Apply to the Merck Digital Sciences Studio

Applications Are Now Open

The MDS Studio is a 10-month accelerator program providing mentorship, coaching, training, support, community, and investment to startups focused on the digital enablement of drug discovery and development. The MDS Studio will support early-stage startups with direct investment, access to Azure Cloud computing, and opportunities to showcase their technologies to discovery and clinical scientists at Merck.
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We invest in disruptive and innovative startups by offering up to $150,000 via a SAFE plus access to cloud compute credits. The MDS Studio's unique design and network empowers startups to engage with industry leading partners, who take an active role in development.

The MDS Studio is a collaboration between Merck and the New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), a New Jersey Institute of Technology corporation, with investments from the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Northpond Ventures and McKesson Ventures. Technology support is provided by Microsoft for Startups. The MDS Studio has locations in Newark, NJ and Cambridge, MA.
The Merck Digital Sciences Studio (MDS Studio, or MDSS) is now accepting applications from startups for our next cohort. We will invite startups to interview with us on a rolling basis.

Early Application Deadline: May 1, 2024
Regular Application Deadline: June 15, 2024
Program Length: Sept 2, 2024 - June 30, 2025

Please, only submit non-confidential information. Any submissions marked confidential will be deleted.

Company NameWebsite

Point of Contact

Name

Title

Who are the founders? (People holding 15% or more of the company at incorporation)Company Address

Street Address

City

State

Country

Company Registration

Incorporation Status

Incorporation State

Incorporation Date

How many FTEs do you have?

How much have you raised to date? (USD)

At what valuation? (USD, uncapped = 0)

What is your annual burn rate? (USD/yr)

How mature is your product?

What area(s) will you have near-term impact?ctrl-click to select multiple areas

Referrals / COI Declaration

How did you hear about MDS Studio?

If referred to MDS Studio, who let you know?

Do you have any conflicts of interest?Are any of your company's founders or officers currently employed, or have plans to be employed, by Merck, Merck GHI, Microsoft, McKesson, Northpond Ventures, or the New Jersey Institute of Technology?

Describe your company's mission (In 128 Characters or Less)What problem are you aiming to solve? (In 1024 Characters or Less)What is your solution to this problem? (In 1024 Characters or Less)How is your solution technically unique, validated (e.g., publications) , and protected (e.g., patents)? (In 512 Characters or Less)Why is your team the right fit to solve this problem with this solution? What is your origin story? (In 512 Characters or Less)Describe your business model (In 512 Characters or Less)Please tell us about your traction (e.g., customer discovery, revenue, other accelerator programs) (In 512 Characters or Less)Describe your plans for our potential $150,000 investment (In 512 Characters or Less)What three major milestones would you aim to accomplish while in our program? (In 512 Characters or Less)Is at least one founder able to be in-person during the cohort period?Please upload a non-confidential pitch deck (PDF format only, 10MB or less).

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