Amazon Launchpad, the one-stop shop for unique and unexpected finds from startups, has announced Petit Pli, creator of ‘clothes that grow with your child’, as the 2022 European Startup of the Year.
To celebrate the Innovation Awards, Amazon ran the ‘Amazon Launchpad Innovation Week’ in September. The event featured a curated collection packed with forward-thinking products designed by the UK-based winner and other European finalists, all still available to shop at the Innovation Week storefront.
We want to be an innovation catalyst for the next generation and play a pivotal role in accelerating the move to a more sustainable fashion industry.
Petit Pli, which uses recycled water bottles to make their range of clothes that grow up to seven sizes, has been awarded a €100,000 grant and a featured placement on Amazon Launchpad, along with one year of free account management and support to sell on Amazon. The free-to-enter competition saw thousands of applications across Europe. A panel of expert judges then shortlisted 20 entrepreneurs with innovative products, with these runners-up awarded a featured placement.
“Winning Amazon Launchpad’s ‘European Startup of the Year’ is a big moment for Petit Pli,” said Ryan Mario Yasin, Founder of Petit Pli.
“We want to be an innovation catalyst for the next generation and play a pivotal role in accelerating the move to a more sustainable fashion industry, by leveraging innovation to show that more sustainable products need-not have trade-offs. Having recognition like this from a retailer like Amazon is great – we’re excited about the exposure and connection with other forward-thinking sellers on Amazon, and we’re also particularly fond of Amazon’s zero-emission last-mile deliveries. Petit Pli winning the 2022 Amazon Launchpad prize is a testament to the team’s persistence to not let good ideas die.”
Winning products were initially judged by a panel consisting of three industry experts: Aditi Singh, Head of Consumer Startups at Amazon Web Services; Jamie Siminoff, CEO of Ring; and Andy Fishburn, Managing Director of Virgin StartUp. Submissions were judged on their aesthetic, design, and uniqueness as well as social, ecological, economical and sustainability factors.
“We’re delighted to announce Petit Pli as our Startup of the Year – offering parents an alternative option which is better for the people and planet,” said Xavier Flamand, VP of Amazon Launchpad.
“We are proud to celebrate pioneers who come up with clever concoctions to make the world a better, brighter place. Blending simple, obvious things in unexpected ways to create something new and exciting is at the heart of Amazon Launchpad. We’re a destination for innovative new products from small businesses. Amazon Launchpad has supported over 2,200 startups in Europe, and these awards demonstrate both our commitment to supporting emerging brands and how we love to delight our customers with new and innovative products.”
Meet the other finalists
Spruce, one of the awards finalists, is a refillable cleaning products company that provides alternatives to single-use plastics. Customers can buy reusable Eternity bottles once, then get 100% plastic-free refills delivered and just add tap water. Working with their partner Plastic Bank, Spruce remove ocean plastics from high-poverty coastal regions – with every Spruce starter kit purchased, they remove an amount of ocean-bound plastics equal to twenty-five plastic bottles.
Deodorant brand Fussy was another finalist, shortlisted for their plastic-free refills and naturally effective ingredients. Their probiotic, 100% vegan deodorant neutralizes odor-causing bacteria and is full of ingredients like lime, grapefruit, and sandalwood.
Other finalists included technology brand Mymanu who develop wireless earbuds and chargers, and FabLittleBag, a company that exists to help protect rivers, oceans and beaches from the pollution caused by flushed period products.
Amazon is thrilled to see the standard and breadth of this years’ finalists at the annual Innovation Awards, and how we can continue to support innovative and sustainable startups who want to improve the world around them.
Amazon Launchpad was introduced in 2015 and is now available across Europe in France, Germany, UK, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands as well as in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, India and Australia. Since launch, Amazon Launchpad has worked with over 200 leading venture capital firms, startup accelerators and crowd-funding platforms to help startups launch industry-changing products.
Explore furniture, electronics, fashion and beauty at Amazon Launchpad.
