When was Planet Labs founded compared to Maxar Technologies?

Planet Labs was founded in 2010, and Maxar Technologies was founded in 2017.

Where are Planet Labs and Maxar Technologies headquartered?

Planet Labs is headquartered in San Francisco; Maxar Technologies is headquartered in Westminster.

Head-to-head · 2026

Planet Labs vs Maxar Technologies

High-cadence small-sat imagery vs ultra-high-resolution defense-grade EO.

Side by side

Attribute	Planet Labs	Maxar Technologies
Founded	2010	2017
Headquarters	San Francisco, United States	Westminster, United States
Entity type	commercial	commercial
Operational status	public	operational
Stock ticker	PL	—
Sectors	earth-observation, satellite-manufacturing	satellite-manufacturing, earth-observation, analytics
Significant people	Will Marshall (CEO, Co-founder)	Dan Jablonsky (CEO)

What each one does

Planet Labs

Planet Labs PBC is a leading Earth observation company operating the largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites ever deployed. Founded in 2010 by former NASA scientists, Planet provides geospatial data that enables governments, businesses, and NGOs to make more informed decisions about our changing planet. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company images the entire Earth land mass daily. Planet trades on NYSE under PL following its 2021 SPAC merger. The company employs approximately 800 people and operates facilities in California, Colorado, and internationally. Under CEO Will Marshall (co-founder), Planet has grown from a three-person startup to a publicly traded company generating over $200 million in annual revenue. ## History and Milestones Will Marshall, Robbie Schingler, and Chris Boshuizen founded Planet Labs in 2010 while working at NASA Ames Research Center. The founders believed miniaturized satellites could democratize access to Earth observation data. The company pioneered the use of CubeSats for commercial Earth imaging. Planet launched its first commercial satellites in 2013 and rapidly expanded its constellation. Through organic growth and acquisitions—including BlackBridge (RapidEye satellites), Terra Bella (Google's satellite imaging unit), and Boundless—Planet built comprehensive Earth observation capabilities. By 2017, Planet achieved its goal of imaging the entire Earth every day. This "Planet Basemap" provides consistent, current imagery for change detection and monitoring applications across industries. ## Products and Services Planet operates three satellite constellations: Dove (over 200 CubeSats providing daily global coverage), SkySat (high-resolution tasking satellites), and Pelican (next-generation high-resolution satellites). Together, these constellations provide imagery from 3-meter daily to 50-centimeter tasking resolution. Planet Archive offers access to historical imagery dating back over a decade, enabling change analysis over time. Planet Monitoring provides automated analytics and change detection for specific areas of interest. The company serves customers across agriculture (crop monitoring), government (defense and intelligence), forestry (deforestation tracking), energy (infrastructure monitoring), and finance (economic activity analysis). Planet's APIs enable integration into customer workflows and applications. ## Technology and Capabilities Planet pioneered the use of CubeSats for commercial imaging, developing standardized small satellites that can be rapidly manufactured and frequently replaced. This approach enables continuous constellation refresh with improved technology while maintaining persistent coverage. The company operates one of the world's largest collections of Earth observation data, processing petabytes of imagery daily. Planet's platform includes machine learning tools for automated analysis, change detection, and feature extraction. Planet's data infrastructure delivers imagery and analytics through APIs, integrating with customer systems and third-party platforms. The company partners with cloud providers for global data distribution and processing capabilities. ## Business and Financial Overview Planet went public through a SPAC merger in December 2021, raising approximately $500 million. The company generates revenue from data subscriptions, with annual recurring revenue exceeding $200 million. Government and defense customers represent a significant portion of revenue. Major contracts include the National Reconnaissance Office's commercial imagery agreements, defense and intelligence customer subscriptions, and commercial enterprise agreements. Planet also serves the European Space Agency and international government customers. The company has invested heavily in next-generation satellite development and data platform capabilities. Path to profitability depends on growing subscription revenue while managing satellite constellation costs and technology investments. ## Recent Developments In 2024, Planet continued expanding its satellite constellation and customer base while advancing next-generation satellite development. The company launched additional Pelican high-resolution satellites, enhancing tasking capabilities. Planet deepened government relationships, securing contract extensions and new customer wins. The company also expanded commercial applications and analytics capabilities, supporting customers across multiple industries. Development continued on Pelican, Planet's next-generation satellite platform offering sub-meter resolution. The company also invested in data processing and analytics tools to extract more value from its imagery archive. ## Market Position Planet is the largest commercial operator of Earth observation satellites by number of spacecraft. The company competes with Maxar Technologies, BlackSky, and emerging satellite imaging companies for government and commercial customers. Planet's competitive advantages include the world's only daily global imaging capability, extensive historical archive, and flexible resolution options from constellation to tasking. The company's CubeSat approach enables rapid technology refresh. Strategic priorities include growing government and commercial revenue, expanding analytics capabilities, and deploying next-generation Pelican satellites. Planet aims to make global change visible, accessible, and actionable.

