Meridial and Echo Labs aim to build new scientific infrastructure for living-brain connectivity mapping and ecological intelligence

LONDON, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Convergent Research, a mission control for frontier technology, and the United Kingdom’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) today announced the launch of two new UK Focused Research Organizations, or FROs: Meridial and Echo Labs. Developed through Convergent’s UK FRO Founder Residency with ARIA, the two organisations represent a new way to build scientific institutions around specific technical bottlenecks that are too engineering-heavy, operationally complex, or long-horizon for conventional labs or startups to address effectively. Convergent’s FRO Founder residency programme was piloted through Convergent’s role as an Activation Partner to ARIA, with the aim of identifying and refining FRO-shaped projects aligned with ARIA opportunity spaces and building the capability to launch and support new FROs in the UK.

Focused Research Organizations are nonprofit, startup-like scientific organisations built to tackle clearly defined scientific or technological bottlenecks over a fixed period of time, often by creating public goods such as tools, datasets, platforms, methods, and technical infrastructure that can unlock broader downstream progress. Convergent has used this model to launch ten FROs in the US, and the UK residency with ARIA extended that playbook into a cohort-based format designed to source, incubate, launch, and support ambitious new UK organisations. The UK is Convergent’s first major expansion outside the US.

“Building the right institution can matter as much as having the right idea,” said Pippy James, Deputy CEO at ARIA. “ARIA is working to expand what’s possible for high-risk, high-reward science, and FROs are a powerful way of doing that. Meridial and Echo Labs are tackling the kinds of bottlenecks and opportunities this approach is designed to address, and we’re excited to see what new capabilities they make possible.”

Each of the two new organisations is tackling a different bottleneck, but both are built around the same core premise: that some forms of scientific progress require purpose-built organisations, not just new grants or new labs. Both organisations align with a distinct ARIA opportunity space, targeting areas where new infrastructure could unlock significant progress.

These new organisations are:

Meridial, launching with an initial £14 million award from ARIA and aligned with its Scalable Neural Interfaces opportunity space, is building a microscopy platform designed to map and track synaptic connections in living animals over time. By making it possible to observe how brain connectivity changes across development, disease, learning, and therapeutic intervention, Meridial aims to help bridge an important gap between molecular mechanisms and circuit-level function. Over its funded period, the organisation will work to develop and operate a platform capable of mapping and longitudinally tracking synaptic connections across local and long-range brain circuits over extended time periods.

“Many of the most important questions in neuroscience and brain health relate to how living circuits change over time. Today, when we seek to observe such changes with high resolution, we are often limited by scale, or must infer dynamics from static snapshots of extracted tissue. Meridial is being built to overcome these challenges with a platform for mapping and tracking synaptic connections in living animals over extended periods. We think infrastructure like this could help open up new ways of understanding development, disease, learning, and therapeutic intervention,” said Mehmet Fisek, Founder and CEO of Meridial.

“Progress in brain science and brain health has been constrained for too long by the limits of our tools. Meridial is exciting because it is building infrastructure that could let researchers observe how neural circuits change over time, rather than inferring those changes indirectly after the fact. That kind of capability could open up important new routes for understanding disease, development, and recovery,” said Jacques Carolan, Programme Director at ARIA.

Echo Labs, launching with an initial £7 million award from ARIA and aligned with its Scoping Our Planet opportunity space, is building new infrastructure to represent the natural world and make it legible enough to model, compare, and forecast. If the state of an ecosystem can be measured as a dynamic system, the implications extend beyond observation. Just as weather and human health became understandable through shared measurements and modeling, ecosystem condition could become a measurable, continuously updated layer of intelligence.

“Today, ecology generates fragmented observations but lacks the integrated representation needed to understand ecological complexity and translate it into usable signals. Ecosystems underpin our economies and societies, but we still lack the scientific infrastructure to measure and forecast ecological condition with anything like the precision we bring to other natural or engineered systems. We envision a world in which global ecosystem condition is continuously observed, modeled, and useful for science, governance, finance, and stewardship happens before collapse occurs, rather than after,” said Kaja Wasik, PhD, CEO of Echo Labs.

“Responsible stewardship requires sufficiently good understanding. Yet for most species, ecological interactions, and ecosystems, our ability to measure and forecast remains frustratingly limited. Echo Labs aims to build foundational infrastructure for ecological intelligence, enabling intentional action that complements well-established approaches to supporting nature,” said Yannick Wurm, Programme Director at ARIA.

