Nvidia hits $81.6B quarterly revenue on 85% growth; Planet Labs expands from space data

Nvidia and Planet Labs operate in fundamentally different business segments, yet both demonstrate the commercial momentum underpinning their respective markets. Nvidia, which provides advanced graphics, computational, and networking solutions, has achieved extraordinary scale—its $81.6 billion Q2 2026 revenue represents an 85% year-over-year increase. The company commenced full production of its new hardware architecture, Vera Rubin, even as it navigated regulatory scrutiny over export controls. Its forward guidance to $91 billion next quarter signals an acceleration trajectory that reflects explosive demand for AI semiconductors.

Planet Labs, by contrast, operates at a vastly smaller revenue base ($94.2 million in Q2 2026) but is also expanding rapidly, posting 42% year-over-year growth. The company generates revenue by deploying satellite constellations for geospatial data services and has secured an eight-figure government contract extension. Notably, Planet Labs' backlog grew 72% year-over-year to over $900 million, indicating that future revenue growth is already contracted. While the company currently operates at a loss (a -148% net income margin), its backlog and growth rate suggest the space-based economy is emerging as a genuine commercial opportunity.

For investors tracking these two businesses, the contrast is instructive: Nvidia's profitability (72% net income margin) combined with accelerating scale reflects mature, high-margin AI infrastructure demand, while Planet Labs' negative margin offset by substantial backlog growth reflects an earlier-stage company still scaling to profitability within an expanding sector.