Samsung Electronics Co. and Samsung C&T Corp. will invest $110 million in US biotech firm Grail Inc., marking one of the South Korean conglomerate’s most significant moves yet in the fast-expanding field of biotechnology.
The deal, announced Friday, will allow Samsung to access multi-cancer early detection (MCED) technology through Grail’s Galleri test, which can identify more than 50 types of cancer from a single blood sample.
Grail, based in Menlo Park, CA, has developed next-generation sequencing and methylation-based testing to detect cancer at earlier, more treatable stages.
Samsung C&T, the group’s de facto holding company, will lead the test’s commercial rollout in Korea next year, with plans to expand into Japan and Singapore.
The investment, priced at $70.05 per share, is expected to close in early 2026 following regulatory approvals and final agreements, Samsung C&T said.
LINKING GENOMICS AND SMART DEVICES
For Samsung Electronics, the partnership with Grail is as much about data as diagnostics.
As one of the world’s leading smartphone makers, the company aims to integrate Grail’s genomic data with Samsung’s artificial intelligence, wearables and health-data platforms, potentially turning its Galaxy devices into gateways for preventive healthcare.
“Our cooperation with Grail aligns with our vision to improve the health of billions of people,” said Pak Hon, senior vice president and head of the Digital Health Team at Samsung Electronics.
“Integrating Samsung’s AI and device platforms with Grail’s clinical genetic data could allow users to better understand their health.”
The collaboration will begin with testing conducted at Grail’s clinical laboratory in North Carolina before expanding into Asian markets.
STRENGTHENING SAMSUNG’S HEALTHCARE AMBITIONS
The latest deal underscores Samsung’s ambition to expand its presence in biotechnology while combining its manufacturing, data and device capabilities with advanced healthcare technologies.
“Moving beyond investment to a strategic business partnership gives Samsung a strong foothold to expand into the cancer screening field,” said Kim Jay-woo, executive vice president of the Life Science Business at Samsung C&T.
Samsung has been steadily building its healthcare portfolio through multiple arms of the group.
Its Life Science Fund, jointly operated by Samsung C&T, Samsung Biologics Co. and Samsung Bioepis Co., has invested in several biotech startups, including US-based C2N Diagnostics, US-based antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and gene therapy biotechnology company BrickBio and Flagship Pioneering Fund VIII.
Samsung Group has chosen gene therapy as a new growth engine for its medical units.
Samsung Venture Investment Corp., an investment arm of Samsung Electronics, has taken stakes in Element Biosciences, a US sequencing company, and Xealth, a digital healthcare platform, to expand its reach into genomics and precision medicine.
The partnership with Samsung will also provide Grail both fresh capital and access to Asian markets.
“Samsung’s significant equity investment strengthens our balance sheet and provides further cash runway as we advance through key milestones to secure reimbursement for Galleri in the US and key international markets,” said Sir Harpal Kumar, Grail’s president of international business and biopharma.
By Sookyung Seo
skse@hankyung.com
Jennifer Nicholson-Breen edited this article.
