Qwant and Ecosia have launched a joint European search index called Staan. The index aims to cut costs and boost privacy compared to Google and Bing.
The two privacy-focused search engines formed a joint venture last year named European Search Perspective (EUSP). They expect Staan to handle 50% of French and 33% of German searches by year-end.
Qwant is already using the index for features like AI search summaries. Ecosia plans to add AI features soon. EUSP is also pushing Staan for in-app search, zeroing in on chatbots as a cheaper alternative to Google and Bing’s pricey options. 
Christian Kroll, Ecosia’s CEO, told TechCrunch:
“If you’re using ChatGPT or any other AI chatbot, they all do knowledge grounding with web search […] our index can power deep research and AI summary features. Google and Bing’s solutions are also pricey, and our index can offer power search features at a tenth of the cost,”
The wider aim: build a European tech stack free from U.S. and Chinese influence. Kroll and partners warn the 2024 U.S. election outcome revealed Europe’s vulnerability due to heavy reliance on American tech.
They issued a statement:
“The timing could not be more urgent. The outcome of the 2024 U.S. election has reminded European policymakers and innovators just how exposed Europe remains when it comes to core digital infrastructure. 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,”
Kroll added EUSP’s index, coupled with strict European privacy laws, delivers a more privacy-friendly search alternative to U.S. giants.
The initiative positions Europe as a serious player aiming for digital independence and a privacy edge in search.
