Planted Solar Secures $12 Million Funding To Speed Up Solar Deployment

Traditional solar project development has long been hindered by slow timelines, high costs, and a fragmented supply chain—developers often manage multiple vendors, rigid hardware setups, and labor-intensive installation processes. Founded in 2020, Planted Solar set out to transform this outdated approach by introducing a fully integrated platform that simplifies and accelerates every stage of solar deployment.

Planted Solar’s platform is built around three core innovations. First, its smart digital planning tools replace disjointed software with a unified workflow that generates optimized layouts, accurate energy models, and engineering drawings. These feed directly into field operations, helping speed up project timelines.

Second, the company has developed high-density, terrain-following solar hardware that reduces land use by half and removes the need for expensive site grading—making it possible to build on previously unsuitable land, including slopes of up to 27%. Third, its rapid installation tools, which include field robotics and simplified components, allow projects to be completed faster using smaller crews, significantly increasing labor efficiency and reducing the chance of on-site errors.

Eric Brown, CEO of Planted Solar, mentioned, “We’ve seen the headlines, but the real story is happening behind the scenes. Forward-looking developers are still moving, and we’re helping them move faster. We’re rethinking solar deployment to deliver what developers urgently need to build energy generation capacity today: less risk, better returns, and faster time to power. Piva’s deep experience with energy innovation and alignment with our vision of abundant and affordable energy make them an ideal partner as we scale to deliver the smarter approach that the solar industry needs.”

Mark Gudiksen, Managing Partner at Piva Capital, stated, “Solar developers don’t have a decade to solve these problems—the crunch is happening right now. Planted Solar’s platform clears some of the industry’s biggest roadblocks by making it faster and cheaper to get projects in the ground. This is exactly the kind of pragmatic innovation the energy transition needs.”

As a result, developers using Planted Solar’s system can complete solar projects twice as fast and at lower cost, all while minimizing project risk and improving overall returns. Key advantages of the system include 50% less land use, up to 70% reduction in steel requirements, 30% lower cost of energy, and accelerated timelines for high-demand applications such as manufacturing facilities and data centers.

With support from Piva Capital, Planted Solar is now scaling its operations. The new funding will be used to enhance both its software and hardware offerings, increase deployment capacity, and establish global partnerships. Currently, the company is executing a wide range of solar projects across the U.S., from community installations to behind-the-meter systems for hospitals and infrastructure. It is also expanding into international markets like Asia-Pacific and Europe, where the need for land-efficient, clean energy solutions continues to grow.