Case study: Omar Bahadur

CEO & Founder Faraday Drinks Ltd

15 October 2020 By Next-Up

Omar is delighted  that his professional relationship with the mentors of the Next-Up platform has continued, “They are some of my biggest supporters assisting me in all areas”.

Omar Bahadur founded Faraday drinks two years ago after realising the energy drinks he drank as a student were unhealthy and impractical.

In April 2020, he was one of the first entrepreneurs to sign up to the Next-Up mentoring site to tap into an experienced generation for support and insights, as he built up to the product launch.

Omar explains, “I began approaching mentors with similar backgrounds to my industry taking location into account. I composed personal messages to each relevant member introducing my workings which then usually progressed to a Zoom call. I’m delighted to say my professional relationship with the mentors of the Next-Up platform has continued, they are some of my biggest supporters assisting me in all areas.”

He says their impact has been ‘profound’ and adds, “The mentors have helped me reduce pitfalls in my business plan, I have been introduced to potential buyers and look forward to a meeting next week with a prospective angel investor that was introduced to me by a member of the Next-Up platform. Finally, many of the mentors have bought the Faraday case of 12 from our website on launch!”

And why are Faraday drinks different from other drinks in the energy market? Omar says, “Faraday fills the gaps I was always struggling to find, it’s served in striking packaging you can reseal and store in your bag once opened and the absence of carbonation creates a smooth taste that provides similar energy merits to mainstream offerings, but with 60% less sugar and no artificial ingredients. It’s light on the tongue and heavy on the energy!”

Omar is full of praise for his mentors, saying they are very keen to assist mentees who have a positive attitude, “The mentor gains a sense of meaningful responsibility and affirmation they are contributing to something exciting and making a real difference. The Next-Up platform is a fantastic initiative that has many accomplished members willing to help and reaching out is a very simple and easy process.”

Omar graduated from the University of Bradford in Mechanical Engineering, and spent the next two years refining the recipe and packaging and successfully building a team around his concept, ready for commercialisation. After graduating he also worked in sales and manufacturing design, skills which he has used in creating Faraday.

Watch the promo video below to see more about these new energy drinks. And we wish Omar every success with this exciting new business!

Thanks to Leeds City Council, NorthInvest, RSM and Tech Mentors: Yorkshire for their support to launch the Next-Up mentoring site.