Amazon Alexa's Incubator Programme has just launched, and it will identify new businesses creating unique experiences with Alexa, or advancing voice technology, to give them the resources they need to continue to grow their business.

Voice technology carries enormous promise, as many people know from their daily interactions with Alexa. It is always ready to help, connect with people and devices, answer questions or entertain on any device and in multiple languages. The possibilities are endless - constantly learning and improving as people interact with their personal assistant.

This new programme will support voice studios that publish interactive voice experiences, startups that use the Alexa voice service to create innovative Alexa-enabled form factors, and other firms that use Alexa as a core element of their product, such as solution providers.

One of these companies is Voz Lab, a UK-based startup creating voice first skills for brands, in the realm of gaming and marketing giveaway competitions.

Maria Noel Reyes, Founder of Voz Lab, worked with Amazon from the inception of Voz Lab in 2019 through to applying to the Alexa Fund in 2020. Talking about her experience she said: “Amazon and the UK Alexa team have been very supportive every step of the way. There is no ceiling - if you have a good idea, the energy and the passion you can do anything you want.”

This initiative joins Amazon’s global effort led by the Alexa Fund to work with startups building with Alexa. To date, the Alexa Fund has invested in more than 60 companies globally, spanning a range of industries such as enterprise, smarthome, transportation, consumer technology and more. Those ideas include hardware products that would benefit from the Alexa Voice Service (AVS) or Alexa Skills that deliver new abilities to Alexa-enabled devices through the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK).

Eric King, General Manager, Amazon Alexa Europe, said: “We’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible in artificial intelligence, machine learning and speech science. I’m excited to bring the Alexa Incubator Programme to the UK to support European startups create new and compelling use cases for voice technology.”

If you have any questions please check out the FAQ below. To find out more about the Alexa Incubator Programme, please get in touch via alexaincubator@amazon.co.uk and one of the Alexa team members will get back to you.

What support does Amazon provide to startups participating in the Alexa Incubator Programme?

Startups who are selected to join the Alexa Incubator Programme are invited to partake in Alexa training. All startups will also receive 1:1 mentorship from the Alexa team and be invited to a Demo Day with the Alexa Fund team.

How is The Alexa Incubator Programme different from the Alexa Fund and the Alexa Next Stage?

Like the Alexa Fund and Alexa Next Stage, the Alexa Incubator Programme intends to help startups adopting Alexa as a core element of their business model. Unlike the Alexa Fund, the Alexa Incubator Programme only provides mentorship support. It does not invest in startups.

How do I apply to the Alexa Incubator Programme?

As a first step please contact the Alexa Incubator team at alexaincubator@amazon.co.uk who’ll get back to you with more information and next steps.