What Pro Archive does

Pro Archive AG is a privately held Swiss Aktiengesellschaft founded on 12 July 2005 and headquartered in Volketswil, Switzerland. The company designs, manufactures, and sells equipment, consumables, and services for analogue long-term archival of digital documents and images onto colour microfilm. Its product portfolio is centred on the patented Eternity 105 Laser Recorder — described as the only laser computer-output-microfilm (COM) system for 105 mm colour microfilm, writing digital data at a 3 µm pixel resolution (7,580 dpi) with patented colour calibration — complemented by the AP12-60 daylight automatic film processor, the Cibachrome P5 three-bath chemistry line (Starter and Replenisher kits), and original Cibachrome/Ilfochrome CMM.F4 colour micrographic film in 35 mm and 105 mm widths.

Underlying technology is protected by five granted patents (US 7,859,557 B2; DE 50 2005 013 179.7; FR EP1810497FR; UK EP(UK)1810497; CH 697 283 B1) covering the RGB-laser exposure method. Around this hardware stack, Pro Archive runs a service bureau that laser-records customer digital files onto 105 mm microfiches (up to 3.6 GB per microfiche, DIN A0 capacity) and 35 mm microfilm (up to 350 MB per frame, DIN A2 capacity), and offers ancillary services including ICC profile generation, reference-target fabrication, calibration, projection-slide production, and image-quality/archival consulting.

The company operates a sales-led B2B go-to-market with quote-based pricing (no published list prices), reaching customers directly from its Swiss headquarters via telephone, email, and a website contact form, supplemented by a small network of named channel and technology partners (M.A.P. Maginnity Aerial Products, Heidi Stäbler Fototechnik, Bürgerspital Basel Mikrographie, Image Science Associates, Thomas Stäbler Fotolaborservice). Customers are companies and institutions with legal, regulatory, or cultural-historical obligations for multi-decade to multi-century preservation — archives, museums, libraries, government bodies, and imaging service providers — for whom microfilm offers migration-free storage of up to 500 years at materially lower recurring cost than digital media. Marketing relies on technical brochures, peer-reviewed conference publications (Archiving Conference, DGaO, InetBib), earned trade-press coverage, and a bilingual German/English SEO-optimised website. The company has no disclosed revenue, no outside funding rounds, and reports 1–10 employees.

Name

Pro Archive

Legal name

Pro Archive AG

Website

https://proarchive.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pro Archive AG is a privately held Swiss firm that develops and sells a patented laser-based microfilm recording system (Eternity 105) and related chemistry and services, serving institutions requiring multi-century analogue archival storage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microfilm Recording Equipment

NAICS

Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media (33461), Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media (334610), Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media (3346)

SIC

Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861), Services-Photofinishing Laboratories (7384)

akta.pro primary industry

Long-Term Digital Preservation Services (Format Migration, Integrity Checks) (MPAHAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rights, Access Control & Clearance for Archives (Permissions, Audit, Policy) (MPAHAGAL), Audio Restoration & Remastering (Noise Reduction, De-Click, Re-Mix) (MPADAMAD)

Keywords

• Analogue microfilm archiving
• Colour microfilm recording
• Laser microfilm recorder
• Long-term document preservation
• Archival imaging services

