Skip to main content Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming Tech Radar Pro TechRadar the business technology experts Search TechRadar View Profile België (Nederlands) Deutschland North America US (English) Australasia New Zealand Expert Insights Website builders Web hosting Best web hosting Best website builder Best office chairs Expert Insights After Pure Storage, CIA-backed VC invests in ceramic-based startup that wants to build Exabyte-class storage Wayne Williams 30 March 2025 In-Q-Tel announces strategic partnership with Cerabyte When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Cerabyte) 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. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. “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.” You might also like Pure Storage invests in Cerabyte to become the Nvidia of Enterprise Storage This is what a ceramic cartridge with a 10,000TB capacity looks like New video of 'revolutionary' ceramic storage technology emerges Wayne Williams Social Links Navigation Wayne Williams is a freelancer writing news for TechRadar Pro. He has been writing about computers, technology, and the web for 30 years. In that time he wrote for most of the UK’s PC magazines, and launched, edited and published a number of them too. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. 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