Prefix Broker
Prefix Broker is a Netherlands-based IP address brokerage founded in 2013 that facilitates the buying, selling, and leasing of IPv4 and IPv6 address blocks for enterprises, ISPs, and institutions globally, with primary focus on the RIPE region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersHeiloo, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Prefix Broker does
Prefix Broker BV is a Netherlands-based, privately held IP address brokerage founded in 2013 and headquartered in Heiloo. The company facilitates the buying, selling, and leasing of IPv4 address blocks, and has added IPv6 leasing to its offering, operating primarily across the RIPE region (Europe, Middle East, Russia, Central Asia) while also serving ARIN, APNIC, and LACNIC transfers for clients in 70+ countries.
Its core products are (1) a broker-mediated IPv4/IPv6 brokerage service that runs end-to-end transaction facilitation including needs analysis, seller matching, due diligence, contract negotiation, regulatory compliance, and post-transfer support; (2) Prefix Broker Express, a self-serve online marketplace offering fixed-price IPv4 blocks (/24 to /17) with instant Buy Now functionality and block-level filtering; and (3) the RIPE WhoWas Viewer, a public tool that queries RIPE database RESTful APIs to visualize historical ownership and activity of IP resources. Underlying technology is a brokerage platform integrated with the RIPE database and multiple geolocation data providers (MaxMind, DB-IP, IP2Location, IPInfo.io, Neustar).
The business model combines one-time transaction brokerage fees on IPv4 purchases and sales with recurring monthly revenue from IPv4 and IPv6 leases. Pricing is unit-based: IPv4 purchases at roughly $50-$60 per address, IPv4 leases starting at €0.50/IP/month on a 2-year agreement, and IPv6 leases starting at €49/month for a /32. Distribution is hybrid: direct enterprise broker sales for larger or cross-RIR deals, paired with a self-serve marketplace for mid-market and smaller-block transactions. The company is small (1-10 employees), founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investment, and recently transitioned leadership following the passing of founder Erik Bais, who authored the RIPE-596 and RIPE-623 transfer policies.
Prefix Broker firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Prefix Broker
- Legal name
- Prefix Broker BV
- Website
- https://prefixbroker.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Prefix Broker is a Netherlands-based IP address brokerage founded in 2013 that facilitates the buying, selling, and leasing of IPv4 and IPv6 address blocks for enterprises, ISPs, and institutions globally, with primary focus on the RIPE region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Prefix Broker industry classification
Industry- Product category
- IP Address Brokerage
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lower Middle-Market Business Brokerage (FSAEAIAB)
Keywords
Where Prefix Broker is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Heiloo
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Prefix Broker business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- IPv4 Brokerage Fees: The company charges a fixed brokerage fee for each successful IPv4 transaction. Fees are clearly communicated upfront during the consultation phase, ensuring transparency. The fee structure covers transaction facilitation, compliance management, and post-transaction support.
- IPv4 Leasing: Monthly rental fees for IPv4 address space. Customers pay fixed amounts per month to secure right to use IPv4 addresses for specified contract terms. Leasing options include short-term and long-term arrangements.
- IPv6 Leasing: Monthly rental fees for IPv6 address space. Fixed monthly fees provide access to IPv6 blocks including prefix management and quality checks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | IPv4 lease starting at €0.50/IP/month on 2-year agreement |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | IPv6 lease at fixed monthly rates |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | IPv4 purchase at market rates ($50-$60 per address as of Jan 2024) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Fixed IPv4 block pricing on marketplace |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Prefix Broker product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Prefix Broker is an IP address brokerage firm that facilitates the buying, selling, and leasing of IPv4 and IPv6 address space between organizations. It operates Prefix Broker Express, an online marketplace for instant IPv4 purchases with fixed pricing and filtering by block size and status, while also providing direct broker-assisted transactions across RIPE and ARIN regional registry regions.
Product overview
Prefix Broker is an IP brokerage firm offering a unified platform for trading IPv4 and IPv6 address space. The core offering consists of IPv4 brokerage services for buying, selling, and leasing addresses, complemented by the Prefix Broker Express online marketplace for instant fixed-price purchases. Additional products include the RIPE WhoWas Viewer tool for database history analysis and IPv6 lease services. The company operates across RIPE and ARIN regions, facilitating regulatory-compliant transfers through all five internet registries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- IPv4 Brokerage Services Direct broker-assisted service for buying and selling IPv4 address blocks between organizations, covering both RIPE and ARIN registry regions and managing the full transfer approval process.
