We speak with Jakub Poplawski and Michael Hrbacek, co-founders of AQURA Labs, to gain a closer understanding of the creation of a modern CRO that aims to transform the way brands understand and use clinical studies in the beauty sector.
In this interview, they share how they have built a model based on agility, proximity and clarity, focusing on delivering results that are truly useful for decision-making. They also address the importance of transparent communication with brands, the value of translating complex data into actionable information, and the main challenges in an increasingly demanding sector in terms of evidence and speed. A conversation about innovation, efficiency and the need to deliver real value at every stage of the process.
Name, position and company
Jakub Poplawski, Managing Director and Michael Hrbacek Business Development and Marketing Director, co-founders of AQURA Labs
Tell us about the company you work for. What is its history?
AQURA Labs was founded at the end of 2025.
We are a modern cosmetic testing CRO based in Madrid, created with a very clear idea: to make clinical studies more agile, clearer and more useful for brands.
We come from more than 15 years of combined experience in cosmetic testing, working directly with different brands and clinical studies. Over the years we saw what works well in the sector, but also where the main friction points are: long timelines, lack of communication and results that are not easy to interpret. In addition, we have experience of having worked on the client side, which allows us to know exactly what brands are looking for and what they need today.
AQURA Labs was born from our passion to bring a different approach: more agile, closer and focused on making data truly useful for decision-making.
What does your day-to-day involve in the company?
Our day-to-day combines client work, clinical operations and quality.
On one hand, we stay very close to brands, advising them and helping them in a practical way to define the best approach for clinical studies. On the other hand, we work on structuring studies so that everything flows efficiently, from volunteer recruitment to the delivery of the final report.
And most importantly: ensuring that what we deliver provides real value. Clear, well-organized and easy-to-use data.
What differentiating value do you bring?
We bring three key points:
Real agility
We reduce result delivery times without compromising quality, something that is increasingly important for brands.
Direct communication and advisory approach
In addition to keeping the client informed before, during and after the trial. Our objective is always to understand the context and their goals in order to propose the best testing solution, not just “execute” what is requested.
Clear and actionable reports
We do not only deliver data, but structured results that can be easily used for claims, marketing or decision-making.
What challenges do you think you will face in the coming years?
The sector is moving towards greater demand in claim substantiation. More evidence, more clarity and more consistency are required.
The challenge is to respond to this demand without losing agility. Brands need to test and launch their products very quickly, and CROs must adapt without compromising quality.
In our case, the biggest challenge is to grow while maintaining exactly the same level of service: speed, proximity and quality in every study.
What does being part of the Beauty Cluster bring you as an entity and as a professional?
For us, it is a clear opportunity to integrate into the sector ecosystem in Spain and to be part of an initiative like Beauty Cluster, which is doing a great job connecting the different players in the industry.
It allows us to be close to brands, manufacturers and partners, to better understand their needs and to generate real collaborations.
In addition, it is a very valuable environment to share knowledge and to closely follow how the market evolves.
How did you enter the beauty sector?
Our trajectory mainly comes from years of working directly in cosmetic testing. In Jakub’s case, he started his professional career more than 20 years ago at L’Oréal Spain and later worked in other sectors, always from the client side. Michael, on the other hand, began his career at Life Length, a company specialized in biomedical analysis, which provided him with a very solid foundation in the scientific environment.
Both of us have a background in business development and marketing, and in the last 7–8 years we have been directly involved in clinical studies, participating in their development and execution. This has allowed us to acquire very solid experience in both the technical side and the operational side of studies.
Over time, our experience in marketing and sales, combined with the technical side, has allowed us to deeply understand the real needs of brands: speed, clarity and a better experience during the study. From there, we saw a clear opportunity to do things differently.
Speaking about “beauty”, how would you define it?
For us, beauty has a lot to do with trust.
Trust in what you use, in the fact that it works and in truly understanding what you are applying. It is not about promises, but about real and consistent results over time.
We also believe that beauty is closely linked to transparency: understanding what you are applying, why it works and what you can expect from it. When there is clarity and evidence behind the product, the relationship with the skin changes completely.
In that sense, beauty is not perfection, but coherence between what a brand communicates and what it actually delivers.
Business is based on…
On trust and respect.
Trust that what you promise is fulfilled, and respect for the client, their time and their objectives. It is built through transparency, clear communication and maintaining consistency over time. In the end, beyond any service, what is truly valued is reliability and the way you work day to day.
