Plakar Launches First Stable Release to Revolutionize Backup for AI and Cloud Workloads with $3 Million in Seed Funding
In a groundbreaking move, Plakar, an open-source backup and recovery platform designed for modern AI and cloud environments, has announced the general availability of its first stable release. This milestone is accompanied by a $3 million pre-seed funding round led by Seedcamp, with participation from prominent venture capital firms such as HelloWorld, IrregularExpression, Galion.exe, Kima Ventures, and OPRTRS. The round also includes investments from renowned angel investors like Olivier Pomel (Datadog), Solomon Hykes (Docker), and Alexandre Yazdi (Voodoo).
Plakar’s innovative architecture is redefining how businesses approach data protection, offering a solution that simplifies and harmonizes backup practices for modern workloads, including AI pipelines, cloud-native applications, and distributed systems. Unlike traditional backup tools that treat data as a dormant asset, Plakar transforms backups into an active, valuable resource that can be reused for production workflows—accelerating innovation while ensuring enterprise-grade resilience.
A Modern Approach to Backup
Plakar’s standout feature lies in its ability to protect and orchestrate diverse data types across various environments quickly, reliably, and efficiently. It doesn’t merely store files; it preserves the full context of applications, datasets, and AI pipelines, ensuring that every piece of data remains actionable and accessible.
At the core of Plakar’s engine is Kloset, a proprietary technology that transforms each backup into a compact, self-contained, and immutable data unit. These units travel with their own structure, metadata, and encryption, eliminating external dependencies and enabling fast, secure, and portable backups in any environment—whether on-premises or in the cloud.
“With Plakar, we aim to provide an open-source solution that simplifies backup and recovery processes while making enterprise-grade data resilience accessible to businesses of all sizes,” said Julien Mangeard, co-founder and CEO of Plakar. “This product launch, coupled with our funding announcement, marks a major milestone in our journey. We’re thrilled to have the support of such esteemed partners and investors as we work to redefine modern data management.”
Key Features Driving Innovation
Plakar’s end-to-end workflow ensures that every backup is lean, secure, and instantly recoverable. Here’s how it achieves this:
- Data Collection:
Plakar captures immutable, content-aware snapshots of datasets and model checkpoints, enabling incremental backups that reduce redundant storage by up to 90%. This ensures experiments remain fully reproducible while minimizing storage costs. - Data Visualization:
Snapshots are searchable, navigable, and verifiable without restoration, empowering users to explore their data effortlessly. Restorations are instant and faithful, ensuring no data is lost or altered during recovery. - Data Security:
End-to-end encryption ensures compliance with strict data protection regulations, safeguarding sensitive information throughout its lifecycle. - Resource Efficiency:
By combining advanced deduplication and compression techniques, Plakar minimizes storage requirements, allowing organizations to maintain more restore points with less space. - Interoperability:
Plakar seamlessly integrates with a wide range of storage environments, including cloud storage, S3-compatible solutions, on-premises servers, NAS, SAN, tape drives, and Kubernetes volumes. This flexibility makes it adaptable to virtually any infrastructure.
Transforming Backups into Active Resources
Traditional backup solutions often treat stored data as a cost center—a static archive with limited utility. Plakar flips this paradigm by enabling seamless reuse of protected data for production workflows. Organizations can leverage backups for AI model training, data analytics, compliance auditing, or offloading intensive tasks from production systems. This not only enhances operational efficiency but also accelerates innovation by unlocking new possibilities for data utilization.
“At a time when AI systems are generating and processing unprecedented volumes of data, ensuring the integrity and security of that data is paramount,” said Sia Houchangnia, Partner at Seedcamp. “Plakar’s approach of combining open-source flexibility with enterprise-class features aligns perfectly with our belief in empowering developers and businesses with accessible, reliable, and effective tools.”
Expanding the Team and Scaling Operations
With the new funding, Plakar plans to expand its engineering team to accelerate feature development and enhance the platform’s scalability. The company is also focused on growing its customer base, targeting AI-focused startups and enterprises seeking efficient, secure, and reproducible data management solutions.
The rise of AI and cloud technologies has created a pressing need for backup solutions that can keep pace with the speed, scale, and complexity of modern workloads. Plakar addresses this challenge head-on by offering a platform that is both robust and adaptable, ensuring businesses can protect their most valuable asset—their data—without compromising performance or security.
Why Plakar Stands Out
Plakar’s unique combination of open-source accessibility, enterprise-grade reliability, and cutting-edge features positions it as a game-changer in the backup and recovery space. Its ability to transform backups into reusable assets sets it apart from legacy solutions, offering a glimpse into the future of data management.
As organizations increasingly rely on AI and cloud technologies, the importance of secure, efficient, and scalable backup solutions cannot be overstated. Plakar’s first stable release marks the beginning of a new era in data protection—one where backups are no longer just a safety net but a strategic asset driving business growth and innovation.
