Ecosia and Qwant Unite for a European AI-Powered Search Index to Rival Big Tech

In a strategic move for data sovereignty and environmental impact, French privacy-centered search engine Qwant and Germany's eco-focused search engine Ecosia are forming a joint venture, European Search Perspective (EUP). The new entity aims to develop a European search index independent of Big Tech’s Bing and Google, on which both have relied for search results. By establishing their own index, they hope to reduce rising API costs and gain greater control over search technology.

EUP will bring together both companies’ engineering resources, starting with service for French and German users in 2025, and then expanding to English. The move supports a broader European push for tech independence, aligning with regulatory initiatives like the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which promotes competitive data sharing. Ecosia CEO Christian Kroll underscored the need for an independent European search infrastructure, not just for privacy but also to prepare for geopolitical shifts.

Both companies aim to enrich user experience through generative AI while staying privacy-first, meaning they won’t tailor search results based on personal data—a significant departure from traditional search models. Although they aren’t developing their own AI models, they plan to integrate leading AI tools, using their proprietary index as a foundational layer for new product features.

Ecosia, with over 20 million global users, and Qwant, which has a stronghold in France, are open to collaborating with other European firms as they work toward making their platform a scalable, sustainable alternative to Big Tech search giants.