Full Planet Labs profile

Maxar Technologies

Maxar Technologies is a space technology company that specializes in Earth observation satellites, geospatial analytics, and satellite manufacturing. Headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, Maxar operates a constellation of high-resolution imaging satellites and provides geospatial intelligence to government and commercial customers worldwide. Maxar was taken private in 2023 through acquisition by Advent International for approximately $6.4 billion after years as a publicly traded company. The company employs approximately 4,500 people across facilities in Colorado, California, and internationally. Maxar combines satellite manufacturing heritage with advanced Earth observation capabilities. ## History and Milestones Maxar's heritage traces to multiple pioneering space companies. DigitalGlobe, founded in 1992, launched the first commercial high-resolution imaging satellite (IKONOS) in 1999. MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) became a leader in space robotics and satellite systems. These companies merged to form Maxar Technologies in 2017. DigitalGlobe's satellite constellation set industry standards for commercial Earth observation. WorldView-1 (2007), WorldView-2 (2009), and WorldView-3 (2014) provided increasingly capable imaging platforms. The company's geospatial analysis served both government intelligence and commercial applications. Maxar's robotics heritage includes developing the Canadarm for the Space Shuttle and Canadarm2 for the International Space Station. The company also builds satellite buses and components for communications and Earth observation satellites. ## Products and Services Maxar operates a constellation of high-resolution Earth observation satellites including WorldView-3 (capable of 31-centimeter resolution) and WorldView Legion (next-generation satellites launched 2024). These satellites provide the highest resolution commercially available imagery. The company's geospatial intelligence services provide analysis, mapping, and information products derived from satellite imagery. Government customers rely on Maxar for intelligence, mapping, and situational awareness applications. Maxar Space Infrastructure builds satellites and components including robotic systems, satellite buses, and payloads. The company manufactures geostationary communication satellites and provides in-orbit services and technologies. ## Technology and Capabilities Maxar operates some of the world's most advanced commercial imaging satellites. WorldView-3 provides 31-cm panchromatic and 1.24-m multispectral resolution with shortwave infrared bands enabling material identification. WorldView Legion satellites expand this capability with increased revisit frequency. The company's geospatial platform combines imagery, analytics, and artificial intelligence to extract actionable information. Products include 3D terrain models, feature extraction, and change detection services. Maxar's space robotics expertise includes robotic arms for space stations and satellite servicing technologies. The company develops in-space assembly and servicing capabilities for future space infrastructure. ## Business and Financial Overview As a private company since 2023, Maxar does not disclose detailed financial information. Prior to privatization, annual revenue exceeded $1.7 billion, with Earth Intelligence representing approximately 60% and Space Infrastructure 40%. Major customers include the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (EnhancedView contract), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and allied government agencies. Commercial customers span multiple industries requiring high-resolution geospatial data. Under Advent International ownership, Maxar focuses on operational execution and technology investment while operating outside public market pressures. The company continues serving existing contracts while pursuing new opportunities. ## Recent Developments In 2024, Maxar launched WorldView Legion satellites, significantly expanding high-resolution imaging capacity and revisit frequency. These next-generation satellites position the company to meet growing government and commercial demand. The company continued executing major government contracts while expanding commercial applications of its imagery and analytics. Maxar also advanced space infrastructure programs and robotics technology development. Under private ownership, Maxar has invested in technology modernization and operational efficiency. The company explores new capabilities in satellite servicing and in-space assembly. ## Market Position Maxar is the leading provider of high-resolution commercial satellite imagery, with its WorldView constellation providing capabilities unmatched by competitors. Government customers rely on Maxar for the most detailed commercially available satellite imagery. Key competitors include Planet Labs (medium resolution, daily coverage), BlackSky (high resolution, lower capacity), and emerging international providers. Maxar's resolution advantage is most significant for government intelligence and defense applications. Strategic priorities include WorldView Legion constellation deployment, maintaining government customer relationships, growing commercial applications, and advancing space robotics and servicing technologies.

Full Maxar Technologies profile