European Data Protection Day: three EIC-backed approaches to protecting, storing and policing data
- ›European Data Protection Day on 28 January highlights innovation in data protection and storage across EIC-backed companies.
- ›Streem.ai uses real time AI to detect anomalies in large time series data sets and targets automotive, manufacturing and health sectors.
- ›BioSistemika is developing DATANA, a DNA-based archival storage prototype that claims extreme density and longevity but faces cost and access challenges.
- ›Illusive focuses on identity risk management to stop lateral movement in breaches and was acquired by Proofpoint in December 2022.
- ›Each approach addresses different layers of data risk but also exposes practical, economic and regulatory questions for wider adoption in Europe.
Innovative approaches to handling data in Europe
European Data Protection Day is observed on 28 January and has been celebrated for over a decade. The day is an occasion to reflect on technologies and business models that shape how personal and industrial data are protected, used and preserved. Several companies that have received funding from the European Innovation Council are developing markedly different answers to data challenges. They range from real time anomaly detection to using DNA as a medium for long term archival storage and to identity focused cyber defence. Each one is promising but each also raises technical, economic or regulatory issues that will determine whether the solutions scale across European markets.
Detecting anomalies in time series: Streem.ai
Streem.ai, an EIC-backed start up, targets the problem of finding anomalies in large volumes of time series data. Anomalies in sensor streams or operational telemetry can be symptoms of defects, compromised devices or faults in clinical diagnostics. Missing those anomalies can produce downstream failures that are costly or dangerous.
DNA as archival medium: BioSistemika and the DATANA project
BioSistemika is a Slovenian company that provides digital solutions to laboratories and supports digital transformation. The company received EIC funding for DATANA, a patent pending project that encodes digital data in synthetic DNA. The pitch is simple. Data production is growing exponentially while traditional storage architectures and raw capacity struggle to keep pace. The company cites projections that only a fraction of produced data will be storeable within a few years unless alternatives are adopted.
Those statements underscore DNA storage prospects but also point to a need for independent validation on costs, lifecycle emissions and operational workflows. Regulators and data custodians will want clear evidence on integrity, chain of custody and the conditions required to preserve the molecule over decades.
Eliminating identity vulnerabilities: Illusive
Illusive focuses on identity risk management, a field that treats identity and privileged credentials as the primary vectors attackers exploit to move laterally inside networks. The company has developed technology designed to discover and mitigate exploitable identity vulnerabilities, stop lateral movement and provide risk aware, real time attack intelligence that accelerates triage and response.
Comparative summary
| Company | Core technology | EIC support | Deployment stage | Primary use cases | Main risks and open questions |
| Streem.ai | AI anomaly detection for time series | EIC-funded | Commercial deployments in automotive, manufacturing, health and IoT | Fault detection, compromised device detection, irregular diagnostics | False positives, adversarial manipulation, integration and validation across customers |
| BioSistemika / DATANA | DNA based archival storage (prototype) | EIC-funded | Prototype and early adopter case study | Long term archival, disaster recovery, digital asset custody | High cost, slow access, synthesis sequencing errors, energy and lifecycle impacts |
| Illusive | Identity risk management and deception technology | EIC-funded | Commercial; acquired by Proofpoint in Dec 2022 | Stopping lateral movement, ITDR, privileged identity protection | Operational complexity, integration, vendor consolidation and data residency |
Policy, funding and market implications for Europe
Funding from the European Innovation Council helps early stage companies validate and scale technologies that align with strategic EU objectives such as digital sovereignty, strong data protection and competitive industry. The three companies discussed show different pathways to impact. Detection and identity focused technologies can be adopted faster because they integrate with existing operational systems. Radical storage innovations like DNA need longer development cycles and ecosystem changes in supply chains and standards.
EU policy frameworks including the GDPR set legal guardrails for personal data processing and storage. Innovations that change where and how data are stored or analysed will have to contend with data sovereignty rules, cross border transfer restrictions and certification expectations. The fact that Illusive was acquired by a US vendor highlights a familiar pattern in cybersecurity where European scale ups are integrated into larger international incumbents. That can accelerate deployment but may also reduce the number of independent European vendors in strategic areas.
Final takeaways
EIC backed innovation is producing a range of technical responses to data protection challenges. Each solution addresses a different point in the data lifecycle and each has realistic limits. Real time anomaly detection and identity centric defences can reduce operational risk now if deployed with care. DNA storage offers a provocative long term alternative for archival needs but requires further work on cost, standards and workflows before it becomes a mainstream option. For policy makers and customers the task is to balance sensible adoption with independent validation and governance so that promising technologies translate into real improvements for data protection across Europe.