Ecosia partners with Qwant, launches own EU search alternative to US Big Tech

Green search engine Ecosia is now delivering its own search results for the first time, marking a major shift in the European tech landscape. 

This milestone is made possible by the company’s joint venture with Qwant: European Search Perspective (EUSP). EUSP has developed Staan (Search Trusted API Access Network), a search index aimed to develop sovereign, privacy-first search infrastructure for Europe. 

Check out our recent interview with Christian Kroll, CEO of Ecosia.

For the first time in its 16-year history, Ecosia users in France will now receive a proportion of their search results directly from EUSP’s independent European index. The rollout aims to serve 30% of French search queries by the end of the year. 

“This is a milestone moment for Ecosia and European tech,” said Christian Kroll, CEO of Ecosia

“Having our own search infrastructure is a critical step for digital plurality and for building a sovereign European alternative.

With more control over our offering, we can better serve users, develop ethical AI, and double down on our mission to build tech that benefits people and the planet.” 

Much of Europe’s search, cloud, and AI layers are built on American Big Tech stacks, putting entire sectors — from journalism to climate tech — at the mercy of political or commercial agendas. Building a fully independent search index is more than a symbolic step — it's a foundational investment in Europe’s long-term competitiveness and democratic control. 

A step toward autonomy, competition and sustainability

Ecosia and Qwant have historically relied on syndication platforms, but by jointly building back-end technology and a European index, both firms are gaining greater autonomy over their tech —- and creating a viable, competitive alternative for other search engines and AI providers in Europe.

“This isn’t just about better search - it’s about the freedom to build and shape the future of tech in Europe,” added Kroll. 

“Regulators and lawmakers increasingly recognise the importance of competition and sovereignty in digital infrastructure. We hope they’ll continue supporting open, privacy-first innovation.”

Open accessible European tech for everyone

Unlike Ecosia’s existing steward-owned model, EUSP is structured to allow outside investment, enabling long-term scaling of its infrastructure. EUSP’s search index is also available to other tech companies, offering a foundation for competition, data privacy, and innovation in areas like generative AI.