Ecosia key facts
Last updated- Legal entity
- Ecosia GmbH
- Headquarters
- Germany (DE)
- Ownership
- Part of None (Steward-owned)
- Founded
- 2009
- Data hosting
- Germany, EU (any EU region)
- Infrastructure
- Microsoft Bing (Search Index/Ads), Google (Search Index)
- Deployment
- SaaS
- Open source
- No
- US Cloud Act exposure
- Exposed
- Certifications
- B Corp
- Replaces
- Google Search, Microsoft Bing, DuckDuckGo
About Ecosia
Ecosia is a Berlin-based search engine that operates as a social business, dedicating 100% of its profits to climate action, primarily reforestation and solar energy production. Founded by Christian Kroll, the company is structured as a 'steward-ownership' entity, meaning shares cannot be sold to outside investors and profits cannot be taken out of the company, ensuring its long-term commitment to its environmental mission. While the service provides industry-standard search results through partnerships with Microsoft Bing and Google, it distinguishes itself through a radical commitment to user privacy and environmental transparency. Ecosia does not create permanent personal profiles of its users, encrypts searches, and does not sell user data to advertisers. It serves as a prominent European alternative to dominant US-based search engines, leveraging its revenue to plant tens of millions of trees across biodiversity hotspots globally.
Alternative to
Target Segments
Deployment Options
Hosting & Security
Microsoft Bing (Search Index/Ads), Google (Search Index)