Zipcon

What Zipcon does

Zipcon is a privately held, facilities-based Internet Service Provider (ISP) and web hosting company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, founded in November 1994 by Daniel Pewzner and operating commercially since September 1995. The company owns and operates all of its own server, routing, and switching infrastructure with no reliance on external cloud services, and maintains two physical locations in Seattle (a North Seattle headquarters at 6910 Roosevelt Way NE and a Downtown Seattle office in the Westin building at 2001 6th Ave). Its service portfolio spans dial-up and DSL internet access, three tiers of shared web hosting (Basic Domain at $9.95/month, Business/Commerce at $24.95/month, Non-Domain subdomain hosting at $19.95/month), domain name registration resold through Tucows at $14-$17/year, SSL certificates (free bundled plus paid Verisign/Thawte options), email hosting with multiple webmail frontends (Roundcube, SquirrelMail, cPanel webmail), SpamAssassin filtering, RealAudio/RealVideo streaming support, CGI scripting, awstats site statistics, and quote-based professional web design with internationalization specialization.

Zipcon's core technology stack is built on commodity open-source and Microsoft server components — Apache HTTP Server on Unix and IIS on Windows, with PHP, Perl, MySQL, qmail email delivery, SpamAssassin filtering, and cPanel/WHM for account management — alongside legacy components such as Microsoft FrontPage extensions, RealAudio (.ra/.ram) streaming, and subject-line-prefixed spam tagging. The stack reflects a design era roughly contemporaneous with the company's founding and has not been materially modernized; no APIs, SDKs, mobile applications, MCP servers, or AI/ML integrations are documented. Email security relies on SpamAssassin with basic virus filtering; ecommerce enablement depends on a Verisign payment-processing partnership; and domain registration is fulfilled through Tucows reseller relationships.

The business model is subscription-recurring across all primary revenue streams, with optional one-time professional services revenue from custom web design. Customers self-serve sign-up via web forms, supplemented by phone and email sales/support desks; there is no field sales force, no reseller program, and no mobile app distribution. Target customers are small-to-medium businesses requiring domain hosting, SSL-secured email, and basic ecommerce, plus individual consumers seeking personal hosting and dial-up connectivity — the latter constrained to Pacific Northwest area codes 206, 253, 360, and 425. The firm is founder-controlled with no institutional investors, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed funding; ownership and management rest with Daniel Pewzner.

Name

Zipcon

Legal name

Zipcon

Website

https://zipcon.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Zipcon is a privately held, facilities-based Internet Service Provider and web hosting company in Seattle, Washington, offering shared hosting, dial-up/DSL internet, domain registration, email, and SSL services primarily to Pacific Northwest small businesses and individual consumers since 1995.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Web Hosting Services

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) & Business Broadband (HDAIAFAD)

Keywords

• Web hosting services
• Internet service provider
• Domain registration
• Email hosting
• Dial-up internet

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Web Hosting Subscriptions: Monthly and quarterly subscription fees for Basic Domain Web Hosting ($9.95/month), Business/Commerce Hosting ($24.95/month), and Non-Domain Hosting ($19.95/month). Recurring revenue from hosting service renewals.
2. Dial-up Internet Access: Monthly and quarterly subscription fees for dial-up internet service at $4.95/month or $11.95/quarter.
3. Domain Name Registration: Annual domain registration fees: $14/year for .com, $17/year for .net or .org. Domain transfer and renewal services.
4. Optional Add-on Services: MySQL database at no additional cost on basic plans, optional MySQL +$10/month or Microsoft SQL +$20/month on business plans. Additional email mailbox creation services.
5. Web Design Services: Custom web design services including original graphics, CGI, Java support, and internationalization. Quote-based pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zipcon is a fully facilities-based Internet Service Provider offering web hosting (Basic, Business/Commerce, and Non-Domain tiers), dial-up and DSL internet access, domain name registration, email hosting with spam and virus filtering, and professional web design services. The company owns and operates all of its servers, routers, switches, and supporting hardware directly, without reliance on external cloud services.

