Phosphonolipids represent a structural evolution of classical phospholipids, offering enhanced chemical and enzymatic stability, distinct hydrophobicity profile, and potentially improved shelf-life and robustness. Despite their promise, phosphonolipids remain underexplored as functional lipid building blocks in drug delivery systems and bio-inspired materials.

In 2026, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany hosts the Lipid Challenge, an application competition for innovative use-cases of phosphonolipids, focusing on function and translational relevance. The best potential applications will be identified by the judging criteria:

• business potential and applicability across modalities or platforms
• technical approach 
• scientific originality
• team strength
• strategic fit 
• quality of presentation

This challenge contains two stages. In the first stage, you sign up with your idea for an application of phosphonolipids, as novel lipid compounds, and how you propose to demonstrate technical feasibiltiy of your idea. We then offer a free developer kit to the most interesting submissions for you to run your experiments. You then submit your solution with initial results and the best proposals will be invited to present your solution. We are looking for identifying partners for this topic and participation may result in future cooperation.

The teams who submit the best solution with the best performance in the judging criteria subject to the terms and conditions of the challenge wins a prize of EUR 10,000, with EUR 5,000, and EUR 3,000 for second and third place.

[1] https://www.jlr.org/article/S0022-2275(20)39870-9/pdf

[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5088750/

Stage 1 is for registration and submitting your concepts:  

• Registration for this challenge starts on 19 March 2026 and finishes on 15 June 2026 (23.59 CEST).
• Register by filling in the online application form and accepting the terms and conditions of the phosphonolipid challenge. 
• You need to submit a non-confidential description of your idea, a short description what kind of experiment you would suggest to prove your idea, what results you expect and what you would need from us. 
• Short comments on how your submission meets the judging criteria. 

Stage 2: We invite selected participants to the solution round (up to 8 teams).

• You receive 3 ouf our lead phosphonolipid compounds free of charge at maximum scale of 0.5 g per compound. 
• You run your experiments, generate initial results, prepare a meaningful presentation and share this with us.
• We invite the top 5 to present your solution and work on a proposal how to continue the cooperation with our scientists.
• You pitch your results to the judging panel. 
• We will evaluate all submissions received subject to the terms and conditions of the challenge and by the criteria.
• The best team wins 10,000 EUR with 5000 EUR and 3000 EUR for second and third place. 

General comments

• You retain any rights that you hold with the use case, any tools you use and publishing rights you may have.
• Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany retain the exclusive right to make any press release or any kind of public communication about the competition and the winning proposal. 
• Confidential details on project content will not be revealed.

Criteria

• Business potential and applicability across modalities or platforms: Your solution may target large and/or growing markets, real needs and customer pain points or areas where no solutions are available or are being developed.
• Technical approach: Your application may have high technical fesasibility and clear benefits versus competing technologies.
• Scientific originality: Your application may have the potential to be disruptive with potential for IP protection.
• Team strength: Your application may demonstrate a proven track record and scientific background in the field as well as the accessibility of technical infrastructure to perform the experiments.
• Strategic Fit: Your solution may have a good fit with the existing capabilities of our Life Sciences business as well as the relevant markets.
• Quality of presentation

Awards

• EUR 10,000 for first place
• EUR 5,000 for second place 
• EUR 3,000 for third place 

This challenge is open to all individuals who are interested in engaging with us on the topic. This competition is not open to Health Care Professionals.