Amazon Launchpad Kitchen Products from Startups

Amazon’s new Launchpad store offers the latest gadgets from crowdfunding campaigns and startups

- Jul. 28th 2015 10:17 am ET

Crowdfunding campaigns and startups are pushing out some of the coolest gadgets in the market, but getting your hands on them is sometimes tough since these companies don’t have distribution and logistics locked down. Amazon Launchpad is designed to make it easier for these amazing products to get into the hands of consumers faster. Jim Adkins, Amazon’s Vice President, explains:

Amazon Launchpad gives customers access to a dedicated storefront featuring a variety of innovative new products from emerging brands. For startups, we handle inventory management, order fulfillment, customer service, and more, allowing them to focus their efforts on the innovation that results in more cool products.

The Amazon Launchpad Store already has more than 200 products from various venture capital firms, startup accelerators, and crowd-funding platforms. Some of which have been around for quite some time and others that are brand new.

Many consumers (myself included) are hesitant to back a crowdfunding campaign due to the murky purchase process and vague shipping timelines, but if you can wait until they hit Amazon Launchpad you should have a relatively stress-free experience.

This move by Amazon shouldn’t come as a shock, back in March the online retailer opened a similar store dedicated to selling innovative products from emerging brands.

Here are some of our top picks from Amazon’s new Launchpad store:

Kinsa Smart Thermometer: $29.99 littleBits Electronics Premium Kit: $149 Ube U1000 Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer: $89 Bluesmart Smart Carry-On Luggage: $349 Osmo Gaming System for iPad: $76.99 GrowlerWerks Ukeg 64 Copper Craft Beer Growler: $145

Full press release follows:

Amazon Launchpad makes it easy for startups to launch, market, and distribute their products to hundreds of millions of Amazon customers across the globe

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

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jul. 28, 2015– (NASDAQ: AMZN) – Amazon today announced Amazon Launchpad, a new program that makes it easy for startups to launch, market, and distribute their products to hundreds of millions of Amazon customers across the globe. The program offers a streamlined onboarding experience, custom product pages, a comprehensive marketing package, and access to Amazon’s global fulfillment network, all geared toward helping 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.

“As the pace of innovation continues to increase within the startup community, we want to help customers discover these unique products and learn the inspiration behind them. We also know from talking to startups that bringing a new product to market successfully can be just as challenging as building it,” said Jim Adkins, Vice President, Amazon. “Amazon Launchpad gives customers access to a dedicated storefront featuring a variety of innovative new products from emerging brands. For startups, we handle inventory management, order fulfillment, customer service, and more, allowing them to focus their efforts on the innovation that results in more cool products.”

Amazon Launchpad offers participating startups:

Brand Development: Custom product pages help bring products to life through visually-compelling imagery and videos. Founders can tell their story and connect with customers in a personal way with Q&A about the startup. Products from these emerging brands are featured in the new Amazon Launchpad store, which is dedicated to showcasing startups and their innovations. Customer Reach: Amazon’s most powerful marketing tools – including merchandised placements, personalized recommendations, and participation in the Amazon Vine customer reviews program – give products from startups added visibility. Startups also enjoy access to Amazon’s global fulfillment network, fast and free shipping with Amazon Prime, and customer service. Global Expansion: When startups are ready to reach customers outside the U. S., Amazon Launchpad can help them expand globally with cost-effective supply chain solutions and marketing programs in more than 10 Amazon marketplaces around the world.

Amazon is working with more than 25 venture capital firms, startup accelerators, and crowd-funding platforms to bring startups into the Amazon Launchpad program. Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator, and Indiegogo are a few of the companies that have funded the more than 200 products currently available in the Amazon Launchpad store – which features everything from Electronics to Kitchen to Beauty items. Products from startups in the program include the Bluesmart Smart Carry-On Luggage, eero Home Wi-Fi System, Cuff DVB Smart Sport Band, Fenugreen FreshPaper Produce Saver Sheets, Electric Objects EO1 Digital Art Panel, Soma Sustainable Pitcher & Plant-Based Water Filter, Thync Mood-Changing Wearable System, and Casper Mattress, among others.

Initial feedback from some of the companies in the Amazon Launchpad program includes:

