EcoGPT, a Delaware-registered Benefit Corporation founded by Ethan Leonard, operates an AI assistant that claims to fund tree planting based on user activity. The service offers a free tier planting one tree per 200 requests and a Pro subscription planting one tree per 100 requests. The company reports over 263,000 trees planted to date.
The startup utilizes small open-source models, such as Llama, DeepSeek, Qwen, and Mistral, running on Groq LPU infrastructure. Primary operations are hosted in Google Cloud data centers in Hamina, Finland, which utilize 98% carbon-free energy. When the primary system is unavailable, the service routes requests through OpenRouter, involving third-party providers.
The company partners with the non-profit Trees for the Future to support reforestation in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. On September 7, 2026, the organization issued a certificate to EcoGPT for 100,000 trees. However, experts note that the project lacks independent verification of carbon credits and does not use blockchain to track environmental impact.
Industry analysts, including experts from CarbonLab and Hyperfusion, suggest that tree planting does not effectively offset the energy and water consumption associated with AI inference and training. They argue that the project's model may be a form of greenwashing, as it does not directly reduce the company's own carbon footprint or provide certified carbon offsets.
