Dubai, United Arab Emirates – UAE-based climatetech startup Planno has secured a strategic investment from Incubayt Investments, the sustainability-focused venture firm founded by Sami Khoreibi, to accelerate its international expansion and enhance its geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) platform for the solar industry.
Founded in 2023 by Daniel Domingues, Planno has developed a GeoAI platform that combines satellite imagery with local market data to help solar developers, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies, and public sector organizations identify high-potential commercial and industrial rooftops for solar installations.
Following the investment from Incubayt, Planno has expanded its operations beyond the GCC into 16 markets across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the United States. The company now serves a diverse customer base that includes regional solar developers, EPC firms, and global energy companies.
Sami Khoreibi, Founder of Incubayt Investments, said the firm backs founders building globally scalable businesses from the UAE that address significant global challenges.
“We invest in founders building globally ambitious projects from the UAE on problems that matter at scale. The solar industry has never been short of capital or sunlight. What it has lacked is intelligence—where to build, and who owns the roof. In a data-driven economy, that insight is as valuable as the projects themselves. Planno is exactly that.”
The investment marks Incubayt’s first venture into geospatial AI for the solar sector, supporting Planno’s expansion into international markets.
Daniel Domingues, Founder and CEO of Planno, highlighted the growing importance of rooftop solar as businesses seek greater control over energy costs amid rising electricity demand driven by AI data centres and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties.
“Oil and gas are global commodities. Even countries that produce them feel every shock because the price is set somewhere else. Rooftop solar is one of the few cost-control levers a commercial operator actually owns.”
Significant Untapped Rooftop Solar Opportunity
According to Planno’s market analysis, Dubai remains one of the Middle East’s fastest-growing rooftop solar markets, with solar-equipped rooftops increasing by 39% between late 2023 and the first quarter of 2025.
Despite this growth, the company estimates that only 5.6% of Dubai’s 15,283 commercial and industrial rooftops currently host solar installations, leaving nearly 4 GW of potential rooftop solar capacity undeveloped.
Planno noted that similar trends exist across major Gulf cities, where thousands of commercial buildings continue to rely entirely on grid electricity despite significant rooftop solar potential.
Global Expansion Strategy
Since receiving Incubayt’s investment, Planno has established operations across four continents, providing geospatial intelligence solutions to solar developers, EPC contractors, and energy companies seeking to accelerate commercial and industrial solar deployment.
Looking ahead, the company plans to continue expanding its platform into additional international markets while making advanced geospatial intelligence accessible to solar developers of all sizes.
“We want every solar developer in every market, not just the largest ones, to have proper data to work with. Incubayt’s early backing gave us the foundation to build that. We’re now applying the same playbook country by country,” Domingues added.
