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Amazon Woos Start-Ups With Dedicated Site

Start-ups now have their own dedicated space on Amazon — provided they’re willing to be exclusive to the e-tailer.

As the name indicates, Amazon Exclusives (Amazon.com/exclusives) will feature products found only through the manufacturer and Amazon. Erik Fairleigh, a spokesman for Amazon, said the length of exclusivity is indefinite.  Though the selection is small at the moment (there were just five brands displayed on the site at press time, with about 50 products), Fairleigh said many more will be added in the coming weeks.

Products currently featured include the inflatable stand-up paddle boards shown on TV show “Shark Tank,” and the 3-in-1 iPhone 6 lens kit from Olloclip, a company with its own 2011 Kickstarter success story. When asked how companies are selected for inclusion, Fairleigh declined to comment on specifics, noting only, “We collaborated to identify trusted sellers on Amazon with unique products that were innovative and would be attractive to customers.”

 Amazon noted in its press release that it will fulfill the orders, making them eligible for Prime two-day shipping.

Amazon is certainly not the first e-tailer to its sights on start-ups and crowdfunding. BiteMyApple.co only sells products that are successfully funded Kickstarter projects (including Olloclip’s 4-in-1 lens kit for the iPhone 6), but it does not hold exclusivity over them. 

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