CZECH – Rohlik, a rapidly growing Czech online grocer has raised a further €100 million (about US$118.27 million) in a Series C funding round led by Index Ventures, which also took part in Rohlik’s €190 million funding round in March. 

Existing investors including Partech also participated in this latest round – which has seen Rohlik achieve a business valuation of €1 billion. 

With the funding, Rohlik now becomes the latest start-up to achieve unicorn status and allegedly one of the first from the Czech Republic. 

Headquartered in Czech Republic, Rohlik has successfully expanded its home grocery delivery service to Hungary and Austria. 

The online grocer has plans to launch in Munich in the coming months, followed by other German cities and European countries. 

The online grocery delivery business plans to use the funding to support its rapid expansion both within existing European markets and new ones. 

The company is reported to be seriously considering Romania, Italy, France and Spain as possible regions where it could set up shop. 

Rohlik also intends to use the capital to develop the best proposition for its customers through deploying new technical tools and extending its product offering – with the ultimate goal of becoming a prominent example of a new ‘21st century retailer’. 

“The newly secured funding helps us to accelerate even faster than originally intended, mainly in the areas of new market entries, fulfilment centre automation and the overall pace of innovation, including hiring great talent,” said Tomáš Čupr, founder and CEO of The Rohlik Group. 

The Natural Foods Company gets new owners 

Further south in Spain, ownership of The Natural Foods Company (TNFC) is set to change hands, with Fremman Capital taking ownership from GPF Capital and Label Investments in a deal whose financial terms have not been made public. 

TNFC is an international citrus company, with activities spanning the processing, distribution and commercialisation of fruits such as lemons, oranges and tangerines, as well as pomegranates and persimmons. 

TNFC controls around 900 hectares of plantations across Spain – which are mainly oriented towards organic production – and operates eight processing facilities in the country. 

The Spain-headquartered company has a total processing capacity in the region of 400,000 tonnes of fruit per year. 

Last year, TNFC acquired Spanish lemon business Frugarva last year, 11 months after GPF Capital integrated Fruxeresa and Frutas Naturales into The Natural Fruit Company.

“We are confident that Fremman’s team’s expertise in business services and consumer goods, consolidation processes and ESG focus will support the management team to continue creating value in the future, through organic and inorganic growth,” said Fremman founding partner and CEO, Ricardo de Serdio.

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