December 23, 2019

Merck Animal Health acquires aquaculture monitoring technology company

Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (NYSE:MRK), announced last week the completion of its acquisition of Vaki, a leader in fish farming and wild fish conservation monitoring equipment and real-time video monitoring technology to advance fish health and welfare, from Pentair (NYSE:PNR), a leading global water treatment company.

The announcement further positions Merck Animal Health as a global leader in broadening its aquaculture portfolio by expanding into complementary fish farming and conservation areas to generate outcomes with precision farming and fish welfare solutions, which complement its existing portfolio of vaccines and pharmaceuticals. Vaki will be a leading brand under the Biomark business within Merck Animal Health, focused on a range of equipment, products and technology for fish counting and size estimation from freshwater to saltwater rearing, while collecting data and analytics for each stage of fish production.

"Animal health intelligence and enhanced technology play an increasingly important role in animal health and care, providing access to real-time actionable data and insights to help, improve or enhance animal management and health outcomes," said Rick DeLuca, president, Merck Animal Health. "We continue to execute upon our strategy to expand and add breadth to our portfolio and its technology. We are at the technological forefront of shaping the future of animal health through our commitment to leveraging our scientific capabilities and expertise through comprehensive solutions to manage the health and well-being of animals. We are excited to take this step forward with Vaki, as we add leading technology and services, which extend the range of solutions in aquaculture we can provide to our customers."

In April 2019, Merck Animal Health announced the completion of its acquisition of Antelliq Corporation and its brands, Allflex Livestock Intelligence, Sure Petcare and Biomark, as leaders in emerging digital technology with animal identification, animal monitoring and smart data management for Livestock and Companion Animals. In March 2019, Merck Animal Health acquired Scan Aqua AS, a fish health and fish welfare company based in Norway, focused on key aquaculture products.