Each September, Amazon celebrates Innovation Month to highlight the many entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses that are building their brands and delivering innovative products to customers through Amazon Launchpad.
Amazon Launchpad is part of Amazon’s support for nearly 2 million small and medium-sized businesses that are our third-party selling partners. Products from small and medium-sized businesses now account for more than half of everything sold in Amazon’s store. Since its inception in 2015, Amazon Launchpad has helped over 6,200 startups globally that offer more than 55,000 unique and innovative products to customers. The program supports new brands, entrepreneurs, and startups in overcoming the challenges associated with launching new products, and provides marketing tools, advice from Amazon experts, and other benefits to help businesses increase the visibility of their products so they can focus on innovation and expansion.
This year alone, Amazon Launchpad will award $1.3 million in grants and services supporting small and medium-sized businesses with programs in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and India. The U.S. Amazon Launchpad Program awards the Amazon Launchpad Grant Award to 12 brands for innovation and differentiation in their products and industries each year. Six small businesses have been awarded grants so far this year, including Gear Hugger, Orijin Bees, Instant Biologics, DryZzz, EDN, and Lefty’s Spices.
“Every year I continue to be inspired by the many small businesses and entrepreneurs who take part in the program,” said Nick Love, director of Amazon Launchpad in the U.S. “It’s a privilege to help brands who are thinking differently, innovating, and offering solutions our customers need.”
Here are five companies innovating with Amazon around the world.
Instant Biologics
According to the company, Instant Biologics has patented a delivery mechanism that solves basic yet important problems presented by liquids and powders. Its effervescent tablet transforms chemical and biological water-based products into a compact, lightweight, waterless concentrate. The brand’s Instant Plant Food self-dissolving fertilizer tablets make feeding your indoor plants a breeze.
“Our goal is to transform as many liquid products as possible into self-dissolving, waterless tablet concentrates,” said Jeff Robbins, co-owner and founder of Instant Biologics. “The Amazon Launchpad program has positioned us to make a significant impact on numerous industries.”
Brilliant or BS?
Brilliant or BS? is a trivia game where players grill their friends to find out who’s brilliant and who’s just faking it. The game was created by TV challenge producer Kimelia Weathers Smith, whose love of bluffing games and passion for bringing people together through conversation was the spark behind this game night favorite.
"I was inspired by another Black-owned game maker to turn my passion into a business,” said Weathers Smith. “Amazon Launchpad has helped take Brilliant or BS? to the next level. It contributed to at least a 50% jump in terms of our sales month over month the first three months after joining.”
FLY BY JING
FLY BY JING sells premium Chinese food products inspired by the flavors found in founder and CEO Jing Gao’s hometown of Chengdu, China. Customer favorites range from Sichuan Chili Crisp to dumplings, and chili pepper oils to syrups. The brand’s name references Chengdu’s famous “fly” restaurants—soulful, hole-in-the-wall eateries so good they attract diners like flies.
“I was born in the flavor capital of China and saw how misrepresented Chinese food was in the West," said Gao. “So, I studied Chinese cuisine to shine light on this 5,000-year-old culinary heritage. Amazon Launchpad has helped me amplify the unique flavors of my story to even more people.”
Petit Pli
This year’s grant recipient for the Amazon Launchpad Program in the European store was Petit Pli. After frequently buying clothes for his fast-growing nephew, aeronautical engineer, Ryan Mario Yasin wanted to extend the life and use of garments. Ryan used his background in deployable satellite technology to create a garment that would grow with his nephew, preventing the need to keep buying new clothes. In 2017, Petit Pli was born, a childrenswear line created with sustainability in mind.
“Petit Pli will be an innovation catalyst for the next generation and play a pivotal role in accelerating the move to a more sustainable fashion,” said Yasin. “We’re really excited about the exposure and connection with other forward-thinking sellers on Amazon."
Ecoware
Ecoware was one of this year’s winners for the grant competition in India. According to the company, it converts common crop waste into sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics. Ecoware’s products offer alternatives to traditional food packaging, such as straws made from avocado seeds or agave fibers.
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