Strategie
Rockaway Capital, the investment group founded by Jakub Havrlant, operates primarily in the areas of e-commerce, e-travel, media, blockchain and venture capital, as well as a few other fields.
It is not always easy to label what we do. While we primarily focus on Internet businesses, our interpretation of the term “internet business” is far beyond its traditional meaning – what we simply do is we build strong companies with the use of the digital technologies, irrespective of the sector and industry.
In 2019, companies under the control of the Rockaway achieved aggregated sales in excess of EUR 2.5 billion.
“I know that in the Czech Republic it is possible to create firms that can succeed abroad. That is why I established Rockaway and it is what we strive for every day.”
Like “what we do”, the way in which we work cannot be clearly defined. We incorporate the best practices from the world of both strategic and financial investors and we honor opportunistic approach.
We are not limited by the size of investments, as we invest amounts ranging from hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions of euros. We do not set fixed investment periods, so cooperation may persist for only a few years or for much longer. National and regional boundaries are meaningless to us.
“I know that in the Czech Republic it is possible to create firms that can succeed abroad. That is why I established Rockaway and it is what we strive for every day.”
Most importantly, though, we are not afraid to roll up our sleeves. We actively participate in the management of the companies in our portfolio, thus becoming an integral part and driving force of their respective teams.
We have achieved a number of milestones in the form of successful exits, turnarounds and/or establishing successful European platforms in their respective sectors.
ESG Statement and Policy
At Rockaway, we see a commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles as both a responsibility and an opportunity. We believe ESG-driven companies not only perform better, they can also bring disruptive innovations to tackle urgent global problems. Here we see our role: in helping startups expand their solutions to meet society’s needs. In 2021, we launched Rockaway Ventures Fund (RVF), a venture capital fund focused on high growth digital economy startups with the potential for positive ESG impact. RVF will invest primarily in businesses in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) across the following sectors: Retail/E-tail, Supply Chain Tech, Telco-Media & Entertainment, Fintech, Digital Health, Cybersecurity & Data Management, Food Tech, Cleantech, Proptech, EdTech and Smart Travel. RVF signed up its first two startups in 2021, Lingvist and Vivere, and our latest investments Campiri, Freeway Camper, and Spotawheel are prime examples of environmentally conscious portfolio companies, as they foster sharing economies, donations to ecological and sustainable projects, and carbon neutral traveling. We select our portfolio companies (where possible but not primarily) based on an ESG-oriented screening and due diligence process that we are continuing to refine together with peers and partners, including fellow members of Venture ESG. In addition to launching RVF, we have also become signatories of the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) and are currently driven by the Article 8 with the long term ambition to be compliant with more rigor EU legislation (Article 9), including the EU Taxonomy and the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). In short, we’ve taken our first steps on this important journey, and are excited to measure and report the benefits it will bring for society, our startups, and our company in the coming years.
Environmental
Rockaway’s philosophy has always been to develop the most promising and innovative digital start-ups in central and eastern Europe. However, in recent years we have also started paying close attention to our own and their environmental impact. The recently established Rockaway Ventures Fund is driven by Article 8 investing into start-ups with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) compliant missions and goals. The fund has a detailed Policy which you can find here. Campiri, Spotawheel and Freeway Camper are prime examples of environmentally conscious portfolio companies, as they foster sharing economies, donations to ecological and sustainable projects, and carbon neutral traveling. Additionally, at Rockaway we also realize the importance of conscious food consumption when aiming to preserve our planet. Hence, both of our e-grocery portfolio companies – Košík.cz and Bringmeister.de offer plenty of vegan and vegetarian alternatives, package free groceries and locally sourced products to minimize the CO2 emissions and waste.
Social
As the saying goes: “With great power comes great responsibility.”, and as an investment group with great influence, we feel proud to take on our responsibility of keeping the ones around happy. Rockaway’s stakeholders range vastly – from employees and investment partners to portfolio companies and many more. Therefore, also the measures we take to support them range just as much. Apart from numerous team building events and workshops, we could highlight the annual company cycling trip around Prague’s stunning surroundings; regularly recurring EduLunch or weekly breakfasts, when employees of different departments meet over a free lunch and share their knowledge, their projects as well as learnings. Rockaway maintains close relationships with portfolio companies and different partners, regularly organizes networking and educational events, such as the Money Talks conferences, investor dinners or various off-sites, where employees and people from portfolio companies meet and create valuable bonds. Rockaway is a firm believer of supporting and developing the economy of the CEE region, and we do that not only by investing in promising digital and often ESG led companies from the area, but also by working exclusively with local suppliers. Additionally, Rockaway also cooperates with the region’s top universities and student groups by sharing their know-how during free lectures or workshops, while also seeking talent and offering internships on a regular basis.
Governance
At Rockaway, we see a commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles as both a responsibility and an opportunity. The data speaks loud and clear: ESG is not just good for the world, it’s good for business. Companies with sound ESG policies perform better, thanks to greater resiliency and adaptability, employee and customer loyalty, reputation, and legitimacy. But ESG-focused companies not only perform better, they can also bring disruptive innovations to tackle urgent global problems. Here we see our role: in helping start-ups expand their solutions to meet society’s needs. In 2021, we launched Rockaway Ventures Fund (RVF), a €100m venture capital fund focused on high growth digital economy start-ups with positive ESG potential. We select our portfolio companies (where possible but not primarily) based on an ESG-oriented screening and due diligence process that we are continuing to refine with the help of peers and partners. We also believe in leading by example, and so we aim to show the portfolio companies our integrity, authenticity, and solidity. And that is why Rockaway’s governing body always strives to behave correctly, with transparency and avoid any type of corruption, and if such a scenario should occur, we are ready to take immediate action to offset it. To strengthen our ESG commitments, Rockaway is working on an Ethical Code of Conduct, which will be binding to all employees across Rockaway, Rockaway Ventures and other sub-companies. We have always been driven by honesty, transparency and ethical standards to fulfill the company’s goals. It’s an exciting time for VC, and we’re proud to be among the early movers to integrate ESG into our DNA not only on the Ventures Fund level but also across Rockaway and our extended portfolio. As we take our first steps on this important journey, we are excited to measure and report the benefits it will bring for society, our start-ups, and our company in the coming years.