The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →CRN’s 2025 Stellar Startups roundup names six storage companies founded in 2019 or later, but they are not six versions of the same product. They address different layers of the storage stack: tape-backed cloud archive, disk-based near-line storage, public-cloud block optimization, immutable Veeam backup, MSP disaster recovery, and NVMe software RAID. Use the list as a 2025 market snapshot and match a vendor to a workload rather than treating it as a ranking.
What the 2025 roundup actually represents
CRN’s Stellar Startups profiles focus on channel-oriented technology companies. The descriptions combine editorial framing with lightly edited material supplied by the startups, so capabilities, performance figures and savings claims are vendor statements—not independent test results. The roundup does not establish a single winner, current 2026 availability, comparable pricing, certifications or like-for-like benchmarks.
The six companies were founded in 2019 or later. Their stated roles are best understood by workload category.
Six vendors organized by the storage problem they address
| Vendor | Founded | Primary category | Stated product or architecture | Evidence boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geyser Data | 2024 | Long-term cloud archive | Cloud-connected, tape-backed archive with S3-compatible workflows | Capabilities and pricing are company descriptions; no independent comparison is supplied |
| Leil Storage | 2022 | Disk-based near-line and archive | SaunaFS distributed file system with host-managed SMR drives | Positioned as a tape-library alternative, without independent comparative testing |
| Lucidity | 2021 | Public-cloud block-storage management | Tools for AWS, Azure and Google Cloud storage visibility, sizing and assessment | Savings and engineering-time figures are Lucidity claims that require current verification |
| Object First | 2021 | Immutable Veeam backup | Ootbi appliance using S3 Object Lock and a hardened Linux operating system | Capacity and speed figures appear in a vendor-description context, not independent benchmarks |
| Slide | 2025 | MSP business continuity and disaster recovery | Security-focused system combining software, high-performance hardware and end-to-end encryption | The roundup provides no independent testing or pricing |
| Xinnor | 2022 | NVMe software RAID | xiRAID software-defined RAID for fault-tolerant, high-throughput workloads | Performance and rebuild claims are company or article claims, not independently measured here |
Geyser Data: tape-backed archive with cloud access
Geyser Data, founded in 2024 and led by CEO and co-founder Nelson Nahum, describes a cloud-connected archive that presents S3-compatible workflows while storing data on tape. CRN lists backup, surveillance, research and media among the stated uses.
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In a November 2025 announcement, Geyser described its Cold Data Cloud as using private dedicated tapes, supporting air-gap import and export, and charging no egress fees. The same announcement stated pricing of $1.55 per terabyte. That figure is a dated company claim, not a current quote or a complete cost-of-ownership comparison; buyers should confirm retrieval charges, minimums, access latency, redundancy and contract terms directly.
Geyser identifies Spectra Logic as a strategic partner and presents itself as channel-first. That signals a possible solution-provider route, but current partner terms and availability are not established by the roundup.
Leil Storage: distributed files on SMR disks
Estonia-based Leil Storage, founded in 2022 and led by CEO Aleksandr Ragel, combines the open-source SaunaFS distributed file system with host-managed shingled magnetic recording (SMR) drives. Its stated use cases include backup, near-line and archival storage, high-performance computing, research, big data, healthcare, media and government.
Rank #2
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- 【Up to 80TB for Growing Digital Libraries】 Supports up to 80TB of storage using two HDD bays and two M.2 NVMe SSD slots for family photos, movies, RAW photos, 4K videos, work files, and device backups. AI photo management supports recognition of people, objects, scenes, and locations, album organization, and duplicate photo detection. HDDs and SSDs are not included.
- 【AI-powered Home Surveillance】Turn DXP2800 into a centralized home surveillance hub by connecting compatible network cameras and storing recordings locally on your NAS. AI-powered features include Face Recognition, People Detection, and Pet Detection, helping advanced home users review important events more efficiently while managing home surveillance and personal data in one place.
- 【One data Center Across Your Devices】Keep files from desktops, laptops, phones, tablets, and other devices together instead of scattered across cloud accounts and external drives. Access, back up, organize, and share data across Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, web browsers, and compatible smart TVs—ideal for creators and advanced home users working across multiple devices.
Leil positions the architecture as an alternative to tape libraries. That is a positioning statement, not proof of equal economics, durability, throughput, rebuild behavior or operational simplicity. A technical evaluation should test the intended file sizes, ingest pattern, SMR write behavior, failure recovery and export process.
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Lucidity: managing public-cloud block storage
Lucidity, founded in 2021 and identified by CRN as being led by co-CEO and co-founder Nitin Bhadauria, operates at the cloud-management layer rather than selling a physical storage array. It describes support for AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.
