Merck Global Health Innovation Fund
Facts
- HQ
- Rahway, NJ, US
- Sectors
- Venture capital, Corporate venture capital, Healthcare, Biotech
PitchBook: Climate-specialist VC fundraising fell nearly 40% in 2025 as AI-driven demand boosts energy and datacenter-focused climate deals
AI is reshaping climate tech conversations and investment priorities, making sustainable energy and industrial-focused solutions more attractive even as dedicated climate VC fundraising fell nearly 40% in 2025 versus 2024. Despite fewer climate-focused VCs, investors and startups—particularly in energy and data-center-related solutions—are still securing significant capital.
Faro Raises $37.3M Series B Led by Merck Global Health Innovation Fund and S32 to Scale Agentic AI for Clinical Development
Faro, a San Diego software company providing structured data and AI infrastructure for clinical development, closed a $37.3 million Series B led by Merck Global Health Innovation Fund and S32 to scale agentic AI capabilities and deploy AI agents with customers.
Fierce Biotech Tracker: InduPro raises $77M Series B; Vaderis nets $152M Series B to advance cancer and rare-disease candidates
Fierce Biotech's fundraising tracker lists biotech venture rounds of $50M+ for August, highlighting InduPro's $77M Series B to advance its bispecific ADC IDP-001 into a phase 1 trial and Vaderis Therapeutics' $152M Series B to fund a phase 3 study of AKT inhibitor engasertib for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.
Navigating Cancer founder Gena Cook sues Merck’s Global Health Innovation Fund and board member David Rubin alleging gender bias, wrongful termination and blocked acquisition
Gena Cook, founder and former CEO of Seattle health-tech startup Navigating Cancer, sued Merck’s Global Health Innovation Fund, board member David Rubin, Navigating Cancer and current CEO Bill Bunker on Oct. 29 in King County Superior Court alleging gender discrimination, wrongful termination and interference with a potential acquisition. The complaint alleges Rubin led efforts to demote and push out Cook, including a comment that she didn’t fit his perception of “what a CEO should look like,” and says Merck blocked acquisition talks; Navigating Cancer had raised $44 million and had about 80 employees.
Tasso raises $17M to expand Tasso OnDemand at-home blood collection platform; CEO cites pandemic-driven demand
Seattle startup Tasso raised $17 million to expand its Tasso OnDemand at-home blood collection platform, which lets users self-collect and mail samples for lab testing; CEO Ben Casavant says the COVID-19 pandemic has increased demand for patient-friendly, at-home diagnostics.
