PEARCODE
PEARCODE is a French deep-tech startup founded in 2020 that provides commercial synthetic DNA data archiving services, encoding digital data into DNA sealed in Imagene DNAshell capsules for cultural, regulated, research, and strategic-sector enterprise clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSophia Antipolis, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PEARCODE does
PEARCODE SASU is a French deep-tech startup founded in 2020 and headquartered at Sophia Antipolis (291 rue Albert Cacquot, 06902) that provides commercial synthetic DNA data storage services. The company converts digital data into DNA sequences, synthesizes them physically, and seals the resulting material in DNAshell stainless steel minicapsules supplied by partner Imagene, with selective or full retrieval and decoding offered to clients. Its core product is the PEARCODE DNA Memory (also branded Molecular Vault / Coffre-Fort ADN), targeted at cultural heritage institutions, regulated industries (finance, healthcare, insurance, notarial), scientific research organizations, and strategic sectors (space, defense, energy, aerospace).
The technology rests on proprietary encoding/decoding algorithms developed within the CNRS MediaCoding team at the I3S laboratory, with CSO Marc Antonini (CNRS Research Director, 13 patents, 300+ publications) chairing the international JPEG DNA working group since 2020. CEO Melpomeni Dimopoulou holds a PhD specifically on DNA data storage and was awarded the i-PhD prize (Bpifrance 2021) and a L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science prize (2021). The company has also won the i-Lab Grand Prix from Bpifrance (2023) and been named one of La Tribune's Tech for Future Top 10 Startups of 2025.
PEARCODE monetizes via volume-based, quote-driven one-time archiving fees for tailored solutions ranging from MB to TB, with optional data diagnostics. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales driven through website inquiry forms and demo requests, supported by French media coverage, academic conferences, and consortium partnerships (OligoArchive, DNA Storage Alliance, JPEG DNA). The company has no publicly disclosed revenue and only grant-based funding to date (i-PhD 2021 and i-Lab 2023), with commercialization reported to have begun in 2025.
PEARCODE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PEARCODE
- Legal name
- PEARCODE SASU
- Website
- https://pearcode.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- PEARCODE is a French deep-tech startup founded in 2020 that provides commercial synthetic DNA data archiving services, encoding digital data into DNA sealed in Imagene DNAshell capsules for cultural, regulated, research, and strategic-sector enterprise clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PEARCODE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- DNA Data Storage / Long-term Digital Archiving
- NAICS
- Computer Storage Device Manufacturing (334112), Libraries and Archives (519210)
- SIC
- Computer Storage Devices (3572), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Data Protection & Archiving (WORM, Long-Term Retention) (HDABAEAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Backup, Archiving & Ransomware-Resilient Data Protection (HDADAFAL)
Keywords
Where PEARCODE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sophia Antipolis
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
PEARCODE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- DNA Data Storage Services: Volume-based pricing for tailored DNA archiving solutions, ranging from a few MB to several TB. Services include optional data diagnostics, encoding, DNA synthesis, and secure encapsulation in DNAshell® capsules. Revenue is generated through one-time archiving fees with no recurring energy costs during storage.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tailored archiving based on data volume |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
PEARCODE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PEARCODE provides a DNA-based digital data archiving service that converts digital data into synthetic DNA sequences via proprietary encoding algorithms, physically synthesizes the DNA, and seals it in DNAshell® stainless steel minicapsules supplied by Imagene for centuries-long preservation. The Molecular Vault (Coffre-Fort ADN) offering is sold on a volume basis from megabytes to terabytes, with optional pre-archiving data diagnostics to identify cold data suitable for DNA storage.
