A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Smartie, a company that used to be known as Explore.com until it rebranded to Smartie, picking up Smartie.com in the process.
After acquiring Explore.com in 2017, The Tiki Tour Group developed a brand around the domain name, stating in a press release at the time, “Explore.com carries greater recognition globally, with ‘Explore’ you think, adventure, journey, discovery, already you associate Explore.com with travel.”
In mid-October 2022, the company announced its rebrand to Smartie. At the time, I speculated that Explore.com had been sold, which could have been the reason for the sale. The Explore.com domain name did indeed sell.
Explore.com was acquired by Static Media, a media company that operates a wide array of content-centric websites and brands, including Looper, Mashed, and The List. Static Media, which owns and operates Static.com, uses domains such as Glam.com, Grunge.com, and SVG.com to host some of its brands.
The company, which has a total monthly audience in excess of 170 million, has acquired Explore.com to host a brand new site entitled Explore, which offers a wide array of articles related to travel. Details of the acquisition haven’t been disclosed, but Static Media is pumping money into its new brand, currently advertising 9 new job openings for freelance writers for Explore.com.