Amazon.com does a KickStarter, announces “Launchpad Store” for startups

Amazon.com has come up with yet another innovative feature to gain an edge over the other online stores. The new platform from Amazon will help startups advertise and sell their produce on the website akin to how startups are doing in Kickstarter.

In essence “Amazon Launchpad” will help entrepreneurs to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and the end-consumers. It will also help the startups to gain the necessary exposure and chances are that this might help them score funding with the investors. That being said the platform will also become “Testing waters” for the products.

The online behemoth will be joining hands with more than 25 crowdfunding platforms similar to Indiegogo and Venture capital firms in a bid to offer 200 products on the Amazon Launchpad. Amazon refuted claims that it is working with Kickstarter in any form.

The products will be listed on the Amazon Store and they will also be providing the logistics and distribution for the startup. Additionally Amazon will also help the company to ship their products outside United states. Startups will also be able to offer the products to the Amazon Prime subscribers.

Jake Levine, the founder and CEO of Electric Objects told ET that “Before Launchpad I thought we would have to go directly to consumers and begin talking to retailers, but we leapfrogged that phase”.

That being said it is quite possible the startups might be ill equipped to deal with a massive surge in demands and they won’t be able to ramp up the productions that fast.

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