Merck Digital Sciences Studio Expands with Second Innovation Class to Advance Biopharma and Digital Health Progress in North America - Merck.com

March 13, 2026 12:29 pm EDT

New accelerator program to support startups with funding, mentorship and technology resources

RAHWAY, N.J., March 13, 2026 - Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, is proud to announce the second cohort of the Merck Digital Sciences Studio (MDSS) in Montreal, Canada. MDSS is a collaborative digital health innovation accelerator dedicated to investing in, supporting and mentoring biopharmaceutical startups focused on developing cutting-edge digital technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. MDSS specifically targets innovations in the areas of preventive health, platforms for biologics research and development (R&D) and 3D translational disease models.

This second cohort for MDSS will start in March 2026 and features a mix of both Canadian and U.S. companies participating in a nine-month acceleration program. This second cohort will provide 12 startups with access to mentoring from experts at both Merck and Centech, the operating partner for MDSS and a nonprofit that supports high-tech companies with high-growth potential. Each selected startup will receive $100,000 USD total in funding from the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, The Venture Collective (TVC) and the CQDM. Selected participants will also benefit from tailored guidance, specialized sessions with industry leaders and increased exposure to Merck's decision-makers, paving the way for potential long-term collaborations.

The second cohort represents a deepening of our commitment to cross-collaboration and the power of digital innovation to transform drug discovery and development. By bringing together startups from both Canada and the United States in Montreal - a globally connected city and thriving hub for AI, life sciences and technology - MDSS is helping to build an integrated North American ecosystem where ideas, talent and capital can move more freely and more quickly from concept to impact for patients.

The selected Canadian startups include:

• Neiges Biotech - addressing poor predictiveness of gut-related drug discovery by replacing animal and oversimplified cell models with scalable, human-relevant intestinal tissues
• DropGenie - solving the challenge of performing meaningful genome engineering on scarce patient samples, which limits personalized medicine research
• Epiloid Biotechnology - tackling the high failure rate of neurological drug candidates caused by poor translation from animal models to humans
• NuvoBio - addressing the slow and error-prone discovery of peptide therapeutics for complex diseases
• Modulari-T Biosciences - solving the safety, durability, and exhaustion limitations of current CAR-T and cell therapies
• Focai - addressing incomplete drug distribution leading to poor therapy response

The selected U.S. startups include:

• ExteRNA - addressing limitations of conventional biologics, which lack chemical precision and functional diversity
• Intero Biosystems - solving the low predictiveness and ethical issues of animal testing in drug development
• Imprint AI - addressing the lack of biological diagnostics and therapeutic insight for chronic and immune-mediated diseases
• Fletcher Biosciences - addressing cellular heterogeneity in disease
• Forecast Bio - addressing the lack of predictive models in CNS drug development
• Whelix - addressing the scalability and variability challenges of research-stage cell culture

"Launching a second cohort of the Merck Digital Sciences Studio in Montreal underscores our long-term belief in the strength of this ecosystem and in the potential of digital technologies to reshape how we discover and develop medicines," said David Rubin, managing director at Merck Global Health Innovation Fund. "By uniting bright minds from the United States and Canada in a single program, we are creating a bridge between two innovation communities in a city that is uniquely positioned at the crossroads of biopharma, AI and data science to enable meaningful advances for patients."

"Canada has both the ambition and the talent to lead in health innovation and responsible public policy, and this second MDSS cohort in Montreal is a powerful example of that potential," said Jennifer Chan, executive director, Policy, Federal Affairs, Merck Canada. "Built on the leadership and support of the Quebec government and Centech, MDSS Montreal is now part of a broader North American platform that connects Canadian and U.S. innovators."

"By welcoming a second cohort to Montréal, we are not only reinforcing Quebec's leadership in biopharma and AI innovation, but also accelerating the program's expansion across Canada," said Véronique Dugas, CEO of CQDM. "This new cohort allows us to support some of the country's most promising startups - both in Quebec and across Canada - by providing the tools, expertise and partnerships needed to scale globally, attract investment, and translate breakthrough science into tangible benefits for patients here at home and around the world."

"TVC is proud to partner with MDSS, reinforcing our long-standing collaboration with Merck Global Health Innovation and our conviction in cross-border innovation," says TVC Founding Partner Nick Shekerdemian, with Chris Ghadban, TVC's life science lead, adding, "At TVC, we're always aiming to support the early-stage bio ecosystem. MDSS provides another opportunity for us to accelerate transformative platform companies from the earliest stage."

"Centech is proud to continue our collaboration to help build a stronger, more connected innovation pipeline between Quebec, the rest of Canada and the United States," said Marjorick Foisy, general director of Centech. "By combining our deep experience in scaling high-potential tech companies with Merck's leadership and global reach, this second MDSS cohort will give entrepreneurs the environment, tools and partnerships to validate their technologies faster and bring impactful health innovations to patients around the world."

About Merck Digital Sciences Studio

The Merck Digital Sciences Studio (MDS Studio, or MDSS) is an accelerator program providing mentorship, coaching, training, support, community and investment to enable the next generation of innovative technologies for drug discovery and development. We invest in disruptive and innovative startups in digital biopharma via a SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity). The MDS Studio's unique design and network empowers startups to engage with industry leading partners, who take an active role in development. Learn more by visiting www.mds.studio.

About Merck

At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world - and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About the CQDM

CQDM is a not-for-profit biopharmaceutical research consortium whose mission is to support and facilitate collaborative multi-stakeholder research and development aimed at accelerating the translation or transformation of innovative technologies into solutions to unmet medical needs, while generating significant benefits for the Quebec and Canadian economy. For more information, consult our website https://cqdm.org/en/ and join us on LinkedIn.

About The Venture Collective

The Venture Collective (TVC) is an early-stage venture firm backing ambitious scientific and technical founders solving the world's biggest problems. We invest our time, networks, and capital to support transformational platform companies focused on life sciences, healthcare, and industrial transformation. The TVC team is distributed across San Francisco, New York City and London, backing founders across Europe and North America.

About Centech

Centech is a leading nonprofit incubator and accelerator dedicated to supporting high-potential technology companies from early development through commercialization and market readiness. Founded 30 years ago by l'École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) and based in Montreal, Centech provides entrepreneurs with access to a robust ecosystem of experts, mentors, industry partners and investors to help transform cutting-edge innovations into successful, globally competitive businesses. Recognized as one of the world's leading accelerators, Centech focuses on deep-tech innovation across high-impact sectors, including artificial intelligence, digital health, medical technologies, advanced engineering and next-generation industrial technologies. Centech also serves as the operating partner for the Merck Digital Sciences Studio (MDSS), supporting collaboration between startups and global industry leaders. For more information, visit https://centech.co and follow Centech on LinkedIn.

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