About Ecosia

Ecosia, founded in 2009 by Christian Kroll, is a search engine that donates a significant portion of its revenue to environmental causes, specifically reforestation projects. The company was established after Kroll traveled the world and became motivated to contribute to positive environmental change. Ecosia is based in Berlin and has become known as the "tree-planting search engine."

Ecosia operates like a standard search engine, using Bing’s search index to provide results while layering on its own algorithms to improve relevance. What sets Ecosia apart is that it uses its ad revenue to fund tree-planting initiatives globally. The engine is transparent about its financials, publishing monthly reports to show how funds are distributed. It also claims to be carbon-negative, running its servers on renewable energy.

Ecosia has planted over 180 million trees as of 2023, and its user base continues to grow, particularly among environmentally conscious users. It has a small but dedicated following, and while it doesn’t compete with major search engines in terms of market share, it remains a viable alternative for those interested in supporting environmental efforts while searching online.

Ecosia Timeline

• 2009: Ecosia was founded by Christian Kroll in Berlin, Germany, with a mission to use ad revenue to plant trees around the world. Inspired by environmental challenges and sustainable business models, Ecosia aimed to make a positive impact by combining internet search with reforestation efforts.
• 2010: Ecosia partnered with WWF for its first tree-planting project in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. By the end of the year, it had helped plant over 50,000 trees, marking its initial success in combining search with environmental initiatives.
• 2014: Ecosia reached the milestone of 1 million trees planted. The company gained more visibility among environmentally-conscious users who appreciated its commitment to transparency, including public financial reports and tree-planting receipts.
• 2017: Ecosia launched a renewable energy initiative, building solar power plants to ensure that its search operations were carbon negative. This effort meant that Ecosia could power its searches with clean energy while removing CO2 from the atmosphere through its tree-planting projects.
• 2019: The search engine celebrated planting 50 million trees worldwide, with a focus on regions like Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Madagascar, and Peru. Ecosia’s popularity continued to grow, particularly among younger users who valued the idea of contributing to reforestation with every search.
• 2021: Ecosia crossed the milestone of 100 million trees planted and expanded its focus to biodiversity hotspots and areas severely affected by deforestation. It also emphasized privacy, offering a search experience free from tracking and personalized ads.
• 2023: Ecosia announced that it had funded the planting of over 175 million trees. As a certified B-Corp, Ecosia continued to prioritize its social and environmental goals over profits, making its mission of combating climate change through reforestation even more prominent.
• Legacy: Ecosia is recognized as a pioneering green search engine, proving that digital businesses can be leveraged for social impact. By turning everyday searches into real-world environmental action, Ecosia has inspired a growing movement towards sustainable tech and corporate responsibility.

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