Biology solved storage. We wrote the API.
Encode your first 100MB free. No sales call. No procurement cycle. Just a vial.
Write throughput that outpaces every synthesis SDK on the market.
Encoding pipeline
From raw bytes to synthesis-ready oligo sequences in a single CLI call. helix encode ./dataset.tar
Write speed benchmark — MB encoded per minute
Benchmarked on AWS c6i.8xlarge · 32 vCPU · 64GB RAM · 100GB test dataset · Mar 2026
Encoding pipeline — 4 stages
Binary Segmentation
Input data split into 200-byte segments with Reed-Solomon error correction overhead.
Nucleotide Encoding
Proprietary 2-bit-per-base encoding with homopolymer avoidance and GC-content balancing.
Synthesis Queue
Oligo sequences dispatched to synthesis partner via authenticated REST endpoint.
Physical Encapsulation
Dried oligonucleotides sealed in silica microspheres. Shipped in cryogenic vials.
Read the encoding white paper → arXiv:2601.09847
The logarithmic chart that makes every other storage medium invisible.
Storage density — log scale (GB per gram)
1 PB/g
DNA
0.18 GB/g
LTO-9 Tape
0.09 GB/g
NVMe SSD
N/A /g
Cloud Archive
Logarithmic scale. Linear scale would require DNA bar to reach 12km tall.
1,000,000 GB per gram
18TB cartridge, ~100g
4TB, ~45g
Physical density undefined
Holds 200 petabytes. Fits in a coat pocket.
Idle power draw. Zero cooling infrastructure.
Verified stability at 10°C dry storage.
Density figures verified by independent laboratory assay. Science 2024 · doi:10.1126/science.adf8242
Download the EncoderSequencing to decoded bytes. Comparable to cloud cold-tier, without the egress bill.
Retrieval tiers
In-lab sequencer on-site
Oxford Nanopore MinION
Partner sequencing facility
Illumina NovaSeq 6000
Helix Vault retrieval
SLA guaranteed
Cold retrieval comparison (hours)
Cloud providers measured at standard retrieval tier. No expedited pricing applied.
Read accuracy
Read accuracy
Unrecoverable error rate (3yr trial)
Redundancy factor (default)
How retrieval works
Request via API
POST /retrieve with vial ID and byte range. Returns job token.
Sequencing dispatch
Helix routes vial to nearest sequencing node. Nanopore or Illumina depending on tier.
Decoded delivery
Raw reads decoded, error-corrected, and delivered to your S3 bucket or SFTP endpoint.
Retrieval SLA available for enterprise and archive tiers. Nature 2023 · doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06074-9
Download the EncoderEnter your storage footprint. See what it looks like as DNA.
The number always shocks people. That's intentional.
500 TB as DNA weighs
smaller than a grain of salt
LTO-9 Tape racks
physical racks needed
Annual cost delta
at $3.50/TB/yr
“We were running out of cold storage capacity. Helix let us archive 40 petabytes — our entire genomic sequencing history — into a single refrigerated drawer.”
Dr. Miriam Osei-Bonsu
Director of Genomics Infrastructure
Wellcome Sanger Institute
“Compliance requires us to retain 7 years of transaction logs at exabyte scale. Helix cut our cold storage spend by 68% and eliminated three data center contracts.”
Takeshi Yamamoto
Chief Technology Officer
Nomura Digital Assets
“The Library of Congress preserves culture across centuries. We need storage that thinks in the same timescale. DNA is the only medium that does.”
Catalina Reyes-Montoya
Digital Preservation Program Lead
Library of Congress
All cost figures based on published list pricing as of Q1 2026.
Download the EncoderDeclining 40% year-over-year as synthesis costs fall.
No egress fees. No cooling contracts. No hardware refresh cycles.
100 MB
Prove the technology. Encode your first dataset, get your first vial.
- 100 MB encoding limit
- API key included
- Sandbox sequencing environment
- Community support
- macOS, Linux, Windows CLI
Up to 1 PB
For genomics labs and research teams archiving at petabyte scale.
- Up to 1 PB encoded storage
- Hot + Warm retrieval tiers
- 99.9% uptime SLA
- Priority synthesis queue
- Slack-based support
- SSO / SAML ready
Unlimited
For enterprise CTOs and national archivists operating at exabyte scale.
- Unlimited encoded storage
- Dedicated synthesis allocation
- Cold Archive retrieval SLA
- On-site sequencer option
- Air-gapped vial custody
- Compliance reporting (SOC 2, ISO)
- Dedicated solutions engineer
Download the Encoder
Frictionless. Platform selector, work email, and one checkbox. That's it.
Synthesis cost has declined 40% annually since 2020, tracking Wright's Law for biological manufacturing. At current trajectory, DNA storage reaches cost parity with tape by 2029. Cell Systems 2024