Meridial and Echo Labs join a growing UK FRO landscape that includes Bind Research, a UK-based not-for-profit focused on making disordered proteins druggable. Together, these efforts suggest a broader institutional shift: one in which new scientific organisations are designed not around disciplines alone, but around bottlenecks, capabilities, and the shared infrastructure required to unlock downstream progress.

“Scientific progress is often slowed not by a lack of ideas, but by a lack of institutions designed to turn important ideas into shared capabilities,” said Anastasia Gamick, President and co-founder of Convergent Research. “Focused Research Organizations are built for exactly that gap. We’re excited to see this model continue to take root in the UK through organisations that are technically ambitious, tightly scoped, and built to create public goods with broad downstream value. We can’t wait to share more from these two teams and our ongoing work with ARIA.”

Meridial and Echo Labs are expanding their teams in 2026. More information about each organisation, including information about career opportunities and technology releases, will be available at meridial.org and echolabs.org.

About ARIA

The Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) is an R&D funding agency created to unlock technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone. Created by an Act of Parliament, and sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, ARIA funds teams of scientists and engineers to pursue research at the edge of what is scientifically and technologically possible.

About Meridial

Meridial is a UK-based Focused Research Organization building a microscopy platform for mapping and tracking synaptic connections in living animals over time. Its mission is to develop scientific infrastructure that enables researchers to observe how neural connectivity changes across development, disease, learning, and therapeutic intervention. Meridial is supported by Convergent Research and powered by ARIA.

About Echo Labs

Echo Labs is a UK-based Focused Research Organization building scientific infrastructure for ecological monitoring and forecasting. Its mission is to make ecosystem condition more measurable and forecastable through new combinations of environmental data, models, and software. Echo Labs is supported by Convergent Research and powered by ARIA.

About Convergent Research

Convergent Research brings together scientific founders and funders to design, launch and operate Focused Research Organizations (FROs) across a range of fields. Our FROs, like Meridial and Echo Labs, build pivotal infrastructure that bridges gaps to breakthrough scientific research, proving out a new operating model for science that enables a high level of team science and systems engineering for public goods creation.

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Staritas established with growth investment from Accel-KKR to transform healthcare supply chain through data-driven intelligence

WILLOW GROVE, Pa., April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ECRI, a global healthcare quality and safety nonprofit organization, today announced that it has spun out its Spend Management and Recall Management solutions as an independent company, Staritas. Powered by investments from Accel-KKR, a global technology-focused investment firm, Staritas will continue to build on its pioneering leadership in healthcare supply chain intelligence.

“For five decades, ECRI’s award-winning Spend Management solutions have helped healthcare supply chain leaders navigate supply disruptions with resiliency, save millions of dollars, and benchmark purchasing decisions using the industry’s most comprehensive, independent datasets,” said Marcus Schabacker, CEO, MD, president of ECRI. “Now, by spinning out Staritas, powered by Accel-KKR to supercharge the power behind the data, improve the user experience, and accelerate innovation, healthcare supply chain leaders can realize even greater value from the platform.”

The healthcare supply chain of the future will no longer be driven by reactive, event-driven decisions, but proactive, continuous strategies, powered by AI and real-time intelligence. As an independent company backed by Accel-KKR, Staritas will expand on the development and delivery of AI-powered solutions and insights that empower leaders to manage the growing complexity of supply chains with greater intelligence.

“We are excited to partner with ECRI and support the launch of Staritas, a new company with a 50- year track record of pioneering work in spend and recall management,” said Park Durrett, Managing Director at Accel-KKR. “Staritas’s unmatched independent datasets and domain expertise create a strong foundation for growth and customer impact. We’re proud to build on Staritas’s legacy and remain committed to the transparency, independence, and objectivity that define its work. We look forward to partnering with the talented Staritas team to keep building on a market-leading platform that delivers greater value to healthcare organizations and stakeholders worldwide.”

Staritas: Making Every Choice Clear

In today’s healthcare environment, leaders face rising costs, margin pressure, supply chain disruptions, and increasing complexity, often making decisions with fragmented information, such as supplier pricing without benchmarks, or investments without a clear view of total cost.

Staritas solves this problem by combining the largest independent source of healthcare supply and capital datasets with deep expertise and advanced analytics to help organizations in over 70 countries understand market trends and better manage their supply chains. Trusted by nearly 90% of the top U.S. hospitals and health systems, Staritas helps customers identify up to $13 billion annually in opportunity savings. With an independent, unbiased view, supply chain leaders can see all their options, seize opportunities through actionable insights, and make confident decisions.

