OceanHero
OceanHero operates a free Bing-powered search engine, browser extensions, and mobile apps that redirect search-ad revenue to fund ocean plastic cleanup through partners such as Plastic Bank and Waste Free Oceans, serving 600,000+ environmentally conscious consumers globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersDüsseldorf, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What OceanHero does
OceanHero GmbH is a Düsseldorf-based environmental technology company founded in September 2019 that operates a purpose-driven search engine and browser ecosystem which redirects search advertising revenue to ocean plastic cleanup. The company builds browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox and dedicated mobile applications for iOS and Android, all powered by Microsoft Bing search infrastructure and monetized through Microsoft Bing Ads and Google AdSense for Search. Approximately 80% of net profits are allocated to ocean cleanup through vetted nonprofit partners, primarily Plastic Bank (operating collection hubs in Indonesia, Haiti, and the Philippines supporting 4,300+ collectors) and Waste Free Oceans (operating across Europe, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa), with Trash Waste Solutions supporting micro-recycling infrastructure in Indonesia. The product experience centers on a real-time impact counter showing verified bottles recovered (cumulatively 136.9 million+ since launch), customizable new-tab pages, a virtual shell-collection mechanic for personal impact tracking, and a Marine Life Encyclopedia educational layer.
OceanHero firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OceanHero
- Legal name
- OceanHero GmbH
- Website
- https://oceanhero.today
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- OceanHero operates a free Bing-powered search engine, browser extensions, and mobile apps that redirect search-ad revenue to fund ocean plastic cleanup through partners such as Plastic Bank and Waste Free Oceans, serving 600,000+ environmentally conscious consumers globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where OceanHero is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Düsseldorf
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
OceanHero business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Search Advertising Revenue: OceanHero generates revenue through cost-per-click advertising via Microsoft Bing Ads and Google AdSense for Search. Ads appear as small circles on the browser's new tab page and as search ads on search results pages. Approximately 80% of net profits are allocated to ocean cleanup initiatives through vetted nonprofit partners including Plastic Bank and Waste Free Oceans.
- Contextual Advertising: Without user consent to personalization, contextual advertisements are displayed that are relevant solely to the user's current search query. With consent, personalized advertisements utilizing cookies and interest-based targeting are enabled.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free tier - Full access to all features |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
OceanHero product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OceanHero offers a free, advertising-supported search engine powered by Microsoft Bing, delivered to consumers through proprietary Chrome and Firefox browser extensions and dedicated iOS and Android mobile browser applications. The product provides standard web search results with contextual advertising displayed on new tab pages and search results, and tracks a real-time community impact counter quantifying ocean-bound plastic bottles recovered through nonprofit cleanup partners. Approximately 80% of net advertising profits are allocated to ocean plastic collection via vetted partners including Plastic Bank, Waste Free Oceans and Trash Waste Solutions.
Product overview
OceanHero offers a unified search engine ecosystem with browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, dedicated mobile apps for iOS and Android, and an educational Marine Life Encyclopedia. The core product is a search engine powered by Microsoft Bing that displays ads; approximately 80% of net profits fund ocean plastic cleanup through verified nonprofit partners including Plastic Bank and Waste Free Oceans. The company generates revenue exclusively through advertising and does not charge users.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OceanHero Search Engine A free search engine powered by Microsoft Bing that displays cost-per-click search ads and allocates approximately 80% of net advertising profits to ocean cleanup initiatives via nonprofit partners (Plastic Bank, Waste Free Oceans, Trash Waste Solutions). Built for environmentally conscious individual web users, schools, and organizations seeking a purpose-driven alternative to mainstream search engines.
- OceanHero Browser Extension Browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that changes the new tab page to display OceanHero, includes HD and video ocean backgrounds, a community impact counter showing bottles recovered, frequently visited site shortcuts, built-in games, and the shell-collection personal impact feature. Built for desktop users who want their everyday browsing to fund ocean cleanup without changing their usual search behavior.
- OceanHero Mobile Browser (iOS) Dedicated iOS browser application published on the Apple App Store that provides the same OceanHero search experience, impact counter, and ocean-saving features as the desktop extension, designed for iPhone and iPad users.
- OceanHero Mobile Browser (Android) Dedicated Android browser application published on the Google Play Store that provides the same OceanHero search experience, impact counter, and ocean-saving features as the desktop extension, designed for Android smartphone and tablet users.
- Marine Life Encyclopedia Educational content resource within the OceanHero product that provides information about marine species organized into categories including Sharks & Rays, Seabirds, Ocean Fishes, Cephalopods/Crustaceans, and Corals/Invertebrates, designed to educate users about ocean life and conservation as part of the OceanHero mission.
