The 10-month accelerator program will support participating start-ups with direct investment, access to Azure Cloud computing and opportunities to pilot their technologies in collaboration with discovery and clinical scientists at Merck. It is taking applications for 12 spots for the first MDSS cohort beginning in October, with the deadline for applications set as September 1. Digital technologies are already enabling innovation in biomarker and drug discovery and development in the areas of target identification, lead discovery, pre-clinical development, and clinical development. Through MDSS, Merck and its collaborators will selectively accelerate and pilot novel and innovative digital technologies that are strategically aligned with Merck's life science research areas. Startups developing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications will be prioritized, says Fiona Marshall, senior vice president, Discovery, Preclinical and Translational Medicine at Merck Research Laboratories.