“Launchpad makes Amazon an ideal partner for the most innovative young tech companies,” said Marc Andreessen, Co-Founder and General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz. “It’s yet another way Amazon fosters a real ecosystem of invention and creativity.” “At Y Combinator, our support doesn’t end on Demo Day. With Amazon Launchpad, we are reinforcing our commitment to help bring physical products to a wide audience,” said Luke Iseman, Partner, Y Combinator. “This program will help our hardware startups get in front of more users than ever before.” “Indiegogo empowers campaigners to turn ideas into reality through customer engagement and funding mechanisms. By partnering with Amazon Launchpad, Indiegogo entrepreneurs gain instant access to Amazon’s powerful distribution capabilities and massive audience,” said Slava Rubin, Co-Founder and CEO, Indiegogo. “I’m excited to see how this unique partnership enables startups to accelerate their growth and share their innovative products with the world.” “Amazon recognizes the increasing importance of fast and reliable home Wi-Fi as consumers stream more video and music than ever before and connected devices go mainstream,” said Nick Weaver, Co-Founder and CEO, eero. “We couldn’t ask for a better partner and are honored to be one of the emerging companies in the Amazon Launchpad program. We’re excited to showcase our product on the world’s largest discovery platform.” “Amazon Launchpad is the perfect home for our smart jewelry. This innovative way to shop lets us tell consumers the story and philosophy behind Cuff, and hopefully makes them fall in love with our product,” said Deepa Sood, Founder and CEO, Cuff. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of this initiative.” “I am an accidental entrepreneur – I never dreamed that FreshPaper, which started as my middle school science project, would one day be in the hands of farmers and families across the globe. But my unlikely story is only possible because of visionary partners like Amazon who believe in our product’s potential to change the way the world eats,” said Kavita Shukla, Inventor and Founder, Fenugreen FreshPaper. “By throwing their considerable weight behind ideas like FreshPaper, Amazon is using its technology and reach to make innovation accessible to all.” “The sheer scale that Amazon Launchpad offers a startup like Electric Objects is unparalleled,” said Jake Levine, Founder and CEO, Electric Objects. “Working closely with their team these last few months, I’ve been consistently impressed with the level of service and access that this program makes available. This partnership could be game-changing for our company, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to participate.”

Amazon Launchpad setup to help startups promote their products

The next hit product is always right around the corner, and if the world’s largest online retailer has its way, you might just be introduced to it through Amazon. com.

With support from Silicon Valley powerhouses like venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and accelerator Y Combinator, Amazon this week unveiled Amazon Launchpad, “a new program that makes it easy for startups to launch, market, and distribute their products to hundreds of millions of Amazon customers across the globe.”

Through the Amazon Launchpad store consumers can discover more than 200 products created by upstart companies like Bluesmart, which sells smart carry-on luggage, and Osmo, which makes an iPad gaming system.

According to Amazon Vice President Jim Adkins:

As the pace of innovation continues to increase within the startup community, we want to help customers discover these unique products and learn the inspiration behind them. We also know from talking to startups that bringing a new product to market successfully can be just as challenging as building it.

Amazon Launchpad gives customers access to a dedicated storefront featuring a variety of innovative new products from emerging brands.

Beyond the exposure Amazon promises startups that participate in its new program, the online retail giant offers Amazon Launchpad partners help with brand development and access to its global fulfillment network.

According to Amazon, ”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.”

Make or break

With the costs developing new physical products decreasing considerably in recent years, a growing number of startups are focusing on creating innovations that consumers can touch and hold.

But bringing a physical product to market still comes with considerable challenges. If Amazon proves capable of helping young companies tap its vast customer base, it could find itself in the enviable position of hit-maker for new products in a variety of important categories such as consumer electronics and beauty.

But despite Amazon’s reach and logistics expertise, there’s no guarantee the online retailer will be able to predict winners or produce them.

Startups participating in Amazon Launchpad, which is billed as the place “where inventions take flight,” will almost certainly find Amazon’s help to be valuable, but they should also remember that Amazon’s marketplace is vast and competitive.

As such, few physical product startups can afford to ignore multiple channels, offline and online, when trying to break through, even if they have the backing of a major retailer.

Amazon Launchpad Puts Startup Products on a Grownup Platform

Amazon is an odd duck. For years, pundits have suggested that it’s not really interested in turning a profit, seemingly baffled by its stock price rising despite banking next to nothing compared to its revenue. Of late, the company’s grand plan has become a little clearer, and its newest initiative — Launchpad — provides a glimpse into its ambitions for future growth.

It’d be easy to suggest that Launchpad is simply a rival to the likes of Indiegogo and Kickstarter, but that’d be a slight misrepresentation. Unlike those two entities, Amazon’s Launchpad doesn’t give startups a way to raise money. Instead, Launchpad is designed to slot in between the stages of fundraising and distribution — a stage that’s rarely dwelled upon by budding entrepreneurs, but ends up being critical in a business’s success or failure.

In fact, Launchpad is actually partnering with Indiegogo, along with Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator and a host of other venture capital firms and startup accelerators. Amazon’s goal isn’t to replace those entities — it’s to serve as a startup’s first and primary distribution mechanism once the proverbial sausage is made.

As it stands, getting a product funded is tough, but creating an e-commerce arm to actually ship, manage supply chain inventory, and market to a wide audience is another beast entirely. This is why so many Kickstarter and Indiegogo projects are funded but eventually falter. In 2012, just eight of the top 50 most-funded Kickstarter projects shipped on time, and data from late last year showed that “only one in five venture-backed products delivered on time, and it was not entirely uncommon for products to deliver three or more months late.”

It’s easy to craft an idea, and in today’s tech landscape, it’s relatively easy to find cash. Delivering is the hard part, and that’s why Launchpad exists.

