Steadfast Networks
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Internet service provider, Cloud computing, Dedicated servers, Colocation |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Karl Zimmerman |
| Defunct | 2021 |
| Fate | Acquired by ColoHouse |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Midwest United States, United States, International (London and Amsterdam peering points) |
Key people | Paul Voswinkel (CFO at acquisition) |
| Products | Cloud computing, Dedicated servers, Colocation, Hosting services |
Steadfast Networks operated as an Internet Service Provider headquartered in Chicago, focusing on Cloud Computing, Dedicated Servers, and Colocation. The company was established in 1998 by Karl Zimmerman, then a high school student from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In 2021, Steadfast was acquired by ColoHouse, a worldwide provider specializing in colocation, cloud solutions, and managed services. Initially part of Nozone, Inc.—a firm founded by Zimmerman in 2000—Steadfast secured a significant foothold within the Midwest region.
History
Steadfast earned recognition in 2008 by ranking #370 on the Inc 5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies and appeared on the Inc 5000 Largest Companies rankings in both 2009 and 2010.
The acquisition by ColoHouse in 2021 encompassed Steadfast’s three data center locations situated in Chicago and Edison, New Jersey, as well as its cloud and hosting offerings. At the time, CFO Paul Voswinkel emphasized ColoHouse’s strategy to consolidate premier digital infrastructure services into a unified enterprise IT platform.
Locations
Prior to being acquired, Steadfast managed data center operations across three sites: two facilities located in downtown Chicago and one facility in Edison, New Jersey. These centers were subsequently incorporated into ColoHouse’s asset portfolio following the acquisition.
Additionally, Steadfast operated a private network featuring peering points distributed throughout the United States along with international connections in London and Amsterdam.
Controversy
In November 2007, the Chicago Tribune disclosed that Steadfast hosted seventeen websites identified by the Anti-Defamation League as promoting hate content; however, these sites were protected under the First Amendment. Steadfast publicly stated its commitment to uphold First Amendment rights while denouncing hate speech.