Iridia

About Iridia

Iridia, Inc., founded as Dodo Omnidata in 2016 by James Linton, is developing technology at the intersection of molecular science, nanotechnology, and information technology. The company initially focused on creating the world's first commercially viable DNA-based data storage solution. This technology aims to address the rapidly growing global demand for long-term, high-density data archiving by encoding digital data onto synthetic DNA molecules. Iridia's approach involves a chip-based system that integrates the writing, storage, and reading of data on synthetic DNA, which is designed to drastically increase data density and durability compared to traditional methods like magnetic tape and hard drives. The company projects its technology could lower power consumption by up to 2,500 times compared to flash storage and reduce exabyte-scale data center costs by as much as 99%.

The leadership team, including co-founder and CTO Paul Predki, combines expertise from molecular science, robotics, nanotechnology, and AI. The company's board is chaired by Jay Flatley, the former CEO of DNA sequencing giant Illumina, whose involvement since 2017 underscores the deep connection between Iridia's mission and the field of genomics. Since its inception, Iridia has secured $36 million in funding over six rounds from investors such as LifeSci Venture Partners, Prime Movers Lab, and Western Digital Capital. A significant milestone was achieved in March 2025 when the company successfully landed a molecular data archive on the moon, containing cryptocurrency keys and foundational blockchain data, demonstrating the technology's potential for ultra-long-term preservation in extreme environments.

More recently, Iridia has expanded its focus to a technology it calls "Molecular Avatar." This platform leverages precisely engineered synthetic DNA molecules and nanotechnology to embed unique, tamper-proof molecular identities directly into physical products. This service provides cryptographic security coatings that allow for the authentication and traceability of items, targeting industries such as luxury retail, aerospace, defense, medical devices, and collectibles. By infusing products with data at a molecular level, Iridia enables clients to combat counterfeiting, manage supply chains with greater transparency, and offer premium, personalized experiences to end-users without needing cloud connectivity. This dual focus positions Iridia to serve both the archival data storage market and the physical asset security and authentication market.