Flare 2026 Finalists

Flare is the University of Hertfordshire’s annual enterprise competition, celebrating the creativity, ambition and entrepreneurial talent of our students and recent graduates.

Since 2005, Flare has supported students and alumni to develop early-stage ideas, emerging ventures and freelance businesses through training, mentoring and funding opportunities.

This year’s competition recognised outstanding ideas across Best New Idea, Best Positive Impact, Best Creative Idea, Best Pitch, Flare Enterprise Champion, and the Engineers and Scientists in Business Fellowship award.

2026 winners

Best New Idea

Shailesh Mavchi – Shelrock

Shelrock is a B2B marketplace designed to simplify and secure trade between India and the UK. The platform combines supplier verification, escrow payments, logistics, customs documentation and quality assurance in one system, helping businesses overcome barriers to cross-border trade.

Best Positive Impact

Adwaith Suresh – Reclaimer Industries

Reclaimer Industries is developing a living microbial biofertiliser that restores soil health. Using locally available agricultural waste as feedstock, the venture aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on global supply chains while improving nutrient efficiency, lowering costs and enhancing long-term farm productivity.

Best Creative Idea

Daisy Ragsdale – Trinket

Trinket is a fantasy-themed strategy board game for 2–8 players, designed to be easy for beginners while offering depth for experienced players. Featuring original artwork and worldbuilding, the game encourages players to negotiate and haggle their way to victory through a curated collection of trinkets.

Best Pitch

Abimbola Odushoga – Pharmaceutech

Pharmaceutech is a health technology company developing AI-powered healthcare and biosensing solutions to improve patient outcomes and clinical decision-making. Its flagship concept, OpiBud, is a continuous addiction monitoring platform providing real-time patient insights through physiological and biomarker tracking.

Flare Enterprise Champion

Adwaith Suresh – Reclaimer Industries

Adwaith Suresh was recognised with the Flare Enterprise Champion Award for Reclaimer Industries, a regenerative agriculture venture developing a living microbial biofertiliser that supports soil health, sustainability and long-term farm productivity.

Engineers and Scientists in Business Fellowship award

Dr. Mohammad Harris – Inshira Technologies Limited
Ameer Hamza – Helix 360 Facilities Ltd

Inshira Technologies Limited is a manufacturing intelligence platform for SME and bespoke manufacturers. The platform combines AI with human expertise to map production processes, quantify losses across time, cost and materials, and identify high-impact actions to reduce inefficiencies and support decarbonisation.

Helix 360 Facilities Ltd is a biomedical science-led specialist cleaning company for laboratories and controlled environments. The company applies standards including GMP, GLP, COSHH, DSEAR, ISO 45001, ISO 14001 and CIMS to support safe, compliant and audit-ready research and life sciences facilities.

2026 finalists

Tochukwu Azih Anthony – Tex3R

Tex3R is a textile recovery and recycling business working to reduce textile waste through the recovery and recycling of used and disposed cotton-rich textiles. Its closed-loop model aims to reduce textile waste going to UK landfill and support the production of new clothing with less reliance on fresh cotton.

Marvelous Eromonsele – FoodSave Local

FoodSave Local is a digital platform connecting food businesses such as restaurants, cafés and grocery stores with local charities in real time, enabling quick redistribution of surplus food and reducing waste while improving access to food for communities in need.

Ann Mariya George – EcoCycle FemCare

EcoCycle FemCare tackles menstrual waste through an innovative pad incinerator. Designed to reduce environmental impact and improve hygiene, the solution enables safe, scalable disposal for a purpose-driven venture at the intersection of sustainability, public health and innovation.

Tej Nikhil Nanduri – Limbs for Life

Limbs for Life aims to develop affordable robotic prosthetic limbs that improve independence and confidence for people with limb loss. Using sustainable recycled materials, 3D printing and intuitive sensor technology, the project combines accessibility, durability and personalised design.

Recent winners

Alongside this year’s winners, Flare has seen a diverse range of innovative business ideas over the past few years. Here’s a snapshot of some recent winners, highlighting the variety of sectors and solutions the competition attracts:

2025: Nutriloop, Scripted Sounds, DoQuMate, Opi Bud, Things Web, and Blessing Bakez showed innovation across sustainable fertiliser, audio production, education technology, opioid overdose prevention, refrigeration monitoring, and gluten-free baking.

2024: Eureka Creative, Uverd, Nutribox, Cool Flush, Gamsity, VASTRA, and Well-You demonstrated innovation across creative media, regenerative agriculture, healthcare nutrition, women’s wellbeing technology, AI-powered education, sustainable fashion, and holistic mental-health support.

2023: Ellyfe, Uverd, Bground, Keats, WattFlow, and Come Outside! showcased innovation across healthcare tech, sustainable agriculture, eco-materials, food and nutrition, clean-energy solutions, and wellbeing support.