The Search Engine That Plants Trees and Protects Privacy
Ecosia is a Berlin-based social business search engine founded in 2009 by Christian Kroll that uses 100% of its profits for climate action, primarily through tree planting projects worldwide. What began as a tree-planting search engine has evolved into a comprehensive climate impact platform, having facilitated the planting of over 230 million trees across 35+ countries in biodiversity hotspots. Ecosia operates as a certified B Corporation and is legally structured as a steward-owned company, meaning profits cannot be extracted and the company cannot be sold, ensuring its mission remains protected in perpetuity.
Ecosia’s search technology, powered by Bing and enhanced with proprietary algorithms, delivers quality results while maintaining user privacy through encrypted searches, no personal profiling, anonymization of queries within four days, and no data selling to advertisers or third parties. The company runs on 200% renewable energy, with solar plants generating twice the electricity needed for operations, effectively pushing fossil fuels off the grid. Beyond tree planting, Ecosia now invests in regenerative agriculture, climate technology ventures through World Fund (a €350 million climate VC fund), renewable energy infrastructure, and biodiversity protection initiatives. Users can track their personal impact through a daily seed collection system in their profile, visualizing how their searches contribute to real-world environmental projects. With over 20 million active users and approximately 97 employees, Ecosia proves that technology companies can prioritize planetary health while delivering competitive services.
