After Pure Storage, CIA-backed VC invests in ceramic-based startup that wants to build Exabyte-class storage

Date:
Sun, 30 Mar 2025 11:28:00 +0000

Description:
CIA-backed In-Q-Tel invests in ceramic-based storage startup Cerabyte to advance ultra-durable archival solutions for government files.

FULL STORY

Weve written about Cerabyte a few times in the past, as the storage startup
is developing ultra-durable, high-density archival data storage based on ceramic nanolayers .

Although its still in the relatively early stages of development, Cerabytes technology is pitched as a sustainable, scalable alternative to magnetic
tapes and optical discs for long-term data preservation.

In 2024, Pure Storage made a strategic investment of $5 million in Cerabyte , with founder John Coz Colgrove joining Cerabytes board of directors as part
of the deal. Now company has now announced a strategic partnership with In-Q-Tel (IQT), the nonprofit strategic investor for the US national security community, founded in the 1990s by the CIA.

Meeting national security needs

Unlike traditional magnetic or flash-based media, Cerabytes approach uses
laser or electron beam writing to encode data onto ceramic glass plates that are resistant to heat, radiation, water, and electromagnetic interference.

The company claims this medium could offer data retention for over 5,000
years, making it ideal for cold storage in data centers, scientific institutions and government archives.

Details of the size of the investment havent been revealed but the backing
from IQT suggests growing interest in long-term archival storage solutions
from both government and commercial sectors.

Cerabytes innovative technology can significantly enhance storage longevity
and reliability while also reducing long-term costs and complexity, said Greg Shipley, Managing Director, IQT Munich.

This strategic partnership aligns with our mission to deliver advanced technologies that meet the needs of the national security community.

The National Academies recently conducted a Rapid Expert Consultation on archival data storage technologies at the request of the Office of the
Director of National Intelligence.

IQTs support comes at a time of increasing governmental concern around the
need to manage and preserve vast amounts of classified data over periods of
25 to 50 years (the typical time before declassification).

As the world enters the age of AI and the use of digital information becomes unprecedentedly versatile and volatile, the need for permanent, immutable records has never been greater, said Christian Pflaum, co-founder and CEO of Cerabyte.

The strategic partnership with IQT validates our mission and fuels our
ability to deliver accessible permanent data storage solutions.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/after-pure-storage-cia-backed-vc-invests-in-cera mic-based-startup-that-wants-to-build-exabyte-class-storage

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