Optical Upstarts Chase Century-Long Archive Storage
Blocks & Files, Monday, December 15th, 2025
Five optical storage startups aim to provide long-term and energy-efficient archive technology: Cerabyte, Ewigbyte, HoloMem, Optera, and SPhotonix.
They are developing optical technologies somewhat akin to Microsoft's Project Silica research. All five are pursuing the dream of replacing tape, with its five to seven-year lifespan, with a 100-plus-year medium that is more resistant to chemical, shock, radiation, water, and heat dangers while retaining air-gapped immutability, low energy consumption, and high capacity, hopefully better than tape.