“Staritas is committed to providing data-driven insights and services that help healthcare organizations optimize operations, save money and strengthen decision making,” said Emmet O’Gara, CEO of Staritas. “The data, solutions and people that now make up Staritas are among the best in the field of spend and recall management. We plan to continuously raise the bar in serving healthcare supply chain leaders with next-generation platform and technology advancements that help to protect margins, deliver quality care and boost resiliency.”

Customers will maintain continuity in day-to-day operations, with additional investments planned to enhance platform capabilities and deepen the value delivered across solutions. Users of Staritas products were notified with assurances of a smooth transition and continuity in the personnel and support systems available.

ECRI: Making Healthcare Safer, Stronger, More Resilient

“This move is not a departure, it is a commitment to deepening ECRI’s focus on patient safety, clinical evidence, and system-level change across healthcare,” added ECRI CEO Dr. Schabacker. “ECRI’s services and solutions are now focused exclusively on creating resilient and safe healthcare systems and assessing technologies used in those systems – backed by new investment and commitment to effect transformative change. With this strategic shift, ECRI is investing, at an unprecedented level, in the expert teams, proprietary data assets, and advanced capabilities that allow healthcare organizations to build safety into their culture, their operations, and their systems. Not as a one-time initiative, but as a permanent, self-reinforcing foundation.”

Despite decades of effort nationwide, patient safety in the U.S. is still marked by high rates of preventable harm.

“One in four patient admissions involve an adverse event, and nearly a quarter of those are preventable. That’s tragic and unacceptable,” said Dheerendra Kommala, MD, ECRI Chief Medical Officer. “Through this strategic move, ECRI is now singularly focused on improving patient safety. We plan to expand solutions that can transform healthcare organizations, building on our legacy of advancing evidence-based medicine.”

About ECRI

ECRI is an independent, nonprofit organization improving the safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness of healthcare. With a focus on patient safety, system design and technology evaluation, ECRI is respected and trusted by healthcare leaders and agencies worldwide. For nearly 60 years, ECRI has built its reputation on integrity and disciplined rigor, with an unwavering commitment to independence and evidence-based care. ECRI is the only organization worldwide to conduct independent medical device evaluations, with labs located in North America and Asia Pacific. ECRI is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and a federally certified Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ECRI acquired The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) in 2020 to address one of the most prolific causes of preventable harm in healthcare, medication errors; then acquired The Just Culture Company in 2024 to transform healthcare workplace cultures – thus creating one of the largest healthcare quality and safety entities in the world. Visit ECRI.org to learn more.

About Staritas

Staritas helps healthcare supply chain leaders around the world make more informed decisions so they can understand market trends and better manage all aspects of their supply chain. With Staritas, they can see all the options with the largest independent source of supply and capital data, seize the opportunities with access to deep industry expertise, and achieve their organizational goals. That’s why nearly 90% of the top U.S. hospitals and health systems trust our five decades of expertise for their most important supply chain and recall management decisions. And it’s how our clients find up to $13B dollars in opportunity savings every year. Staritas. Make every choice clear. Learn more at Staritas.com.

About AKKR

Accel-KKR is a technology-focused investment firm with over $23 billion in cumulative capital commitments. The firm focuses on software and tech-enabled businesses, well-positioned for topline and bottom-line growth. At the core of Accel-KKR’s investment strategy is a commitment to developing strong partnerships with the management teams of its portfolio companies and a focus on building value alongside management by leveraging the significant resources available through the Accel-KKR network. Accel-KKR focuses on middle-market companies and provides a broad range of capital solutions, including buyout capital, minority-growth investments, and credit alternatives. Accel-KKR also invests across various transaction types, including private company recapitalizations, divisional carve-outs, and going-private transactions. Accel-KKR’s headquarters is in Menlo Park, with offices in London, Atlanta and Chicago. Visit accel-kkr.com.

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SOURCE ECRI

The “Legendary Moments” campaign celebrates IRL connection and “spilling the tea” on stories that come from it with a new limited-edition Miller Lite tea set

Key Summary Bullets

Miller Lite and Livvy Dunne launch “Legendary Moments with Livvy,” a partnership that encourages logging off, showing up and making real-life moments worth reliving.Kicking off the campaign, Miller Lite and Livvy Dunne are releasing a first-of-its-kind, limited-edition Miller Tea Time set designed to turn debriefs with friends into a shared ritual, because, let’s face it, that’s when the best “tea” is spilled.The bespoke set includes four tea cups emulating the brand’s iconic can, four saucers and an innovative kettle that pours a 12oz can of Miller Lite, putting a playful twist on the viral “spill the tea” trend.