Headquarters

HQ city

Effretikon

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Eternity 105 Laser Recorder Hardware Sales: One-time capital sale of the patented Eternity 105 Laser recorder system to archival service providers and institutions performing in-house digital-to-microfilm recording. Sold with technical specifications (7,580 dpi, 3.6 GB per microfiche, Gigabit Ethernet network connection).
2. AP12-60 Film Processor Hardware Sales: Sale of the AP12-60 daylight automatic microfilm processor (380 V, 3-phase, 220 kg, 220 cm × 60 cm × 120 cm) for the P5 development process.
3. Cibachrome Micrographic Film Supply: Recurring sale of consumable Cibachrome Micrographic Master (CMM) F4 film rolls (0.1 mm polyester base) in 35 mm and 105 mm widths and various roll lengths (30 m to 300 m).
4. P5 Chemistry Replenishment Sales: Recurring sale of Cibachrome P5 chemistry consumables (Developer, Bleach, Fixer, plus Starter and Replenisher kits) for continuous automatic or manual film processing.
5. Microfiche and Microfilm Recording Services: Service bureau offering laser recording of digital documents onto 105 mm microfiches and 35 mm microfilm rolls (30–300 m), with options for colour or b&w microfilm, variable layouts, and embedded file signatures / metadata.
6. Archival and Imaging Consulting: Consulting engagements covering image quality assurance program design, digitization workflow review, and planning for archival and photo projects.
7. ICC Profile Generation and Calibration Services: Creation of ICC output profiles using spectrophotometer measurement of test targets, plus color calibration services for scanners, printers, and film recorders.
8. Customized Reference Targets: Custom fabrication of reference targets on transparent materials for digital cameras, scanners, and light microscopes, including color patches and resolution test patterns.
9. Projection Slide Production: Production of light-resistant colour projection slides on Ilford (Cibachrome) microfilm — up to five times more light-fading resistant than commercial colour film — for logo projection and similar applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pro Archive AG develops, manufactures and sells the patented Eternity 105 Laser Recorder and complementary microfilm processing equipment (AP12-60 daylight processor, Cibachrome P5 chemistry, original Cibachrome/Ilfochrome CMM.F4 colour microfilm) that write digital image data directly onto 105 mm or 35 mm microfilm for long-term archival recording. Around this hardware, the company operates a service bureau offering laser microfiche and microfilm recording, custom reference targets, ICC profile generation, calibration, projection-slide production, and image-quality consulting for organisations with multi-decade to multi-century retention obligations.

Product overview

Pro Archive AG offers a tightly integrated portfolio centred on the patented Eternity 105 Laser Recorder — the company's flagship product, which directly writes digital TIFF-Jumbo image files onto 105 mm colour or b&w microfilm at 3 µm pixel resolution. The hardware is complemented by the AP12-60 Film Processor (a fully automatic, daylight microfilm processor), the Cibachrome P5 chemicals kit (developer, bleach, and fixer concentrates for both starter and replenisher use), and original Cibachrome/Ilfochrome CMM.F4 colour microfilm rolls in 35 mm and 105 mm widths. Around this core technology stack, Pro Archive operates a service portfolio that includes laser recording on 105 mm microfiches and 35 mm microfilm, custom reference-target fabrication, ICC profile generation, calibration, projection-slide (Dias) production, and image-quality/archiving consulting — together delivering end-to-end analogue long-term archiving solutions for legal and cultural-heritage preservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eternity 105: Pro Archive's patented Laser recorder for direct recording of digital image data onto 105 mm colour microfilm (also referred to as 'Eternity Laser Belichter' in German materials).
• AP12-60

