Planted raises $31.8M Series B led by RA Capital Management for autonomous solar deployment robots

Planted Raises $31.8M Series B to Automate Utility-Scale Solar Construction

Planted, an Oakland, California-based company building an autonomous power deployment platform, has raised a $31.8 million Series B round. The round was led by RA Capital Management.

What Planted Does

Planted builds robots that install utility-scale solar and energy infrastructure. Its robotic fleet — including the next-generation Sage robot — automates site preparation and module placement, with the goal of compressing deployment timelines as demand for renewable power outpaces construction capacity.

The company was formerly known as Planted Solar.

The Round

• Round type: Series B
• Amount: $31.8 million USD
• Date: September 15, 2026
• Lead investor: RA Capital Management
• Participating investors: Gigascale Capital, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, RA Capital Management, Google, Khosla Ventures, Piva Capital

Why It Matters

The raise points to a specific thesis: renewable power demand is growing faster than the construction capacity available to build the infrastructure that supplies it. Planted's answer is automation — robots that handle site preparation and module placement, the labor-intensive physical steps that gate project schedules.

By targeting utility-scale deployment rather than residential or small commercial installations, Planted is positioning itself against the segment of the solar market where timelines and labor availability have the largest impact on project economics. The next-generation Sage robot is the company's current flagship in that effort.

Investor Mix

The Series B brings together a mix of climate-focused and strategic backers. RA Capital Management led the round, with Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Gigascale Capital, and Piva Capital participating alongside Google. The presence of both dedicated climate investors and a corporate strategic investor suggests continued interest in the intersection of robotics and energy infrastructure.

What to Watch

For observers tracking the company, the key questions are deployment scale and execution. Planted's platform is aimed at compressing timelines on utility-scale projects — a claim that will be tested as the company moves from pilot deployments toward broader commercial rollout. The Series B capital gives it room to expand its robotic fleet and prove out the Sage robot in the field.

Planted's positioning sits at the convergence of two active markets: robotics automation and renewable energy construction. As demand for renewable power continues to outpace the capacity to build it, companies that can shorten deployment schedules stand to capture meaningful share of the infrastructure buildout.