Amazon: Forming New Supply Chains with 2025 Climate Cohort

Nine out of 10 chief executives say that inadequate technology is the reason for challenges in building resilient businesses, according to a study by consultancy Accenture.

The World Economic Forum adds that start-ups developing practical solutions are key to optimising material lifecycles and supporting supply chains that reduce waste and promote sustainability.

Amazon has announced its 2025 Climate Cohort within the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator to address exactly these issues.

Eleven companies are selected from 550 applicants to test and expand their ideas, with the possibility of deploying them across Amazon’s European operations.

The cohort begins in 2022 focusing on consumer products, but now widens its scope to include climate technology.

Through the programme the chosen businesses gain four weeks of workshops, mentoring and leadership panels, as well as access to experts and pilot opportunities. Their focus is on energy efficiency, waste reduction and water management—three core elements of supply chain transformation.

Supply chain challenges

Amazon frames the Accelerator as a way to support the roll out of solutions that can scale across industries, not only within its own logistics and retail networks.

By helping small businesses grow, it expects to make supply chains more circular, where resources are reused, waste is minimised and data informs better choices.

The company partners with organisations including EIT Climate-KIC, Founders Intelligence and Growth Studio to provide insight into scaling products and services.

Events such as Mentor Day and Demo Day connect participants directly with potential partners. In 2024 Amazon invests £650,000 ($881,000) into five pilot schemes, signalling its commitment to bringing early-stage ideas into operational settings.

Olivier Pellegrini, European Director of Sustainability and Packaging Operations at Amazon, says: "What stands out about this cohort is their combination of technological innovation and practical applicability.

"These founders are developing technologies that have real potential for implementation within our operations and could be truly transformative at scale. Their approach connects well with Amazon's own culture of innovation and sustainability goals."

Livia Solustri, Strategy Lead at Founders Intelligence, explains: "We're excited to continue our collaboration with Amazon's Sustainability Accelerator for the 2025 Climate Tech Challenge.

"Last year's programme demonstrated the impact of connecting innovative start-ups and scale-ups with Amazon's operational expertise. We’re proud to play a role in identifying and supporting companies that can drive meaningful environmental change while delivering operational efficiency at scale."

Innovations tackling waste, water and energy

Among the 11 companies in this year’s Climate Cohort are solutions targeting three of the most resource-intensive areas of the supply chain: waste handling, water access and energy storage.

Vuala has developed an “artificial stomach” that separates food waste from other materials. Using specialised micro-organisms, the system liquifies waste at source, keeping it odour-free for months and turning it into raw material for renewable energy.

Chief Executive and Co-Founder Abiel Ma explains: “Traditional food waste management relies on hauling waste to centralised treatment, often has problems of odours, pests, contamination, poor recycling and little data for improvement.

"Our data-driven ‘artificial stomach’ automatically separates food waste at source, converting it into raw material for renewable energy while driving frontline behaviour change and incentivising organisations to power a circular economy.”

Solaq addresses water scarcity by pulling drinkable water directly from the air. Its system runs on solar power and operates without connection to the electricity grid. This allows consistent, 24/7 production and offers a potential solution for regions where supply chains struggle to meet water demand.

Omniflow rethinks urban infrastructure with a streetlight powered by solar and wind. It consumes 90% less energy than conventional alternatives and includes features such as air quality monitoring, electric vehicle charging and motion-activated dimming.

For logistics operations, this technology offers cities an energy-efficient platform that doubles as infrastructure for delivery fleets.

Mhor Energy focuses on long-duration storage with its flow battery, where energy is kept in liquid form. It avoids corrosive electrolytes, making it safe for use in populated areas and is engineered to last 25 years.

Founder and Chief Executive Jamie Lindsay says: "Our journey began with a simple frustration over the lack of innovation in heating systems. This led us to develop a system that uses environmentally friendly liquids to store electricity.

"By creating a heat-resistant, non-flammable solution, we're helping industries transition to renewable energy while significantly reducing their operational costs and environmental impact."

Building sustainable supply chains

Amazon positions the 2025 Climate Cohort as part of a wider effort to link supply chain efficiency with environmental outcomes.

The Accelerator aims to bring innovative ideas into mainstream operations by giving small companies access to scale, capital and networks.

For Amazon’s own supply chain, the technologies hold the potential to cut waste, ensure sustainable access to resources and reduce emissions across transport and logistics.

For the wider industry, the cohort demonstrates how collaboration between multinationals and start-ups can create practical tools for sustainable growth.

Through initiatives such as these, supply chains become not only more resilient but also more capable of operating within environmental limits.

Amazon presents its Climate Cohort as a catalyst for this shift, aligning innovation with sustainability at every stage of the chain.