Bobby Demri
Founder & Managing Partner
INVESTMENT THESIS
INVESTING IN THE NEW ERA OF TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY
- Travel & Hospitality Is Entering a New Era.
- New Travel Habits Are the Catalyst. »
- We Back Those Who Shape the Future.
- Sustainability (ESG) Is Paramount. »
- Travel-Tech Is the Game-Changer. »
- We Back Those Who Shape the Future.
A NEW ERA IN TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY.
A NEW ERA IN TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY.
TRAVEL HABITS
Catalyst
Working from Anywhere, Digital Nomads & Bleisure drive new lodging offerings and convergence of business models.
True Luxury vs. Affordable Experiences vs. Experiential Travel vs. Ethical Travel trigger highly personal preferences for real and virtual engagement, inspiration, and experience.
A NEW ERA IN TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY
TRAVEL-TECH
Game-Changer
Generative AI is revolutionizing travel & hospitality with hyper-personalized experiences and streamlined operations, elevating guest expectations and efficiency to new heights.
NDC, Biometrics, Blockchain, IoT, Voice, and VR are not only transforming travel but also disrupting legacy infrastructures, setting the stage for the emergence of future standards in the industry.
A NEW ERA IN TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY
SUSTAINABILITY
Paramount
69% of consumers actively seek sustainable travel options and 42% are willing to pay more for them. The travel & hospitality industry has a pivotal opportunity to set the standard in sustainability, driving significant growth. Aligned with the "Net Zero by 2050" goals of IATA and IMO, our investment strategy prioritizes companies pioneering eco-friendly practices.
WE ARE LONG-TERM, DISCIPLINED INVESTORS.
Investment Team
WE BACK THOSE WHO SHAPE THE FUTURE.
We have a history of building and launching businesses for the world’s leading organizations.
French entrepreneur
Founder of GOV, French Civic Tech leader, acquired by Boston Consulting Group.
Director and Global Business Leader of Tuned by BCG, the proprietary techconsulting Change Management Solution of Boston Consulting Group.
Head of Innovation of BCG Omnia. Responsible for investment, development, incubation, and launch of new software solutions.
Ludger Kuebel-Sorger
Founder & Managing Partner,
Chair of the Investment Committee
Senior Partner Emeritus & Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group.
Global Practice Groups & Operating Committee Leadership Team and Global DigitalBCG Management Team.
Global Leader of BCG Omnia, a venture accelerator and fund unit for proprietary tech-consulting products.
Global Leader of BCG Center for Knowledge & Analytics with 2.500+ knowledge experts, data scientists & engineers, and software engineers.
Chairman of BCG Trust, responsible for managing pension fund of BCG Germany.
We have an unparalleled team of experts to ensure the success of each venture.
Our board is an active extension of the team and represents leaders in the Travel & Hospitality industry, who draw upon their significant knowledge, experience, and network, on behalf of ROCH Ventures to turn our investments in huge success.
Amel Hammouda
Air France | Former Executive VP
Air France | Head of Transformation
Air France | Head of Network
Chadi Farhat
Ennismore | Brand COO
SBE | COO
Morgan’s Hotels | COO
Neil Jacobs
Six Senses | CEO
Starwood Capital | President Global Hotel Operations
Four Seasons | Senior Vice-President
Jan Wohlschiess
Barclays Private Banking | Global COO
Deutsche Bank Private | COO/CIO
UniCredit Wealth Management | COO
CATALYZING TRAVELTECH INNOVATION AT SCALE.
PORTFOLIO | INVESTMENT APPROACH
PORTFOLIO
CONSTRUCTION
Portfolio construction enables superior returns like focus on Series A.
At the same time includes choices to de-risk like bias to B2B propositions.
EU and Israel are our target countries.
Committed to Article 8 of the SFDR, ESG considerations are key in our decision-making process.
THE ROCH VENTURES’ COMPANY SELECTION FRAMEWORK.
PORTFOLIO | INVESTMENT APPROACH
COMPANY
SELECTION
We apply our proprietary framework 5+II lenses to all portfolio company candidates.
Our unique approach has been validated by over 50 years of experience as entrepreneurs, members of venture boards, and managers of a corporate venture accelerator and fund.
Initiated by a visionary
founder team
Desirability
Product or service that is 10x better than currently next-best available option, or a real moonshot
Marketability
Validated product-market fit, validated go-to market model, rapidly growing book of business
DEFENSIBILITY
Unique IP or other corporate asset that can be protected and/or give a 2-3 year headstart
Scalability
Total addressable market > $ 5 B, achievable market share >10%, scalable operating model
Timeliness
In time to ride a big wave within next 2-3 years, resilience against unexpected headwinds
Executed by an outstanding
management team
PORTFOLIO
COMPANIES
Vertical:
Corporate Travel
Theme:
Digital Platforms & Artificial Intelligence
Business model:
B2B
Location:
Spain
Website:
www.apartool.com
APARTOOL is a pioneer in the digitization of corporate global mobility.
Full-service apartments for employee relocation is a $40B market with an increasing demand for convenience, safety, and sustainability. Apartool’s software creates an unprecedented hassle-free collaboration between all involved parties: travel management companies, relocation agents, corporates, & employees. The platform runs the full process from request & confirmation to fulfillment, invoicing & payment without breaks.
Apartool pursues collaboration rather than competition with established industry actors such as Amex GBT, BCD Travel and similar. This has been instrumental for revenue growth of nearly 3x per year since 2018. Given the Spanish origin, the focus of the first years has been on Southwest Europe, now expanding rapidly to Germany, Middle-East, and the UK.
Vertical:
Accommodation
Theme:
Digital nomads, Sustainability
Business model:
B2C
Location:
Germany
Website:
www.raus.life
RAUS is the new premium brand for sustainable nature immersion.
Glamping is one the fastest growing hospitality segment and will be a $7B market in 2031. RAUS’ value proposition are exclusive cabins in hideaway places supplemented with experiential add-ons. Cabins integrate architect design & sustainable materials with technology like off-grid supplies & remote operations. The sites are in regions that are not typical tourist destinations. RAUS cooperates with farmers, foresters, and wine producers, or whole local communities.
RAUS’ management team brings deep experience from Airbnb, Tourlane, and in asset financing to the table. The team has pulled off nearly 50 cabins under management since 2021. Current geo focus is Germany and soon Austria and Switzerland. RAUS already sees demand for locations in Southwest Europe.
Vertical:
Agents & Operators
Theme:
Data & Artificial Intelligence
Business model:
B2C
Location:
Israel
Website:
www.weski.com
WESKI redefines the booking of ski vacations.
Launched by a team of passionate skiers and technologists, the company offers a self-service platform. Using a unique AI engine, skiers can compile full trips including transit, accommodation, and equipment. In a $60B value and fragmented sector, WeSki has been able to rapidly grab market share from (online) tour operators, and travel agents. The proprietary API technology supports the swift scaling of the breadth and depth of available options for customers. The management’s strategy is to focus on high ROI travel corridors like UK to France, Nordics to Austria, or East Coast to Rockies.
WE PUSH THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE.