MARnet
MARnet is the Government of North Macedonia's public institution operating as the statutory national registry for the .mk and .мкд country-code domains and as the national academic research network connecting Macedonian universities to GÉANT and global internet-governance bodies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersSkopje
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What MARnet does
MARnet — Македонска Академска Истражувачка Мрежа (Macedonian Academic Research Network) — is a public institution established on 20 September 2010 by law (Official Gazette No. 124) and owned by the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia. Headquartered at Boulevard Partizanski Odredi No. 17 in Skopje, MARnet operates as the statutory national registry for North Macedonia's country-code top-level domains .mk and .мкд and concurrently serves as the country's National Research and Education Network (NREN), connecting state universities to European and global academic networks via GÉANT.
The technical core of the registry is the FRED (Free Registry for European .tk and other Domain names) platform, with registrar communication handled via the EPP protocol (RFC 3730-3734) over SSL-secured TCP connections. Supporting infrastructure includes a public WHOIS service, DNSSEC, a registrar portal at portal.marnet.mk, and a newly launched DNS Zone Check Tool available both as a web interface and as a REST API at tools.marnet.mk. A standardized digital domain registration form (AcroForms / PAdES, ISO 32000) became mandatory in 2026, and WHOIS was modernized with GDPR-compliant personal-data masking. The product roadmap includes a planned DNSSEC Validator and Expiry Monitor.
MARnet's business model is a regulated registry-utility model: it sells nothing directly to end users. Domain registration is transacted through approximately 20 authorized registrars (including UNET, A1, Makedonski Telekom, and mkhost) at publicly set wholesale fees of 620 MKD for new registrations, 310 MKD for annual renewals, and 1120 MKD for registration certificates, all billed annually in Macedonian denars. The .gov.mk namespace is handled directly by MARnet without registrar intermediaries. Revenue is complemented by government appropriations supporting its NREN mandate to provide connectivity to universities including UKIM, UGD, UKLO, UIST, UMT, UNT, and DUN. Strategic partnerships with GÉANT, RIPE NCC, CENTR, and ICANN anchor MARnet within the European and global internet-governance infrastructure.
MARnet firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MARnet
- Legal name
- Македонска Академска Истражувачка Мрежа
- Website
- https://marnet.mk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MARnet is the Government of North Macedonia's public institution operating as the statutory national registry for the .mk and .мкд country-code domains and as the national academic research network connecting Macedonian universities to GÉANT and global internet-governance bodies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where MARnet is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Skopje
Offices1 record
Markets served
MARnet business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Domain Registration Fees: Fees charged for new domain registrations. The registry charges registrars, who in turn charge end customers. Registration is available for 1 to 10 year periods, paid annually.
- Domain Renewal Fees: Annual renewal fees for maintaining domain registrations. Charged to registrars who bill end customers.
- Domain Certificate Issuance: Fees for issuing certificates documenting domain registration details.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Annual | New domain registration - 620 denars per year |
| — | Annual | Domain renewal - 310 denars per year |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Domain certificate issuance - 1120 denars |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
MARnet product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MARnet operates as the national registry (ccTLD) for North Macedonia's top-level internet domains .mk and .мкд, managing domain registration, renewal, transfer, and deletion through a network of approximately 20 authorized registrars. The organization also functions as the Macedonian Academic Research Network, providing internet connectivity and research network access to Macedonian state universities by connecting them to the European GÉANT academic network.
Product overview
MARnet operates as the national registry (ccTLD) for Macedonia's top-level internet domains .mk and .мкд, functioning as a public institution for the development, organization, and management of the national academic and research telecommunications network. The core offering is the domain registration infrastructure, supported by the FRED-based EPP registration system accessed by authorized registrars. The product portfolio includes the WHOIS public lookup service for domain information, the DNS Zone Check tool (available via both web interface and REST API at tools.marnet.mk) for nameserver validation, and a Registrar Portal for partner management. Planned additions include DNSSEC Validator and Expiry Monitor tools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Domain Registration (.mk and .мкд) Core registry service providing registration, renewal, transfer, and deletion of .mk and .мкд domain names through approximately 20 authorized registrars. Open to all domestic and foreign natural and legal persons, with direct registration by MARnet for .gov.mk domains.
