In 26 years of VC, I have invested in just two space companies, and today, I am SO proud to see Planet is going public!
They are like the iPhone of satellites disrupting the mainframe incumbents and generating 10x the Earth imagery as all other companies combined.
Here are some of my flickr memories from a decade down memory lane. I led the seed round in 2011 before they incorporated and became the first outside board member, then led the Series A too. And they started, iconically, in a Silicon Valley garage, with big dreams to help humanity from above the clouds.
I first met the founders in the Black Rock Desert to launch their NASA PhoneSat in my friend’s rocket. It was meant to prove to NASA that cheap commercial cell phone components could serve just fine in a satellite. Here is a fun video from the precursor to Planet.
The photo above is with the early Planet team in 2013, with Flock 1, the first constellation to be launched. Instead of predator names, the satellites are called Doves, to bring peace, transparency and awareness to planet Earth.
News today: “Planet is an Earth data and analytics company, producing 25 terabytes of data per day from approximately 200 satellites – the largest Earth imaging satellite fleet ever. Planet’s proprietary data powers a high growth subscription business with over $100 million in revenue last year from over 600 customers across many verticals.”
Congrats again, for the good of the planet! 💕 🌎
In recent years, Planet has launched the majority of its satellites with SpaceX. My Atlas vernier engine decorating the Planet HQ lobby (where it has been on loan for a decade as a good luck totem). 
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