Plakar, an open-source backup and restore platform, announced the general availability of its first stable release, alongside a $3 million pre-seed funding round led by Seedcamp. This funding round includes participation from leading venture firms HelloWorld, IrregularExpression, Galion.exe, Kima Ventures, OPRTRS and renowned angel investors, including Olivier Pomel (Datadog), Solomon Hykes (Docker), and Alexandre Yazdi (Voodoo).
Plakar’s architecture enables users to protect and orchestrate various types of data across a diverse set of environments in a fast, reliable, and resource-efficient way. Plakar does not just store files (it preserves complete application and AI-pipeline context). And it deduplicates and compresses data inline, encrypts it end-to-end, and organizes it into a structured, queryable repository.
Compared to traditional backup solutions, where data becomes a dormant cost, Plakar enhances backup storage into an active and valuable resource. And its architecture enables seamless reuse of protected data for production workflows, such as AI model training, data analytics, compliance auditing, or offloading intensive tasks from production systems, unlocking new operational efficiencies and accelerating innovation.
Plakar’s engine (called Kloset) turns each backup into a compact, self-contained, and immutable data unit that travels with its own structure, metadata, and encryption. Like a container for data, this removes the need for external coordination or dependencies, enabling fast, secure, and portable backups across any environment, from local files to distributed cloud systems.
Plakar’s end-to-end workflow keeps every backup lean, secure, and instantly recoverable with the following features:
1.) Data Collection – Immutable, content-addressed snapshots capture incremental versions of datasets and model checkpoints so experiments remain fully reproducible while slashing redundant storage by up to 90%.
2.) Data Visualization – Snapshots are browsable and verifiable without restoring, and restores are precise and fast.
3.) Data Security – Plakar utilizes the same end-to-end encryption to ensure compliance with stringent data-protection regulations.
4.) Resource Efficiency – By combining advanced deduplication and compression techniques, Plakar minimizes storage requirements and allows for more restore points with less space.
5.) Interoperability – Plakar integrates seamlessly with various storage environments, including cloud-based storage, S3-compatible solutions, local servers, NAS, SAN, tape drives, and Kubernetes volumes.
What the funding will be used for: With the new funding, Plakar plans to expand its engineering team to accelerate feature development and enhance platform scalability. And the company aims to grow its customer base by targeting AI-focused startups and enterprises seeking efficient, secure, and reproducible data management solutions.
KEY QUOTES:
“With Plakar, we’re providing an open-source solution that simplifies backup and restore processes while making enterprise-grade data resilience accessible to businesses of all sizes. This product launch and funding announcement is a significant milestone, and we are thrilled to begin this journey with the support of such renowned partners and investors.”
Julien Mangeard, co-founder and CEO of Plakar
“In an era where AI systems are generating and processing unprecedented volumes of data, ensuring the integrity and security of that data is paramount. Plakar’s approach of combining open-source flexibility with enterprise-grade features aligns with our belief in empowering developers and businesses with accessible, reliable, and efficient tools.”
Sia Houchangnia, Partner at Seedcamp
