How can a search engine fund projects?
Very good question: that's exactly what we asked ourselves when launching Lilo.
Your internet searches generate money each year through sponsored links and ads at the top of each results page. In France, this represents the substantial sum of 2 billion euros per year.
At Lilo, we decided to develop a search engine that allows you to take control of this money by funding solidarity projects. Every month, 80% of Lilo's profits are redistributed. This money is yours to decide how we distribute it, by giving the water drops earned with each of your internet searches to the organizations of your choice to fund them for free.
Since Lilo's creation, more than 5 million euros have already been used to fund solidarity projects. And this is just the beginning!
Will the quality be the same as with my old search engine?
We are a search engine. Our number 1 mission remains to allow you to quickly find everything you're looking for on the internet.
We therefore do not compromise on the relevance of results. That's why we have established a partnership with Microsoft Bing and Yellow Pages.
With Lilo, you will therefore have the same quality of results as if you were using Microsoft's search engine, deployed on a very large part of computers.
Finally, changing search engines is simple but we know it can sometimes shake up our habits a bit. So if sometimes you want to check what Google could have offered you, we've provided a tab that allows you to directly access these results without re-entering your search. Yes, we like to be pragmatic at Lilo đ
What projects can I support with Lilo?
There are many! This is a choice we made because we are convinced that there is not ONE but MANY ways to act to make things change.
Concretely, you can choose to fight deforestation in the Amazon, help make sick children's dreams come true, or save the turtles of Mayotte. But these are just examples.
For us, it's the diversity of projects offered that makes Lilo strong. That's why you'll find more than a hundred different projects to support. Some offered by large NGOs, others by small neighborhood associations. Only one thing in common: they all have a strong social & environmental impact.
How is money actually donated to projects?
There are many! This is a choice we made because we are convinced that there is not ONE but MANY ways to act to make things change.
Concretely, you can choose to fight deforestation in the Amazon, help make sick children's dreams come true, or save the turtles of Mayotte. But these are just examples.
Is Lilo an ecological search engine?
In addition to enabling the funding of several hundred organizations in favor of the planet, we have committed to a voluntary carbon neutrality approach. In clear terms, this means that we are fully aware of having a carbon impact on a daily basis (even if we promise, we do our best to fight against digital pollution) and that we have decided to compensate this negative impact with an equivalent positive impact.
How do we do it? Attention scoop: we did not choose to plant trees. To offset our emissions, we chose to fund an ecological stove program that fights deforestation and reduces CO2 emissions in Malawi.
Why this choice? Because carbon offsetting happens today. It is not subject to the hazards (climatic, human...) like young trees that will take several years before becoming "lungs" for the planet. Finally because the program combines ecological and societal issues by improving the living conditions of thousands of families in the poorest country in the world. And voila! We link solidarity and ecology... with immediate impact ;)
Small clarification: we fund this project on our side, independently of the water drops donated by internet users (this seems obvious to us but we prefer to say it ;)
Is Lilo a French company?
Yes sir/madam (we let you imagine a Cocoricooo sound effect that would come at that moment). We are a French company and we are proud to pay our taxes in France (no we are not targeting anyone in particular đ).
Our servers are also hosted in France. This is important because France and the European Union apply the strictest legislation in terms of personal data protection. And for fans of Malotru & Bureau des légendes, it's also additional protection against foreign intelligence services. And yes, the KGB will know nothing about you ;)
Is your search engine called Lilo in reference to Lilo & Stitch?
Very good question. Know that we love Lilo & Stitch. Even if we're always worried about the idea that Stitch might get captured by that group of aliens. To tell you the truth, we're a bit less fans of Lilo & Stitch 2 and 3. But we all agree that sequels are never very successful, right?
But we're getting off track here! To answer the question, our name does not refer to Lilo & Stitch. You should rather look for the explanation on the side of Hawaii. And yes, for all those who didn't take Hawaiian as a second language, know that "Lilo" means "generous" in Hawaiian. And we think that fits quite well with what we're trying to do.