AutoScaler
AutoScaler is described as autonomously right-sizing cloud block storage. Validate which providers, volume types, regions, approval controls and rollback mechanisms are supported in the current release.
Rank #3
- Entry-level NAS Home Storage: The UGREEN NAS DH4300 Plus is an entry-level 4-bay NAS that's ideal for home media and vast private storage you can access from anywhere and also supports Docker but not virtual machines. You can record, store, share happy moment with your families and friends, which is intuitive for users moving from cloud storage, or external drives to create your own private cloud, access files from any device.
- Smart Photo Backup & AI Album: Automatically back up photos and videos from your phone in real time and keep growing family memories organized with AI-powered photo albums. Semantic search, custom learning, and recognition of people, objects, pets, and similar photos help you quickly find the moments you want. Duplicate photo removal also helps keep your library organized—ideal for families and users with large photo collections.
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Lumen
Lumen is presented as a visibility and analytics product for understanding storage utilization and spend.
Assessment
Assessment is described as an evaluation tool for storage utilization. Lucidity’s November 2025 announcement includes company claims about savings and reduced engineering effort; treat those as targets to verify against your own workloads, change-control policy and cloud bills.
Object First: immutable backup for Veeam environments
Object First, founded in 2021 and led by CEO David Bennett, describes Ootbi as an immutable backup appliance built for Veeam. Its design uses S3 Object Lock and a hardened Linux operating system.
Rank #4
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- Subscription-Free Personal Cloud – Store, back up, and manage all your videos, music, and photos and access them anytime without paying any monthly fees.
- Storage Purpose-Built for Data Security – A NAS designed to keep your data safe, the LS200 features a closed system to reduce vulnerabilities from 3rd party apps and SSL encryption for secure file transfers.
- Back Up Multiple Computers & Devices – NAS Navigator management utility and PC backup software included. NAS Navigator 2 for macOS 15 and earlier. You can set up automated backups of data on your computers.
This makes Ootbi relevant to organizations that want a purpose-built backup target with immutability controls rather than a general-purpose storage platform. Confirm Veeam-version compatibility, sizing methodology, retention and immutability settings, expansion options, support response and recovery procedures. CRN’s listed speed and capacity figures are vendor-context numbers, not independent benchmark results.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Slide: security-focused continuity and disaster recovery for MSPs
Slide, founded in 2025 and led by CEO Michael Fass, describes a business-continuity and disaster-recovery system aimed at managed service providers. Its stated design combines software, high-performance hardware and end-to-end encryption.
The available description does not establish pricing, test results, supported hypervisors, recovery-point or recovery-time performance, geographic replication design, compliance certifications or current channel terms. MSPs should request those specifics and validate a full failover and failback workflow before standardizing on the platform.
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Xinnor: software RAID for NVMe-heavy workloads
Xinnor, founded in 2022 and led by CEO Dmitry Livshits, develops xiRAID, software-defined RAID optimized for NVMe SSDs. CRN names AI, HPC, media, database acceleration, cybersecurity and edge computing as target workloads.
The company and article describe high throughput, fault tolerance and faster rebuilds. Those statements need workload-specific validation: array geometry, drive count, interface generation, endurance, failure scenarios, rebuild impact and CPU overhead can materially change results.
Hardware note: NVMe SSD is the only clearly grounded physical-product category in this roundup. No specific drive model, capacity, endurance rating, interface generation or certified compatibility list is provided, so a particular retail SSD should not be treated as an approved enterprise configuration.
How solution providers should compare the relevant options
Do not compare all six on one scorecard. First select the category that matches the problem, then evaluate products that genuinely overlap.
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- Define the workload: archive, near-line files, cloud block volumes, Veeam backup, MSP recovery or NVMe acceleration.
- Map the architecture: identify where data lives, how it is accessed, what is required on-premises or in a cloud account, and how data is exported.
- Test resilience and recovery: include drive, node, site, credential and ransomware scenarios; measure restore or failover, not only ingest.
- Check integrations: verify S3, Veeam, cloud-provider, hypervisor, monitoring and identity requirements in the exact versions you operate.
- Model total cost: include hardware, media, cloud requests, retrieval or egress, replication, support, migration, labor and renewal terms under realistic access patterns.
- Demand evidence: separate independently measured results from vendor claims and request references with a workload similar to yours.
- Verify channel details: obtain current partner margins, deal registration, support ownership, training and geographic availability directly from each vendor.
What this list does—and does not—tell buyers in 2025
- It identifies six young companies with distinct storage propositions, not a common product category.
- It is useful for building a discovery shortlist by workload.
- It does not support a defensible overall ranking or a claim that one vendor is best.
- Product availability, specifications, pricing, certifications, compatibility and partner programs may have changed after the 2025 profiles and must be rechecked before a purchase.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
