Planet Opens London Office, Expanding European Footprint
Planet Labs UK, a leading provider of daily data and insights about change on Earth, today announced the opening of its new office in central London. It marks a significant milestone in Planet's commitment to the United Kingdom as a critical partner within the high-growth space economy.
The office will serve as a national hub for AI and analytics partnerships, placing Planet at the epicentre of Britain's leading commercial technology sector. This strategic location, steps away from Westminster and Whitehall, facilitates deeper engagement with policymakers and key stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the Department of Business and Trade (DBT) and NATO alliance representatives.
“As a British founder, it's a delight to open our first UK office. And it's great to see the UK’s leadership in both space and AI. There’s a massive economic opportunity here in downstream services, and as the UK is a services-led economy, it is in a prime position to lead,” said Will Marshall, co-founder and CEO of Planet. “We look forward to continuing working closely with the UK Government and the ecosystem of partners across the country to expand adoption of Earth Observation capabilities across all sectors of the economy, and strengthening the UK’s global leadership in AI and data science.”
Planet has a long history in the UK. The Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall is a cornerstone of the company’s operations, supporting high-frequency data downlinks from its constellation of over 200 satellites. The UK is the only country with executive leadership based locally outside the US. The company’s team in the UK has grown to over 30, comprising members of the global leadership team, engineering, sales, customer support, government affairs and marketing, integrating with the UK space ecosystem and understanding the challenges and opportunities in the UK. With this new office, Planet plans to increase hiring efforts across the country, attracting highly-skilled talent from the UK's thriving space, data science and AI communities.
Space Minister Liz Lloyd said, “Planet’s decision to open a London office is a powerful vote of confidence in the UK’s world-leading science and technology ecosystem. Having already won UK government contracts, I’m delighted to see them deepen their roots in our space ecosystem – proof that government procurement can drive growth and attract businesses to Britain. By bringing highly-skilled jobs in AI, data science and space here, Planet is playing a vital role in cementing the UK’s status as a global science and technology superpower.”
Planet maintains a deep and longstanding partnership with key UK government agencies, including England’s Rural Payments Agency, the devolved governments of Wales and Scotland, and with organisations such as UKspace, TechUK, Space4Climate, ADS Group, the British Association of Remote Sensing Companies (BARSC), and the King’s Sustainable Markets Initiative.
“The UK office allows us to better serve our critical customers by being physically present where the decisions that shape the country are made,” said Charlie Candy, Chief Revenue Officer and UK Managing Director at Planet. “Surrounded by leading commercial companies and stakeholders, a short walk away from Westminster policymakers, and well-connected to London Heathrow, this office will be an international engine for hosting Planet employees, customers and partners - enabling discussion on the innovative solutions needed to address complex global challenges. It marks our status as a deeply embedded partner, dedicated to the UK’s success in space and AI.”
The UK office is the newest addition to Planet’s growing European network, which includes its European headquarters and upcoming satellite manufacturing facility in Berlin. The company maintains additional offices in Haarlem, Ljubljana, and Graz, and Europe is home to over 30% of Planet’s global team. Ground stations located in the UK, Germany, Iceland, and Norway are used for downloading nearly 50% of Planet’s data, reinforcing the company's commitment to local space capabilities, European resilience and data sovereignty.