Subj : Ex-Dyson engineer to launch LTO tape holographic rival that uses
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Tue Jul 15 2025 18:30:06

Ex-Dyson engineer to launch LTO tape holographic rival that uses cheap $5 
laser diode, promises 200TB cartridges on 100m reels  but read/write speeds 
are unknown

Date:
Tue, 15 Jul 2025 17:28:00 +0000

Description:
Former Dyson engineer builds low-cost holographic storage with polymer ribbon 
which works seamlessly inside existing LTO libraries.

FULL STORY
======================================================================Startups
 ribbon-based holographic tape promises 200TB per LTO cartridge The tech uses 
polymer film and $5 laser to write optical voxels Integrates into LTO systems 
with no upstream software or hardware changes 

UK startup HoloMem is developing a holographic storage system aimed at 
replacing or supplementing LTO tape. 

The company, founded by former Dyson engineer Charlie Gale, uses polymer 
ribbon cartridges written with $5 laser diodes. Each 100-meter cartridge 
could store up to 200TB in a write-once, read-many format. 

The cartridges match LTO dimensions and work in existing tape libraries 
without changes to upstream software. Drives function as drop-in shelves, 
allowing libraries to operate in a hybrid LTO and HoloMem setup. HO1O 

The idea began at Dyson, where Gale helped create a holographic label system 
called HO1O. It embedded multiple QR codes in a single hologram, readable 
from different angles or light sources. 

What we originally did at HO1O for prototypes was to use a light-sensitive 
polymer material that you just exposed to laser light it locks polymer change 
and retains that image, Gale told Blocks & Files . 

This concept evolved into multi-layer data storage using similar materials. 

Unlike other optical approaches that use glass or ceramics, HoloMem writes 
data as holographic voxels into polymer film. The film uses a 16-micron thick 
polymer sheet laminated between PET layers, forming a 120-micron ribbon. 

The prototype HoloDrive writes and reads holograms using a 3D-printed lens 
and a digital micromirror device. 

We are writing data pages of thousands of bits, Gale said. Throughput hasnt 
been disclosed, although it reportedly operates at LTO-9 speeds. The drive 
uses 30 circuit boards and modified LTO mechanics. 

HoloMem has received 900,000 in UK innovation grants and is partnering with 
TechRe and QStar for field trials and integration testing. It holds patents 
for the optical engine, media design and volumetric storage method. 

 Blocks & Files reports: We understand TechRe will deploy prototype 
Holodrives inside LTO libraries in its UK data centers to test out the 
products performance, reliability and robustness. HoloMem has written device 
firmware so that, we understand, it presents itself as a kind of LTO drive. 

Future capacity increases may come through multi-channel recording, using 
multiple light wavelengths to layer data. Each added channel could multiply 
storage with no hardware change. You might also like This is the cheapest way 
to store 1000TB of data online safely and securely Spectra Logic proves that 
data tape still has a place in an AI world Huawei is pairing its supercharged 
SSD with a 60-year old piece of technology



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/ex-dyson-engineer-to-launch-lto-tape-holographic
-rival-that-uses-cheap-usd5-laser-diode-promises-200tb-cartridges-on-100m-reel
s-but-read-write-speeds-are-unknown


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