Are you building a sustainability start-up and want to maximise your impact?

We want to support you! We are looking for startups developing sustainability-focused products or recycling technologies that help keeping materials circulating.
Apply here

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Amazon Sustainability Accelerator - Startup Meeting

Designed for early-stage start-ups

The Amazon Sustainability Accelerator is a 3-month, equity-free programme that supports early-stage start-ups that are building consumer products or recycling technologies that have a positive impact on the environment! To maximise start-up learning, there will be separate tracks tailored for the two cohorts.

Expertise from sustainability innovators

We are collaborating with EIT Climate-KIC, Europe’s leading climate innovation hub as well as WRAP, NGO recycling leaders. Together, we have designed the programme to ensure start-ups receive relevant support at the intersection of holistic business growth and impact.
Climate KIC

What does the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator Involve?

Zakelijke impuls

Monetary Grants

£10K cash grant
€/£500 Sponsored Amazon Advertising Credits
USD$25K AWS Activate Credits
Gespecialiseerd mentorschap

Specialised Mentorship

The accelerator brings together experts with a focus on start-up growth, climate innovation & sustainability, e-commerce and recycling.
Op maat gemaakt onderwijsplan

Tailored Curriculum

Workshops, bootcamps and expert speakers, covering a range of topics ranging from fundamentals for early stage startups to ecommerce and recycling specific sessions.

What additional benefits are available?

Office space
Office space for 3 months in the Amazon HQ in Shoreditch, London or in Berlin.
Climate Impact Assessment
Understand the climate impact potential of your product/tech, develop strategies how to optimise it and receive external validation.
Community
Apprentissage entre pairs et échange avec une communauté de fondateurs partageant les mêmes idées et motivés par la durabilité.
Flexibility
Weeks 1,6 and 12 must be attended in person. The rest of the accelerator will be hybrid: Start-ups can join online or in person. This will be subject to applicable Covid-19 restrictions.
Amazon Launchpad 1 Year Free Access
Dedicated support and free access to Amazon Launchpad for one year to benefit from Amazon’s customer reach. Amazon Launchpad is a one-stop shop for unique and unexpected finds from outstanding start-ups.
Voordelen Amazon Launchpad - Man met laptop
Apply here
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Amazon Sustainability Accelerator - Startup Meeting

Key application criteria

Stage: Early-stage start-ups.
Location: EEA, Switzerland or UK based.
Themes:
(1) Physical Product: Startups working on physical consumer products that are better for the environment. Companies should be beyond prototyping stage, having (some) production capacity.
(2) Recycling Technology: Startups tackling recycling industry challenges creating a more circular economy. Examples of solutions we would like to see are advanced sortation tools, waste management data systems, innovating recycling capabilities. Companies should be beyond prototyping phase.

Hear from other sustainability start-ups

01/03

We learnt about how to scale to the next level. We are so happy to be part of this amazing journey
Christina Antonie RehBaybies
All the pitches were incredible, it was so great to see the 12 brands finish so strong on demo day.
Alessandro Di TrapaniGrub Club
It’s been a game-changer, not only for me personally, but for our company.
Mark RushmoreSURI

The process

Het proces
Apply now
to the 2023 cohort
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Start-up Selection Committee:

