Rocket Internet

The Rocket Internet GmbH, based in Berlin, is a German investment company with interests in various internet start-ups, including the company Zalando, Groupon and eDarling. It was founded in 2007 by brothers Marc, Oliver and Alexander Samwer and is connected with the European Founders Fund.

The Rocket Internet is a stakes in Internet companies in their start-up phase. Her business is one hold, manage and, where appropriate, selling investments. It usually functioning business models from the USA will be copied and become internationally established. Companies are often repelled after a few years.

Internationalization

Unlike many Internet companies from the United States Rocket Internet is targeted on the development of international markets. The company has 27 locations on five continents, including in the U.S., Brazil, South Africa, Sweden, Indonesia and China. In the companies in which Rocket Internet has investments, employs around 20,000 people. According to the company, the company takes into account not only the local language of the investments, but also regional features such as extended lunch breaks. In March 2013, the Swedish venture capital company Kinnevik was involved to 24.2 percent at Rocket Internet.

Criticism

Rocket Internet is repeatedly criticized for its strategy to copy the business model of other companies. The persistent criticism has led after matching media reports to that end in 2011 has left the company a large part of the management. Overall, about 15 percent of all employees left at this time, the company, including one of the directors. The former manager of Rocket Internet then founded the incubator A Project Ventures.