EIT Climate-KIC selects 12 European start-ups for the Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator
More than 1,200 early-stage start-ups from across Europe applied for the first-ever Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator, targeted at entrepreneurs who are developing sustainable products.
The selection committee, composed of both Amazon Launchpad and EIT Climate-KIC representatives, selected 12 start-ups based on a variety of criteria including expertise within the chosen industry, business model and sustainability impact. These start-up teams have ambitions to use ecommerce to scale the growth of their product and are committed to building their business with environmental impact in mind.
Meet the start-ups
adrop has developed a refillable hand sanitiser spray made from 100 per cent natural and hydrating ingredients that reduces waste through its efficient dosage and distinctive shape that maximises unit efficiency. The refillable pouches will offer three refills per spray bottle, eliminating 80 per cent of plastic waste. Cofounders Julian Herniche and Kevin Siebers donate 10 per cent of the profits to Viva con Agua, a social project enabling clean water access worldwide.
baybies offers vegan, gender-neutral baby care products from diaper cream to pregnancy oil. The brand uses recycled packaging materials and no outer packaging in order to evade the additional burden on the environment and to send a clear signal of its high standards of sustainability. Since the company’s launch in October 2021, co-founders Sophia Sauter, Christina Antonie Reh and Simone Paschedag have generated substantial buzz from beauty and lifestyle magazines. The trio also secured a spot on the Google for Start-ups Women’s Founders Growth Academy designed to support start-up founders with essential growth skills.
Cleannest is a ‘digitally native’ nappy company based in the UK with a long-term goal to create a fully biodegradable diaper. After watching their family and friends become new parents, university colleagues and co-founders Morgan Mixon and Rima Suppan set out to provide nappies with minimal environmental impact. Cleannest products balance performance and sustainability by using more efficient materials, plant-based layers, and removing harmful chemicals.
UK-based ETOSHA is disrupting the shower category with waterless and refillable plant-based personal care products that set new standards for sustainability. Customers simply mix the powder sachets with water, reducing CO2 emissions in transport by 90 per cent due to shipping active ingredients without liquids. Founders Oliver Ludwig and Gaelle Chatelard have previous experience in the fast-moving consumer goods sector and plan to expand the concept into the beauty and personal care category.
Grub Club produces hypoallergenic, vet-approved and insect-based pet food that promises the nutrition of regular meat-based pet food without the carbon footprint or associated allergies. The treats are made using Black Soldier Fly larvae, a sustainable protein source that requires less carbon dioxide and water. The London-based team of Alessandro Di Trapani and Hugh Petit are tapping into the growing insect protein market with hopes to lead the ‘sustainable pet food revolution’.
The UK team behind Homethings creates refillable and sustainable home cleaning products to help people minimise their use of single-use plastics. The Certified B.Corp offers a range of products designed using circular economy principles from tableted cleaning sprays and laundry pods, to dishwasher tabs and concentrated floor cleaning pods. The founders Matthew Aubrey and Tim Keaveney have already won the The Times Earth Ad Fund and received an Innovate UKRI grant since founding the company in September 2020.
KLIR Mind’s vision is to become the largest and most sustainable nootropic supplement company. Nootropics are a class of substances that boost brain function. The product is a responsibly sourced natural supplement that aids mental performance. Co-founders Thomas Adams and James Levy-Vassie are striving to be as sustainable as possible, which is why their eco-friendly packaging includes screen printed labels and fully recyclable glass bottles. The team contributes 5 per cent of every subscription towards global reforestation projects through a partnership with Ecologi and all KLIR orders will soon be delivered by electric vehicles.
UK-based Laundry Leaves is changing the way consumers do their laundry. While traditional detergents are predominantly made with, or contained in, plastic, Laundry Leaves produce liquid-free laundry detergent sheets that are housed in lighter, smaller packaging. Co-founder Calum Hutchison has a first-class honours degree in Business Management with Marketing and previously worked for five years at a Fortune 500 aircraft manufacturer, responsible for helicopter sales throughout Western Europe.
OMNI is a vet-formulated plant-based pet food start-up that requires less land and water, and creates fewer greenhouse gases compared to conventional meat-based equivalents. After observing the concerning rates of cancer and obesity in dogs, small animal veterinarian Dr Guy Sandelowsky co-founded OMNI with Shiv Sivakumar, a former investment banker. Using science-backed ingredients, OMNI provides dogs with a 100 per cent nutritionally complete diet that aims to alleviate the environmental footprint of meaty dog food alternatives.
Skingredients offers a range of active skincare products which use a refillable and recyclable packaging system. Founded by Jennifer Rock, an award-winning skincare facialist and influencer in the skincare world, Skingredients is designed with ingredients clinically-proven to nourish, protect and make customers feel better in their skin. The entire range is housed in reusable, durable outer tubes designed to protect the integrity of the product, with refillable inner tubes that are fully recyclable.
SURI (short for ‘sustainable rituals’) offers electric toothbrushes which are reusable and repairable, with replaceable heads made from plant-based materials. Cofounders Gyve Safavi and Mark Rushmore aim to create personal care products that help people live more sustainably without compromising on quality, performance or design. They have partnered with Climate Neutral Certified to offset 100 per cent annual carbon emissions and the company is B.Corp pending.
Belgium-based YOKUU offers waterless, probiotic-based cleaning products in the form of pearls, powder and tablets with the aim of improving household health using microbes (good bacteria) and reducing the ecological impact of conventional water-based, aggressive alternatives. The products do not contain petroleum-based ingredients, which are non-renewable and take hundreds of years to break down. Instead, each unit contains billions of beneficial bacteria which clean surfaces but also create a healthy microbiome for human immune systems. Co-founders Joris Jansen and Janthe De Nil are now working on launching a first capital round expected to close by early September.
Programme details
The Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator will provide start-ups with a support package worth more than €35.00 through an equity-free grant, AWS Activate Credits and Amazon Advertising Credits, together with expert mentorship and a tailored curriculum.
The founders will use the Climate Impact Forecast tool to calculate the avoided emissions of a product compared to the prevailing solution on the market and develop strategies to maximise sustainability.
The start-up selection committee included Aditi Singh, Amazon Launchpad General Manager, Aimee Apel, EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator Lead, Cyrus Wadia, Head of Sustainable Products Worldwide, Amazon, and Adiari Vazquez, Ph.D., The Climate Pledge Fund at Amazon, serving on the Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator Advisory Committee, were also involved in the selection process.
Learn more about Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator.