Brussels, Belgium – In a bold move to transform internet infrastructure into a direct source of community support, a queer-owned and queer-operated non-profit, the dotMeow Foundation, has launched a Kickstarter campaign.

As of January 16, 2026, the Kickstarter campaign has surpassed its funding goal, raising 86,315 EUR (approximately $100,220 USD) from 1,254 backers—with 31 days still remaining in the campaign.

Their mission: Launch and sustain .meow – a groundbreaking generic top-level domain (gTLD) designed to direct 100% of its profits toward building essential infrastructure for LGBTQIA+ communities. This goes beyond creating just another web address; it’s a radical reimagining of digital ownership—where every click and connection channels resources back to marginalized communities.

For those unfamiliar, a gTLD is the suffix at the end of a web address—think .com, .org, or even .gay. When you register a domain with one of these endings, you pay an annual fee. That fee is split between the domain’s registry operator (who manages the technical infrastructure) and the registrar (like Namecheap or Gandi) where you buy it.

The dotMeow Foundation aims to be that registry operator for .meow, managing the backend, setting policies, and critically, directing all revenue beyond operational costs towards its stated mission.

This mission, directly from the Belgian non-profit’s articles of association, is to “promote social inclusion, connection and empowerment of the LGBTQIA+ community in Belgium and abroad.” In practice, this means every single .meow profit will fund:

• Community infrastructure: Grants to LGBTQIA+ community spaces, archives, and organizations.
• Economic support: Resources for queer small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Connection and events: Workshops, gatherings, and programs that build community.
• Advocacy and visibility: Work that advances LGBTQIA+ rights and representation.

This isn’t charity; it’s about building genuine, kinship-based infrastructure. Queer people and businesses already spend money on web services. The question the dotMeow Foundation poses is sharp: what if that spending funded queer communities instead of going to for-profit corporate registrars? It’s a compelling vision of mutual aid, leveraging the internet’s core structure.

Why “.meow”? The choice is deliberate. While it’s a playful nod to the “catgirls (and boys, and others)” within the community, it’s also designed for broad appeal. A tech company, a gaming community, or an artist could all register a .meow domain.

This open registration strategy aims to bring new money into queer mutual aid, not just redistribute existing resources. Domains are expected to be priced competitively, around €30/year, offering real value for a direct social impact.

But acquiring a gTLD is no small feat. It requires an application to ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the global body coordinating the internet’s Domain Name System. The standard application fee is a hefty $227,000.

Fortunately, the dotMeow Foundation was accepted into ICANN’s Applicant Support Program (ASP), which significantly reduces the fee by 75%–85% (to between $34,500 and $56,750).

The Kickstarter campaign is targeting €80,000 to cover this reduced application fee, along with legal, compliance, operational, and platform costs.

The team behind dotMeow is a diverse group of queer individuals with serious technical and organizational chops. Aeryn van Daele (CEO, IT operations engineer), TQ Hirsch (CFO, cryptography expert), Nadim Kobeissi (Advisor, applied cryptography researcher), Lauren Thomas (Project Manager, IT risk management), Janis König (Advisor, software security specialist), and Ela Bambust (Graphic Designer & Social Media Manager, author/artist) are united by a common mission.

They’re quick to clarify: “We’re not a tech start-up looking for an exit. We’re not a corporation looking for profit margins. We’re a mission-driven organisation intent on building infrastructure that takes care of its own community.”

Of course, such an ambitious project comes with risks: ICANN could still reject the application, timelines are uncertain (launch estimated Q4 2027 to Q1 2028), operational complexity is high, and market adoption needs to be robust.

However, the team is transparent about these challenges and is working with industry mentors. This is a complex, meaningful, and unprecedented project seeking to empower queer communities by putting control of a piece of the internet directly into their hands.