Merck and ChemLex Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Advance Automated Chemistry and Technological Innovation

Strategic collaboration establishes a framework to integrate automated experimentation and advanced chemistry workflows to accelerate research and discovery in Life Science and Electronics

SINGAPORE and SHANGHAI, Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck, a leading science and technology company, and ChemLex, a Singapore-headquartered innovation company pioneering AI-driven automated chemical synthesis, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore a strategic collaboration in evolving R&D paradigms.

The MOU reflects a shared commitment to advancing life science and electronics discoveries by combining Merck's deep scientific and translational expertise with ChemLex's automated chemistry platform and data generation capabilities. Together, the parties aim to enhance the speed, efficiency, and reproducibility of chemical research across early discovery and development workflows within Merck's various business sectors.

Under the framework of the MOU, Merck and ChemLex intend to explore areas of cooperation that may include automated synthesis, reaction optimization, high-throughput experimentation, and chemistry platform integration. Initial efforts will focus on identifying high-impact chemistry programs and defining pathways toward potential future collaborations.

Marc Horn, President of Merck China, said: "This strategic partnership with ChemLex integrates AI and automation into our R&D operations, demonstrating Merck's commitment to embrace digital transformation and accelerate innovation. We look forward to creating greater value for our customers through this collaboration."

Dr. Sean Lin, Founder and CEO of ChemLex, said: "Our proprietary chemical synthesis platform that operates 24/7 with an AI closed-loop feedback mechanism, is redefining the efficiency boundaries of chemical synthesis. The in-depth collaboration with Merck China not only provides us with valuable opportunities to validate and optimize our technology in broader application scenarios but also enables us to explore the future of intelligent chemical synthesis alongside world-class research teams."

The signing of the MOU underscores both organizations' interest in scalable, data-rich experimental science and their shared focus on building long-term partnerships that advance innovation at the intersection of chemistry and automation. The parties will continue discussions to evaluate next steps under the MOU framework.