Planet Labs
Daily Earth intelligence from a high-cadence satellite fleet and geospatial software platform
The product
Planet designs, builds, and operates Earth-observation satellites and delivers global imagery, derived data, analytics, APIs, and satellite services. Its fleet and roadmap include SuperDove daily monitoring, SkySat and Pelican high-resolution imaging, and Tanager hyperspectral spacecraft.
The thesis
Planet couples repeatable satellite manufacturing with a one-to-many data platform, giving governments and industrial users frequent, globally consistent evidence of physical change. Its growing defense and intelligence business and customer-owned satellite services also expand allied access to sovereign geospatial capability.
How it runs
Vertically integrated spacecraft design, manufacturing, launch procurement, constellation operations, data processing, and cloud delivery, with manufacturing in the United States and a Berlin facility scheduled to begin European Pelican production in fall 2026. Planet sells shared data products at scale while also building and operating dedicated customer constellations through fixed-price, multi-year satellite-services agreements.
How it earns
Primarily fixed-price subscription and usage-based licenses for imagery and analytics, supplemented by satellite-services agreements, dedicated tasking, professional services, and limited third-party imagery. Planet reported 98% recurring annual contract value at July 31, 2026.
Why it wins
A large proprietary archive combined with daily global coverage, high-cadence in-house spacecraft development, multiple sensor types, and a cloud platform that can distribute the same data to many customers at low incremental cost.
Evidence ledger
- SEC filing · 2026-09-12
Planet's Q2 FY2027 Form 10-Q describes subscription imagery and analytics, customer-owned satellite services, vertical markets, $116.1 million quarterly revenue, and $814.9 million backlog.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1836833/000119312526382016/pl-20260731.htm - company press release distribution · 2026-09-12
Planet reported 98% recurring ACV, ten high-resolution Pelicans on orbit after the Pelican-11 demonstration launch, and shipment of Tanager-2 and SuperDoves for launch.
https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/planet-reports-financial-results-second-quarter-fiscal-year-2027-2026-09-03 - company news archive · 2026-09-12
Planet's 2026 news archive documents NGA, Czech, Greek, Rwandan, Scottish, German, and European expansion activity.
https://investors.planet.com/news/default.aspx?LanguageId=1 - first-party · 2026-09-22
Planet won a German Interior Ministry satellite-services tender with options worth up to EUR25 million over five years, including dedicated tasking, mosaics, analytics, and a European-hosted platform for federal civil authorities.
https://investors.planet.com/news/news-details/2026/Planet-Awarded-Landmark-German-Federal-Contract-for-Exclusive-Access-to-Dedicated-Satellite-Constellation/default.aspx - first-party · 2026-09-22
Planet says its Berlin satellite-manufacturing facility is scheduled to open in fall 2026, bringing manufacturing to its European operations for the first time and adding Pelican production alongside its existing engineering, mission operations, data, and business teams.
https://www.planet.com/pulse/planet-s-next-chapter-in-germany-expanding-our-european-operations-with-satellite-manufacturing/ - authoritative-media · 2026-09-22
Deutsche Presse-Agentur reporting carried by Handelsblatt quotes Planet Labs Germany managing director Martin Polak saying full satellite manufacturing and testing will begin in Berlin in fall 2026, the first Berlin-built satellite is planned before year-end, and the facility can scale to 60 satellites per year.
https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/raumfahrt-planet-labs-startet-bald-satellitenproduktion-in-berlin/100256398.html
Articles, news, and updates
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