A duo whose tanning cream business won backing on the BBC's Dragons' Den has signed up to open a site in Newcastle.
Gillian Robson and Katy Foxcroft have developed Tancream, a sun protection cream combined with a self-tan formula, to keep people safe while they develop a tan.
The North Yorkshire duo was inspired to form the business after Gillian discovered she had skin cancer and wanted to help others avoid developing the disease.
The product combines SPF50 and Ultra Five Star high Sun Protection with a gradual developing tan. It also contains a colour correct to even out skin tone, while also being non-streaking and fragrance and paraben-free.
Commenting on the decision to form the business, Gillian said: “I loved the sun when I was younger, but there just wasn’t the awareness that there is now about the damage it does – from the risk of cancer to the ageing effects it has on our skin.
“There’s nothing else like Tancream on the market, and I am determined that we use our focus on protection to educate people about the risk of sun exposure. The more people who understand this, the more people we prevent from needlessly damaging and ageing their skin when they can use tan from a bottle to achieve the same look.”
The company appeared on Dragons' Den in 2019 where they wowed the investors and secured £75,000 of investment from Sara Davies and Touker Suleyman.
Now the company is looking to continue its growth by tapping into the expanding network of expertise at The Catalyst, at Newcastle Helix. The £50m business centre is home to the North East Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA) and the North East Innovation Centre for Data (NICD).
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As a virtual tenant, Tancream will have a base at The Catalyst which allows them to use communal facilities in the centre and tap into the support of the NICD and NICA.
The company will also join a growing cluster of businesses that are focused on innovation around skincare and anti-ageing, gaining the support of Newcastle University as they go for growth. It will be able to use the centre's world-class facilities and tap into its close ties with Newcastle University.
Tancream has also secured the support of PhD student Jess Moor, who will work on a research project for the company over the next year and help build evidence of the product's skin-enhancing properties.
Ryan Blake, assistant centre manager at The Catalyst, said: “We’re delighted to have Tancream join our growing community of exciting businesses at The Catalyst.
“Gillian and Katy have an incredible story. It is a business borne out of adversity, but one that they are determined to see succeed, and I have no doubt that – with the added connections they will gain through our collaborative community, they will continue to go from strength to strength.”