Milky Plant have been awarded UK Startup of the Year in the Amazon Launchpad’s annual Innovation Awards. They are revolutionising the way consumers drink plant-based milk at home. The Milky Plant machine makes fresh, healthy, and clean plant-based milk as sustainably as possible. No more milk cartons or plastic waste; by combining nuts, seeds, and plants, you’re in control of what goes in your milk.
As the UK Startup of the year, Milky Plant have been awarded a grant of €10,000.
Winning the UK competition for the Amazon Launchpad Innovation competition was so unexpected and so great. This is our first innovation award this year for Milky Plant and it really opens up opportunities for us to grow the business. This kind of recognition and support from Amazon is a big deal; it means we’re doing something right in this space and it’s a big stamp of approval. We plan to use the fund and access to Launchpad to support our Amazon listing and boost it further, as well as working on a second version of the machine and a commercial version for coffee shops, cafes and restaurants
– Michael Kalu, co-founder, Milky Plant
France-based Ops Clean Amazon Launchpad 2023 European Startup of the Year
European Startup of the Year is Ops Clean, creator of an eco-friendly laundry detergent alternative. Ops Clean have created a sachet which effectively cleans all types of laundry using on average 12 times less CO2 emissions. This natural product, made in France and delivered in recyclable and compostable packaging, effectively cleans all type of laundry with just one ingredient.
As overall winner, Ops Clean have received a €100,000 grant, a featured placement on Amazon Launchpad, and one year of free account management and support to sell on Amazon.
Winning Amazon Launchpad’s ‘European Startup of the Year’ will transform and shape the future of our business as we look to scale up and offer more customers across Europe a sustainable washing alternative. We’re passionate about ecological innovation; this recognition and support from Amazon allows us to keep developing products that respect our planet and its inhabitants.
– Jean-Baptiste Duranton, co-founder, Ops Clean
The grant allows us to continue improving our product and do more research to demonstrate its effectiveness, while still retaining ownership of our company. We are especially thankful to Amazon for believing in us, in our idea of a truly eco-friendlier product that can help the laundry detergent market to become greener. With this award, Amazon shows that they not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk for a more sustainable world. Thank you for that.
– Marc Biessy, co-founder, Ops Clean
Country Winners
Talking Hands, Germany Startup of the Year, aims to contribute to an inclusive and understanding society, and was started originally to create a solution to help children with Down syndrome communicate. The company has a whole portfolio of different sign flipbooks and products such as tilo, the finger alphabet puzzle, and the Talking Hands app.
Bricknic, Netherlands Startup of the Year, has a mission to develop cooking tools for togetherness, supporting diverse communities while caring for personal taste. Inspired by the age-old process of clay pot cooking, this healthy and collaborative way of cooking celebrates community spirit and puts social bonds back on the menu. The Bricknic Cooking Brick and the Bricknic BBQ Planet are made from natural clay and can be used on the barbecue, in the fireplace, or in the kitchen oven.
Infinite Athletic, Spain Startup of the Year, is a brand of technical clothing for the world of tennis, that is not only the first such brand to recover discarded material for a second life; the company also designs all garments with circularity in mind, ensuring the clothing’s end life is thought about with a new garment in mind. The garments are eco-designed, with no other materials than the polyester itself, so that they can always be recycled.
Firemill, Sweden Startup of the Year, is dubbed the fire extinguisher of the future, created by some of Sweden’s foremost industrial designers. The tool transforms an ordinary carbon dioxide cylinder for carbonated water into a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher.
At Amazon we are passionate about supporting and championing startups and SMEs who challenge the status quo to bring innovative products to the market. This year’s winners are truly pioneering in their fields who have brought new thinking to delight our customers with their creations. Since its launch, Amazon Launchpad has supported over 2,700 emerging brands, and we continue to be overwhelmed by the ingenuity and creative thinking brought to the table by these companies, who are truly shaping the future with Amazon’s continued support.
– Xavier Flamand, VP, Amazon Launchpad
