Are you creating a start-up focused on sustainability? Do you want to maximise your impact?

We want to support you! We are looking for start-ups developing sustainability-focused products or recycling technologies that extend the life of materials.
Apply for the 2023 cohort now
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Designed for early-stage start-ups

Designed for early-stage start-ups

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

Experience from sustainability innovators

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

What does the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator programme involve?

Business reinforcement

Monetary funding

Cash grants of €12,000
Amazon Advertising Credits worth £500/€600
AWS Activate Credits worth $25,000
Specialised mentoring

Specialised tutoring

The Accelerator brings together experts with a particular focus on start-up growth, climate innovation and sustainability, e-commerce and recycling.
Personalised curriculum

Tailored curriculum

Workshops, bootcamps and expert speakers covering a wide range of topics, from the fundamentals for early-stage start-ups to specific e-commerce and recycling sessions.
Apply for the 2023 cohort now
Le candidature per questa edizione sono ora chiuse. Puoi registrare il tuo interesse per future edizioni.
Vedi Termini e condizioni

What are the additional benefits?

Office space
Office space for three months at Amazon headquarters in Shoreditch, London or in Berlin.
Climate impact assessment
Understand the potential climate impact of your product/technology, develop strategies to optimise it and receive external validation.
Community
Peer learning and exchange with a community of like-minded start-up founders with common goals, who are driven by sustainability.
Flexibility
Weeks 1, 6 and 12 must be attended in person. The rest of the Accelerator programme will be hybrid: start-ups can participate online or in person. This will be subject to applicable COVID-19 restrictions.
One year of free access to the Amazon Launchpad programme
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 discoveries from exceptional start-ups.
What other benefits are available?
Main eligibility criteria

Main application criteria

Phase: Early-stage start-ups.
Headquarters: start-ups based in the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
Themes:
(1) Physical products: start-ups creating physical consumer products that are better for the planet. Companies should have completed the prototype stage and have (some) production capacity.
(2) Technologies: start-ups that are tackling challenges in the recycling industry by providing solutions aimed at supporting a circular economy. Examples of solutions that we expect to see are advanced sorting tools, waste management data systems and innovative recycling capabilities. Companies should have already carried out and moved beyond the prototyping stage.

Hear testimonials from other sustainability-focused start-ups

01/03

We learnt about how to move 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 strongly 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

The process
Apply for the 2023 cohort now
Le candidature per questa edizione sono ora chiuse. Puoi registrare il tuo interesse per future edizioni.
See the Terms and Conditions

Start-up selection committee:

