LYON, France, June 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs worldwide are invited to apply; winning innovations receive €1 million to reach industrial scale. Founded in Lyon in 2020, Team for the Planet holds one conviction: decarbonisation must be sound business-for investors and innovators alike.
"We need major innovations to structurally decarbonise the economy. Most already exist, but they aren't scaling," notes Jean Jouzel, former IPCC vice-chair. The aim is to identify, anywhere on Earth, technology that massively cuts emissions and equip it to win its market.
More than a cheque
Beyond the capital, winners are paired with an experienced executive to co-lead the venture, gain access to a 133,000-strong shareholder network, and adopt an open-licence model that has already multiplied one project's profitability tenfold. Eligibility is universal-any nationality or legal structure-provided the innovation delivers a measurable greenhouse-gas impact reaching several million tonnes of CO2-equivalent annually.
A selection process unlike any other
Each application passes through 10,000 trained volunteer evaluators, an independent scientific committee of 14 experts (CNRS, CEA, INRAE, École Polytechnique), 13 private-equity professionals, and a final shareholder vote. Since 2020, over 1,700 proposals have yielded 14 companies across energy, industry, transport, agriculture and construction.
Saving the planet pays
Since 1 January 2026, shares once capped at €1 are revalued annually against the portfolio's real worth, with one global first: gains are recognised only when a holding's climate targets are met. The figures speak plainly: €41 million raised in five years-Europe's largest crowdfunding campaign-now drawing venture capital and institutional investors.
"A tonne of CO2 avoided has become an economic asset. The winner won't receive a prize-they'll be signing the first funding round of a future global decarbonisation leader." - Mehdi Coly, Founder
Information Applications: https://1-million-planet.com/fr •
Winner announced: December • Prize: €1,000,000 in equity + entrepreneurial support
About Team for the Planet
A nonprofit limited partnership founded in Lyon in 2020, backed by the French government and investors including the Mulliez family and Duval Group. It counts 133,000 shareholders, has raised €41 million, and supports 14 companies toward a goal of 100. Performance is measured in Climate Dividends: one dividend equals one tonne of CO2 avoided.
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