CHICAGO, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Miller Lite and Livvy Dunne – athlete, actor, model, and proud Miller Lite fan – are joining forces to launch “Legendary Moments with Livvy,” a campaign encouraging fans to log off, show up and say “yes!” to making real-life connections.

From baseball games to happy hours with friends, Livvy almost always has a Miller Lite in hand – and now that real-life fandom is coming full circle. It all starts with a first-of-its-kind, limited-edition Miller Tea Time set designed to elevate one of the most sacred social events: the debrief.

“Some of my favorite memories come from just saying ‘yes’ to going out with friends, but the best part is always talking about it the day after,” said Livvy Dunne. “That’s when the real tea comes out. For me and my friends, Miller Time brings us together and, now, Miller Tea Time is all about the debrief.”

Inspired by the cultural phenomenon of “spilling the tea,” the set taps into a global trend with more than 1.8 million posts under #spillthetea on TikTok, where friend groups across the world relive their most unforgettable moments. As her over 13 million followers across Instagram and TikTok already know, Livvy knows how to turn any moment into a legendary story. Her favorite? Reminiscing and spilling the tea after.

“For more than 50 years, Miller Lite has championed the idea that the best moments start when you show up,” said Courtney Benedict, Vice President of Marketing, Molson Coors Beverage Company, Miller Lite Family of Brands. “Livvy is a natural extension of that belief, and together we’re inspiring fans to embrace the moments and connections that turn into legendary stories.”

INTRODUCING THE FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND MILLER TEA TIME SET
Crafted to evoke Miller Lite’s iconic cans, the centerpiece of each Miller Tea Time set is a custom-designed tea kettle, featuring a built-in beer-puncturing mechanism. Fans can place a 12oz can of Miller Lite into the top of the kettle, where a special mechanism allows beer to fill the kettle and flow through the spout when pouring – turning “spilling the tea” into a perfectly chilled Miller Lite moment.

Four branded tea cups and a silver saucer accompany each set, designed to encourage “spill the tea” sessions with friends. Fans 21+ can visit www.millerlite.com/millerteatime to learn more and purchase a limited-edition Miller Tea Time set, dropping in limited quantities starting at 11 a.m. ET on April 21 and again at 11 a.m. ET on April 28.

CONTINUING LEGENDARY MOMENTS WITH LIVVY
The Miller Tea Time Set is just the start! The partnership continues all summer long, with Livvy making appearances at major cultural moments and festivals, kicking off at Miller Lite’s new experiential space, The Social Lite Club, debuting at Jazz Fest this April.

Building on the spirit of showing up, The Social Lite Club is an immersive, dual-level experience featuring a lively bar, second-floor hangout and signature “conversation pit.” The space brings fans into the world of Original Lite Beer, designed to turn festival moments into Miller Time and connections into legendary stories.

Fans can keep tabs on Livvy’s appearances by following @MillerLite and @livvydunne on social media.

ABOUT MOLSON COORS BEVERAGE COMPANY
For more than two centuries, Molson Coors has brewed beverages that unite people to celebrate all life’s moments. From our core power brands Coors Light, Miller Lite, Coors Banquet, Molson Canadian, Carling and Ožujsko to our above premium brands including Madrí Excepcional, Staropramen, Blue Moon Belgian White and Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, to our economy and value brands like Miller High Life and Keystone Light, we produce many beloved and iconic beers. While Molson Coors’ history is rooted in beer, we offer a modern portfolio that expands beyond the beer aisle as well, including flavored beverages like Vizzy Hard Seltzer, spirits like Five Trail whiskey and non-alcoholic beverages like ZOA Energy. As a business, our ambition is to be the first choice for our people, our consumers and our customers, and our success depends on our ability to make our products available to meet a wide range of consumer segments and occasions.

Molson Coors Beverage Company is a publicly traded company that operates through its Americas and EMEA&APAC reporting segments and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange. To learn more about Molson Coors Beverage Company, visit molsoncoors.com.

Contact: Kaylee Braasch, kaylee.braasch@zenogroup.com

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SOURCE Molson Coors Beverage Company