Planted Solar Launches with $20M Funding and 11 MW Community Solar Project in Chicago

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Planted Solar has officially launched with $20 million in Series A funding from Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Khosla Ventures and more than 11 megawatts of community solar under development in the Chicago metro area. With steel in the ground and trusted partners on board, Planted is showing what’s possible when solar is reengineered from the ground up.

Planted’s integrated platform combines development software, high-density terrain-following arrays, and automated installation to help solar developers move faster, reduce risk, and make better use of land—at scale.

Smarter solar in action: Partnering with Cultivate Power on community solar

Planted is partnering with Cultivate Power to deploy community solar projects that deliver more energy per acre and reduce complexity in construction. The Chicago-area developments are expected to deliver twice the energy per acre compared to conventional solar systems.

“Planted Solar gives our team a strategic tool to be stewards of the land and develop better projects with our community partners,” said Brian Matthay, co-founder and Managing Director of Cultivate Power. “We’re focused on integrating solar into local environments and agricultural operations—not fighting against them. Planted helps us do that at scale.”

For community solar developers looking to unlock more sites, increase throughput, and cut balance of system costs, Planted’s platform offers clear advantages:

• Smaller footprint: Terrain-following arrays generate high energy density with just 2 acres per megawatt.
• Faster builds: Modular equipment and robotic installation speed up deployment by 3X.
• Lower costs: Up to 50% reduction in balance of system costs through integrated design and simplified installation.
• Minimal disruption: Arrays can be built on slopes up to 27%, reducing or eliminating grading and preserving topography.

Solar development needs a smarter approach

The solar industry has made tremendous progress—but to meet growing energy demand and ambitious climate goals, it needs to scale faster, more efficiently, and with less risk.

“Solar has become the backbone of new electricity generation, but significant advances are needed for the next phase of growth,” said Eric Brown, CEO of Planted Solar. “We’ve rethought every element of the solar plant—from hardware to workflows—to help developers unlock more land, reduce complexity, and increase their pace of deployment.”

Planted’s integrated system is designed for developers facing tight interconnection windows, rising costs, and shrinking margins. By cutting project timelines in half and enabling builds on previously underutilized land, the platform offers a strategic advantage in a rapidly shifting energy landscape.

Backed by investors who know what it takes to scale

Planted’s $20M Series A funding round was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Khosla Ventures—two firms known for backing technologies that accelerate the clean energy transition. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office is also supporting Planted through a competitive award for innovative solar deployment.

“We believe Planted Solar’s technology can play a major role in expanding access to clean, reliable energy,” said Carmichael Roberts of Breakthrough Energy Ventures. “Its combination of advanced robotics, design simplicity, and integrated software has the potential to transform how solar projects get built.”

Khosla Ventures partner Rajesh Swaminathan added: “Planted is taking a bold, systems-level approach to a problem the entire solar industry is feeling. This is the kind of innovation that drives real impact.”

Unlocking more opportunity for community solar developers

Community solar plays a vital role in bringing clean energy access to more people—especially in urban, suburban, and rural areas where traditional utility-scale solar isn’t always a fit. But siting and building these projects comes with its own set of challenges: land constraints, permitting friction, and pressure to deliver benefits to local communities.

Planted’s technology is built to meet those challenges head-on. By dramatically shrinking the land footprint per megawatt, enabling construction on uneven or previously overlooked terrain, and cutting build times, Planted expands what’s possible for developers working on community solar.

For communities, that means clean energy with less disruption. For developers, it means faster, more efficient projects with better returns.

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About Planted Solar

Planted Solar is redefining solar deployment with an integrated hardware and software platform that pairs high-density, terrain-following arrays with automated installation. Planted’s smarter, streamlined approach helps developers, EPCs, and IPPs unlock more land, lower costs, and build projects in half the time—delivering stronger project outcomes and accelerating the delivery of abundant energy. Learn more at www.plantedsolar.com.

About Cultivate Power

Cultivate Power is a distributed solar and storage project developer committed to strengthening communities, the grid, and climate stability. The company is uniquely focused on developing 10- to 50-acre solar and storage projects on farmland and infill. Led by long-time renewable energy professionals Brian Matthay and Noah Hyte, Cultivate Power and its in-market development teams operate with the belief that climate challenges can be better addressed by prioritizing the local benefits of distributed clean power. For more information, please visit www.cultivate-power.com.

About Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Backed by many of the world’s top business leaders, BEV has raised more than $2 billion in committed capital to support cutting-edge companies that are leading the world to net-zero emissions. BEV is a purpose-built investment firm that is seeking to invest, launch and scale global companies that will eliminate GHG emissions throughout the economy as soon as possible. BEV seeks true breakthroughs and is committed to supporting these entrepreneurs and companies by bringing to bear a unique combination of technical, operational, market and policy expertise.

BEV is a part of Breakthrough Energy, a network of investment vehicles, philanthropic programs, policy advocacy and other activities committed to scaling the technologies we need to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Visit www.breakthroughenergy.org to learn more.

About Khosla Ventures

Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in clean technology and internet companies. Founded in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems and former general partner at Kleiner Perkins, the firm is based in Menlo Park, California. Khosla Ventures provides venture assistance and strategic advice to entrepreneurs working on breakthrough technologies. The firm has a broad portfolio that includes investments in clean energy, agriculture, health, materials, and artificial intelligence. For more information, visit www.khoslaventures.com.

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