- WHOIS Service Public WHOIS lookup service providing access to domain registration data including registrant information, nameserver sets, and expiry dates for .mk and .мкд domains, with anonymized personal data for GDPR compliance.
- DNS Zone Check Tool
Companies that use MARnet
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
MARnet technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature6 records
MARnet partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GÉANTcoreEuropean research network that MARnet connects Macedonian universities to, enabling collaboration with academic networks across Europe and globally.
- RIPE NCCcoreRegional Internet Registry for Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Central Asia. MARnet coordinates IP address allocation and internet registry operations through this partnership.
- CENTR (Council of European National Top Level Domain Registries)coreEuropean ccTLD registry association that MARnet participates in for coordination on policies, technical standards, and best practices for national domain registries.
- ICANNcoreInternet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. MARnet coordinates with ICANN as the national domain registry operator, following their policies and standards for ccTLD management.
- CESNETminorCzech national research network. MARnet representatives participated in the Campus Network Monitoring and Security (CNMS) workshop organized by CESNET as part of the GN4 (GÉANT) project in 2016.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
MARnet competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DENIC: Germany's ccTLD registry (.de), one of the largest in Europe. Direct peer in registry operations, EPP-based registrar model, and participation in CENTR; differs in scale.
- SWITCH: Swiss ccTLD registry (.ch) and operator of the Swiss academic research network. Closest structural analogue to MARnet—dual role as national domain registry and NREN, government-affiliated, and small-country scope.
- CIRA: Canadian ccTLD registry (.ca), operating as a not-for-profit. Direct peer in registry operations, registrar model, and governance structure; larger in scale.
- Nominet: UK ccTLD registry (.uk), operating as a not-for-profit. Comparable in registry-registrar distribution model, WHOIS service, and policy-driven governance; significantly larger in scale.
- JPRS: Japan Registry Services, operating the .jp ccTLD. Direct peer in technical registry operations, EPP-based registrar system, and DNSSEC deployment—comparable scope of ccTLD operations.
- NIC.at: Austrian ccTLD registry (.at). Direct peer of comparable small-country scale with similar EPP-registrar model and participation in CENTR.
- SIDN: Netherlands ccTLD registry (.nl). Direct peer operating the .nl zone through an authorized-registrar model similar to MARnet's, with active DNSSEC and WHOIS services.
- AFNIC: France's ccTLD registry (.fr), operating as an association. Direct peer in EPP-based registry infrastructure and registrar network model; comparable governance role within CENTR.
Regional players
- Registry.si: Slovenian ccTLD registry (.si). Strong regional peer given geographic proximity and similar small-market economics; directly comparable operational footprint.
- DNS.PT: Portuguese ccTLD registry (.pt) under the FCCN unit, which also operates the national research network. Strong functional peer given the dual registry + NREN role, similar to MARnet.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MARnet social profiles
Digital presenceMARnet compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
MARnet financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MARnet leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
MARnet funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MARnet 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 MARnet
What does MARnet do?
MARnet operates as the national registry (ccTLD) for North Macedonia's top-level internet domains .mk and .мкд, managing domain registration, renewal, transfer, and deletion through a network of approximately 20 authorized registrars. The organization also functions as the Macedonian Academic Research Network, providing internet connectivity and research network access to Macedonian state universities by connecting them to the European GÉANT academic network.
Is MARnet a public or private company?
MARnet is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was MARnet founded?
MARnet was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MARnet based?
MARnet is headquartered in Skopje.
How does MARnet make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Domain Registration Fees are the primary driver. The others are domain Renewal Fees and domain Certificate Issuance.
Who are MARnet's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DENIC, SWITCH, CIRA, Nominet, JPRS, NIC.at, SIDN and AFNIC. Regional players are Registry.si and DNS.PT.
Does MARnet have an API?
Yes. MARnet Tools REST API for DNS zone checks. Submit a domain and nameserver list to receive structured validation results including per-NS SOA queries, glue IP checks, serial consistency, and NS delegation status. No authentication required. Rate limited to 10 requests per minute per IP address. Endpoint: POST /api/v1/dnscheck. Developer documentation is at tools.marnet.mk/api.