Merck KGaA agreed to buy Bio-Techne in a roughly $11.3 billion deal, positioning the German conglomerate to expand life science tools and multi-omics capabilities across discovery and translational workflows. The cash offer is $73 per share, representing a 36% premium to Bio-Techne’s one-month average trading price. Bio-Techne’s assets include ProteinSimple automation systems and RNAscope multiplex in situ hybridization technology, plus cell culture device manufacturer Wilson Wolf (which Bio-Techne is acquiring). Merck KGaA expects the acquisition to close by late 2026 or early 2027, funding via a mix of cash and debt, and projecting cost synergies. The transaction is a major buy-side move after years of acquisitions for Merck KGaA and can affect tool pricing, integration roadmaps for spatial biology workflows, and the competitive landscape for research instrumentation vendors.
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