Today on Amazon.it customers can benefit of unique and innovative products’ selection coming from startups based in Europe and across the globe.

The new showcase makes it easy for startups to launch great ideas, and market and distribute worldwide their products to millions of Amazon customers.

Benefits include a streamlined onboarding experience, custom product pages, a comprehensive marketing package and access to Amazon’s global fulfillment network.

Luxemburg, 27 September 2018 – Amazon.it today opens Amazon Launchpad, a new program that makes it easy for Italian startups to launch, market, and distribute their products to millions of customers on Amazon.it and across the globe. Amazon customers can benefit of unique and innovative products’ selection coming from startups based in Europe and across the globe: the new Amazon.it Launchpad showcase features hundreds of items in 5 categories to be expanded in the upcoming months with new innovative ideas, ranging from Consumer Electronics to Food, from Toys to House or Body.

Italian startups have a streamlined onboarding experience, custom product pages, a comprehensive marketing package and access to Amazon’s global fulfillment network as well as to customer service. Products are also eligible to Amazon Prime and available to its over 100 million global Prime members. Startups successfully launch their innovations and share their stories. With Amazon Launchpad, startups can overcome many of the challenges associated with launching new products by using Amazon’s retail expertise and infrastructure to create awareness and drive sales.

“In Amazon, innovation is part of our culture and we get our energy from inventing on behalf of customers, including small businesses and entrepreneurs. As the pace of innovation continues to increase within the startup community, Amazon Launchpad enables startups to be recognized in Italy as fast as possible and helps their unique products to be discovered by millions of Amazon customers worldwide”, said Mariangela Marseglia, Country Manager Amazon.it and Amazon.es.

“Bringing new products to market successfully can be just as challenging as building it” said Luca Cassina, EU Director Seller Services – Marketplace, Amazon. “Amazon Launchpad is designed to empower inventors. We support with inventory management, handle order fulfillment, customer service, and more, allowing them to focus their efforts on the innovation that results in more cool products. In addition, it gives customers access to a dedicated storefront featuring a variety of cutting-edge items from today’s emerging Italian inventors.”

In Italy, Amazon is working with more than 10 leading crowd-funding sites, incubators, accelerators and venture capital firms to bring great products from startups to Amazon customers, including Digital Magics, Italia Startup, LVenture Group, Premio Marzotto and Talent Garden. Amazon Launchpad offers startups an array of services that help accelerate their business including:

· Brand Development: Custom product pages help bring products to life through photos and videos. Founders can tell their story and connect with customers in a more personal way, with a Q&A about the startup

· Customer Reach: Amazon’s most powerful marketing tools, including merchandised placements and personalized recommendations, give products from startups added visibility

· World-class Fulfilment: Startups also enjoy access to Amazon’s global fulfillment network, fast and free shipping with Amazon Prime, and customer service.

· Global Expansion: Amazon Launchpad can help startups expand globally with cost-effective supply chain solutions and marketing programs in 9 Amazon marketplaces around the world.

Some of the Italian startups joining Amazon Launchpad are Powerme (charger for smartphones from another smartphone or electric device on the go), Filo (Bluetooth tracker to find wallets, bags, keys or anything to track), Robonica (smart indoor garden to grow herbs), My Cooking Box (traditional Italian specialties, convenient with all ingredients delivered to doorstep), Kamira (high quality and professional espresso “moka” machine for home) and 1Control (smart home device to open gates).

Nino Santoro is the inventor of Kamira, an innovative handmade and upside-down “moka” coffee machine with a vintage and futuristic design. “We joined immediately Amazon Launchpad considering the enormous visibility that this program would have ensued," explains Onofrio, the eldest son of Nino. "I have long talks with my account manager, who has led us by the hand in a new world and helped us to communicate more effectively.” Read the full story of Kamira.

“Innovation in the kitchen? It's in a box. And the Chef is in a box” says Chiara Rota, Founder of My Cooking Box, a 'box for cooking' with all the ingredients and author's recipe to make the best of Italian traditional dishes by ourselves, comfortably at home. Chiara has joined Launchpad and her challenge is to help the startup bring her products, perhaps unknown outside Italy, to the global market. “I have a close relationship with my account manager and her support was fundamental: she helped me both to communicate our products effectively for Amazon and to study sponsored campaigns. Interacting with her it has allowed me to acquire a wealth of new skills, which was also very useful internally in the company". Watch and Read the full story of My Cooking Box.

For Amazon Launchpad launch, some startups will offer exclusive deals with discounts from 10 to 20% to Amazon.it customers, including Dodow, (the device that helps fall asleep faster) Naptime, (a product that helps to relax) and Crazybaby (wireless sport headphones).

Since first opening its virtual shelf space to small businesses and entrepreneurs in 2000, Amazon has invested tens of billions of Euros in tools, services and infrastructure to help them succeed. Over 10,000 Italian-based businesses are selling on Amazon and one third of them export their products in Europe and around the world, reaching €350 million in export sales in 2017 alone. According to the independent research by Keystone Strategy Research, independent Italian businesses employ more than 10,000 people in Italy to run their sales activities on Amazon. More than a third of all stock in Italian fulfillment centers is dedicated to third party businesses selling on Amazon.

About Amazon Launchpad

Amazon Launchpad was introduced starting from 2015 and is available in the U.S., Canada, India, Mexico and, in Europe, in France, Germany, the U.K. and now also in Italy and Spain. Amazon Launchpad has launched more than 2,100 startups globally (650+ in Europe), more than 19,000 items in the program and over 85 startups have surpassed $1 million in sales since the program has been launched. Amazon Launchpad has worked with over 100 leading venture capital firms, startup accelerators and crowd-funding platforms to help startups launch products, and our most active collaborators have invested an average of more than six startups in the program.

To shop at the Italian Amazon Launchpad store, visit www.amazon.it/launchpad

To learn more about the Amazon Launchpad programme, visit www.amazon.it/launchpad/signup

About Amazon Corporate

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.it/about and follow @AmazonNewsItaly