Amazon and the EIT Climate-KIC have announced the birth of the Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator. It is a program designed to support startups in the launch phase dedicated to creating sustainable products. The initiative comes at a time when consumer interest in buying sustainably is growing. In January 2022, Amazon customers in Europe and the UK purchased more than twice as many Climate Pledge Friendly products than in the same period a year earlier.
Participate in the Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator is free, and the program has already started receiving applications from across Europe and the UK, of which between eight and 12 will be selected to join the programme. The initiative targets early-stage startups dedicated to creating products that make it easier for customers to live a more sustainable lifestyle. To participate, start-ups must also be interested in using electronic commerce and commit to building and growing their business while reducing their environmental impact.
Amazon will work with participants on a Climate Impact Assessment Impact Forecast, to help them understand the potential climate impact of their products and develop strategies to make them more environmentally friendly. In this way, the products of the start-ups will aspire to be quantitatively more sustainable than those that already exist in the market.
Virtual training sessions
Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator will offer expert-led virtual training sessions to selected startups, as well as specialized mentoring, tailored curriculum, and access to a vast network of entrepreneurs to facilitate networking.
The selected startups will also receive an economic boost, with a free capital grant of 12,000 euros, 25,000 dollars in AWS Activate Credits, and $6,000 in Amazon Advertising sponsored ad credits to fuel your growth. In addition, they will appear on the main page of Amazon Launchpad, and they will have a free account management service for one year.
“We’ve created the Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator to support tomorrow’s entrepreneurs who are developing innovative products focused on sustainability,” said Aditi Singh, general manager of Amazon Launchpad Europe. “We are looking for innovative startups, eager to grow their businesses and ultimately help customers around the world make more sustainable purchasing decisions. Applications are now open, and we encourage early-stage start-ups who want to take their business to the next level and accelerate their growth to apply today.”.
“One of the key ingredients to achieving the transformations we need now is to ensure that all new businesses think systemically and are fully sustainable from the start,” said Kirsten Dunlop, CEO of EIT Climate-KIC. “We are delighted to collaborate on the Amazon Sustainability Launchpad Accelerator, offering start-ups the support, financial aid and visibility they need to promote responsible consumption”.
Leaders from Amazon and EIT Climate-KIC, including Aditi Singh, Managing Director of Amazon Launchpad, Aimee Apel, Leader of EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator, Cyrus Wadia, Head of Amazon Sustainable Products Worldwide, and Adiari Vazquez, Ph. .D., The Climate Pledge Fund at Amazon, will sit on the Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator jury, helping select startups and participating in the program.
