Proof of Usefulness Report

Treecard

Analysis completed on 1/31/2026

+319
Proof of Usefulness Score
Certified Problem Solver

Project successfully raised ~$29M (Series A) and planted 9M+ trees, demonstrating high real-world utility and traction historically. However, the specific product described (wooden debit card) was discontinued in Oct 2023 in favor of an app-based model. The submission data contains significant inaccuracies (e.g., 'most people have used my product') and outdated information (2021 launch plans), resulting in heavy penalties for Response Quality and Traction evidence reliability.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility90.0 (Weighted)
Audience Reach Impact90.0 (Weighted)
Technical Innovation58.5 (Weighted)
Evidence Of Traction63.75 (Weighted)
Market Timing Relevance51.0 (Weighted)
Functional Completeness1.5 (Weighted)
Subtotal+354.75
Usefulness Multiplierx0.9
Final Score+319

Project Details

Project URL
Description
Treecard is building the leading green finance ecosystem. We’re powered by Ecosia, the search engine that has planted trees over 125M trees to date and have over 30M monthly active users.\n\nWe are founded on the pledge to direct 80% of all profits to reforestation projects and sustainable investments and are on a mission to plant 1 billion trees by 2026. We have raised $5.1m to date and have built a waiting list of over 160,000 people, with 40% of all sign ups being referred by a friend or family. We signed up over 100,000 users to our waiting list in the first month of our announcement (breaking all of Revolut, Monzo and Curve's launch records).\n\nOur first product is a wooden debit card that plants free trees as you spend. We plan to launch our card program in late Summer 2021. Beyond that, we look to build out a suite of green financial services that put profits to work to protect and restore the planet.

Algorithm Insights

Market Position
Strong market validation with clear user adoption patterns
User Engagement
Documented reach suggests active user community
Technical Stack
Modern tech stack aligned with sponsor technologies

Recommendations to Increase Usefulness Score

Document User Growth

Provide specific metrics on user acquisition and retention rates

Showcase Revenue Model

Detail sustainable monetization strategy and current revenue streams

Expand Evidence Base

Include testimonials, case studies, and third-party validation

Technical Roadmap

Share development milestones and feature completion timeline