Products and services

• Eternity 105 Laser Recorder (Eternity 105 Mikrofilm Laserbelichter) Patented digital laser recorder for 105 mm colour or b&w microfilm. Exposes digital data at 3 µm pixel resolution (7,580 dpi / 298 lines per mm), producing 29,860 x 41,800 pixels (≈3.6 GB) per microfiche on a 100 x 140 mm exposure area in 150 seconds (≈18 microfiches per hour, 1.5 TB per 24 hours). Connects to the customer LAN via Gigabit Ethernet and operates like a high-end network printer. Protected by five granted patents (US 7,859,557 B2; DE 50 2005 013 179.7; FR EP1810497FR; UK EP(UK)1810497; CH 697 283 B1). For archival service providers and institutions performing in-house digital-to-microfilm recording.
• AP12-60 Film Processor (AP12-60 Entwicklungsmaschine) Fully automatic, daylight microfilm processor for high-throughput development of Cibachrome micrographic film using the P5 process. PLC-controlled with three dosing pumps for automatic replenishment, ±0.1 °C heating control of developer/bleach/fix tanks, hot-air drying, and scratch-free transport of 35 mm and 105 mm film rolls up to 300 m. Throughput 60 cm/min with 120 s developing time. Sold to archival service providers and institutions running the Eternity 105 workflow.
• Cibachrome P5 Chemicals (P5 Starter Kit and P5 Replenisher Kit) Three-bath (developer, bleach, fixer) P5 chemistry for processing Cibachrome/Ilfochrome micrographic film. P5 Starter Kit provides concentrates to prepare 20 L developer, 20 L bleach, and 25 L fixer for initial setup. P5 Replenisher Kit provides concentrates for 50 L of developer, bleach, and fix replenishment solutions used in automatic film processors. For archival and photolab operators running the P5 process.
• Cibachrome / Ilfochrome Micrographic Film (CMM.F4 colour microfilm) High-resolution, fine-grain, direct-positive silver-dye-bleach colour microfilm (original Cibachrome Micrographic Master) on a 0.1 mm polyester F4 base, balanced for 3200 K tungsten light, with high archival stability and light-fading resistance. Offered in 35 mm and 105 mm widths, in 30 m, 60 m, 270 m, and 300 m roll lengths, on RKS30, CP2P, and CC76 cores, all emulsion-inside (EI) and unperforated (UP). For archival recording with the Eternity 105.
• 105 mm Microfiche Recording Service (105 mm Mikrofiches Laserbelichtung) Service bureau recording of digital documents onto 105 x 148 mm microfiches for long-term (deep) archiving of image and text documents up to DIN A0 and beyond. Options for colour (Cibachrome) or b&w (Agfa) film, embedded file signatures and metadata, and variable layouts/grids. A single Eternity-produced microfiche holds up to 30,000 x 42,000 pixels (≈3.6 GB) of image data. For organisations needing multi-century preservation of large-format originals without investing in in-house equipment.
• 35 mm Microfilm Recording Service (35 mm Mikrofilm Laserbelichtung) Service bureau recording of digital documents onto 35 mm roll microfilm for long-term archiving of image and text documents up to DIN A2. Rolls available from 30 m to 300 m, with various grids (e.g., 1, 2, or 4 objects per frame). Maximum resolution is approximately 9,000 x 13,000 pixels per frame (up to 350 MB/frame). For archives and cultural-heritage organisations digitising or pre-archiving photographic and document collections.
• Reference Targets Fabrication Service Custom fabrication of colour reference targets on transparent materials for digital cameras, scanners, and light microscopes. Includes expertise with the ColorChecker SG (140 colour patches) and the ability to embed additional test patterns and resolution test charts. For imaging service providers and in-house digitisation teams requiring customised colour targets beyond standard off-the-shelf references.
• ICC Profile Generation Service Generation of device ICC colour profiles for monitors, printers, scanners, and film recorders. Pro Archive performs spectrophotometric measurements of customer test targets and produces accurate output ICC profiles, eliminating the need for customers to purchase their own spectrophotometer. For imaging service providers, photolabs, and archival digitisation operations that need colour-managed output across devices.
• Calibration Service Calibration service for Pro Archive's microfilm recording and processing systems, offered as part of the service portfolio alongside microfiches, microfilm, reference targets, ICC profiles, and consulting. For owners of the Eternity 105 and AP12-60 systems who require periodic calibration to maintain colour-fidelity and throughput.
• Projection Slides (Dias) Production Service Custom production of high-quality colour projection slides in various formats on Ilford (Cibachrome) colour microfilm, offering up to 5× higher light-fading resistance than commercial colour film. For permanent or repetitive logo or brand projection where conventional slides would fade.
• Archival and Image Quality Assurance Consulting Consulting engagements covering image quality assurance programme design, digitisation workflow review, and planning for archival and photographic projects. For service bureaus and in-house digitisation teams seeking to standardise imaging results and mitigate operator/device variability.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.5 TeraByte per 24 hours of autonomous recording on the Eternity 105 (up to 400 microfiches per day on a single 60 m roll)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered specialist channel partner for aerial-imaging applications of microfilm recording., regional photolab equipment and consumables partner (staebler-fototechnik.de)., regional micrography services partner in the basel area., international technology partner in image science and quality assurance (imagescienceassociates.com). and regional german-speaking photolab service partner (per german-language partner page)..

