Merck KGaA Becomes Strategic Partner in Peregrine Ventures’ Incentive Incubator

Darmstadt, Germany - November 10, 2021: A building at the headquarters of science and technology company Merck KGaA. | Image Credit: © Anne Czichos - stock.adobe.com

Merck KGaA (Merck), headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, and Israel-based Peregrine Ventures have announced a collaboration agreement in which Merck will become a strategic partner in one of Peregrine Ventures’ dedicated investment vehicles, called the Incentive Incubator (1,2). Peregrine is a global specialist in investments in transformative medical technologies. Merck, meanwhile, employs approximately 63,000 people in 65 countries.

A press release issued about the launch of the collaboration said that Merck will gain early exposure to certain opportunities for and development of innovation from pharmaceutical and life science startup companies, helping to foster those companies’ future success (1). The partnership has the goal of initiating early-stage collaborations drawn from Merck’s access to market trend insights, opportunity hotspots, and startups in pharma as well as bioconvergence and biotechnology.

Bioconvergence ventures, as defined in the press release, combine biology, engineering, and materials science, having the capability to integrate into Merck’s three global divisions: healthcare, life science, and electronics (1).

Merck joins diverse partners

Other partners involved in the Incentive Incubator at this point include Bristol-Myers Squibb, Becton Dickinson, Elbit Systems, Tel Aviv University, Ben-Gurion University, and Shaare Zedek Medical Center, according to the press release (1).

“Merck’s scientific, technological, and business strength will greatly support the growth of startups in the incubator,” Lior Shahory, CEO of Incentive Incubator and general partner at Peregrine Ventures, said in the release (1). “Early-stage Israeli startups that catch Merck’s eye and align with its roadmap will receive a major boost in the global market, including access to investments, scientific expertise, clinical trial resources, and strategic assets. We are proud to welcome Merck and believe it will significantly contribute to the incubator’s success and deliver real value to entrepreneurial teams in the coming years.”

Growing partnerships locally and globally

Merck and Peregrine Ventures said they envision the collaboration as a chance for local and international stakeholders to work together on early-stage developments, benefiting from capital investments, access to professional networks, accumulated guidance and strategic guidance, among other factors, with Merck adding that it saw an opportunity to strengthen the company’s local presence (1). Investments, regulatory and business support, and potentially even the planning of early-phase trials were all predicted by the two partners as outcomes of the agreement.

"This partnership reflects our strategic commitment to fostering early-stage innovation and deepening our footprint in Israel’s vibrant pharma and life science ecosystem,” Ezequiel Garfinkel, head of Merck’s Science & Technology office in Israel, said in the release (1). “It builds on Merck’s long-standing scientific and strategic engagement in Israel, where we have been actively supporting research, technological development, and acceleration of local innovation for many years. By working closely with the startups in the Incentive Incubator, we aim to identify transformative technologies that align with our global R&D and business priorities. We are excited to join this dynamic network of partners and contribute to shaping the next generation of healthcare and technology solutions."

References

1. Merck KGaA. Merck Becomes a Strategic Partner in Peregrine Ventures’ Incentive Incubator. Press Release (received via email). May 15, 2025.
2. Peregrine Ventures. Homepage. PeregrineVC.com (accessed May 15, 2025).