Amazon invested in startups then launched competitors

Business Insider (07/23/2020)
  • A recent Wall Street Journal investigation discovered that Amazon has allegedly been meeting with and investing in startups to gain proprietary information then creating similar products.
  • Dozens of startups claim they were crushed after sharing product details that were copied to make Amazon-brand products.
  • For example, Amazon released the Alexa-enabled large screen device Echo Show eight months after investing and gaining information from home communication device maker Nucleus.
  • Amazon denies allegations, claiming they’re being made by “self-interested parties who complain rather than build”.