Qwant, a search engine focused on privacy, and Ecosia, a non-profit search engine that plants trees with ad revenue, are teaming up to create a European search index. This collaboration aims to drive innovation in their search engines, reduce reliance on big tech like Google and Microsoft, and lower operational costs. Both search engines currently use Bing’s search APIs, with Ecosia also using Google’s search results.
The motivation behind this partnership is the rising API costs, with Microsoft increasing prices for Bing’s search APIs last year. While Qwant and Ecosia won’t completely stop using Bing or Google, they plan to diversify the core tech supporting their services with their own index. This move will also serve as a technical base for their product development as generative AI technologies become more prominent in digital services.
Both search engines have integrated some generative AI features and plan to explore more opportunities in this area. They believe that combining GenAI models with up-to-date information from search queries will enhance the user experience. The partnership, called European Search Perspective, will have a 50:50 ownership split and aims to provide search results that prioritize privacy.
The new index is expected to start serving France-based search engine traffic for Ecosia and Qwant by the first quarter of next year, expanding to include a significant portion of traffic in Germany by the end of 2025. English will be the third language added, with more European languages potentially included in the future. Qwant’s engineering team will move to the joint venture, and Qwant’s CEO, Olivier Abecassis, will lead the new entity.
This partnership between Qwant and Ecosia aligns with the European Union’s goal to foster homegrown tech innovation and increase data sovereignty. As the U.S. and Europe navigate geopolitical uncertainties, having a European search index ensures that Europe can maintain control over its search infrastructure. This move also reflects a strategic shift away from big tech’s surveillance capitalism model towards a more privacy-focused approach.
Building a search index from scratch is a costly and complex endeavor, but Qwant and Ecosia are committed to creating a unique and diverse search experience for users. By combining their expertise, data, and financing, the two search engines aim to provide more efficient and privacy-oriented search results. This partnership represents a step towards a more independent and innovative European tech ecosystem.
