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Merck acquires Pentair subsidiary Vaki

Merck Animal Health has finalized its acquisition of Pentair’s fish farming and monitoring equipment company Vaki, which is under the Aquatic Eco-Systems portfolio of products.

The acquisition marks Merck’s expansion into precision fish farming and fish welfare solution, complementing its portfolio of vaccines and pharmaceuticals for the aquaculture industry. 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, the company said.

“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 of Merck Animal Health.

Last May, Pentair announced plans to exist the aquaculture market, divesting itself of its Aquatic Eco-Systems business.

“We are proud of Vaki’s transformation over the past years. Vaki has significant potential to continue to spearhead development in the aquaculture industry and we believe that Merck Animal Health is an ideal partner to support the next stage of its growth,” said Karl Frykman, executive vice-president and chief operating officer at Pentair.

The Vaki acquisition is Merck’s latest move to expand its portfolio of digital technology products. In April 2019, the company acquired Antelliq Corporation and its brands, Allflex Livestock Intelligence, Sure Petcare and Biomark, providing animal identification, animal monitoring and smart data management for Livestock and Companion Animals. In March 2019, it also acquired Scan Aqua AS, a fish health and fish welfare company based in Norway.