This year’s Amazon Sustainability Accelerator has brought together 15 companies from across Europe.
The annual event – now in its third year – gives start-ups and scale-ups tackling some of the biggest sustainability challenges an opportunity to undertake a four-week programme with support from expert-led workshops and climate-related mentorship. There is a chance to earn grants to develop their ideas further – and, new for this year, start-ups can pitch to pilot their technology with Amazon, with a potential investment ranging from €50,000 to €2 million.
Amazon’s cohort of businesses for this year’s accelerator span sectors ranging from fast fashion to reusable packaging and artificial intelligence (AI). Each organisation is focused on one of either the circular economy, energy in buildings, or packaging.
Once again, the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator is running in association with EIT Climate-KIC, a climate innovation agency, as well as innovation strategy consultancy, Founders Intelligence, which is part of Accenture.
The 15 start-ups selected for the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator Climate Tech Pilot Challenge are, as follows:
Circular Economy
ACS Clothing – a circular fulfilment fashion hub for brands and retailers and winners of the Kings Award for Excellence in Sustainable Development in 2023.
Breathe Batteries – specialists at increasing electric vehicle and consumer electronics battery charging speed and life expectancy. Volvo Cars recently invested in Breathe and will use its battery software to cut charging time for its next generation of electric vehicles by 30%.
Spareka – all-in-one home repair specialists, Spareka sources spare parts for home appliances, ships these to the customer’s door, and has on-demand specialists to video call the customer and walk them through the repair process.
Circu Li-Ion – Circu Li-Ion brings urban mining to life through an automated upcycling platform for end-of-life batteries. With multiple investment partnerships secured, Circu Li-Ion will facilitate a circular battery value chain in Europe ahead of the electric vehicle market’s expected surge to be worth a trillion-dollars by 2030.
Twaice – Twaice has launched tools that analyse and forecast the lifecycle, faults and safety risks of battery systems, with customers including Audi and Daimler (Mercedes-Benz).
Energy in Buildings
Cheesecake Energy – pioneering green energy storage technology, turning renewable sources such as solar and wind farms into reliable and longer-lasting on-demand power. In 2023, Cheesecake Energy received €11 million in funding to install a microgrid in Colchester to help with local grid limitations.
Phaidra – Phaidra has developed an AI virtual operator for a variety of industrial building applications, such as in power plants, data centres, pharmaceutical labs and steel mills. The technology can dynamically optimise local control systems, such as stabilising temperatures, pressures and flow rates, and reducing total energy consumption.
Unbound Potential – Unbound Potential has developed new battery technology for long duration energy storage, paving the way for batteries that offer a more efficient, affordable and sustainable way to store renewable energy for longer periods of time.
Raicoon – Raicoon offers AI-powered software that detects errors and automates operations for solar farms to optimise and reduce energy waste. This solution can increase the power output of existing systems by 6% while reducing operational expenditure by 30-50%.
HT Materials Science – engineering innovative and smart heat transfer fluids for existing commercial and industrial heating and cooling systems that save costs and demonstrably reduce energy consumption.
Packaging
Hipli – packaging provider for e-commerce businesses whereby empty bags can be sent back to businesses for cleaning and reuse after delivery. Hipli have signed contracts with more than 220 French and European e-commerce companies including Belgium’s leading postal operator Bpost.
RePack – RePack enables retailers to ship products in bags that can be returned to any postbox anywhere in the world, having worked with a number of consumer brands and e-commerce portals including Royal Canin, Zalando, and Otto.
Re-Zip – reusable packaging that rewards customers for returning, often in the form of a voucher for the webshop which they have ordered from.
Opopop – reusable and returnable packaging company that uses surplus waterproof materials from the textile industry (solid, washable and repairable) to build long-lasting products.
KIUD – KIUD have developed a durable packaging solution made from 100% textile fibres that can be re-used and recycled via conventional textile waste streams. KIUD said, compared to cardboard, its packaging reduces water consumption by 89%, CO2 by 82% and land use by 86%.
Ezra Konvitz, director & head of accelerators at Founders Intelligence, 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.”
Since launching in 2022, Amazon said the accelerator has supported more than 25 businesses cross the UK and Europe, providing over $1 million in grants and credits, and helping participants drive sales growth.
Zak Watts, Amazon’s international director of sustainability, remarked: “The scope of businesses involved means we can support even more entrepreneurs to reach their potential.
“Not to mention the one-of-a-kind opportunity to test their technology directly with parts of Amazon’s business. 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.”
[image credit: Green Retail World]