Product overview

Zipcon is a facilities-based Internet Service Provider headquartered in Seattle, Washington, offering a comprehensive suite of web hosting and internet connectivity services since 1995. The core product portfolio centers on three tiers of web hosting: Basic Domain Web Hosting (entry-level with 5 mailboxes, 2GB storage, PHP, and free SSL), Business/Commerce Web Hosting (with unlimited mailboxes, 10GB storage, shopping cart, and streaming media), and Non-Domain Web Hosting (budget option via subdomain). Supporting services include domain registration through Tucows, multiple webmail interfaces (Roundcube, SquirrelMail, and cPanel), POP/IMAP/SMTP email with SpamAssassin filtering, SSL certificates (free or purchased from Thawte/Verisign), streaming audio/video via RealAudio, web design services, and traditional dial-up and DSL internet access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Basic Domain Web Hosting
• Business/Commerce Web Hosting
• Non-Domain Web Hosting
• Web Site Design Services
• Domain Name Registration
• Dial-up Internet Access
• DSL Internet Access

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Seattle MicrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZipcon and Seattle Micro partner to provide comprehensive computer-related services including sales and support of computers, printers, peripherals, and networking equipment. Together they offer services from internet connectivity and web hosting to HP printers, workstations and servers. Seattle Micro has been in business for over 30 years.
• TucowscoreTechnology or IntegrationTucows serves as the domain name registration service provider (reseller) through which Zipcon offers domain registration services for .com, .net, .org and other TLDs.
• VerisigncoreTechnology or IntegrationVerisign provides online real-time ecommerce payment processing services for Zipcon business web hosting customers requiring automatic credit card processing.
• ApachecoreTechnology or IntegrationApache HTTP Server powers the Unix-based web servers at Zipcon for web hosting services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• InMotion Hosting: InMotion Hosting provides SMB-focused shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers with tiered plans, free SSL, and email. Directly comparable in target SMB customer and product positioning to Zipcon.
• SiteGround: SiteGround is a managed SMB hosting provider with tiered plans (StartUp, GrowBig, GoGeek) offering free SSL, email, and daily backups. Competes directly with Zipcon for SMB customers seeking managed hosting with feature-rich bundles.
• EarthLink: EarthLink is a legacy US ISP that, like Zipcon, evolved from dial-up roots into broadband plus web hosting and email services. Same multi-decade heritage, similar SMB/consumer customer base, and direct overlap in legacy connectivity plus hosting offerings.
• DreamHost: DreamHost is an independent SMB web hosting provider offering shared hosting, WordPress, VPS, and domain registration. Similar founder-era heritage (founded 1997), independent ownership model, and SMB-focused tier structure closely mirror Zipcon's positioning.
• A2 Hosting: A2 Hosting is an SMB-focused shared hosting provider with tiered plans (Startup, Drive, Turbo Boost, Turbo Max) including free SSL, email, and site migrations. Direct competitor for the same SMB customer segment Zipcon serves.
• Bluehost: Bluehost is a leading SMB-focused shared web hosting provider offering tiered plans with similar pricing structure (Basic, Plus, Choice Plus) and feature bundling including free SSL, domains, and email. Directly comparable to Zipcon in target market and product offering.
• HostGator: HostGator offers SMB shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers with a tiered structure (Hatchling, Baby, Business) similar to Zipcon's Basic/Business tiers. Same SMB customer base and comparable feature set including free SSL and email.

Broad incumbents

• IONOS: IONOS (formerly 1&1) is a large global SMB hosting provider offering shared hosting, domain registration, SSL, and email services. Overlaps substantially with Zipcon's portfolio but at much broader scale and geographic reach.
• GoDaddy: GoDaddy is the dominant domain registrar and SMB hosting provider globally. Offers web hosting, domain registration, SSL, email, and website builder products that directly overlap with Zipcon's portfolio, but at massive scale and broader scope.

Regional players

• Astound Broadband: Astound Broadband (formerly Wave) is a regional ISP serving the Pacific Northwest with broadband, cable, and related services. Comparable to Zipcon as a PNW-focused ISP, though larger and focused on broadband rather than web hosting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zipcon