- Prefix Broker Express
Quantifiable outcome
- IPv4 addresses operational and compliant within 24 hours of payment
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Prefix Broker
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Prefix Broker technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Prefix Broker partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RIPE NCCcorePrefix Broker operates as a certified IP broker within the RIPE ecosystem, specializing in IPv4 services across the RIPE region covering Europe, the Middle East, Russia, and parts of Central Asia. The company has deep expertise in navigating local IP policies and aligning with regional regulations. Prefix Broker actively participates in RIPE policy development, with founder Erik Bais authoring key policies RIPE-596 and RIPE-623.
- ARIN, APNIC, LACNICminorPrefix Broker facilitates IPv4 transfers across multiple Regional Internet Registries beyond RIPE, including ARIN (North America), APNIC (Asia-Pacific), and LACNIC (Latin America and Caribbean). The company assists with obtaining approval for transfers by various RIRs.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Prefix Broker competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Safenames / Domain Asset Management: Safenames and adjacent domain-asset brokers handle IP-related intangible asset transfers (domains, sometimes IPv4), providing partially comparable asset-brokerage services to a related asset class.
Others
- RIPE NCC: RIPE NCC is the Regional Internet Registry for Europe, Middle East, and parts of Central Asia that issues and governs IPv4/IPv6 transfers Prefix Broker facilitates. It is an ecosystem gatekeeper and policy partner rather than a direct competitor.
Direct peers
- IPTrading.com: IPTrading.com intermediates IPv4 buy, sell, and lease transactions globally and competes directly with Prefix Broker in matching inventory across registries and serving enterprise demand.
- Addrex (Vilfo / Addrex Inc.): Addrex is a specialized IPv4 address broker and leasing platform offering direct purchase, sale, and rental services that compete head-to-head with Prefix Broker's broker and lease offerings.
- IPv4 Global: IPv4 Global is a focused IPv4 address broker operating across RIPE, ARIN, and APNIC, offering both broker-assisted sales and lease arrangements comparable to Prefix Broker's core offering.
- AccuIP (IP Trading Group): AccuIP is an IPv4 brokerage providing buying, selling, and leasing of address space with a similar marketplace-plus-broker GTM motion, competing directly for enterprise IPv4 transfer volume.
- IPv4 Brokers Inc. IPv4 Brokers is an established IPv4 address broker facilitating transfers across ARIN, RIPE, and APNIC with comparable broker-assisted and self-service listing capabilities to Prefix Broker Express.
- IPv4 Market Group: IPv4 Market Group is a direct competitor broker for IPv4 address transfers, providing matched buyer/seller services across multiple RIRs with a similar transaction-fee model to Prefix Broker.
- Brander Group: Brander Group brokers the sale and monetization of digital assets including IPv4 addresses, operating a marketplace model with comparable transaction facilitation services to Prefix Broker.
Broad incumbents
- Hilco Streambank: Hilco Streambank is a broader intangible-asset brokerage practice (under Hilco Global) that includes IPv4 address transactions alongside domains, brands, and patents, offering similar intermediation but with a much wider portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Prefix Broker social profiles
Digital presencePrefix Broker financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Prefix Broker leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Prefix Broker funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Prefix Broker M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Prefix Broker
What does Prefix Broker do?
Prefix Broker is an IP address brokerage firm that facilitates the buying, selling, and leasing of IPv4 and IPv6 address space between organizations. It operates Prefix Broker Express, an online marketplace for instant IPv4 purchases with fixed pricing and filtering by block size and status, while also providing direct broker-assisted transactions across RIPE and ARIN regional registry regions.
Is Prefix Broker a public or private company?
Prefix Broker is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Prefix Broker founded?
Prefix Broker was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Prefix Broker based?
Prefix Broker is headquartered in Heiloo, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Prefix Broker make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. IPv4 Brokerage Fees are the primary driver. The others are IPv4 Leasing and IPv6 Leasing.
Who are Prefix Broker's main competitors?
Safenames / Domain Asset Management is listed as an emerging player. RIPE NCC is listed as an others. Direct peers are IPTrading.com, Addrex (Vilfo / Addrex Inc.), IPv4 Global, AccuIP (IP Trading Group), IPv4 Brokers Inc., IPv4 Market Group and Brander Group. Hilco Streambank is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Prefix Broker have an API?
No public API is recorded for Prefix Broker.
What industry is Prefix Broker in?
Prefix Broker's product category is IP Address Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAIAB, Lower Middle-Market Business Brokerage.