What TERRA ECO does

Terra Eco was an independent French media company (legally Terra Economica SAS) operating a bimedia model across a print magazine and a digital platform (terraeco.net) focused on sustainable development journalism. Founded around 2006-2007 by David Solon and Walter Bouvais, the publication covered environmental and ecological topics including climate change, energy, mobility, consumption, nature, COP21 coverage, and green economy through news articles, dossiers, opinion pieces, investigative reporting, and themed special issues (Hors-séries). The technology stack was built on the open-source SPIP content management system, which supported article publishing, multimedia content, RSS syndication across multiple topic feeds, and newsletter distribution.

The business model combined print and digital magazine subscriptions, single-issue (Hors-série) sales, advertising and sponsor partnerships (including placements from 'J'aime l'info'), and email newsletter subscriptions (daily and weekly cadence). Distribution spanned the terraeco.net website, physical newsstand presence via trouverlapresse.com, newsletters, RSS, and social channels (Twitter, Facebook). The target customer was the French-speaking environmentally-conscious reader seeking substantive coverage of sustainability topics — a horizontal consumer segment with no enterprise or B2B customer base disclosed.

Terra Eco ceased operations on March 30, 2016 after approximately a decade of publication, unable to find a viable buyer among candidates approached during six weeks of negotiations. A January 2017 crowdfunding relaunch attempt on the Zeste platform, targeting €150,000 to establish an experimental media location in Nantes, also failed to meet the conditions required for restart, and the project was officially abandoned on March 7, 2017. The company is no longer operational, and no revenue figures were publicly disclosed in available sources.

Name

TERRA ECO

Legal name

Terra Economica SAS

Website

https://terraeco.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Terra Eco was a French independent sustainable-development media outlet (Terra Economica SAS) operating as a bimedia via print magazine and digital platform, serving French-speaking readers interested in ecology, climate, and environmental policy until ceasing operations in March 2016.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Development Media

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Popular Science, Technology & Nature Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM), Carbon Market & Policy Advisory (Compliance Schemes, ETS Design, Article 6) (EUABADAA), Carbon Offset & Insetting Programs (Credits, Portfolios, Project Development) (THAAANAC)

Keywords

• Environmental journalism
• Sustainable development media
• Green economy news
• Ecology reporting
• Climate policy coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Physical magazine subscription revenue from readers seeking in-depth sustainable development coverage. The publication offered both digital and paper versions.
2. Single Issue Sales: One-time magazine sales including special issues (Hors-séries) covering topics like 'Le climat de vous à moi', 'Une nouvelle économie fait sa révolution', 'Le vélo sort toujours gagnant'.
3. Crowdfunding/Pre-subscriptions: Attempted revival through crowdfunding campaign on Zeste platform targeting 150,000€ to relaunch the media. Initial campaign launched January 2017.
4. Advertising/Sponsorships: The site displayed advertising content and partnerships, including 'partenariat' sections and widget placements from platforms like 'J'aime l'info'.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TERRA ECO was a French bi-media publication delivering sustainable-development journalism through two complementary channels: an editorial website (terraeco.net) publishing articles, dossiers, opinion pieces, and investigative reports on climate, energy, mobility, consumption, nature, and society; and a periodic print magazine with themed special issues (Hors-séries). Readers could access content via the free website (monetized through advertising and partnerships), subscribe to daily or weekly email newsletters, or purchase the magazine and its themed special issues through newsstand and subscription distribution in France.

Product overview

Terra Eco is a French sustainable development media publication offering both an online website platform and a print magazine. The core offerings include the Terra Eco website delivering daily environmental news coverage across topics including society, politics, energy, mobility, and nature, plus the print magazine with periodic special issues (Hors-séries). The product portfolio also includes newsletter subscription services and RSS feeds for content syndication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Terra Eco Magazine (print subscription) Print magazine published periodically, covering environmental and sustainable development topics in depth; available by annual subscription and at newsstands in France.
• Hors-séries (Special Issues) Standalone themed special-issue publications sold individually, covering focused sustainability topics such as personal climate action, the new economy, cycling, and collaborative consumption.
• Newsletter Subscriptions Daily and weekly email newsletter subscriptions providing curated environmental news and sustainable development coverage, with topic-specific RSS feed options as an alternative delivery format.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Zeste (Crowdfunding Platform)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 January 2017Terra Eco launched its pre-subscription crowdfunding campaign via the Zeste platform in January 2017, seeking to raise 150,000€ to relaunch the media. The campaign ultimately failed to meet all required conditions for launch.
• J'aime l'infominorGTM or Marketing PartnerTerra Eco was supported by the 'J'aime l'info' platform, which featured a widget on the Terra Eco website to promote the media and drive reader support.
• KissKissBankBankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured on KissKissBankBank platform for financing projects such as Fwee (fruit leather startup), demonstrating ecosystem of crowdfunding campaigns Terra Eco covered.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• La Revue Durable: Swiss/French-language magazine dedicated to sustainable development and ecology, with in-depth dossiers and a print + online model closely aligned with Terra eco's editorial format.
• Usbek & Rica: French media exploring the future of society, including climate, ecology and sustainability, with a print magazine and digital platform — competes for the same forward-looking, sustainability-curious French audience.
• Novethic: French media and research platform dedicated to sustainable development and responsible investment, covering ESG, climate and ecological transition — directly comparable to Terra eco's editorial mission in the French sustainability media space.
• Reporterre: French independent online newspaper covering ecology, climate and environmental issues — a direct competitor for French readers interested in environmental journalism, though digital-only.
• Alternatives Economiques: French magazine focused on economic alternatives, including ecological transition and sustainable development — overlapping topic coverage and similar bimedia/subscription business model to Terra eco.
• Socialter: French independent magazine covering social and environmental innovation with a print + digital model, targeting the same socially- and ecologically-conscious readership as Terra eco.

Emerging players

• Kaizen Magazine: French magazine focused on ecological transition and sustainable lifestyles, with print + digital presence — overlaps with Terra eco's consumption, mobility and nature beats.
• Bon Pote: French independent environmental media outlet covering climate and ecological transition, positioned as an emerging digital-native player in the same niche Terra eco addressed.

Broad incumbents

• Libération: Major French daily newspaper with dedicated environment and society coverage; competes with Terra eco for environmentally-conscious French readers via its broader newsroom.
• Le Monde: Major French general-interest newspaper with significant environment/climate coverage and subscription model — a broader incumbent whose environment desk competes with specialist outlets like Terra eco for reader attention.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/terraeco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eco-terra

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TERRA ECO