Merck Animal Health Completes Minority Investment in LeeO Precision Farming
Digital swine traceability solution tracks swine throughout their lifecycle
Investment complements Merck Animal Health’s broad portfolio of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and technology solutions
MADISON, N.J., Sept. 27, 2022 – Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside of the United States and Canada, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE:MRK), announced today that it has completed a minority investment in LeeO Precision Farming B.V. (LeeO). Merck Animal Health also will assume distribution of LeeO’s digital swine traceability solution in selected markets over the coming months. Merck Animal Health joins LeeO’s existing founders and shareholders, Prairie Systems, Inc., a strategic investment of United Animal Health, Inc., and MIQ B.V. Specific terms of the minority investment were not disclosed.
LeeO, a privately held company located in Deventer, the Netherlands, provides a cloud-based, real-time digital swine traceability solution for farmers, producers and retailers to continuously track and analyze swine from birth throughout their lifecycle. The cloud-based technology platform provides users with the capability to record and track major life events in swine production, including genetics, insemination, birth registration, vaccination, age, weight, weaning, location and transportation. The platform is supported by an ecosystem of RFID-based hardware technology, such as ear tags, readers and weigh scales.
“Through this agreement, we are linking Merck Animal Health’s breadth and depth in animal health intelligence technology solutions with LeeO’s innovative digital swine traceability platform, which can help to change the way all phases of swine production interact and make decisions,” said Jeroen van de Ven, lead, Animal Health Intelligence, Merck Animal Health. “Our animal health solutions, including our identification, traceability and monitoring capabilities, and investment in LeeO will help accelerate this technology development and advance the health and well-being of animals. We look forward to our partnership with LeeO and to continue to build the future of livestock traceability solutions, which can further create a connected and integrated ecosystem for the global livestock market.”
LeeO Chief Executive Officer Peter ter Linde said, “This investment from Merck Animal Health is an exciting development for LeeO and will be used to fuel our growth and investment in our leading digital animal traceability solution for swine. It also signals Merck Animal Health’s ongoing commitment to swine health, well-being and management and laser focus on accelerating animal traceability solutions in livestock to improve animal health. We believe Merck Animal Health’s investment will further accelerate the growth and value of our company.”
“Adding Merck Animal Health to the ownership of LeeO will certainly allow for growth at a faster pace, which is great for the swine industry,” said Doug Webel, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of United Animal Health, Inc., a strategic partner of LeeO for food chain visibility and analytics. “We view this agreement as a key step to advancing this technology and animal traceability for better animal health.”
Evidence-based animal traceability solutions have helped to safeguard and strengthen the integrity of the food supply chain. Traceability solutions, such as LeeO’s digital traceability platform, provides customers with information that identifies and traces the origin, history, production and distribution throughout the lifecycle of the pig to validate sustainability claims by detailing how animals are raised and processed.
About Merck Animal Health
At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than a century, we’ve been at the forefront of research, bringing forward medicines, vaccines and innovative health solutions for the world’s most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business of Merck. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals®, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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