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Evocative

Category: AI Infrastructure

A global digital infrastructure provider offering enterprise-class colocation, high-performance bare metal, and network connectivity solutions designed to power AI and edge workloads. Evocative was founded in 1998. The company is led by Derek Garnier. Based in Los Angeles, CA. Team size: 100-250. Total funding raised: $60.0M+. Latest round: Debt Financing (Undisclosed, Dec 2025). Key investors include ["Crestline Investors"].

Founded
1998
Headquarters
Los Angeles, CA
Team size
100-250
Total funding
$60.0M+

Value proposition

Delivers a unified 'Cloud-to-Edge' platform combining high-performance bare metal, carrier-neutral connectivity, and high-density power for AI, offering superior control and lower latency than public clouds.

Products and solutions

["Evocative Metal (Bare Metal Servers)","High-Density Data Center Colocation","Global IP Transit & Network Services","Hybrid Cloud & Cloud On-Ramps","Managed Disaster Recovery & Security"]

Unique value

Integrates proprietary bare metal orchestration with physical data center ownership, allowing for single-tenant performance with cloud-like flexibility.

Target customer

Enterprises, Hyperscalers, MSPs, Content Providers, AI Startups

Industries served

["Artificial Intelligence","SaaS & Technology","Media & Entertainment","Healthcare","Financial Services"]

Technology advantage

Operates a massive carrier-neutral backbone (60+ PoPs) and is actively upgrading facilities for high-density AI compute (liquid cooling readiness), providing a distinct edge in the AI infrastructure market.

How they differentiate

Full-stack asset ownership (Data Centers + Network + Bare Metal) with a focus on high-performance, single-tenant AI workloads.

Main competitors

["DataBank","Flexential","TierPoint"]

Key partnerships

["Megaport (Cloud Interconnectivity)","Crestline Investors (Financial/Strategic)","Veeam (Data Protection)","Zayo (Network Connectivity)"]

Notable customers

["SingleStore"]

Major milestones

["Acquired VPLS and secured $30M initial backing in 2019","Acquired 9 INAP data centers in 2022","Launched Evocative Metal in 2023","Secured debt financing for AI upgrades in Dec 2025"]

Growth metrics

Operates 20 data centers and 60+ PoPs; Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company.

Market positioning

Agile, high-touch infrastructure partner for mid-market enterprises requiring hybrid cloud and edge solutions.

Geographic focus

North America (Physical Data Centers), Global (Network Fabric)

Patents and IP

No registered patents publicly disclosed; relies on proprietary network architecture and infrastructure assets.

About Derek Garnier

Derek Garnier is a seasoned executive with over 35 years in the digital infrastructure space. Before his appointment as CEO in 2023, he was President & COO of Evocative. He co-founded Arcadian Infracom, a long-haul fiber provider, and served as CEO of Layer42 Networks until its acquisition by Wave Broadband. His career includes senior roles at QTS, UnitedLayer, and AboveNet.

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