Amazon, a major player in e-commerce, has chosen fifteen start-ups with a focus on sustainability, ranging from electronics manufacturers to pre-loved apparel companies, to participate in a four-week program, reported The Industry Fashion.
A four-week program featuring workshops taught by experts, specialized mentorship, a curriculum specifically designed for this program, and access to a network of sustainability-focused entrepreneurs is being offered by Amazon.
With headquarters spread across ten countries and a combined workforce of over 600, the chosen companies offer a wide range of products and services, from fast-charging electric vehicle batteries to secondhand clothing.
The goal of the 15 start-ups is to grow in one of the following three areas: packaging, energy in buildings, or curriculum economy.
Amazon's Sustainability Accelerator was established in 2022 and has since helped over 25 start-ups in the UK and Europe. It has given over £1 million in grants and credits, increased sales by an average of 700%, and raised over £15 million for the companies it selected.
Three UK businesses—Cheesecake Energy, Breathe Batteries, and ACS Clothing—were onboarded by the Sustainability Accelerator this year.
"I'm so excited to welcome 15 ambitious start-ups to the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator this year, including our first-ever Climate Tech Pilot," stated Zak Watts, Amazon's international director of sustainability. Because of the variety of companies engaged, we can help even more entrepreneurs realize their full potential. Not to mention the unique chance to test their technology with certain areas of Amazon's operations firsthand.
"It is our mission for the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator to be the best programme of its kind in the world for entrepreneurs to pioneer and scale cutting-edge sustainable solutions."
ACS Clothing, a Glasgow-based company, cleans and repairs six million articles of clothing annually for return, rental, subscription, and resale. As the largest circular fashion hub in Europe, it collaborates with well-known stores and brands including LK Bennett, Timberland, The North Face, and Chloé to prolong the life of clothing and reduce waste.
The CEO of ACS Clothing, Andrew Rough, stated: "ACS Clothing is driven by a mission to reshape the fashion industry from the traditional take-make-dispose model, towards a circular model that extends the life of materials and diverts clothing away from landfills. We have been pioneers of circular fashion fulfillment for over 25 years."
"We have already helped several leading fashion brands join the circular economy and strengthen their sustainability achievements. Joining the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator will equip us with the resources we need to scale-up and push on with transforming the global fashion economy."
Ezra Konvitz, director & head of accelerators, Founders Intelligence, also commented: "We love finding the ways major companies can work with leading start-ups creating the future. The incredible start-ups and technologies that are part of the Pilot Challenge cohort give cause for hope – if we can help them find the best ways to work with Amazon’s scale we’ll achieve a game-changing impact"./BGNES