Rocket's Indian Firms expanding Globally

Rocket Internet is one of the world largest e-commerce venture capital firms. Samwer Brothers started it in 2007 in Germany. The founders gained visibility through successful investments in eBay, Groupon, Facebook, Jabong, LinkedIn, and Zynga. The company business model is to find successful internet ventures from other countries and replicate them in emerging markets.

Rocket Internet operates in more than 50 countries and has more than 75 ventures such as Zolando in Germany; Lamoda in Russia, Zalora in South East Asia, Iconic in Australia, global food delivery sites Foodpanda, and property listing sites Lamudi and Carmudi. In India, Rocket Internet operates Jabong and Printvenue. Rocket Internet wants to be world largest e-commerce platform outside the U.S and China. By the end of this year, Rocket Internet Group may close its initial public offering. It would be second e-commerce firm IPO this year, after Alibaba.

One of the Indian E-commerce firms Printvenue plans to start operations in Australia with a team of marketing, content, and sourcing. There is no competitive environment in Australia for the company. It will soon be seen in Asia-Pacific Region such as South East and Middle East too. Over the next four five years, Printvenue plans to venture into Europe, and Latin America. Printvenue is already operating in Singapore with a small team.

Earlier this month, German venture capital group decided to take online fashion retailer Jabong.com to a global platform by merging it with four other such businesses in Latin America, Russia, Middle East, South East Asia, and Australia. Jabong has also opened an office in London where a team of 15-20 people will design its private label. These steps of Rocket Internet taking portfolio companies global were always on its agenda and these are linked to upcoming IPO.

Its global online food-ordering firm, Foodpanda is continuously expanding into developing markets. Foodpanda is present in more than 45 countries across Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Latin America. After Jack Ma Alibaba, soon people will see Billionaires from Germany and Rocket Internet world largest e-commerce venture capitalist firm.

Ebola Virus in Africa

These days there are news of Ebola virus all around. Ebola virus in West Africa is killing people. Ebola Virus was first identified in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spread to Sudan, with a reported 602 people infected and 431 people died. Since 1976, the virus has spread up around Africa with claiming lives in several countries.

In 1995, Virus killed 250 people in Congo, in 2000-01 virus killed 224 people in Uganda, in 2007 virus killed 187 people in Congo again, and in 2014 virus is again killing people in Nigeria, Liberia, Uganda, Congo, Guinea, USA. From African countries, this is spreading to USA, India, and other small countries. Doctors are working for 14 hours days, seven days a week for saving people life. The symptoms of this virus are High fever, Headache, Joint and Muscle Aches, sore throat, Weakness, Stomach Pain, and Lack of Appetite. As the disease gets worse, it causes bleeding inside the body, as well as from the eyes, ears, and nose.

Ebola virus is becoming a threat to PCs too. Cyber criminals are using the fear of the virus as bait leading to malware infections. Anti-virus experts have already found three malware operations and one phishing campaign using the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa as a Social Engineering theme. Two of the malware used the most common and logical route of email with a catchy subject line so that victims open the report and are infected by Trojan. Apart from infecting victim computer, it also lodge itself into their web browser so as to gain access to various passwords and files.

Ebola is not as contagious as more common viruses such as colds, influenza, and measles. It spreads to people by contact with the skin or bodily fluids of an infected animal, like a monkey, chimp, or fruit bat. Then it moves from person to person in the same way. Those who care for a sick person or bury someone who has died from the disease often get it. Other ways to get Ebola is by touching contaminated needles or surfaces. One cannot get Ebola from air, water, or food. A person who has Ebola but has no symptoms cannot spread the disease.