Peter Dubens
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
London, GB
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
THE MARQUE
In Their Own Right
Biography
Peter Dubens is a British entrepreneur and investor, best known as the Founder and Managing Partner of Oakley Capital, a private equity and venture capital investment group.
Oakley Capital is one of the top ten London-based private equity firms by fundraising, and is recognised as one of Europe’s best performers, having generated a 3.9x gross money multiple and a 52% gross IRR on realised deals. Over the past twenty years, the company has grown from two founders to roughly 300 professionals across offices in London, Munich, Milan, Madrid and Luxembourg.
Peter began his career at age 20, building and successfully exiting several consumer, digital, and telecoms ventures. These formative experiences as a serial entrepreneur underpin Oakley’s longstanding focus on founder-led companies. Most of the firm’s investments are in founder-led businesses, and Oakley is often the first institutional investor in the companies it backs.
Peter has previously said that he wanted Oakley to be “the empathetic adviser he never had when he was an entrepreneur, and the partner of choice for founders.” This principle shapes the firm’s strategy and its commitment to supporting entrepreneurial ambition with operational expertise and long-term capital.
He has also emphasised the importance of luck and humility in business: “Success in business is often down to luck, and being humble enough to recognise this. Because this humility allows founders to escape the hubris that destroys so many businesses, and to understand that past successes do not guarantee future victories.”
Peter Dubens is actively involved in charitable work and philanthropy. In 2019, he founded the Peter Dubens Family Foundation, which supports UK-based charities and projects focused on education, marine conservation, children’s welfare and health. In addition to his foundation’s work, Peter contributes to a range of causes and serves as a Trustee of The King’s Trust.
The Record
Background
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2002 — Present
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Oakley Capital
Oakley Capital partners with exceptional founders to invest in pan-European businesses valued at between €100 million and over €1 billion. Oakley has built a strong track record of investing in four core sectors, including standout successes such as hosting business Contabo within the Tech sector; Inspired and IU, two unicorns created in the Education sector; Southern Europe’s leading property portal idealista, within Digital Consumer; and TICC business Phenna Group in Business Services.
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2007 — Present
Founder
Oakley Capital Investments Limited
Oakley Capital Investments Limited (OCI) is an investment company listed on the London Stock Exchange that provides investors with long-term capital growth by investing in Oakley Capital’s private equity funds. The company offers access to private equity returns through a portfolio of market-leading companies managed by Oakley Capital.
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2023 — Present
Touring Capital
In 2023, Oakley Capital supported the launch of Touring Capital, to invest in the next generation of AI-powered software businesses. Touring’s diverse team has previously worked together to build a number of global venture investing franchises, including Qualcomm Ventures and M12, Microsoft’s venture fund. The partnership between Oakley and Touring brings together Touring’s extensive experience investing in growth tech and enterprise technology, with Oakley’s leading operational platform, deep network, and proven value creation expertise.
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1990 — 1996
Co-Founder
Global Accessories Limited
Together with two partners, Peter took on the rights to sell Vans shoes and Eastpak bags in the UK. They grew the business from a £250,000 turnover to £2.5 million in profit, before selling the company to Vans for US$16 million in 1996.
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1986 — 1991
Co-Founder
Global Inc Limited
Peter and his friend, Jonathan Sieff, founded Global Inc to sell licensed clothing, such as Disney merchandise, to UK retailers including M&S and BHS. They later secured the rights to sell colour-changing T-shirts in the UK, and eventually sold the company to Coats Viyella for £8 million.
In The News
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Formative Years
Education
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Sussex House
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JFS School