News | Rockaway Ventures

November 10, 2020

Storyous, Zdeněk Pohlreich, and Liftago have joined forces to present a delivery system that is fair to restaurants, delivery services, and consumers alike

These are truly trying times for restaurateurs. Only slightly over half of restaurants are open, and in October revenues in the industry dropped by 49 % compared to last year. The only options now available to keep a restaurant going are to have a take-out window or deliver food to customers’ homes. However, the most popular delivery services often operate on terms that make it untenable for many restaurants to work with them. Storyous, which focuses of developing technologies for the restaurant industry, and Zdeněk Pohlreich, a popular chef and owner of of several successful restaurants, have therefore come up with an alternative platform, OneMenu.cz, which is built on fairness to customers, delivery services, and especially restaurants. The project’s delivery partner is successful Czech transport company Liftago.

November 9, 2020

Andrea Lauren: An unexpected stop for the Ant Group IPO, and why the markets are happy with the results of the US election

Originally I wanted to comment on the IPO of Chinese company Ant Group. Just a week ago, it seemed that a new record would be set, or rather a number of new records. Ant, the fintech group owned by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, announced that on November 5th its shares would start trading on the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges, where it had decided to launch the largest IPO of all time and collect U$ 34.4 billion from investors.

October 30, 2020

Andrea Lauren: When sustainability becomes the foundation of business (2/2)

Sustainability is a very frequent topic in international financial publications. In the Czech Republic, it’s usually looked upon as some kind of hobby for a handful of naive enthusiasts, but that depends on whom you’re talking to. The younger that person is, the more likely they are to prefer sustainability even at the expense of other criteria such as profitability or absolute growth.

October 27, 2020

Dušan Zábrodský: Restaurateurs, it's now or never: digitalization and adaptation will save your business. Start thinking different now

Through the eyes of the restaurant business, this year is really not looking like a good one. Restaurant revenues are a quarter of what they once, and they have to fight for every customer. But when I look around, I can’t shake the impression that in many cases they’re fighting a losing battle. And yet they don’t have to. For several years now, Rockaway Capital has had a couple of companies in its portfolio that have perfectly merged two important ingredients: the restaurant industry and digitalization. And as the group’s investment partner, I can say with a clear conscience that no matter what, this is the road we have to take, my dear restaurateurs. Even if it means spending a few sleepless nights over your laptop. And as they say, yesterday was too late.

October 23, 2020

Jakub Havrlant for iHned.cz: Czechs had no problem with the move to on-line; Czech e-commerce is top-notch. Let's accelerate the move to e-government as well

Each time I arrive at the office, I see the slogan. Hic sunt leones. Here be lions. A Latin phrase that we have at Rockaway on the wall right by the entrance; on old maps, it was used to designate unexplored territory. And now, for me it also symbolizes everything we are now experiencing.

October 19, 2020

Andrea Lauren: Why in business it pays to bet on sustainability, i.e. How a marginal genre became mainstream (1/2)

I’m grateful to Jirka Helán from Deloitte Legal for an excellent LinkedIn post, “You don’t believe young Greta…”. In it, he talks about a documentary by the legendary David Attenborough entitled A Life on Our Planet. For those who haven’t seen it yet, I heartily recommend watching it on Netflix. The 94-year-old Sir David reminisces about all the beautiful and unique wilderness he had seen during his life, which we have in the meantime collectively destroyed. Through this personal example it confirms what most of the world knows, with the exception of some of Donald Trump’s voters: that humanity needs to act fast in the fight against global warming.

October 16, 2020

"Let's save jobs in the restaurant industry!" Storyous is preparing to offer work to people who have lost their jobs in the restaurant industry

Restaurateurs throughout the Czech Republic have been severely tested in recent months. It is abundantly clear that many people will lose their jobs (hopefully temporarily, in some cases). Storyous, which develops technology for the restaurant industry, is therefore now trying to help them. It is launching a programme entitled “Save jobs in the restaurant industry”, which will offer work to people who have lost their jobs in the restaurant industry due to anti-pandemic measures.

August 1, 2020

Jakub Havrlant: Why the state should support young tech companies with private sector investors

The Czech Republic lags behind Western and Central European leaders in supporting new tech companies. Venture capital investments are 1/10 to 1/12 (per capita) of those in Germany or the Netherlands, and even half of those in Poland. Yet we have no shortage of either human capital or potential – companies like Seznam.cz or Avast are proof we are absolutely in the same league as global groups. For the time being, however, the Czech Republic lacks sufficient financial support or the requisite mind-set. And yet, reform of the current state of affairs could help our economy react to the COVID-19 crisis.

June 17, 2020

Rockaway has sold its stake in the German start-up Voya to Volkswagen Financial Services

The venture division of Jakub Havrlant’s investment group Rockaway has recently completed the sale of its stake in the Hamburg-based start-up Voya. Volkswagen Financial Services from the Volkswagen Group has become the new owner of the German start-up, which provides a comprehensive digital solution to business travel.

May 13, 2020

Storyous is deploying QR codes in restaurants for ordering and paying with mobile phones

Order using your phone right at the table. Safely and comfortably. Also pay from your seat when you want to leave, without having to flag down a waiter. This is another part of the Restaurant of the Future concept that is being introduced by Storyous. You can already try it out today in the Červený Jelen restaurant in Prague. During the time of the global pandemic, it also offers the ability to order food without the need to touch a menu that could collect viruses or bacteria.