• M.A.P. Maginnity Aerial Productsspecialist channel partner for aerial-imaging applications of microfilm recording.Channel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed partner on Pro Archive AG's English-language partner page (proarchive.ch/en/Firma/Partner.htm) with a direct hyperlink to maginnity.com. Positioned as a vertical specialist partner supporting aerial imagery archival workflows — a natural use case for 105 mm microfiche recording of large-format aerial images.
• Heidi Stäbler Fototechnikregional photolab equipment and consumables partner (staebler-fototechnik.de).Channel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman photolab equipment specialist listed as a partner, with a direct hyperlink to staebler-fototechnik.de. Likely supports distribution and integration of Pro Archive's microfilm recording and processing equipment (Cibachrome / Ilfochrome workflow) into German-speaking photolab markets.
• Bürgerspital Basel Mikrographieregional micrography services partner in the basel area.Implementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSwiss regional micrography / microfilming service provider (mikrografie.buespi.ch) listed as a partner. Likely delivers archival microfilming services to Basel-area cultural, governmental, or healthcare clients using Pro Archive technology and consumables.
• Image Science Associatesinternational technology partner in image science and quality assurance (imagescienceassociates.com).Technology or IntegrationImage-quality specialist firm listed as a partner on Pro Archive's website. Plausibly integrated with Pro Archive's ICC profiling, reference-target, and image quality assurance consulting offerings for international archival and digitization clients.
• Thomas Stäbler Fotolaborserviceregional german-speaking photolab service partner (per german-language partner page).Channel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPhotolab service provider listed on the German-language partner page (proarchive.ch/de/Firma/Partner.htm), seemingly associated with autopan.de. Note: the German-language page lists only this partner and appears partially inconsistent with the English page; the entry is retained as a distinct source-level listing.

Scale indicators10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Iron Mountain Incorporated: Global records management and physical/digital archival services giant. Competes with Pro Archive at the customer level (long-term retention buyers) but does not offer microfilm COM recording technology.
• Kodak Alaris: Broad incumbent in document imaging, microfilm scanning, and archive workflows. Kodak historically produced COM recorders and microfilm equipment that compete with Pro Archive's Eternity 105 in the digital-to-microfilm archival workflow.
• Fujitsu (Image Scanners / PFU): PFU (Fujitsu group) makes fi-series document scanners widely used in archival digitization projects. It serves the same downstream archival customer segments as Pro Archive but does not produce colour microfilm recorders.
• Canon (Document Solutions): Produces document scanners and large-format imaging equipment used in digitization and archival workflows serving the same cultural heritage and enterprise archival customer base as Pro Archive, though Canon does not offer a 105 mm colour microfilm COM recorder.

Others

• Ilford (Ilfochrome / HARMAN Technology): Manufacturer of Cibachrome/Ilfochrome colour micrographic film (CMM.F4) used by Pro Archive's Eternity 105 system. Ilford is the critical upstream film supplier and the only direct analogue to the consumable that anchors Pro Archive's value proposition, making it both a partner and a structural dependency rather than a true competitor.

Direct peers

• NextScan: US-based manufacturer of microfilm/microfiche scanning and conversion equipment. Targets the same archive and library digitization customer base served by Pro Archive's microfilm recording services.
• Image Access GmbH: German manufacturer of large-format book, archive, and microform scanners (e.g., BookEye, WideTEK) that compete directly with Pro Archive's service bureau offering for digitizing and re-encoding archival material.
• Mekel Technology (now part of Wicks and Wilson / Crowley): Maker of microfilm scanning systems (Mekel M-series) used by archives and service bureaus. Addresses the same workflow (microfilm + digital archival) as Pro Archive but on the scanning/playback side rather than the recording side.

Emerging players

• Atiz Innovation Co. Maker of book scanners (BookDrive) for libraries and archives. Targets the same cultural-heritage digitization segment as Pro Archive's consulting and ICC profiling services, particularly for image-quality-conscious archival customers.

Regional players

• SMA Microsystems / Stoc GmbH: German supplier of microfilm equipment, COM recorders, and archival services. Most direct European competitor in the digital-to-microfilm recording space, although it does not appear to offer a 105 mm colour microfilm laser recorder.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pro Archive