We have been developing, manufacturing and supplying personalised medicines to the NHS for over 30 years. Our experience over the years has made us aware of a huge gap in the availability of high-quality, affordable healthcare – especially when it comes to skin conditions. People are desperate for solutions, but the lengthy wait times for dermatology appointments meant that many were left to simply struggle with concerns like acne, pigmentation, melasma, and rosacea.
Looking around, we saw companies claiming to offer personalised skincare, but with our experience we quickly realised that these were merely skin gimmicks. If they used powerful prescription ingredients, they definitely weren’t personalised.
That’s when we realised that we already had everything we needed to create real personalised skincare, which was the decades of experience in formulating, developing, and manufacturing bespoke prescription medicines.
But we knew we could take it even further by incorporating game-changing AI technology. Combining AI with our expertise allowed us to create something that truly works – bespoke skincare that adapts to each individual’s skin to provide real results.
Tell us about the business – what it is, what it aims to achieve, who you work with, how you reach customers and so on?
MiQuest is a monthly subscription service that provides customers with a powerful prescription product (delivered to the doorstep) tailored to the customers skin concern, skin type and skin sensitivity threshold.
The process for users starts when you fill out a questionnaire with your skin concerns and upload images of your skin to MiQuest’s secure portal. The integrated medically certified AI device then scans your skin and combines the findings with your responses from the questionnaire to create a personalised skin analysis.
This groundbreaking skin analysis gives the team an incredibly precise understanding of how sensitive your skin really is and the condition of your skin type at a given point in time. Your skin is continuously changing (due to external and internal factors) so it is important to continuously to track these changes so that a tailored base can be formulated for your skin as it changes.
This then allows MiQuest’s team to craft precise, bespoke skincare routines that continue to develop over time. As you upload photos of your skin’s progress, the AI continuously detects minute changes in the skin, helping the MiQuest’s team adapt your skincare formula to meet the evolving needs of your skin.
MiQuest’s AI is MHRA registered device, unlike other skincare AI tools, which mainly serve a cosmetic purpose.
How has the business evolved since its launch?
The MiQuest journey start over 15 years ago. We originally began by formulating and manufacturing personalised medicines for the NHS and working closely with NHS trusts and university partners to deliver tailored treatments for patients across the UK. Over time, we became increasingly aware of a gap in dermatology care. People were waiting far too long to be seen, and skin conditions were often considered low priority, despite having a large impact on people’s quality of life. We knew we had the pharmaceutical and clinical experience to help, and by adding AI into the mix, we could take personalisation to a whole new level.
Since the incorporation of our now medically certified AI, we’ve been able to offer clinically backed, fully bespoke skincare to people across the UK without the wait times. Our AI works in tandem with our formulation scientists and prescribers to create treatment plans based on real data. It’s allowed us to make prescription skincare more accessible, affordable, and intelligent. And this is only the beginning - our tech continues to evolve, and so does our mission to bring personalised skin health to more people.
Tell us about the working culture at MiQuest?
We’ve got pharmaceutical scientists, AI engineers, prescribers and digital experts all working under one roof. That’s something you don't see every day in the skincare world. There’s a real collaborative energy across the business and it’s all grounded in our shared goal of making personalised and effective skincare accessible to everyone. We’re a team of curious, out-of-the-box thinkers, and we’re always looking for new ways to make things more efficient, more precise, and more effective for our customers. Even though we’ve been in pharmaceutical manufacturing for over 30 years, there’s still a strong start-up spirit.
We also take huge pride in the fact that what we do genuinely helps people. Many of our customers have spent years trying to find treatments that work and knowing that we’re playing a part in improving their confidence and skin health is something that motivates the entire team, every single day.
How are you funded?
MiQuest is funded by through our other successful company that manufactures and supplies bespoke medicines for the NHS.
What has been your biggest challenge so far and how have you overcome this?
The biggest challenge has been to build our inhouse AI medically certified device and to interconnect this with our pharmaceutical formulation development program. Over the last few years, we have been working hard to onboard talented scientists to achieve our goals.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve transformed into a Pharma-Tech company – combining our expertise in bespoke medicines with the power of AI technology.
This evolution has opened up new opportunities which allows us to create even more personalised and effective treatments. We’re not just talking about skincare anymore, we’re shaping the future of skincare where tech and science come together for real results.
How does MiQuest answer an unmet need?
The MiQuest team has in the business of manufacturing and supplying medicines for patients of an unmet need for 22 years. We have a vast experience in developing and manufacturing products where there is an unmet need. The power of having our very own medically certified AI technology will further help us in answering unmet needs.
What’s in store for the future?
The future is looking bright! We’re looking at some really exciting projects that are set to push the boundaries of skincare even further. Our future involves a lot of cross-disciplinary innovation, combining pharma, AI, and engineering to create treatments that are even more tailored and effective.
We're constantly researching, developing, and adapting to make sure we stay ahead of the curve. MiQuest is just getting started, and we’re excited to continue delivering innovative skincare solutions that not only promise results but guarantee them.
What one piece of advice would you give other founders or future founders?
It’s easy to be seduced by flashy marketing and the glamour of quick success in today’s world. But our advice would be to not fall for the hype. Instead, focus on building something that actually works. The key to success isn’t just a killer marketing campaign, it's about having the skills, knowledge, and passion to create a product or service that provides real value.
And finally, a more personal question! What’s your daily routine and the rules you’re living by at the moment?
To wake up and be grateful. To maintain a balanced lifestyle. To focus on a purposeful and spiritual life rather than just material gains. This will make you happy and enjoy what you do and further enhance creativity. Creativity comes with a happy, relaxed mind.
