Rocket Internet Reportedly Aims for SPAC in New York
February 09, 2021 at 08:57 am EST
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Rocket Internet SE (HMSE:RKET) plans to list a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in New York to tap into investor interest in new offerings, two people close to the matter said. Rocket, led by tech entrepreneur Oliver Samwer, is preparing to list SPAC shares worth EUR 200 million to EUR 300 million ($242 million to $363 million) in a deal organised by investment bank Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C), they said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Rocket and Citi were not immediately available for comment. SPACs, or blank-cheque firms, typically raise money in an IPO to pursue an acquisition without telling their investors which company they will buy. The deal then takes the private company public.
Rocket Internet SE is a Germany-based company active in the investment management and fund operator industry. The Company identifies, builds, scales and retains ownership of Internet companies. It mainly operates in three sectors: e-commerce, including retail companies in the areas of fashion, general merchandise, home and living, office supplies and food groceries; marketplace, comprising companies active in fields such as real estate, travel, transport and food delivery which offer buyers and sellers venues for direct transactions, among others; and financial technology, containing companies bringing together borrowers and lenders in areas like the consumer and small and medium-sized enterprise segments. As a holding company, Rocket Internet AG holds interests in operating subsidiaries divided into regional Internet groups entailing the geographic regions Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. The Company has a controlling interest in HelloFresh GmbH.