UK DIY News

Sustainability Start-ups Earn Chance To Pilot Innovations With Amazon

11 innovative businesses receive funding to tackle complex environmental challenges
Amazon will trial technology from one of the winning start-ups intended to improve energy efficiency in UK fulfilment centres
Pilot projects from Amazon Sustainability Accelerator could result in long-term partnership with Amazon in Europe

Start-ups tackling some of the world’s biggest sustainability challenges will trial technology with Amazon across Europe after winning funding in this year’s Amazon Sustainability Accelerator. Eleven start-ups have been awarded the opportunity to test their pioneering innovations within Amazon operations with a potential investment of up to £2 million.

The 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, ground-breaking building materials, and using AI to improve energy efficiency.

The pilots will vary in both duration and scope depending on the challenge that is being addressed, with the opportunity for wider partnerships on completion. 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. HT Materials Science from Dublin and American-based Phaidra also have pilots in development with Amazon in the UK.

Cheesecake Energy was founded at the University of Nottingham and uses energy storage systems to capture electricity generated by solar power during the day to provide additional energy during peak hours or at night when the sun doesn’t shine. The technology will be used in selected European fulfilment centres.

“Storing energy for longer periods is vital as we accelerate towards net zero,” said Michael Simpson, Chief Commercial Officer at Cheesecake Energy. “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.”

HT Materials Science will add a nanofluid solution to the heating and cooling systems at Amazon fulfilment centres in Coventry, Daventry, and Doncaster. The aluminium-based technology, a winner of the Green Product Award, is expected to reduce energy consumption by up to 14%.

A pilot is currently being scoped to use Phaidra’s AI tool with the heating and cooling system at one of Amazon’s UK fulfilment centres. This is expected to lower carbon emissions by up to 40% and reduce energy costs by up to 25%. When connected, Phaidra’s software will use algorithms to optimise energy usage in real-time based on factors such as the weather and the number of occupants in the building.

“Through our world-leading AI tools, we are committed to reducing carbon emissions and energy use in heating and cooling systems,” said Jim Gao, CEO of Phaidra. “Our collaboration with Amazon in this pilot is a significant step towards achieving a more sustainable future in commercial, industrial and data centre facilities. We aim to provide a scalable and seamless solution that not only benefits the environment but also offers substantial savings and efficiency improvements.”

The Amazon Sustainability Accelerator will see similar innovative pilots across Europe. To support Amazon’s packaging reduction efforts, start-ups Re-Zip and Hipli will launch pilots to ship close to 100,000 orders across France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria using unique, reusable packaging. Circu Li-Ion from Luxembourg will help extend the life of Amazon’s batteries, using robots to disassemble and support batteries upcycling, giving them a second life, reducing lithium-ion waste and decreasing carbon-intensive material extraction.

Throughout 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 respective placements. 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.

“This trailblazing programme is a testament to Amazon’s commitment to supporting innovation and driving positive change”, said Amazon’s Sustainability Director, Justine Mahler. “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.”

Since launching in 2022, the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator has supported more than 40 start-ups across the UK and Europe, provided more than £1 million in grants and credits, and helped those businesses on average increase sales by 700% and raise over £15 million to date.

The eleven start-ups selected for the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator Climate Tech Pilot are:

BrainBox AI (Canada) – BrainBox AI has developed an AI-driven solution that optimises 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, as well as reduce heating and cooling-related carbon emissions by up to 40%. TIME Magazine recognized BrainBox AI’s solution as one of the Top 100 inventions of the year in 2020.

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.
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 members of the Amazon Battery Collaborative team 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 taking place 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.
Hipli (France) – Hipli plans to fulfil 50,000 orders from Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Montélimar using its reusable packaging design during the month of September. Each package can be re-used up multiple times, decreasing the reliance on single-use packaging. Hipli was selected for its scale, maintaining a million packages in circulation, and for their innovative approach.
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 fulfilment centres in Coventry, Daventry and Doncaster. HTMS has developed a ‘nanofluid additive’, which increases the cooling and heating capacity of typical HVAC systems without additional energy input, offering a lifespan of more than 10 years with minimal maintenance.
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 is currently being scoped.
Pirta (UK & USA) – Pirta's innovative passive cooling paint is being planned for deployment at Amazon's fulfilment centre in Seville in 2025, delivering heating and cooling related savings on energy and carbon emissions across the site. Pirta's water-based solution is both highly reflective and emissive allowing sub ambient surface temperatures to be achieved.
Raicoon (Austria) – Raicoon’s AI-powered technology can significantly increase solar power performance while reducing operational expenditure. It’s pilot with Amazon aims to increase the performance of their 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 prevention of issues such as falling debris and thermal events.
Re-Zip (Denmark) – Re-Zip will supply Amazon with 45,000 reusable cardboard boxes to fulfil customer orders across five European countries. Dispatched from Amazon’s fulfilment centre 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 fulfilment.
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 netzero carbon emissions by 2040.
Unbound Potential (Switzerland) – Unbound Potential's membraneless 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 fulfilment centres powered entirely by renewable sources. The pilot location and launch timeframe is currently being scoped.