In 2022, Rockstart hit some major milestones. Equally impressive, however, were the hard work and achievements of the startups we work with. Empowering founders to build lasting, impact-driven business models is what we do best, and watching them as they take off is the best reward we could ask for.
Last year, the Rockstart team continued working towards a regenerative and sustainable future. We successfully launched our third fund in Emerging Tech, following our AgriFood fund launched in 2019 and our Energy fund in 2020. Crunching the numbers, Rockstart had a lot to be excited about: capital raised by startups increased from 180m to 210m, startups invested in increased from 280 to 310, exits increased from 7 to 9, and assets under management increased from 55m to 77m. We’re proud to have ended the year with an alumni value of 1.15bn.
Look back with us as we celebrate some particularly exciting achievements from both our team and portfolio companies in 2022.
2015 portfolio company Dan.com acquired by GoDaddy
When founder Reza Sardeha and the rest of the team behind Dan.com joined the Rockstart Web & Mobile portfolio back in 2015, they were committed to changing the way we buy and sell domain names. Their digital marketplace, originally called Undeveloped and later changed to Dan.com, created easier pathways for startups to find great domain names. Fast forward to 2022, the team behind Dan.com had the chance to celebrate the company’s acquisition by GoDaddy, the world’s largest services platform for entrepreneurs around the globe.
Energy portfolio company Greener Power Solutions raised €45 m in capital
Greener Power Solutions, a 2018 Rockstart Energy portfolio company, offers flexible and sustainable energy solutions through mobile batteries paired with unique software to monitor energy consumption. From the beginning of their time with Rockstart, founders
Dieter Castelein, Klaas Akkerman and Lukas Kuijken were experts in their domain with a clear vision for lessening the energy market’s carbon footprint. The team’s relentless hard work and drive helped the company grow its annual revenue to €2.7m in 2021. 2022 ushered in an even bigger step forward – Greener Power Solutions raised €45 m in capital from DIF Capital Partners, including the acquisition of minority shareholders’ participation.
Congratulations to Dan.com and Greener Power Solutions! From our exit companies, to our established scale ups, to the motivated founders just starting out, and everyone in between – we can’t wait to see what you achieve in 2023.
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See how we stays busy in 2023 – explore Rockstart News and socials to learn more.