Tree planting search engine Ecosia launched a brand new cross-platform browser at this time to extend its on-line footprint.

The brand new browser, out there for Mac, Home windows, iOS, and Android, is constructed on high of Chromium. That’s why there aren’t many characteristic variations from Chrome. The corporate sees that as factor as folks could be tempted to change over with out letting go of their internet shopping routine. Nevertheless, you may customise the touchdown web page and take away sections — reminiscent of high websites or local weather influence — that aren’t to your liking.

Picture Credit: Ecosia

Michael Metcalf, Ecosia’s chief product officer, advised TechCrunch over a name that the corporate constructed a browser to develop its sustainable presence.

“The primary purpose we’re constructing a browser is as a result of we need to go the place our customers are and begin to develop the footprint of the place they are often sustainable. Proper now, our most important use case is round search, however we need to develop into components of shopping experiences,” Metcalf stated.

Ecosia can be beginning an affiliate buying program with the launch of this new browser. Customers will see hyperlinks to buying websites like Amazon, eBay, and Decathlon beneath the sponsored hyperlinks part.

The corporate stated all the cash earned by affiliate revenues will go in direction of planting bushes and backing different inexperienced initiatives. By means of this type of funding, Ecosia has dedicated to producing 25Wh of unpolluted vitality per consumer every day they browse.

Metcalf stated that whereas the corporate promotes decrease consumption, it’s conscious that individuals store continuously, and with the associates program, they’ve a chance to provide again.

Sooner or later, the corporate desires to enhance the affiliate buying interface, combine its AI chatbot, and add extra customization to the browser.

It’s robust to ask folks to vary their browsers, so the corporate goals to focus on its present consumer base of 20 million initially, together with advertising focused in direction of informal inexperienced customers. The corporate stated that it was pleased with the retention fee in its early beta testing. Nevertheless, it doesn’t have any knowledge on whether or not there was any influence on the quantity of Ecosia searches when a consumer switches to the corporate’s browser.

Ecosia made just a few structural adjustments to its search engine final yr. After years of utilizing Bing as a sole search supplier, the corporate began experimenting with Google search in markets like Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, and the Philippines. The corporate makes use of System1, which syndicates search outcomes from Microsoft Bing, Startpage, and Data.com in different geographies.

Earlier this yr, Ecosia additionally crossed the mark of planting greater than 200 million bushes throughout 95,000 areas worldwide.