Merck launches biopharma accelerator in Greater Montréal

Each startup will receive funding and six months of tailored support, including mentoring from Merck and Centech leaders. Set to begin in July 2025, the program will focus on three niche sectors: preventive health, platforms for biologics R&D, and 3D translational disease models. The seven startups selected are Nanofacile, Simmunome, Misochip, 9Bio, Rime Therapeutics, Stereo Bio et PCare+. The government of Québec is providing $900k in funding to support this initiative.

This launch also marks Merck’s first MDSS studio outside the United States. Celebrations were held at the new Ax.c hub in downtown Montréal, in the presence of Christopher Skeete, Minister for the Economy, as well as senior executives from Merck and numerous representatives of the Montréal startup ecosystem.

More than 100 years of history in Montréal

Merck’s first activities in Montréal date back to 1899 with the Charles E. Frost & Co. facility in Westmount. It officially established the company’s first office in the city in 1911. More than a century later, Merck’s Montréal subsidiary covers four major therapeutic areas: oncology, vaccines, infectious diseases and rare diseases. In 2022, Merck boasted 800 employees and R&D spending of $90 million in Canada.

Thanks to the presence of some of the country’s most active venture capital funds, some thirty incubators and accelerators, and a world-class talent pool, including more than 35,000 professionals with AI skills, Montréal offers startups an environment that is conducive to innovation.

Find out more about Montréal’s unique startup ecosystem here.

And for more details about MDSS, check out Merck’s official press release.