Product overview
PEARCODE offers a unified DNA-based data storage solution centered on its PEARCODE DNA Memory product. The company provides the Molecular Vault (Coffre-Fort ADN) offering, which includes tailored archiving using DNAshell® capsules from partner Imagene. The solution covers encoding of data into DNA sequences, physical DNA synthesis, secure encapsulation, and data retrieval and decoding services. Optional data diagnostics identify cold data suitable for DNA archiving before the tailored solution is implemented.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PEARCODE DNA Memory (Molecular Vault / Coffre-Fort ADN)
Quantifiable outcome
- Billion-times greater storage capacity than conventional hard drives
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use PEARCODE
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
PEARCODE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
PEARCODE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CNRScoreCNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) is France's national research agency. Co-founder Marc Antonini is a CNRS research director leading the MediaCoding team at I3S laboratory. CNRS provides the academic research foundation for PEARCODE's technology through ongoing collaboration and the PEPR MoleculArXiv program.
- Université Côte d'AzurcorePEARCODE originated from research at Université Côte d'Azur. Several team members hold degrees from the university, and the company benefits from the academic ecosystem and research infrastructure of the university for DNA data storage development.
- SATT Sud-EstminorSATT Sud-Est (Société d'Accélération du Transfert de Technologies) is a technology transfer company that supports the commercialization of academic research innovations in Southeast France, including PEARCODE's technology.
- Incubateur PACA ESTminorPACA EST incubator supports innovative startups in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, providing PEARCODE with incubation resources and ecosystem support in its early stages.
- ImagenecoreImagene is a French company that provides DNAshell® stainless steel minicapsules used for PEARCODE's DNA storage solution. The capsules provide hermetic sealing that protects DNA from water, oxygen, and light, enabling centuries of data preservation. This is a key technology integration for PEARCODE's product.
- L'OréalminorL'Oréal is listed as an industrial supporter of PEARCODE. Through the L'Oréal UNESCO For Women in Science program, L'Oréal has recognized CEO Melpomeni Dimopoulou for her research contributions to DNA data storage.
- OligoArchivecoreOligoArchive is a European research project on storing information on DNA. Marc Antonini is at the origin of this European project, and PEARCODE's technology builds upon the research outcomes of OligoArchive.
- JPEG DNA Working GroupcorePEARCODE actively participates in the international JPEG DNA working group, contributing to standardization efforts for image and video storage in synthetic DNA. Marc Antonini has been chair of this group since 2020, and Eva Gil San Antonio is a JPEG DNA expert contributor. This positions PEARCODE at the center of DNA data storage standardization.
- DNA Storage AllianceminorPEARCODE is a member of the DNA Storage Alliance consortium, collaborating with other organizations to advance sustainable DNA data storage technology and standards.
- CNRS InnovationcoreCNRS Innovation supports the transfer of CNRS research into commercial applications. PEARCODE was featured on CNRS Innovation as a startup storing data on synthetic DNA, highlighting the technology transfer from CNRS research to commercial product.
- CintoominorCintoo is a spin-off from Université Côte d'Azur and CNRS. Marc Antonini is co-founder and scientific advisor of Cintoo, representing a related venture from the same academic ecosystem that contributes to the broader innovation network.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PEARCODE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PEARCODE social profiles
Digital presencePEARCODE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PEARCODE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
PEARCODE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PEARCODE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PEARCODE
What does PEARCODE do?
PEARCODE provides a DNA-based digital data archiving service that converts digital data into synthetic DNA sequences via proprietary encoding algorithms, physically synthesizes the DNA, and seals it in DNAshell® stainless steel minicapsules supplied by Imagene for centuries-long preservation. The Molecular Vault (Coffre-Fort ADN) offering is sold on a volume basis from megabytes to terabytes, with optional pre-archiving data diagnostics to identify cold data suitable for DNA storage.
Is PEARCODE a public or private company?
PEARCODE is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PEARCODE founded?
PEARCODE was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PEARCODE based?
PEARCODE is headquartered in Sophia Antipolis, France, in the Europe region.
How does PEARCODE make money?
One revenue line is on record: DNA Data Storage Services.
Does PEARCODE have an API?
No public API is recorded for PEARCODE.
What industry is PEARCODE in?
PEARCODE's product category is DNA Data Storage / Long-term Digital Archiving. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABAEAH, Data Protection & Archiving (WORM, Long-Term Retention), with a secondary code of HDADAFAL, Backup, Archiving & Ransomware-Resilient Data Protection. Its NAICS code is 334112 and its SIC code is 3572.