Planno Secures Strategic Investment from Incubayt to Scale Solar Geospatial AI Globally
UAE-based climate technology startup Planno has secured a strategic investment from Incubayt Investments to accelerate the international expansion of its geospatial AI platform for the solar industry.
The investment comes from Incubayt Investments, the sustainability-focused venture firm founded by Sami Khoreibi, and marks the firm’s first investment in geospatial AI for solar. Following the investment, Planno has expanded its operations from the GCC into 16 markets across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the United States.
Founded in 2023 by Daniel Domingues, Dubai-based Planno develops a geospatial AI platform that combines satellite imagery with local market intelligence to help solar developers, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firms, and public agencies identify high-potential commercial and industrial rooftops for solar installations. The platform is designed to improve site selection by providing developers with detailed insights into rooftop ownership, solar potential, and market opportunities, helping reduce the time and complexity involved in developing commercial solar projects.
According to Incubayt founder Sami Khoreibi, while the solar industry has access to both capital and abundant renewable resources, it continues to face a shortage of actionable intelligence that enables developers to identify the right projects efficiently. He said: "Planno addresses this challenge by providing data-driven insights that have become increasingly valuable as the global energy transition accelerates."
Since receiving Incubayt’s backing, Planno has grown beyond its home market and now serves customers ranging from regional solar developers and EPC companies to global energy operators across four continents.
Daniel Domingues, Founder and CEO of Planno, said rising electricity demand driven by AI data centers and growing geopolitical uncertainty are increasing interest in distributed renewable energy. He noted that rooftop solar gives commercial property owners greater control over energy costs, making accurate site intelligence increasingly important. The company aims to make high-quality geospatial data accessible to solar developers of all sizes, rather than limiting advanced analytics to large energy companies.
Planno’s analysis of Dubai’s commercial and industrial buildings suggests significant untapped potential remains in one of the Middle East’s fastest-growing rooftop solar markets. According to the company, only 5.6% of the emirate’s 15,283 commercial and industrial rooftops currently host solar installations, leaving an estimated 4 gigawatts of potential capacity undeveloped, despite a 39% increase in solar-equipped rooftops between late 2023 and the first quarter of 2025. The company said similar patterns exist across major Gulf cities, where thousands of commercial buildings continue to consume electricity despite having the potential to generate renewable energy on-site.