Jury 1
Kirsty Macdonald
JamJar, Investment Principal
View Bio
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Kirsty Macdonald, JamJar, Investment Principal
Kirsty is a Principal at JamJar Investments, the innocent drinks founders’ venture capital fund. JamJar is a £100m seed VC investing in exceptional founding teams to help them create, nurture and scale challenger consumer brands in the UK. Investments include Deliveroo, Tails.com, Toneys Chocolonely and Babylon Health.
Prior to JamJar, Kirsty trained at consumer goods giant Unilever where she worked on marketing and customer analytics across a variety of brands within their personal care and food portfolios.
She holds a BA in Economics and Management from the University of Oxford and an MSc in Global Politics from The London School of Economics.
Amazon Startup Selectiecommissie - Cyrus Wadia
Cyrus Wadia
Amazon, Head of Sustainable Product
View Bio
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Cyrus Wadia, Amazon, Head of Sustainable Product
Dr. Cyrus Wadia is the Head of WW Product Sustainability at Amazon where he is leading a retail transformation by raising the sustainability standards for all product sold on Amazon as well as making it easier for customers on Amazon to discover and shop for those products.
Prior to Amazon, Cyrus has held several esteemed leadership roles; including the Vice President, Sustainable Business & Innovation for Nike and as the Assistant Director in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Before this, Cyrus held many leadership roles as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, a senior program officer at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the founding member and Co-Director of the Haas School of Business Cleantech to Market initiative.
Jury 3
Ben Honan
EIT Climate-KIC, Investment Manager
View Bio
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Ben Honan, EIT Climate-KIC, Investment Manager
The interplay between financial markets and climate change has been a focus for Ben throughout his career. Ben experienced several extreme climate driven natural catastrophe’s in Australia including the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires where 173 people lost their lives and the 2011 Queensland floods where more than 40,000 homes were damaged.
Since then, Ben has applied innovation techniques in the Australian insurance market, in the United Kingdom at the Financial Conduct Authority, and now in the Netherlands for EIT Climate-KIC. Ben currently leads EIT Climate-KIC’s investment programme that includes direct investments in more than 90 portfolio companies and development of the new 1.5 venture capital investment fund.
Jury 4
Phoebe Wang
Climate Pledge Fund, Investment Partner
View Bio
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Phoebe Wang, Climate Pledge Fund, Investment Partner
Phoebe Wang serves as the investment partner at Amazon Climate Pledge Fund. She is passionate about bending the world’s emission curve and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
Her investment focus area covers climate tech companies in transportation & logistics, energy generation, storage, and utilization, buildings, manufacturing & materials, circular economy, food & agriculture, and carbon removal.
She has over a decade experience in climate-tech investing, and started her career as engineer and later startup founder.
Jury 4
Bettina Gilbert
WRAP, Head of Technical Support and Financial Mechanisms
View Bio
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Bettina Gilbert, WRAP, Head of Technical Support and Financial Mechanisms
Bettina is Head of Technical Support and Financial Mechanisms at WRAP and is responsible for working with businesses and the public sector to increase the amount of material that is re-used or recycled back into the world economy and reduce reliance on virgin materials.
Within this role, Bettina is responsible for designing and delivering technical support and investment mechanisms to overcome market failures, drive innovation, and create a sustainable, resource-efficient circular economy.
Since joining WRAP in 2010 Bettina has led business support and grant programmes in the UK and beyond, working with organisations in the textiles, electricals, food and drink, plastics, reuse, waste management and public sectors. With a background in market research and knowledge management, Bettina has nearly 20 years’ experience in design, delivery and management of technical support and financial mechanisms and has an MBA from the University of Warwick.
Jury 5
Richard Loretto
Amazon, Director - Circular Economy
View Bio
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Richard Loretto, Amazon, Director - Circular Economy
Rich has been with Amazon for almost 5 years based in the European Consumer businesses.
In his current role, Rich is based in London and leads the European Circular Economy team focused on circular economy business models and reducing waste, working with multiple teams within Amazon WW, and leveraging experience and expertise with NGOs, industrial coalitions and academic groups.
Prior to Amazon, worked with global consumer groups such as Unilever, P&G and Avon Cosmetics in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Rich holds an MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge.

FAQs

What is the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator?
The Amazon Sustainability Accelerator is a 3-month programme that is designed to support entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of building sustainability focused businesses. We offer expert-led workshops, mentorship, office space and access to networks to help navigate the challenges of starting a business within sustainability.

The Accelerator will have 2 distinct tracks - firstly sustainability focused products and secondly, recycling technologies. Both cohorts will run at the same time, however, have seperate support for their specific needs.
How do I apply for the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator?
You can apply for the accelerator via this link. Entries must be submitted in English and by 17 March 2023. Applicants must be prepared to commit to a 3-month programme commencing from 2 May 2023, and finishing with a demo day on the 20th of July.
How do I know if the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator is suited to me?
Typically, the accelerator is suited to companies in the early stages of its operation, either pre-GTM (go-to-market) or <2 years of launching its first product offering. For the sustainablity focused products track, it would be best suited to entrepreneurs who have ambitions to use ecommerce to fuel the growth of their product. For Recycling tech companies, we're looking for for startups targeting recycling industry challenges by providing solutions such as advanced sortation tools, waste management data systems, innovative recycling capabilities. We’re looking for companies that might be small today, but have big, bold ambitions. As you are likely early in your journey, we don’t expect hockey stick growth yet, however, we are looking for clear opportunities for scale.
What type of businesses are suitable?
The programme is best suited to start-ups that are committed to building and growing their business with environmental impact in mind.
Will Amazon be charging for start-ups to join the program?
The program is free and Amazon does not take equity.
Do I need to relocate myself?
No, the accelerator will be operated in a hybrid manner (mixing online and in-person support) allowing you to benefit from face-to-face support when you most need it, while having the flexibility and ease to participate in activities online. However, please note that weeks 1 (2/5/2023 - 5/5/2023),6 (5/6/2023 - 9/6/2023) and 12 (17/7/2023 - 21/7/2023) must be attended in person.
What benefits are part of the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator?
  • Attend a 3-month accelerator programme including exclusive workshops, mentorship and access to Amazon’s network.
  • Free office space in Berlin or London (subject to latest government COVID guidelines)
  • £10,000 Cash grant
  • $25,000 AWS Credits
  • €/£500 Advertising Click Credits
  • Free access to Amazon Launchpad for a year
    • How many businesses will participate in the accelerator?
    Every accelerator cohort will comprise 12-15 companies.
    How did it go last time?
    Here is some coverage the pilot cohort received in 2022 from Sifted , Reuters et Forbes .
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