Jury 1
Kirsty Macdonald
JamJar, Investment Principal
See Bio
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Kirsty Macdonald, JamJar, Investment Principal
Kirsty is a Principal at JamJar Investments, the venture capital fund set up by the founders of Innocent Drinks. JamJar is a £100 million seed VC firm that invests in teams of exceptional founders to help them create, nurture and grow innovative consumer brands in the UK. Investments include Deliveroo, Tails.com, Tony's Chocolonely and Babylon Health.
Before joining JamJar, Kirsty trained at consumer goods giant Unilever, where she worked on marketing and customer analytics for a variety of brands within their personal care and food product portfolios.
She has 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
See Bio
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Cyrus Wadia, Amazon Head of Sustainable Product
Dr Cyrus Wadia is the head of Amazon's WW Product Sustainability, where he is leading a retail transformation by raising sustainability standards for all products sold on Amazon and making it easier for Amazon customers to discover and buy those products.
Prior to Amazon, Cyrus held several esteemed leadership roles, including Vice President, Sustainable Business & Innovation for Nike and Assistant Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House.
Prior to this, Cyrus held many leadership roles as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, senior programme officer at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and founding member and co-director of the Haas School of Business Cleantech to Market initiative.
Jury 3
Ben Honan
EIT Climate-KIC, Investment Manager
See 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 has experienced several natural disasters caused by extreme weather in Australia, including the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in which 173 people lost their lives and the 2011 Queensland floods in which 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 the EIT Climate-KIC 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
See Bio
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Phoebe Wang, Climate Pledge Fund, Investment Partner
Phoebe Wang is an Investment Partner at the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund. She is passionate about bending the global emissions curve and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
Her investment area covers climate technology companies in the transport and logistics sectors, energy generation, storage and use, buildings, manufacturing and materials, the circular economy, food and agriculture, and carbon removal.
She has over a decade of experience in climate technology investment and began her career as an engineer, later founding a start-up.
Jury 4
Bettina Gilbert
WRAP, Head of Technical Support and Financial Mechanisms
See Bio
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Bettina Gilbert, Head of Technical Support and Financial Mechanisms
Bettina is Head of Technical Support and Financial Mechanisms at WRAP and is responsible for working with companies and the public sector to increase the amount of material that is re-used or recycled back into the world economy and to reduce reliance on virgin materials.
In this role, Bettina is responsible for designing and delivering technical support and investment mechanisms to address market failures, promote 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 United Kingdom and other countries, collaborating with organisations in the textile, electrical, 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 the design, delivery and management of technical and financial support mechanisms and has an MBA from the University of Warwick.
Jury 5
Richard Loretto
Amazon, Director – Circular Economy
See Bio
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Richard Loretto, Amazon, Director – Circular Economy
Rich has been working for Amazon for almost 5 years and works with 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 on reducing waste, working with multiple teams within Amazon WW and leveraging experience and knowledge with NGOs, industrial coalitions and academic groups.
Before joining Amazon, he worked with global consumer groups such as Unilever, P&G and Avon Cosmetics in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Rich has an MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge.

FAQ

What is the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator?
Amazon Sustainability Accelerator is a 3-month programme designed to support entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of creating sustainability-focused businesses. We offer expert-led workshops, mentoring, office space and access to networks to help overcome the challenges of starting a business while focusing on sustainability. The accelerator will have two distinct tracks: firstly, sustainability-focused products and secondly, recycling technology. Both cohorts will run at the same time, but will have separate support for their specific needs.
How do I apply for the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator?
You can request access through this link. Applications must be submitted in English by 17 March 2023. Candidates must be prepared to commit to a 3-month programme starting on 2 May 2023 and ending with a demonstration day on 20 July.
How do I know if the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator is right for me?
Generally, the Accelerator is suitable for companies in the early stages of their business, either pre-GTM (go-to-market) or less than 2 years after the launch of their first product. For start-ups that produce sustainability-focused products, the Accelerator is best suited to entrepreneurs who have ambitions to use e-commerce to fuel the growth of their product. For recycling technology companies, we are looking for start-ups that tackle recycling industry challenges by providing solutions such as advanced sorting tools, waste management data systems and innovative recycling capabilities. We are looking for companies that might be small today, but have big and bold ambitions. Since you are probably at the beginning of your journey, we do not yet expect exponential growth, but we are looking for clear opportunities for scalability.
What type of companies are eligible?
The programme is best suited to start-ups that are committed to building and growing their business with environmental impact in mind.
Will Amazon charge a fee for start-ups to join the programme?
The programme is free of charge and Amazon will not require equity investments.
Do I need to relocate?
No, the Accelerator will be operated in a hybrid manner (offering both online and in-person support) allowing you to benefit from face-to-face support when you need it most, while maintaining the flexibility and ease of participating 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 included in the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator?
Take part in a 3-month accelerator programme, which includes workshop sessions, tutoring and access to the Amazon network.
  • Access to office space in Berlin or London (subject to the latest government COVID guidelines)
  • €12,000 in funding
  • $25,000 in credits that can be spent on AWS products and services
  • €/£600 Advertising credits
  • Free access to the Amazon Launchpad programme for one year
    • How many companies will participate in the Accelerator?
    Each Accelerator cohort will include 12–15 companies.
    How did it go last time?
    Here are some articles covering the programme's 2022 pilot group from Sifted, Reuters and Forbes.
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