across 160 markets
- 290 employees and specialist colleagues
These figures are reported by Abion and have not been independently audited for this article.
The company has operations across Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, including offices in Sweden, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, China, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand.
Abion also operates Abion Core, its centralised platform for managing domain names, trademarks and web security services.
The company has not disclosed how many domain names are currently under its registrar management, how many domains are managed by Brandsec, or how many additional domain registrations the acquisition will bring to the group.
Abion's Ownership and Previous Acquisitions
Abion's development has included acquisitions and the integration of domain management, brand protection and intellectual property businesses.
The group was previously known as Ports Group.
On 31 August 2023, private equity investor Bridgepoint announced its acquisition of a majority stake in Ports Group through its Bridgepoint Development Capital IV fund.
Bridgepoint confirmed that the transaction had closed on 30 August 2023. Swedish private equity firm Priveq sold its interest, while management and key employees reinvested alongside Bridgepoint. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The investment was intended to support international expansion, additional services and further acquisitions.
On 5 June 2024, Abion announced the acquisition of Lane IP, a UK-based intellectual property services company with operations extending into Asia and Australasia.
Through Lane IP, Abion expanded its geographical presence to include existing operations in China, Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.
On 23 September 2025, Abion appointed Jesper Knudsen as CEO, succeeding Magdalena Bonde, who moved into a strategic advisory role supporting the company's board.
On 10 March 2026, Abion announced that Spanish intellectual property and technology law firm Baylos was joining the group. Baylos was founded in 1943 and operates from Madrid and Barcelona.
Abion said the Baylos integration would take place over approximately six to twelve months, with a planned rebranding during 2026.
The group has also participated in ICANN's 2026 new gTLD application round.
On 30 April 2026, Abion announced its intention to apply for the .abion top-level domain. ICANN's application records subsequently listed the .abion application as active and in the pre-evaluation processing stage as of 7 October 2026.
Timeline of Key Developments
21 October 2019 – Brandsec Pty Ltd became active in Australia's business register. The company is registered under Australian Business Number (ABN) 81 636 937 678.
30 August 2023 – Bridgepoint completed its majority investment in Ports Group, subsequently announced on 31 August.
5 June 2024 – Abion announced its acquisition of Lane IP, extending the group's international footprint.
September 2024 – Brandsec announced A$231,000 in Australian Government grant funding for the development of Unphish.
23 September 2025 – Jesper Knudsen was appointed CEO of Abion.
10 March 2026 – Abion announced that Spanish intellectual property law firm Baylos was joining the group.
30 April 2026 – Abion announced its intention to apply for the .abion top-level domain.
15 October 2026 – Abion announced the acquisition of Brandsec's corporate domain management business.
Transaction Value and Other Undisclosed Details
Although Abion has confirmed the acquisition, its announcement does not provide several financial and operational details.
No purchase price, annual revenue figure for the acquired business, or valuation multiple has been disclosed.
The companies have also not published the number of domain names managed by Brandsec, the number of employees covered by the acquisition or the number of customer contracts being transferred.
The announcement identifies the acquired operation as Brandsec's corporate domain management business but does not explain the exact legal structure of the transaction or identify all transferred assets.
Public Australian Business Register records show that Brandsec Pty Ltd remained an active Australian private company as of 16 October 2026.
The public register identifies the company under ABN 81 636 937 678 and Australian Company Number (ACN) 636 937 678, with its main business location in Victoria.
Abion has stated that the acquisition will support its expansion into additional enterprise accounts in Australia and New Zealand, followed by further development in Asia-Pacific.
No additional acquisition targets, revenue projections or regional expansion dates were announced.
Sources
Abion – Official acquisition announcement, 15 October 2026:
https://abion.com/abion-advances-global-growth-strategy-with-brandsec-acquisition/[/url]
Brandsec – Acquisition announcement:
https://www.brandsec.com.au/abion-press-release/[/url]
IANA – Official registrar ID database:
https://www.iana.org/assignments/registrar-ids[/url]
Bridgepoint – Acquisition of Ports Group, 31 August 2023:
https://www.bridgepointgroup.com/ab...eleases/2023/bridgepoint-acquires-ports-group[/url]
Abion – Acquisition of Lane IP, 5 June 2024:
https://abion.com/acquisition-of-lane-ip/[/url]
Abion – Baylos joins the group, 10 March 2026:
https://abion.com/abion-strengthens-its-global-leadership-as-baylos-joins-the-group/[/url]
Brandsec – Unphish government funding announcement:
https://www.brandsec.com.au/unphish-gets-a-major-boost-from-the-australian-government/[/url]
Australian Business Register – Brandsec Pty Ltd:
https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=81636937678[/url]
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