UKFT member ACS Clothing has been selected as one of 15 start-ups from across Europe to be part of this year’s Amazon Sustainability Accelerator. The companies will pitch for the chance to pilot their technology with Amazon, with a potential investment of €50,000 to €2 million.

(ACS’s Michael Cusack is pictured in yellow at the Amazon Warehouse with the other Entrepreneurs who were selected)

Since launching in 2022, the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator has supported more than 25 start-ups across the UK and Europe, provided over US $1 million in grants and credits, and helped participating businesses increase total sales on average by 700% and raise over €18.7 million to date.

Glasgow-based ACS Clothing is a clothing renewal firm which processes six million items of clothing per year for returns, rental, subscription, and resale through its cleaning and repair service. It is now Europe’s largest circular fulfilment fashion hub, and works with renowned brands and retailers including Chloé, The North Face, LK Bennett and Timberland, to extend the life of garments and minimise landfill waste.

“As pioneers of circular fashion fulfilment for over 25 years, ACS Clothing is driven by a mission to reshape the fashion industry from the traditional take-make-dispose model, towards a circular model that extends the life of materials and diverts clothing away from landfill,” said Andrew Rough, CEO of ACS Clothing. “We have already helped several leading fashion brands join the circular economy and strengthen their sustainability achievements. Joining the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator will equip us with the resources we need to scale-up and push on with transforming the global fashion economy.”

A spokesperson from Amazon said: “We selected ACS Clothing for the third edition of the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator for its industry-leading and innovative approach to circular fashion fulfilment solutions. The team’s unwavering commitment to sustainability across all aspects of their business, including advanced reverse logistics and garment renewal processes, aligns perfectly with our goal of empowering businesses that prioritise environmental responsibility. By supporting ACS, we aim to amplify its impact and promote a more sustainable future for fashion.”

The Amazon Sustainability Accelerator is a four-week programme designed to help start-ups navigate the challenges of scaling a sustainability business. Participants will meet and work with experts in Amazon’s Sustainability, Climate Pledge Fund, and Climate Pledge Friendly teams, attend workshops, receive mentorship, and €10,000 worth of AWS Activate Credits.

“I’m so excited to welcome 15 ambitious start-ups to join the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator this year, including our first ever Climate Tech Pilot,” said Zak Watts, Amazon’s International Director of Sustainability. “The scope of businesses involved means we can support even more entrepreneurs to reach their potential. Not to mention the one-of-a-kind opportunity to test their technology directly with parts of Amazon’s business. It is our mission for the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator to be the best programme of its kind in the world for entrepreneurs to pioneer and scale cutting-edge sustainable solutions.”

This year’s expanded Amazon Sustainability Accelerator is a partnership with EIT Climate-KIC, Europe’s leading climate innovation agency, and innovation strategy consultants Founders Intelligence, part of Accenture.

The Amazon Sustainability Accelerator start-ups were chosen from hundreds of applications, with each of the selected start-ups bringing an innovative solution, strong sustainability credentials, and high growth potential to the table. The later-stage start-ups have moved beyond prototype testing and are working towards generating initial revenue and growing operations, having been selected from three key areas: circular economy, energy in buildings, and packaging.

Ezra Konvitz, Director & Head of Accelerators, Founders Intelligence said: “We love finding the ways major companies can work with leading start-ups creating the future. The incredible start-ups and technologies that are part of the Pilot Challenge cohort give cause for hope – if we can help them find the best ways to work with Amazon’s scale, we’ll achieve a game-changing impact.”

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