University of Bath graduate wins UK Innovate award
University of Bath Engineering graduate Waleed Lattouf has won an award from the UK’s innovation agency for his web-based platform that allows online companies to streamline their supply chains.
Lattouf, aged 22, is one of 94 young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 30 honoured by Innovate UK who will receive a share of a £1.25 million prize fund and support to take their business idea forward.
Lattouf graduated with a First Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering in 2021 and in the same year won one of the University’s annual Alumni Innovation Awards, which offers graduates financial and business support to bring their business ideas to market and develop further under the auspices of the SETsquared partnership.
The award is part of the University’s Enterprise offering, which provides a range of development and collaboration opportunities, including support for students, start-ups, consultancy, securing investment, and access to expert research networks.
Lattouf’s innovative web-based platform ‘Flinke’ allows e-commerce businesses to manage their operations and promote a sustainable supply chain. It streamlines the end-to-end process and allows the movement of goods around the world to be easier, faster and smarter.
Lattouf said he was inspired to help after seeing the difficulties faced by his family’s business, and others, in Jordan as the world grappled with the supply chain crisis during the Covid pandemic.
“I saw how my family’s business struggled with supply chain issues and resolved to help them, and other businesses facing these challenges. We have launched our first product, which helps e-commerce businesses get funding from financial institutions. We are now looking at the second stage, helping businesses streamline their operations and scale up easily and efficiently,” Lattouf said.
The Young Innovators Awards recognise young people with great business ideas who have the potential to become successful entrepreneurs and future leaders in innovation. In addition to the financial support, Innovate UK delivers workshops and briefing events to provide practical business advice to a network of over 12,500 young people across the UK.
Lattouf said the support from the University, and the Alumni Innovation Award paved the way for this second award success and the continued successful development of Flinke. Siobain Hone, Enterprise Education Manager at the University, paid tribute to Lattouf’s innovation and energy:
“Waleed has shown a single-minded determination in developing Flinke and, if business success could be gauged by founder-input alone, Waleed would already have met the high goals he has set himself. We were delighted to be able to support him at SETsquared Bath through this first year post-graduation on his University of Bath Alumni Innovation Award,” Hone said.