After winning funding in this year’s Amazon Sustainability Accelerator, startups addressing the world’s biggest sustainability challenges will trial the technology with Amazon across Europe. Eleven startups have been awarded the opportunity to test their pioneering innovations within Amazon operations with a potential investment of up to £2 million.
These start-ups will work with Amazon in the UK, Denmark, France, Germany, and Spain to test new ways to recycle electronic waste, innovative packaging methods, and sophisticated building materials, as well as use AI to improve energy efficiency.
These pilots will vary in duration and scope depending on the challenge being addressed, with the opportunity for wider partnerships on completion. For example, Cheesecake Energy from the UK will deploy its compressed air and thermal technology to provide safe, reliable energy storage within Amazon’s European operations, reducing emissions from electricity usage. And HT Materials Science from Dublin and American-based Phaidra will do the same at Amazon solely in the UK.
Cheesecake Energy was launched at the University of Nottingham. It uses energy storage systems to capture electricity generated by solar power during the day and provide additional energy during peak hours or at night when the sun doesn’t shine. The technology will be used in selected European fulfillment centers.
HT Materials Science will add a nanofluid solution to the heating and cooling systems at Amazon fulfillment centers in Coventry, Daventry, and Doncaster. The aluminium-based technology, which won the Green Product Award, is expected to reduce energy consumption by up to 14%.
Starting early next year, Phaidra will use its AI tool with the heating and cooling system at one of Amazon’s UK fulfillment centers. This is expected to lower carbon emissions by up to 40% and reduce energy costs by up to 25%. After it is connected, Phaidra’s software will use algorithms to optimize energy usage in real-time based on factors such as the weather and the number of occupants in the building.
Amazon’s Sustainability Accelerator will see similar innovative pilots across Europe. And to support Amazon’s packaging reduction efforts, the startups Re-Zip and Hipli will launch pilots to ship nearly 100,000 orders across France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Austria using unique, reusable packaging. Luxembourg-based Circu Li-Ion will help extend the life of Amazon’s batteries, using robots for disassembling and supporting batteries upcycling, giving them a second life, reducing lithium-ion waste, and decreasing carbon-intensive material extraction.
During the pilots, Amazon’s subject matter experts will work closely with the start-ups, offering feedback, troubleshooting assistance, and opportunities to refine their technologies to ensure they work smoothly in their placements. And upon completion, Amazon will assess the environmental impact, financial viability, and overall effectiveness of the pilots to determine whether any can be scaled across other sites as part of a long-term partnership.
Since launching in 2022, Amazon’s Sustainability Accelerator has supported over 40 start-ups across the UK and Europe provided more than £1 million in grants and credits and helped those businesses increase sales by 700% on average and raise over £15 million to date.
The ten startups selected for the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator Climate Tech Pilot are:
1.) BrainBox AI (Canada)—BrainBox AI has developed an AI-driven solution that optimizes the efficiency of heating, cooling, and ventilation (HVAC) systems in commercial buildings. This technology enables reductions of up to 25% in associated HVAC energy costs and up to 40% in heating and cooling-related carbon emissions. TIME Magazine recognized BrainBox AI’s solution as one of the Top 100 inventions of the year in 2020.
2.) Cheesecake Energy (UK) – Cheesecake Energy develops sustainable energy storage that lasts 2-3 times longer than lithium-ion batteries. Its system uses compressed air and thermal energy storage to achieve low cost, long lifetime, and lower environmental impact. This solution tackles the challenge of limited solar energy utilization for 24/7 operations, like at Amazon, and will accelerate a transition to on-site renewable energy. The pilot location and launch timeframe is currently being scoped.
3.) Circu Li-Ion (Luxembourg/Germany) – Circu Li-Ion’s technology allows for an automated disassembly process of battery packs, ensuring scalability, efficiency, and safety. Over the next six months, Circu Li-ion and Amazon Battery Collaborative team members will process selected battery packs from Amazon’s EVs using Circu Li-ion’s technology. This will allow for greater waste avoidance and reuse, with recycling occurring at a more granular level. Ultimately, by reusing EV batteries more effectively, Amazon aims to reduce the demand for new replacements and lower the associated carbon footprint.
4.) Hipli (France)—Hipli plans to fulfill 50,000 orders from Amazon’s fulfillment center in Montélimar using its reusable packaging design during the month of September. Each package can be reused multiple times, decreasing the reliance on single-use packaging. Hipli was selected for its scale, maintaining a million packages in circulation, and for its innovative approach.
5.) HT Materials Science (Republic of Ireland) – From September, HT Materials Science will help Amazon save on its cooling and heating energy requirements by up to 14% at fulfillment centers in Coventry, Daventry, and Doncaster. HTMS has developed a ‘nanofluid additive’, which increases typical HVAC systems’ cooling and heating capacity without additional energy input, offering a lifespan of more than ten years with minimal maintenance.
