Rohlik

Is there a way to grocery shop online without sacrificing fresh produce quality, without waiting days, and without paying boutique prices? Tomáš Čupr answered that question in 2014 by founding Rohlik in Prague, with a precise insight: online grocery is not a variant of food delivery, it is a replacement for the weekly supermarket visit, and as such it requires a complete assortment, guaranteed freshness, and logistics engineered to the smallest detail. Rohlik Group now operates across five European countries under five distinct brands: Rohlik.cz in the Czech Republic, Kifli.hu in Hungary, Gurkerl.at in Austria, Knuspr.de in Germany, and Sezamo.ro in Romania. The backbone of the system is technological: Rohlik's fulfillment centers are highly automated, capable of processing thousands of orders per day from a catalog of over 20,000 products. Deliveries are made within two hours of ordering, seven days a week, with time slots that allow customers to plan their shopping with surgical precision. The business model stands in sharp contrast to quick-commerce, which targets 15-to-30-minute deliveries from urban dark stores with a limited selection. Rohlik took the opposite position: serving the weekly family shopping trip, with an assortment comparable to a large physical supermarket and fresh produce quality that has built deep loyalty among over 1.2 million active urban households, who place an average of 14 to 15 orders per year. The financial numbers tell a story of sustained growth. In 2025, the group generated approximately €1.47 billion in revenue, representing roughly 36% year-on-year growth. The Czech market, the most mature, accounts for 54% of total revenues and is already consistently profitable. Profitability has extended to Hungary and — following the 2023 acquisition of Bringmeister, which consolidated market leadership in Munich with over 25% share of the local e-grocery market — to Germany as well. The fourth quarter of 2025 marked the first positive consolidated group-level cash flow, a milestone that paves the way for full-year profitability in 2026. Germany is the most strategically important market for the future. With the Bringmeister acquisition, Knuspr has strengthened its presence across Munich, Berlin, and major German metropolitan areas. In 2025, the Vienna fulfillment center was reopened with a revamped same-day proposition, and partnerships were signed with Amazon and Wolt to expand distribution channels. The expansion is backed by a solid financial foundation: Rohlik has raised over €700 million in equity and secured a €102 million debt facility from the European Investment Bank, specifically earmarked for fulfillment center automation. The company's peak valuation in 2021 crossed the billion-dollar unicorn threshold, and management is now concretely targeting an IPO in 2027, with revenues on course toward the €2 billion mark. Rohlik demonstrates that online grocery can be a scalable, profitable business without relying on permanent subsidy: the keys are logistics automation, high purchase frequency, and a quality positioning that builds lasting loyalty.