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"We
expect to build more companies than in 2018," Chief Executive
Oliver Samwer told journalists, without giving a figure or a
comparable number for 2018.
Rocket highlighted three start-ups with particular potential:
Expertlead, a platform that helps companies find tech
freelancers; B2B Food Group, a catering company for businesses;
and Instafreight, a freight booking platform.
However, Samwer added he did not anticipate that any of its
current smaller holdings would graduate to become more
established companies this year.
He said Rocket had cash reserves of about 2 billion euros ($2.3
billion), similar to a year ago, showing it had not made major
investments. But Samwer said the tech market moved fast and it
needed the cash to be able to seize opportunities.
Rocket said its stakes in unlisted ecommerce firms Global
Fashion Group and Jumia, plus about another 200 smaller private
start-ups, were worth about 1.2 billion euros. Samwer said
Rocket had invested about 400 million euros in those companies,
adding that about two-thirds of the estimated total value of its
holdings in private companies were related to smaller firms.
Rocket has stakes in food groups HelloFresh and Delivery Hero,
as well as online home furnishings sites Westwing and Home24,
which all have been listed in recent years.
Jumia, its African ecommerce platform, filed last month for a
New York initial public offering, which could value the firm at
$1.6 billion or more. Global Fashion Group is also expected to
pursue a listing soon.
($1 = 0.8894 euros)
(Reporting by Emma Thomasson and Nadine Schimroszik; Editing by
Tassilo Hummel and Mark Potter)
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