IMG_0207Amazon is working with some of the top startup programs and investors in the country on a new initiative called Amazon Launchpad, saying it wants to make it easier for fledgling companies to promote themselves and sell their products on the e-commerce site.

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Some of the initial products available from startups through Amazon Launchpad.

The new Launchpads portal debuted this morning, with specialized product pages and a streamlined process for startups to get up and running on Amazon’s e-commerce platform. The company is partnering on the program with more than 25 venture capital firms, accelerators and crowdfunding platforms — including Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator, Techstars, Indiegogo and others.

Prominent crowdfunding platform Kickstarter is notably absent from the list, but in an FAQ, Amazon tells startups not involved in the participating programs that they may still be eligible for participation the Launchpad initiative.

Amazon has a relationship with many startups through its Amazon Web Services cloud computing platform, but this extends those efforts to the company’s giant e-commerce platform. More than 200 products from startups are included in Amazon Launchpad at launch. The specialized product pages include larger images and videos, and an “About the Startup” section.

“We appreciate that startups have different needs than more established companies,” the company says in its FAQ. “Amazon Launchpad has been designed to meet these needs while giving you the marketing benefits typically reserved for our more established Amazon vendors, right from day one.”

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