Posted by Clare Scott, Managing Editor - Manufacturing Group

Published January 25, 2026

Medical Murray and Merge announced a strategic partnership designed to make early medical device innovation faster, more practical, and easier to advance into regulated development when the time is right.

The partnership connects Merge’s early-stage design, prototyping, and commercialization planning capabilities with Medical Murray’s deep technical expertise in complex catheters, implants, and interventional devices. Together, the teams intend to provide better support for exploratory R&D before projects enter more regulated development pathways.

For established medical device companies, the partnership expands Medical Murray’s ability to engage earlier in the innovation process, including creative design and rapid prototyping for R&D programs that are not yet ready for regulated development.

For hospitals, clinician inventors, and early-stage startups, the partnership allows Merge clients to access subject matter experts, equipment, and technical insight from Medical Murray earlier in development, while maintaining the speed, flexibility, and cost effectiveness that Merge is known for.

Merge will continue to work with a broad network of contract manufacturers and industry partners and views this collaboration as a model for how early development teams and downstream manufacturers can work together more effectively across the medtech ecosystem.

“Most of the teams we work with are early and still figuring things out. They need to move fast, keep costs reasonable, and get something real built without being forced into a heavy development process too soon,” says Tanner Hargens, CEO of Merge. “At Merge, our job is to help an idea exist. This partnership lets us do that while bringing in Medical Murray’s catheter and implant expertise at the right time, and gives those projects a clear path to cleanroom manufacturing when they’re ready.”

“We talk to a lot of teams who have good ideas but aren’t ready for a regulated development program yet,” says Andy Leopold, CEO of Medical Murray. “Working closely with Merge helps those ideas move forward earlier, while keeping Medical Murray focused on the development and manufacturing work we do best. When a project is ready to move forward, the transition is much smoother.”