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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.
Register your interest here

Applications for the 2023 edition are closed. You can register your interest for the next editions
See Terms and Conditions
Sustainability Accelerator
Designed for emerging start-ups

Designed for early-stage start-ups

The Amazon Sustainability Accelerator is a three-month, equity-free programme that supports early-stage start-ups ups with a positive environmental impact, such as companies that are building consumer products or recycling technologies. To maximise 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, an NGO recycling leader. Together, we have designed the programme to ensure start-ups receive relevant support at the intersection of holistic business growth and environmental impact.
Climate KIC

What does the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator involve?

Commercial boost

Financial support

€12K cash grant
Advertising campaign optimisation credits worth £500/€500
AWS Activate Credits worth $25,000
Expert guidance

Specialised mentoring

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

Personalised training plan

Training workshops and expert speakers covering a range of topics ranging from fundamentals for early-stage start-ups to specific sessions focussing on e-commerce and recycling.
Register your interest here

Applications for the 2023 edition are closed. You can register your interest for the next editions

What additional benefits are available?

Office space
Office space for three months in the Amazon HQ in Shoreditch, London or in Berlin.
Climate impact assessment
Understand the climate impact potential of your product or 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: 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 programme designed to help start-ups grow, increase visibility and sales on Amazon
What additional benefits are available?
Key application criteria

Key application criteria

Stage: Early-stage start-ups.
Location: Based in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK.
Themes:
(1) Product: Physical consumer products that are better for the environment. Companies should be beyond prototyping stage, having (some) production capacity.
(2) Recycling technology: Start-ups tackling recycling industry challenges. Examples of solutions include advanced sortation tools, waste management data systems and innovative recycling capabilities. Companies should be beyond prototyping phase and be less than two years away from launching their first product offering.

Testimonials

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 proposals were incredible. It was fantastic to see the 12 brands finish so well on demo day.
Alessandro Di TrapaniGrub Club
It has been a turning point, not only for me personally, but for the entire company.
Mark RushmoreSURI

The process

The process
Register your interest here
Applications for the 2023 edition are closed. You can register your interest for the next editions
Terms and conditions

Start-Up Selection Committee:

Jury 1
Kirsty Macdonald
JamJar, Investment Principal
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Kirsty Macdonald, JamJar, Investment Principal
Kirsty is a Principal at JamJar Investments, the venture capital fund of the founders Innocent Drinks. 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.
Cyrus Wadia
Cyrus Wadia
Amazon Head of Sustainable Product
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Cyrus Wadia, Amazon Head of Sustainable Product
Cyrus Wadia is the Head of WW Product Sustainability at Amazon, where he leads retail transformation by raising sustainability standards for all products sold on Amazon, as well as making it easier for Amazon customers to discover and shop for those products.
Prior to Amazon, Cyrus held several leadership roles as Vice President of Sustainable Business and Innovation at Nike and as Assistant Director in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Cyrus also worked as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and a senior programme officer at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and was a founding member and co-director of the Haas School of Business Cleantech to Market initiative.
Jury 3
Ben Honan
EIT Climate-KIC, Investment Manager
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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
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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.
Her investment focus area covers climate tech companies in transport and logistics; energy generation; storage and utilisation; buildings, manufacturing and materials; circular economy; food and agriculture; and carbon removal.
She has over a decade experience in climate-tech investing, and started her career as engineer and later start-up founder.
Jury 4
Bettina Gilbert
WRAP, Head of Technical Support and Financial Mechanisms
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Bettina Gilbert, WRAP, Head of Technical Support and Financial Mechanisms
Bettina is the 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 reused or recycled back into the world economy and reducing dependence on virgin materials.
In this role, Bettina is responsible for designing and offering 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 programmes and grants in the United Kingdom and other countries, working with organisations in the textile, electrical, food and beverage, plastics, reuse, waste management and public sectors. With a background in market research and knowledge management, Bettina has almost 20 years of experience in designing, providing and managing technical support and financial mechanisms, and has an MBA from the University of Warwick.
Jury 5
Richard Loretto
Amazon, Director of Circular Economy
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Richard Loretto, Amazon, Director of Circular Economy
Rich has been with Amazon for almost five years based in the European Consumer businesses.
In his current role, Rich is based in London and leads the European Circular Economy team. The team focuses 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, he 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 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 navigate the challenges of starting a business within sustainability. The Accelerator will have two distinct tracks: 1) sustainability-focused products; and 2) recycling technologies. Both cohorts will run at the same time, however, have separate support for their specific needs.
How do I apply for the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator?
You can apply for the accelerator via A. Entries must be submitted in English and by 17 March 2023. Applicants must be prepared to commit to a three-month programme commencing from 2 May 2023, and finishing with a demo day on the 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 its operation, either pre-GTM (go-to-market) or within less than two years of launching its 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 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 in the future. 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 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 most need it, while having the flexibility and ease to participate in activities online. However, please note that weeks 1 (02/05/2023–05/05/2023), 6 (05/06/2023–09/06/2023) and 12 (17/07/2023–21/07/2023) must be attended in person.
What benefits are part of the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator?
  • Attend a three-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)
  • €12,000 cash grant
  • USD 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 and Forbes .
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