- CIA-backed In-Q-Tel invests in Cerabyte, showing interest in long-term storage
- Cerabyte’s tech offers 5000-year durability using ceramic plates
- In-Q-Tel’s support aligns with government need for secure archival storage
We’ve 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 it’s still in the relatively early stages of development, Cerabyte’s 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 Cerabyte’s 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, Cerabyte’s 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 haven’t been revealed but the backing from IQT suggests growing interest in long-term archival storage solutions from both government and commercial sectors.
“Cerabyte’s 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.
IQT’s 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.”