Healthcare company-building profile
Merck Digital Sciences Studio (MDSS)
Merck & Co. (Merck Global Health Innovation Fund) with NJII, Centech, CQDM and The Venture Collective
AcceleratorPharma acceleratorCorporateActive
Source-based profile
Program at a Glance
- Program type
- Accelerator
- Program category
- Pharma accelerator
- Organization
- Merck & Co. (Merck Global Health Innovation Fund) with NJII, Centech, CQDM and The Venture Collective
- Organization type
- Corporate
- Location
- Newark, New Jersey
- Company stage served
- Early stage
- Cohort or participation model
- Nine-month accelerator; multiple cohorts run since 2023 across the US and Canada
- Investment or funding offered
- Yes
- Published investment terms
- $100,000 SAFE investment from Merck Global Health Innovation Fund and regional partners
- Equity or fee model
- Not publicly documented
- Clinical or hospital connection
- Not publicly documented
- Application status
- Active
- Founded
- 2023
Public description
About the program
MDSS is a nine-month accelerator that invests in and supports early-stage startups building digitally enabled technologies for drug discovery and clinical development. It combines mentoring from Merck experts, structured workshops, cloud credits and a founder community, and has run successive North American cohorts with a Canadian expansion. The US program is operated with the New Jersey Innovation Institute and The Venture Collective.
What the program publicly emphasizes
Focus areas and features
AI and machine learning for drug discoveryDigital biologyClinical development technologyDigital health
- Category: Pharma accelerator
- Program structure: Nine-month accelerator; multiple cohorts run since 2023 across the US and Canada
- Published terms: $100,000 SAFE investment from Merck Global Health Innovation Fund and regional partners
Publicly documented people and network
Program leadership and alumni
- Notable alumni named in public materials
- Simmunome
Sources
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