M Ventures: pharma CVC and biotech innovation in 2026

Welcome to our first episode for 2026.

Today, we're joined by Hakan Goker, Managing Director at M Ventures, the strategic corporate venture capital arm of Merck KGaA. With over two decades in biotech investing, Hakan has driven transformative deals in oncology, autoimmune diseases, and beyond, including standout 2025 investments like FoRx Therapeutics and portfolio milestones such as Artios' FDA Fast Track designation.

As we kick off 2026 at Beyond Biotech, Hakan shares insights on corporate VC advantages, emerging therapeutic priorities, and the industry's evolving landscape amid rising M&A and AI innovation.

1:10 Meet Hakan Goka

4:37 About M Ventures and pharma CVC

8:14 Sourcing innovative biotechs

12:52 How M Ventures works with Merck KGaA

16:54 M Ventures in 2025

24:46 Areas to watch in the new year

29:19 Looking forward to 2026

32:20 The next big thing in biotech?

33:08 Advice for biotechs pitching CVC

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To dive deeper into the topic:

• The ABC of biotech startup funding
• Seven genome sequencing companies to look out for
• Labiotech's 2025 biotech funding tracker