JOKR

Ralf Wenzel: From Foodpanda to Jokr's Quick Commerce Revolution

Ralf Wenzel, serial entrepreneur (early Rocket Internet/Jamba, founder of Foodpanda), appears on the OMR podcast with Philipp Westermeyer to reflect on his career. Wenzel recounts building and scaling Foodpanda from Southeast Asia to Europe and the company’s later merger with Delivery Hero, his five-year stint as COO at Moneybookers (today Skrill), and his role in restructuring WeWork for SoftBank. He now leads Jokr, a quick‑commerce startup spun out of SoftBank’s ‘Unicorn Farm’, which is currently active exclusively in Brazil (São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro). Wenzel estimates he has raised about €2.5–3 billion for his companies and discusses growth, profitability timing, and how his background influenced his entrepreneurial approach.

How VCs Can Cripple A Promising Category; Time To Build Something New

AdExchanger’s news round-up examines how venture-funded growth shapes outcomes in on-demand delivery and adjacent media businesses. Gopuff is seeking a $300 million cash cushion, with SoftBank arranging a loan, illustrating SoftBank’s heavy exposure across Uber, Uber Eats, and delivery startups such as Gorillas, JOKR, Swiggy, and Loggi. Gorillas and JOKR have folded in their main American markets, including New York City and Boston, underscoring pressure from high cash burn. In a separate deal, Times acquired Brandcast, which will become Time Sites to build advertiser-focused sites, with Salesforce co-founder Marc Benioff among the early investors. The Washington Post faces a digital ad revenue decline (down 15% YoY in H1 2022 to $70 million) and aims to reach five million paid subscribers by 2025, while weighing roughly 100 newsroom cuts. The round-up also notes YouTube testing a Promotions tab and VidMob’s $110 million Series D.