Climate-ready soil innovation, tech to support opioid recovery and a board game teaching negotiation skills among winners of Herts enterprise competition
Wearable technology to support people recovering from opioid addiction, a board game that teaches young people how to trade, and a natural fertiliser designed to improve soil resilience in extreme weather conditions were among the winning ideas at the University of Hertfordshire's annual entrepreneurship competition.
Flare, the University's flagship enterprise event, encourages students and graduates from across all Schools to develop innovative business ideas and pitch them to a panel of judges for the chance of winning financial and 1-2-1 support. Ten individuals made it to the final stages of this year’s competition, with six from disciplines including science, business, healthcare and the creative arts awarded prizes.
The overall winner was Adwaith Suresh, a graduate of Hertfordshire Business School, whose natural fertiliser product – known as ‘Reclaimer’ - aims to improve soil resilience and support more sustainable farming. The product has been accepted for trials on 92 farms across the UK and is currently awaiting regulatory approval. Adwaith also won the Positive Impact Award.
Daisy Ragsdale, a current Comics and Concept Art student in the School of Creative Arts, won the Creative Pitch Award for Trinket, a fantasy-themed board game designed to help young people develop negotiation and trading skills through play.
Other prize winners included:
Abi Odushoga (School of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences), who won the Best Pitch Award for wearable technology designed to support the rehabilitation of people recovering from opioid addiction.
Shailesh Mavchi (Hertfordshire Business School, studying for an MSc Management with Logistics and Supply Chain), who won the Best New Idea Award - his business proposition focuses on creating a dedicated digital trade platform between India and the UK.
Dr Mohammed Harris, whose AI-powered solution helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) gain greater value from existing business data without disrupting operations.
Ameer Hamza, who has developed a specialist biomedical cleaning solution for laboratories and controlled environments.
Dr Harris and Mr Hamza shared the Engineering and Science in Business Fellowship (ESBF) Award.
Flare 2026’s overall winner Adwaith Suresh said:
"This recognition reflects my journey from an idea to something with real-world relevance. The support from the University's enterprise team has been instrumental in helping move Reclaimer from concept to a business that is ready for real-world validation."
Kate Serby, Entrepreneurship Events and Services Coordinator at the University of Hertfordshire, who led Flare, said:
"It's fantastic to see such a diverse range of ideas emerging from across the University, spanning business, healthcare, creative arts and engineering. The competition showcases the talent, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of our students and graduates.
"With the right support, these ventures have the potential to make a genuine difference to society and improve people's lives."
The judging panel was made up of University of Hertfordshire alumni who have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs. Prizes were presented by alumnus Hamid Ibrahim, Emmy-winning Creative Executive, co-founder and CEO of Kugali Media. Ibrahim co-created Disney's sci-fi series Iwájú and is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University.
Discover more about Flare at Herts.