Merck Animal Health announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, a privately held animal-agriculture technology company that develops biodevice solutions for the poultry industry, for an undisclosed amount.
Merck Animal Health, which has been one of TARGAN’s largest shareholders since investing in the company in 2017, expects the transaction to close during the third quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
The acquisition is expected to expand Merck Animal Health’s presence in commercial poultry operations through TARGAN’s WingScan technology, an automated system that uses vision technology to identify and sort chicks by gender. The system is capable of processing up to 160,000 chicks per hour and utilizes high-resolution imaging and proprietary algorithms to analyze feather characteristics in real time. The technology is designed to scale across hatcheries of various sizes.
In addition to WingScan, the acquisition will provide Merck Animal Health with access to TARGAN’s high-speed precision ocular spray technology, which administers vaccines, including respiratory and coccidiosis vaccines, to day-old chicks. The company believes TARGAN’s biodevice platform could eventually support the development of additional technologies for poultry and other livestock species.
Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, TARGAN focuses on developing technologies aimed at improving animal protein production. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., has operated in the animal health sector for more than 130 years and develops medicines, vaccines, and technologies for livestock and companion animals.
KEY QUOTES:
“The acquisition of TARGAN’s best-in-class biodevice technology for use in commercial hatcheries complements and accelerates our growing biopharmaceutical presence in poultry and increases our ability to deliver significant customer value globally. Additionally, TARGAN brings device development capabilities that will further strengthen our ability to provide animal health solutions across species. This transaction, coupled with our commercial and scientific expertise, is another example of how we deliver meaningful innovation to our customers while creating new opportunities for the future.”
Rick DeLuca, President, Merck Animal Health
“Merck Animal Health has been a foundational partner of TARGAN since our inception through its belief and commitment to scientific excellence and a common goal of bringing technological innovation to the livestock industry. Through this proposed acquisition, TARGAN will be able to access resources and infrastructure of Merck Animal Health, which will be critical in deploying TARGAN’s innovative biodevice technology along with their broad portfolio of poultry vaccines for customers. Many colleagues over the years have made valuable contributions to the growth of our business, including our employees, venture capital investors and debt finance providers.”
Ramin Karimpour, Founder and CEO, TARGAN