Amazon’s global market reach is rivaled by only a precious few companies, and if you’re a hardware startup, getting listed on Amazon’s site is a very good thing indeed. If your project goes through one of Amazon’s 25 certified partners, and you actually produce a tangible product, Launchpad will enable you to have a “direct retail relationship with Amazon, enroll your products in the Amazon Vine program to get them reviewed, and merchandise them across Amazon. com.” Customers know and trust products coming from an Amazon warehouse. They’re able to utilize their Prime benefits to get items quickly. They respect Amazon’s world-class return policy. Suddenly, a startup’s wares are given tremendously more clout simply by being underneath the Amazon banner, despite the fact that Amazon had nothing to do with ideation or fundraising. And, perhaps more amazingly, this isn’t an exclusive arrangement; items that come to Launchpad can still be sold in retail stores such as Walmart.

Let’s look at Petzi Treat Cam, the first product to be distributed via Launchpad. The product was crowd funded on Indiegogo, and is now on sale via Amazon as well as in PetSmart stores. Once funded, the company’s owners had to fork out cash to produce actual goods to ship to Amazon, which will in turn offer them up for review and put them on sale through its channels. (Mind you, there’s no fee to participate in Launchpad.)

Make no mistake — there’s still a lot of risk involved. Launchpad requests that a company provide finished products to Amazon within 90 days. And if you ship thousands of wares to Amazon and they don’t sell, you’re still in the same pickle that business owners who miss demand forecasts have been in for centuries.

Still, Launchpad represents what I believe is a core pillar of Amazon’s future: “Get ’em young.” This is a no-lose proposition for Amazon. It doesn’t incubate, it doesn’t fund, and it doesn’t put up cash for inventory. But, due to its reach, Amazon is going to get all sorts of fresh products from fresh companies, some of which will evolve to become The Next Big Thing. Once a startup strikes it big on Amazon, chances are it’ll continue coming back to that same well, and Launchpad partners will undoubtedly funnel promising new products to Amazon’s pages for distribution.

How Amazon Launchpad Is Helping Startups To Sell Their Physical Products

Amazon has understood that startups are more impactful than ever and have decided to cater to them. They’ve now just created Amazon Launchpad which is a platform for startups to showcase & sell their products.

This is an extremely healthy move for startups because of the reach and distribution that their products will now have. But any of these companies can sell their products without Amazon Launchpad, so what makes Launchpad special for startups?

A dedicated section for startup products

Amazon Launchpad gives new product companies a separate platform and doesn’t just include them as 1 among millions of other products. There is a new category called Amazon LaunchpadThat is added among other categories. This brings attention to a startup’s products. This can be very impactful for a new company because of the amount of people that will come to know about their product in this way. A brand can be built because of Amazon Launchpad.

As Amazon gives first priority to startups, companies can now launch immediately and not take months of effort to launch.

Amazon really pushes your product in front of millions of people, and this is precisely what every company needs. Companies fail mostly because of lack of marketing and distribution. Getting a front page product placement can change the situation of your company forever.

Amazon helps customers learn about your brand. The product pages are different from normal listings. There is an ‘About the Startup’ section which goes into detail about the company and how it started. This establishes credibility and also personalizes it a bit. It is good branding for the startup’s founder as well.

About the Startup on the product page

Amazon handles the distribution. This is the hard part. A startup’s products can now be bought all over the world and it will be shipped directly to them. This kind of scale and reach simply isn’t possible for a young company.

Registering with Launchpad

Amazon has partnered with incubators, accelerators, and crowdfunding websites that are instrumental in bringing out new startups. Here is the complete list of the global network of companies that Amazon has partnered with. So any startup that comes from that list can be a part of Amazon Launchpad.

So what about those who aren’t? Amazon actually lets anyone apply to the Launchpad program and they will vet the application on a case by case basis. So if you have a great product that is ready to ship, then you might actually be able to join the Launchpad program.

Services Hub

Services Hub is another business offering from Amazon that can help your startup from start to finish. What are the features of Services Hub?

Services Hub comprises of a list of companies that can help you with the entire spectrum of doing business. From prototyping to marketing and running operations, it’s broken down into different segments depending on your needs.

Every segment has 8 to 10 companies you can choose from. The best part is that these companies are committed to replying within 7 days. So you will get an answer.

How do you get started with Launchpad?

The process is pretty simple. You register for Amazon Launchpad and fill out the form. It is Required to have a US telephone number when filling out the form, and they also ask when you can ship your product. To be part of Amazon Launchpad, you need to have a ready and shippable product.

Once registered, you have to confirm an order and ship the product to Amazon’s center. After this process, you can send in all of the information regarding your product and company (images, videos, description, etc.).

It’s getting easier and easier for smaller companies to get noticed and put their name out there. Also, read this article by Smallbiztrends for more information.

There has never been a better time in the world to start a business. If you are in business for the right reasons, then you can take advantage of these great offerings from these well-established companies. Here are hand-picked articles for further reading:

What do you think of Amazon Launchpad? Do you have a ready and shippable product you’re going to apply with? Let me know in the comments below!