Dr Pragya Sharma
Helping people with eczema, psoriasis and cancer-related skin risks to protect their skin every day by engineering sun protection that reactive skin can actually tolerate.
Project
Gran Lab Ltd.
URL
Year founded
2024
Business stage
Pre-Seed
High-growth sectors
Life Sciences
Sector
Biotechnology
Location
Northern Ireland
Funding
Funded Award Winner
The problem and opportunity
Chronic skin disease affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, yet everyday skincare and sun protection routinely fail them. Millions of people with eczema, psoriasis or a high skin cancer risk cannot tolerate standard products, which often sting, burn or trigger flare-ups. Gran Lab’s extensive customer research confirms a large, underserved market where poor tolerability drives avoidable UV exposure, poorer health outcomes and reduced quality of life.
The solution and innovation
Gran Lab is a female-led Queen’s University Belfast spin-out developing a patent-pending, steroid-free dermal-matrix platform. Its debut range, SkinSettle, includes four steroid-free, fragrance-free products engineered for reactive skin, providing the company’s commercial foundation. A tolerability-first SPF range will follow, using the same routes to market and clinical pathway, with sun protection validated to recognised international ISO standards.
Market and ambition
Gran Lab is at market entry, with customer demand, manufacturing and intellectual property in place. Its products are made through an ISO-certified manufacturer, with innovation protected by patents and trademarks across the UK, EU and internationally. Building on prior Innovate UK support, Gran Lab is well positioned to scale across UK and international markets.
Founder perspective
Dr Pragya Sharma came to Belfast for a PhD in structural biochemistry and went on to become an NHS Clinical Entrepreneur. Now completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Dermatology, she founded Gran Lab to make next-generation dermatological care more accessible. She combines scientific rigour with compassion, building a business where inclusion is central to its culture.
Women in Innovation Award
Recipient of an Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award 2025/26, receiving tailored business support, and access to specialist training and networks. View all winners and highly commended applicants from the Women in Innovation cohort 2025/2026.