Business Leader The Beauty Tech Group: From start-up to IPO
Mar 3, 2026
Laurence Newman, founder and CEO who grew a Manchester start-up into a London-listed beauty tech firm. He talks about creating clinical at-home devices, the four tech pillars behind the product range, choosing e-commerce first, navigating global manufacturing and regulation, and the realities of fundraising and running an IPO.
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Office Choice Driven By Collaboration And Culture
- Newman moved the business from cramped offices and a warehouse to a 17,000 sq ft tech-style HQ at Alderley Park to attract talent and collaboration.
- He chose the site during COVID believing a well-designed office would support growth and cross-team interaction.
Use One In-Office Day To Force Collaboration
- Adopt a hybrid policy tuned to your company’s collaboration needs, for example one fixed in-office day midweek.
- Laurence set Wednesday as mandatory to enable cross-functional NPD, marketing and influencer teamwork while preserving flexibility.
Early Growth Requires Different Hires Than Scale
- The 0-to-£5m growth stage is the hardest and requires different early hires focused on digital marketing and internationalisation.
- Newman emphasizes supply chain scaling later is the true complex challenge once product development begins.