AUNIVERSITY of York student start-up is looking to take on wearable fitness trackers such as Fitbit and Apple after creating the world’s first personal hydration coach.

Phil Daneshyar, a recent graduate from the University of York, has launched his hydration focussed start-up, thirsti.

The venture was started during his time at the university, during which time Mr Daneshyar managed to raise more than £130,000 of angel investment while in his third year.

The brand’s flagship product, called the Puck, claims to be the world’s first personal hydration coach. It takes the form of a device which works out when you are likely to become dehydrated and then stops it happening, by reminding you to drink.

The Puck sits in the bottom of users drinks bottles and connects to the thirsti App.

The App then works out how much users should drink each day based on their personal metrics. The Pucks then tracks what they drink throughout the day, and when the two become out of sync, the Puck will glow in the water bottle and the app will send a notification to the user’s phone.

Mr Daneshyar, the founder and now managing director, who is also a Duke of York Young Entrepreneur award winner, said: “The whole aim of thirsti is to help people tackle that afternoon fatigue or excessive hunger they experience from being regularly dehydrated without even noticing it.

“The thing with dehydration is that we know what it is, or what causes it, but most of us don’t realise the negative impact it has on us.

“In fact, we tend only to drink when we are thirsty by which point we are already dehydrated and experiencing a lack of performance, focus and even increased levels of hunger.”

Priced at £34.99, the device uses patented pressure sensing technology to track what users drink accurately.

Mr Daneshyar added: “The key aspect of the Puck in comparison to its competitors is that it allows users to switch between different water bottles throughout the day.

“Meaning, users aren’t forced to drink from the same bottle 24/7. It boasts a load of features such as being able to tell you water temperature, your hydration history and you can even locate your Puck if you lose it.”

Mr Daneshyar has also received recognition as a Plan ENVY winner in 2016, and received a Santander Spirit of Enterprise Award in 2015.