Prague-based online grocery player Rohlik Group, which raised $170 million last June, reshapes the European grocery delivery landscape. Valued at nearly €2 billion, the company shifts its growth model beyond just rapid delivery, focusing heavily on software and services as it prepares for a potential IPO.
Unlike many quick-commerce startups chasing ultra-fast deliveries for small baskets, Rohlik has prioritised automation and operational efficiency at scale. Its autonomous fulfilment centres, powered by proprietary AI-driven technology, enable over 1.3 million orders a month with 97% accuracy on delivery times. This technology, spun out into a separate entity named Veloq, is now offered as a platform to other retailers seeking to establish scalable grocery e-commerce operations.
Veloq combines automated picking, dynamic routing, inventory forecasting, and real-time last-mile logistics into an integrated platform. Former Ocado Chief Commercial Officer Richard McKenzie leads Veloq, which the company claims delivers gross margins of between 50% and 60%, outperforming the 20-30% margins typically seen in the core grocery delivery business.
Rohlik is also broadening its retail media venture, offering ad space to nearly 100 brand clients and targeting €3-5 million in retail media revenue by the end of fiscal 2025. This aligns with a booming European retail media landscape, with consultancy OC&C projecting a fivefold increase in ad sales by 2028.
Founder Tomáš Čupr expects to finalise the IPO timing by early 2026, weighing two paths: an early public offering to fuel rapid growth or delaying to build a stronger foundation of profitability before going public.
Industry consolidation and market conditions in Germany have created acquisition opportunities, with Čupr noting that bankruptcies in the sector have led to attractive openings, exemplified by Rohlik’s 2024 purchase of German baby food maker Topfer.
