Rocket Internet could sell stake to Holtzbrinck Ventures for EUR 400m
Rocket Internet, the German startup incubator and investor founded by the Samwer brothers, is mulling a stake sale to Holtzbrinck Ventures, the German newspaper Die Welt reported on 18 August, without citing a source. The transaction, valued at around EUR 400m, would come shortly before Rocket Internet is to go public, the article said.
The newspaper calculated that the recently announced investments and company valuations leave a gap of around EUR 400m. The implied 10% jump in company valuation within just one week is unusual and was also rejected by Rocket Internet, the article said, leaving room for speculation that Holtzbrinck, a long-time partner of the Samwer brothers, might buy a stake for exactly that amount. The article said that Holtzbrinck Ventures would have already bought into Rocket Internet if its fund statutes would have allowed to invest into an incubator. By now Rocket Internet is incorporated as limited eliminating that problem.
Rocket Internet and Holtzbrinck Ventures declined or did not respond with comment.
Die Welt