Planet Labs builds and operates constellations of tiny, low‑Earth‑orbit satellites to deliver frequent global imagery. The company has pledged to “cover the Earth” with these small satellites and is focused on building out its low‑orbit satellite imaging system. Planet intends to use the high‑cadence imagery for applications including economic development and disaster risk response, per investor statements. The recent financing will fund continued deployment and scaling of its satellite network. Investors named in the articles include Data Collective, Yuri Milner, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Capricorn Investment Group, O’Reilly Alpha Tech Ventures, Founders Fund and several others. Financially, Planet closed a $118 million Series C and has raised $183 million in total to date. Planet Labs operates a fleet of Earth-imaging satellites to collect frequent global imagery for commercial and humanitarian applications. The company is purpose-driven and headquartered in San Francisco, California. In 2013 it launched four satellites on three rockets, delivered a first fleet of 28 satellites to the launch site, and reported significant commercial traction. With the announced financing the company said it is positioned to launch Flock 1 and enter commercial service in 2014. Flock 1, planned to lift off from NASA Wallops Flight Facility, was described as the largest constellation of Earth imaging satellites ever launched. Planet Labs aims to provide universal access to information about the changing planet to enable both commercial and humanitarian use cases. Planet Labs (formerly Cosmogia) was founded in 2010 by former NASA scientists and builds small, low‑orbit imaging satellites called Doves to map the entire Earth on a frequent cadence. Its satellites operate in low orbit with an optical resolution of roughly three to five meters, a scale intended to enable measurement of tree canopy and other environmental features without compromising individual privacy. The company launched two demonstration satellites (Dove 1 and Dove 2) in April 2013 that validated the resolution and expansiveness of the imagery. Planet Labs plans to deploy the world’s largest fleet of Earth‑imaging satellites and make the resulting data broadly available for both humanitarian and commercial purposes. Targeted applications cited include monitoring deforestation, improving agricultural yields, tracking natural disasters, and supporting weather and other professional uses. The company announced a $13M financing to support these plans and accelerate deployment and data availability.

Total raised

$183M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series C

Latest activity

Apr 2015