Merito Network

Merito is an early-stage venture fund providing non-dilutive capital to deep tech ventures. As a company creation engine, Merito identifies breakthrough science projects and invests $50,000–$300,000 in exchange for revenue share from successful commercialization through Sponsored Research Agreements (SRAs). Merito fills a critical gap in early-stage deep tech capital. Incorporated in Japan, Merito is set to execute its first three deals in summer 2025 with top Japanese universities. Why now? Merito's launch comes at a pivotal moment when deep tech funding remains stuck in the analog era—dominated by governments, slow institutional grants, and high administrative costs. Scientific innovators still struggle to access private capital. Angel rounds are inefficient, and science doesn't fit the traditional VC mold. But change is underway. Science funding now is being privately funded, making it frictionless and accessible through platforms like Merito. Under the expanding Open Innovation model, companies are sourcing IP from Merito's portfolio to drive their R&D. Merito is seizing a generational shift toward a market-driven model for academic-origin deep tech—turning scientific creativity into a liquid, investable asset class. We are making deep tech more MERITOcratic.