A UNIVERSITY of Bradford graduate has unleashed a new and "unique" energy drink onto the market, all while hoping to inspire others along the way.

Omar Bahadur, who is 24 and from Heaton, is the founder and CEO of Faraday Drinks, which has launched a natural flavoured water beverage with no artificial ingredients, as well as boasting "60 per cent" less sugar than the average energy drink.

Omar, who graduated in mechanical engineering in 2018, drew on personal experiences when creating his business.

"I believe all great business ideas come from personal problems - my problem with energy drinks was that they were too unhealthy", he says.

"I also hated that the cans couldn't be resealed - you couldn't put it back in your bag after opening it, for example.

"I was surprised there wasn't a healthier energy drink with more sustainable packaging - there was definitely a gap in the market."

Faraday Drinks was incorporated in late 2018, Omar says, but his journey was far from smooth.

"After I graduated, I worked three different jobs to fund Faraday. I was thrown in at the deep end, but I used the jobs to gain both experience and funding for the business.

"In this journey, we've gone through 20 to 25 changes in the recipe, spending thousands of hours in the food lab, listening to customers.

"Faraday is naturally flavoured water and has 60 per cent less sugar, with only natural ingredients, as well as recyclable and reusable packaging - we say it's light on the tongue, and heavy on the energy.

"The name Faraday stems from the scientist Michael Faraday - we're paying homage to great minds like him.

"In July, we put 2,000 bottles into cases of 12, selling them on our website, with free express delivery and 10 per cent student discount, and we've already made sales.

"We have global plans and hope to make variations, such as a caffeine-free version, for example."

Omar also wants to encourage others from his community to aim high.

"I'm proud of being from Bradford, it's a fantastic city. I love the diversity, I love the food, I love the people", he said.

"I think it's sad that there's a lot of unemployment here, but I think that's why a lot of our young people turn to entrepreneurship.

"I want people to know that it's okay if your first job isn't exactly what you wanted, you can use it as a stepping stone, like I did.

"It's okay to struggle, but as long as you keep learning new skills, it can be beneficial."