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

We want to support you! We are looking for start-ups that focus on more sustainable consumer products and recycling technologies, and consider the complete life cycle of their product.
Apply here for the 2023 cohort

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Designed for start-ups

Built for early-stage start-ups

The Amazon Sustainability Accelerator is a three-month, equity-free programme that supports early-stage companies that create 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, the leading recycling NGO. 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?

Goodwill gesture

Monetary grants

€12,000 cash grant
€/£600 sponsored Amazon advertising credits
USD$25,000 AWS Activate Credits
Specialised mentorship

Specialised mentorship

The accelerator brings together experts with a focus on start-up growth, climate innovation and sustainability, e-commerce and recycling.
Tailored courses

Tailored curriculum

Workshops, boot-camps and expert speakers, covering a range of topics from fundamentals for early-stage start-ups to sessions specific to e-commerce and recycling.
Apply here for the 2023 cohort

Les applications pour cette édition sont desormais closes. Vous pouvez signaler votre intérêt pour la prochaine édition
See Terms and Conditions

What additional benefits are available?

Office space
Office space for three months at the Amazon headquarters in Shoreditch, London or Berlin.
Amazon Launchpad One Year Free Access
Understand the climate impact potential of your product/technology, develop strategies to optimise it and receive external validation.
Community
Peer learning and exchange with a community of like-minded founders driven by sustainability.
Flexibility
Weeks 1, 6, and 12 must be attended in person. The rest of the accelerator will be hybrid, and start-ups can join online or in person. This will be subject to applicable COVID-19 restrictions.
Amazon Launchpad One 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.
What additional benefits are available?
Key application criteria

Main application criteria

Stage: Early-stage start-ups.
Location: EEA, Switzerland or UK-based.
Themes:
(1) Physical products: Physical products in the sustainability sector. Companies should be beyond prototyping stage, having (some) production capacity.
(2) Recycling technologies: Start-ups tackling recycling industry challenges by providing solutions such as advanced sorting tools, waste management data systems, and innovative recycling capabilities. Companies should be beyond the prototyping phase and should be within two years of launching their first product.

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

Process

Process
Apply here for the 2023 cohort
Les applications pour cette édition sont desormais closes. Vous pouvez signaler votre intérêt pour la prochaine édition
See Terms and Conditions
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 founder’s 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, Tony's 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 the group’s 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.
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 products 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 as 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 programme officer at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 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 catastrophes 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, which 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 the 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 technology companies in transport and logistics; energy generation, storage and utilisation; buildings; manufacturing and materials; the circular economy; food and agriculture; and carbon removal.
She has over a decade of experience in climate technology investing, and started her career as an engineer and later as a start-up 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. She 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 and 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 textile, electricity, food and drink, plastics, re-use and waste management industries and the public sector. With a background in market research and knowledge management, Bettina has nearly 20 years of experience designing, delivering, and managing 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 five years, based in the European Consumer business.
In his current role, Rich is based in London and leads the European Circular Economy team, focused on circular economy business models and waste reduction. He works with multiple teams within Amazon WW, leveraging experience and expertise with NGOs, industry coalitions and academic groups.
Prior to Amazon, he worked with global consumer groups such as Unilever, P&G, and Avon Cosmetics in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region 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 three-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 you navigate the challenges of starting a business within sustainability. The accelerator will have two distinct tracks: firstly, sustainability-focused products and, secondly, recycling technologies. Both cohorts will run at the same time but will receive separate support for their specific needs.
How do I apply for the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator?
You can apply via https://sell.amazon.co.uk/programmes/launchpad/sustainability-accelerator/interest-form. Entries must be submitted in English and by 17 March 2023. Applicants should be prepared to commit to a three-month programme commencing from 2 May 2023 and finishing with a demo day on 20 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 their operation, either pre-GMT (go-to-market) or within two years of launching their first product offering. For the sustainability-focused products track, it would be best suited to entrepreneurs who have ambitions to use e-commerce to fuel the growth of their product. For recycling tech companies, we’re looking for start-ups targeting recycling industry challenges by providing solutions such as advanced sorting tools, waste management data systems and 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, but we are looking for clear opportunities for scale.
What types 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 programme?
The programme 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 need it most, 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 are the benefits of the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator?
  • Participation in a three-month Accelerator programme that includes exclusive workshops, mentorship and access to Amazon’s network
  • Free office space in Berlin or London (subject to latest government COVID guidelines)
  • €12,000 cash grant
  • USD$25,000 AWS Activate credits
  • €/£600 in advertising click credits
  • Free access to Amazon Launchpad for one year
    • How many businesses will participate in the Accelerator?
    Every accelerator cohort will comprise 12 to 15 companies.
    How did it go last time?
    Here is some coverage the pilot cohort received in 2022 by Sifted, Reuters and Forbes.
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