Quantifiable outcome
- 136,886,858+ ocean-bound plastic bottles recovered since September 2019
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use OceanHero
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
OceanHero technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature5 records
OceanHero partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Plastic BankcorePlastic Bank is a social enterprise that builds recycling ecosystems in under-developed communities to improve livelihoods and protect the ocean. The collected plastic is reborn as Social Plastic®, which is developed into products and packaging. OceanHero supports Plastic Bank's collection hubs in Indonesia, Haiti, and Philippines, where over 4,300 collectors exchange plastic for money, school tuition, or sanitation. David Katz is Founder and CEO of Plastic Bank.
- Waste Free OceanscoreWaste Free Oceans works to reduce marine litter's global impact by reducing, reusing, and recycling. They have created over 10 products from marine litter and collected plastic from over 20 countries using innovative Ocean Trash Catchers that remove floating marine debris. OceanHero supports Waste Free Oceans' programs across Europe, Asia, Americas, Middle East, and Africa. Letitia Florea serves as Secretary General.
- Trash Waste SolutionscoreTrash Waste Solutions is an NGO with volunteers and partners worldwide combating plastic pollution in the ocean. They aim to create a circular economy and prevent plastic from entering the ocean through recycling. OceanHero partnered with Trash Waste Solutions to build the first micro recycling plant in Manado, Indonesia. Johann Blanc is Founder and Project Engineer.
- Coalition for Aquatic ConservationminorOceanHero is part of the Coalition for Aquatic Conservation, founded by Aquatic Life Institute (ALI), which brings together the world's leading experts to protect aquatic animals.
- Microsoft Corporation (Bing)coreOceanHero's search results are powered by Microsoft Bing. OceanHero generates revenue through cost-per-click advertising via Microsoft Bing Ads.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
OceanHero competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ecosia: Berlin-based search engine that uses advertising revenue to fund tree planting. The most direct competitor to OceanHero, sharing the ad-funded social/environmental model, similar product surface (search + browser extension + mobile app), and a shared focus on transparency and verified impact reporting.
- Lilo: French search engine that lets users allocate ad revenue to social and environmental projects of their choice. Closely comparable to OceanHero in business model (ad-funded giving) and product surface, and a direct competitor in the European market.
- GoodSearch: US-based search engine that donates a portion of revenue to nonprofits selected by users. Mirrors OceanHero's ad-funded giving model in the consumer search category, though with a broader nonprofit mission rather than a single environmental focus.
- Tab for a Cause: Browser extension that turns opened tabs into charitable donations. Shares OceanHero's product-led growth motion, browser-extension distribution, and free-to-user ad-funded giving model, though focused on browsing rather than search.
Broad incumbents
- Brave: Privacy-focused browser with an ad-supported revenue model that shares ad revenue with users. Comparable to OceanHero in ad-funded business model and browser distribution, but operates at much larger scale and without an environmental cleanup mission.
- DuckDuckGo: Privacy-focused search engine and browser with significantly larger scale. Competes for the same environmentally/ethically conscious user segment as OceanHero but pursues a different mission (privacy rather than ocean cleanup) and has a much larger user base.
- Qwant: European privacy-focused search engine. Comparable product category and regional footprint (Europe) to OceanHero, but broader positioning, EU-public backing, and substantially larger scale.
Others
- Plastic Bank: Social enterprise that builds plastic collection ecosystems in coastal communities and is OceanHero's primary cleanup partner. Not a direct competitor but operates in the same ocean plastic value chain, with overlapping impact metrics and ESG positioning.
- Waste Free Oceans: International foundation focused on reducing, reusing, and recycling marine litter, and a core OceanHero cleanup partner. Adjacent in the ocean plastic value chain and shares the verified-impact reporting approach.
Emerging players
- Startpage: Privacy-focused search engine offering Google results without tracking. Competes in the same search-product category as OceanHero but lacks the environmental mission and ad-revenue donation model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
OceanHero social profiles
Digital presenceOceanHero compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
OceanHero financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OceanHero leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
OceanHero funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OceanHero M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OceanHero
What does OceanHero do?
OceanHero offers a free, advertising-supported search engine powered by Microsoft Bing, delivered to consumers through proprietary Chrome and Firefox browser extensions and dedicated iOS and Android mobile browser applications. The product provides standard web search results with contextual advertising displayed on new tab pages and search results, and tracks a real-time community impact counter quantifying ocean-bound plastic bottles recovered through nonprofit cleanup partners. Approximately 80% of net advertising profits are allocated to ocean plastic collection via vetted partners including Plastic Bank, Waste Free Oceans and Trash Waste Solutions.
Is OceanHero a public or private company?
OceanHero is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was OceanHero founded?
OceanHero was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is OceanHero based?
OceanHero is headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does OceanHero make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Search Advertising Revenue is the primary driver. The others are contextual Advertising.
Who are OceanHero's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ecosia, Lilo, GoodSearch and Tab for a Cause. Broad incumbents are Brave, DuckDuckGo and Qwant. Others are Plastic Bank and Waste Free Oceans. Startpage is listed as an emerging player.
Does OceanHero have an API?
No public API is recorded for OceanHero.