Amazon Australia Awards Innovative, Local Small Businesses More than AU$360,000 in Grants

SYDNEY – 9 May 2023 – Amazon Australia has announced the winners of its Launchpad Innovation Grants initiative for 2023, awarding grants valued at more than $90,000 each to four innovative startups from across Australia following a competitive pitch process.

The 2023 Amazon Australia Launchpad Innovation winners are:

• BSKT Wholefoods (Gold Coast, Qld) - Founded by former Gold Coast Titans players Ryan James, Greg Bird and Selasi Berdie, BSKT’s vision is to be the leading Indigenous owned and operated health food business in Australia and to expand with a new social impact division, BSKT Native.
• AntiBeauty (Perth, WA) - AntiBeauty celebrates a world that challenges the ideals of "traditional" beauty standards through its quality skincare range. All products are Australian made, vegan and designed to change the beauty industry.
• Zena Sport (Melbourne, Vic) - Zena Sport aims to empower a new generation of women’s participation in sport through pioneering protection garments. The Zena impact vest helps reduce the risk of breast and rib injury while being lightweight and non-restrictive. Suitable for all sports, it is now worn by thousands of women participating in sport worldwide.
• GiveWrap (Sydney, NSW) - Givewrap offers a range of high quality, recyclable, Australian designed gift wrap. What’s more, with every Givewrap product sold, $1 is donated to one of their four charity partners. With Givewrap, customers get to Give Twice – the gift goes to someone they know, and the donation goes to someone in need.  

Amazon Launchpad is designed to celebrate and support the growth of Australian startups and small to medium sized businesses (SMBs). Amazon’s Launchpad Innovation Grants program aims to accelerate the four winners’ business with a cash grant, a ‘Selling on Amazon’ bootcamp experience, and more.

Amazon Australia received hundreds of applications for this year’s Launchpad Innovation Grants initiative, from which ten finalists were chosen. This year, in a first for the Australian program, the ten finalists travelled to Amazon Australia's Sydney HQ to pitch their entries in-person to a panel of expert judges including Kate Glazebrook, Head of Impact at venture capital fund Blackbird; Maxine Sherrin, Program Director at Spark Festival; Amit Mahto, Country Manager - Marketplace at Amazon Australia and Singapore; and Lauren Capelin, Startup Ecosystem Manager at Amazon Web Services.

Finalists were given five minutes to make their pitch, sharing what makes their product innovative and how they plan to scale their business this year and beyond. Finalists were judged on how well they answered those questions and pitched their product, as well as whether their business understands their customers’ needs.
 
Amit Mahto, Country Manager - Marketplace at Amazon Australia and Singapore said, “Listening to the innovation, creativity and energy from all of our finalists at Pitch Night, it was very clear that SMBs are the powerhouse of Australian retail. These small businesses and brands have identified products or trends that are not only exciting and ahead of the curve, but will hopefully go on to support the changing way of life in Australia – one that is inclusive, sustainable and purpose-driven.

“We know that some of the very biggest and best ideas start small, and I have no doubt that each of the winners will go onto achieve great things in Amazon’s stores and beyond. We’re excited to help them reach their full potential.

“We’re also thrilled to be able to launch the winning brands on Amazon.com.au and put them in the spotlight for some of our of biggest shopping events of the year.”

Each Amazon Launchpad Innovation Grant includes a $20,000 cash grant, the opportunity to apply for up to $10,000 in AWS Activate Credits, out-of home support thanks to JCDecaux, support provided by third-party experts Export Accelerator, Podean and Airwallex, a ‘Selling on Amazon’ bootcamp experience over two days including flights and accommodation for those based outside Sydney, featured seller placement on the Launchpad homepage during key deal events and marketing, PR and merchandising opportunities throughout 2023.

Each of the Amazon Australia 2023 Launchpad Innovation Grants winners will be available on the Amazon Launchpad storefront in the next month. Budding Australian entrepreneurs, startups and small-to-medium-sized businesses can submit interest for Amazon Launchpad program here.

Quotes from Amazon Australia 2023 Launchpad Innovation Grants winners:

Benjamyn Gardner from AntiBeauty said: “I am over the moon to have won an Amazon Launchpad Innovation Grant, especially considering that, just six years ago, I was homeless and struggling to get by. As a solopreneur bootstrapping my business from the ground up with no external financial support, this grant will be a game-changer for my future growth plans. The cash prize and access to expert support and resources will allow me to invest in my business, scale my operations, and find more clients to help.

“I am incredibly grateful to Amazon for recognising my unique and disruptive vision and providing this incredible opportunity.”

Donna Johnson from Zena Sport said: “Winning an Amazon Launchpad Innovation Grant is really exciting for our team at Zena Sport. Amazon has been amazing in supporting Australian startups through this program.  This grant will not only help Zena Sport scale but it will also give us the opportunity to develop more female specific products as well as creating more brand awareness.”

Ryan James from BSKT Wholefoods said: “Winning an Amazon Launchpad Innovation Grant is an incredible honour, and I am grateful for the opportunity it provides BSKT Wholefoods. With Amazon Australia's support, I am confident that we can continue to grow and innovate, bringing our unique products and services to even more customers, and hopefully show the world how great native Australian ingredients are. I am excited to see what the future holds and am deeply grateful for Amazon's support.”

Michelle Tirtabudi from Givewrap said: “We are grateful, we are excited, and to be honest, quite emotional, to have won an Amazon Launchpad Innovation Grant. We’ve always believed in the idea, but to have someone with the credibility and capability of Amazon believe in it too, still has us pinching ourselves. 

“Being a startup in the e-commerce space comes with many challenges. So having the expertise of Amazon Australia behind us will be priceless in helping scale the business to the heights we believe it can reach. We’re so excited at the chance to build the business and grow our customer base.
Because the more we grow, the more we give to our charities.

“We believe that Givewrap is a game changer in gift wrapping. And winning this Grant is a game changer for Givewrap.”

-ENDS-

For more information, images or to set up an interview with one of the winning businesses, please contact: amazon@onegreenbean.com

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfilment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit Amazon.com.au.

About Amazon Launchpad
Amazon Launchpad launched in August 2019 and highlights innovative, cutting-edge products from startups and entrepreneurs from around Australia and the world, making it easy for them to on-board, promote and launch new products to millions of Amazon customers. Participants benefit from featured placement on the Amazon.com.au Launchpad store, marketing support and access to Amazon’s local fulfilment network. Amazon Launchpad also gives Australian consumers a chance to discover and support local brands.