The Spanish online supermarket has just announced its purchase by , the Czech multinational that operates in the same sector. With this movement, the «» Czech makes its appearance in Spain, thus becoming the fifth country in which it operates, and aspires to become one of the benchmark online supermarkets in the next five years. Rohlik has advanced that, over these five years, it will invest a total of 50 million euros in this new project.
Rohlik assumes Ulabox debt as part of deal
Sources close to the operation have revealed several financial details of it, highlighting the fact that «Rohlik has paid 2.5 million to cover the debt that Ulabox had with the banks and Enisa2«. In exchange, the owners of Ulabox have received a stock option plan, thanks to which they would receive shares in the Czech company if an IPO were to take place.
The billing level of the was at a continuous drop since 2019, going from 10.8 million euros that year to 8.9 million in 2020 and 6 million in 2021, according to data from the Mercantile Registry. Added to this, in 2019 Ulabox registered losses of 3.8 million euros and, a year later, in 2020 of 3.2 million euros.
The metamorphosis of Ulabox: Sezamo is born
Like any new stage, this one is not exempt from changes, Ulabox leaves its name behind and will be called Sezamo. James Gomaco-founder and CEO of Ulabox, «dAfter more than 11 years leading the dream of Ulabox, it is time to open a new stage full of magic, a stage in which we will transform the current Ulabox into Sezamoaccompanied by an incredibly talented local team and the support of the Rohlik Group and its international experience«.
However, for the time being and in order to facilitate the transition, Ulabox will continue to operate in Barcelona until Sezamo.es arrives in the city. This will be his second stop in Spain, since the idea of the company is to land in the capitalMadrid, where the first Sezamo warehouse is already under construction.
This expansion will bring about the creation of some 200 jobs in the company, maintaining the original 20 Ulabox workers, «and, for this, the best talent to accompany us on this adventure and make the magic of Sezamo come true helping Spaniards to eat well and live better» says Gomà. Rohlik has also announced that he will open his first digital hub installed outside of Prague, where its headquarters are located, for what they are looking for «50-100 workers specializing in Android and Java development«.
Rohlik, the unstoppable Czech unicorn
Undoubtedly, this union will bring with it new opportunities and will mean a revolution in the world of online supermarkets, Rohlik is committed to the transformation that consumer habits are experiencing of the people, and he seems not to be mistaken. You only have to see the billing data (300 million euros) of this unicorn that has been able to work its most profitable magic since its birth in 2014, and that has clear intentions to continue growing, as announced in November, in addition to Spain, its next scheduled stops are Italy and Romania.
Rohlik earned his title, becoming the first czech unicornin July 2021, after successfully raising an additional €100 million in Series C funding. For now, Rohlik’s growth shows no signs of slowing down, quite the contrary, having closed its fiscal year with more than one million customers, almost 10 million orders delivered and revenue of 490 million eurosthe Czech group reflected a 53% year-over-year growth between May 2021 and April 2022.
Currently, Rohlik is also in the midst of an important phase of technological developmentwhich contemplates the improvement of the automation of your logistics centers in Munich, Hamburg and Prague. This process aims, through the investment of 45 million euros, to support the growth of the group and bring it ever closer to its goal: to become the largest online supermarket in continental Europe.
Ulabox, one of the first online supermarkets
Founded in Barcelona back in 2010, Ulabox was born as an online supermarket whose offer covered a wide range of brands and products belonging to small businesses. Their commitment to quality has been present throughout its history and initiatives such as , have left evidence of this. The local business support It has also been a point present in Ulabox’s strategy, developing a marketplace within its website in which consumers could find various market stalls that collaborate with the company in this action.
«Our obsession with the customer together with the effort, resilience and passion that we have put into Ulabox in generating the best shopping experience for transform the way we buy food and help our customers eat better finally it has borne fruit and we go from screen to accelerate, strengthen and replicate this vision throughout the territory«, Says Gomà. It is clear that Ulabox changes its name, but its philosophy remains intact.
Image: Ulabox
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