Rendering of a next-generation Planet Owl satellite in orbit. Photo: Planet

Planet Labs’ German subsidiary is partnering with a new arm of insurance firm AXA to integrate its Earth Observation data into an AI-powered risk management system to monitor and predict natural disasters.

AXA Digital Commercial Platform (AXA DCP), a new arm of AXA, will use Planet’s high- and medium-resolution satellites and its high-frequency basemaps, refreshed almost daily, to inform its clients about catastrophes like floods, wildfires, and hurricanes. The companies announced the deal on Feb. 12.

“At a time like this, we are looking to strike deals with those companies that can provide us the high-quality climate intelligence we need to better understand and respond rapidly to such events and, to the degree that it is possible, foresee them and enable our clients to take preventative or evasive measures,” AXA DCP CEO Pierre du Rostu said in a release.

Planet said its data is essential for insurance companies to build predictive models and analyze risk more efficiently.

As climate change intensifies, damages from natural disasters are on the rise. There were 28 and 27 natural disasters in the United States with damages exceeding $1 billion in 2023 and 2024 respectively, up from an average of 9 disasters for all years from 1980 to 2024, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.