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.

Source: TEAM FOR THE PLANET