6.) Phaidra (USA) — Phaidra’s AI technology aims to make Amazon’s buildings more energy efficient by automatically controlling the heating and cooling systems. The pilot location and launch timeframe are currently being scoped.
7.) Pirta (UK & USA) Pirta’s innovative heat-transfer and water-saving technology are being planned for deployment at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Seville. It will deliver heating and cooling-related energy and carbon emissions savings across the site.
8.) Raicoon (Austria) – Raicoon’s AI-powered technology can significantly increase solar power performance while reducing operational expenditure. Its pilot with Amazon aims to improve the performance of its solar panels by up to 15%. With its AI-powered Autonomous Operations Centre, Raicoon can detect 100% of system anomalies with unprecedented speed, precision, and accuracy. This ensures the prevention of issues such as falling debris and thermal events.
9.) Re-Zip (Denmark) – Re-Zip will supply Amazon with 45,000 reusable cardboard boxes to fulfill customer orders across five European countries. Dispatched from Amazon’s fulfillment center in Lauwin-Planque between September and October, the pilot will test both the reusability of the boxes and the cross-border collection capabilities with partners in France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Austria. All returned packaging from customers will be collected, cleaned, and sent back to Lauwin-Planque to be reused for future fulfillment.
10.) SolCold (Israel) – SolCold (Israel) – SolCold’s leading nanotechnology coating is being planned for deployment in 2025 on Amazon’s warehouse rooftop in Seville. Thanks to its ability to cool down up to 5°C below shade temperature while under sunlight, the aim will be to significantly decrease the cooling systems’ use, thereby contributing to the reduction of Amazon’s overall energy consumption, capital expenditure and carbon footprint, supporting its goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
11.) Unbound Potential (Switzerland) – Unbound Potential’s membrane-less redox flow batteries enhance longevity and efficiency over conventional options, offering a cost-effective energy storage solution. Their energy storage solution addresses Amazon’s challenge of limited solar energy utilization due to 24/7 operations, enabling the transition to off-grid fulfillment centers powered entirely by renewable sources. The pilot location and launch timeframe is currently being scoped.
KEY QUOTES:
“Storing energy for longer periods is vital as we accelerate towards net zero. We are excited to test our innovative technology with Amazon. This will help the company store excess solar energy and use it when needed. It’s great that Amazon shares our belief in the potential of the Cheesecake Energy technology to reduce the cost of energy storage as well as ensuring renewable energy is used efficiently.”
- Michael Simpson, Chief Commercial Officer at Cheesecake Energy
“Through our world-leading AI tools, we are committed to reducing carbon emissions and energy use in heating and cooling systems. Our collaboration with Amazon in this pilot is a significant step towards achieving a more sustainable future in commercial, industrial and data center facilities. We aim to provide a scalable and seamless solution that not only benefits the environment but also offers substantial savings and efficiency improvements.”
- Jim Gao, CEO of Phaidra
“This trailblazing program is a testament to Amazon’s commitment to supporting innovation and driving positive change. By providing a real-world testing ground for unique and cutting-edge technologies, we’re not only reducing our environmental impact but also creating a blueprint for more sustainable practices across industry.”
- Amazon’s Sustainability Director, Justine Mahler
“We’re proud to partner with Amazon to harness AI and fully automate their solar operations. This pilot goes beyond efficiency—it’s about demonstrating how autonomous operations can boost solar performance by up to 15% and prevent costly issues like thermal events. Our technology ensures Amazon’s solar plants operate at peak efficiency 24/7, significantly cutting costs and paving the way for a scalable, sustainable energy future. Together, we’re shaping a world that runs itself on renewables.”
- Fiona Amann, CEO at Raicoon
“We are delighted with the opportunity to test our model on a large scale with Amazon and thus contribute to a more sustainable future for e-commerce. Collaborating with a player of the size of Amazon gives us the unique opportunity to demonstrate the full potential of our approach to drastically reduce the use of disposable packaging at the industry level.”
- Anne-Sophie Raoult, co-founder of Hipli
“During the ASA programme, we understood how Amazon is transforming its operations to comply with its commitment to The Climate Pledge, and what is required from us as a start-up in order to become a part of this process. Understanding the dynamics of our interactions with large industrial clients is key to our success. By implementing a pilot project with Amazon, we will fortify these skills, demonstrate the capabilities of our technology and bring to life a large battery system.”
- David Taylor, Unbound Potential
“Our journey with the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator is fuelled by our ambition to revolutionize the battery industry, upcycling 3 billion batteries by 2040. We’re thrilled to be part of a program dedicated to supporting sustainable innovations, and we’re eager to expand our capabilities working with Amazon to amplify our impact on the climate.”
- Circu Li-ion’s CEO and Co-Founder Antoine Welter
