Oakley Capital
In short: Oakley Capital is a London-based private equity firm, founded in 2002 by Peter Dubens, that invests in mid-market European businesses. It matters to the dating industry as the investor that bought Parship from Holtzbrinck in 2015, combined it with ElitePartner and sold its stake to ProSiebenSat.1's commerce unit in 2018. The sources seen show no current stake in ParshipMeet Group.
Key facts
| Type | Private equity investor |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Status | Active |
| Website | oakleycapital.com |
| Founded | Founded in 2002 by Peter Dubens, who is Managing Partner [Peter Dubens, Oakley Capital, 2002] |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom; mid-cap private equity investor [CMS] |
| Parship acquisition | Agreed to buy Parship from Holtzbrinck Digital; Oakley took charge from May 2015; price not disclosed [Horizont, 1 April 2015] |
| ElitePartner combination | Agreed to acquire ElitePartner about six weeks after Parship and combined the two as Parship Elite Group; completion announced 3 November 2015 [Parship Elite Group, Oakley Capital Investments, 3 November 2015] |
| Sale of controlling stake | Fund II agreed to sell a controlling stake in Parship Elite Group to ProSiebenSat.1 at an enterprise value of €300m, with Fund II and management keeping just under 50% [Oakley sells partial stake in PARSHIP Elite Group, 6 September 2016] |
| Exit from Parship Elite Group | Agreed to sell its remaining 38.5% stake to NuCom Group, ProSiebenSat.1's commerce unit, at an enterprise value of €440m; Oakley dates the exit to 2018 [Oakley agrees sale of Parship Elite Group and Verivox to NuC, 2018] |
| Current ParshipMeet ownership | ProSiebenSat.1 approved buying out General Atlantic's minority stake in ParshipMeet Group, to gain full control; Oakley is not named as an owner [ProSiebenSat.1 approves proposed agreement with General Atla, 20 March 2025] |
| Listed vehicle | Oakley Capital Investments (OCI) shares trade on the Specialist Fund Segment of the London Stock Exchange main market [Peter Dubens, Oakley Capital Investments] |
About Oakley Capital
Oakley Capital is a privately owned private equity firm headquartered in London. Its founder and managing partner, Peter Dubens, started the firm in 2002. It invests in mid-market companies, mainly in the United Kingdom and Western Europe, with sector teams covering technology, consumer, education and business services. Its listed vehicle, Oakley Capital Investments, trades on the London Stock Exchange.
Oakley's link to online dating comes from Parship. In April 2015 it agreed to buy the German matchmaking service from the publishing group Holtzbrinck, with the change of owner due from May that year. Around six weeks later it agreed a deal for ElitePartner and combined the two businesses as Parship Elite Group. Oakley says it introduced a common technical platform in under 12 months and delivered about €7m of synergies.
In September 2016 Oakley's Fund II sold a controlling stake in Parship Elite Group to ProSiebenSat.1 at an enterprise value of €300m, keeping a minority holding. It then agreed to sell its remaining 38.5% stake to NuCom Group, ProSiebenSat.1's commerce unit, at an enterprise value of €440m. Oakley's own portfolio page dates the exit to 2018.
Parship Elite Group later became part of ParshipMeet Group, which ProSiebenSat.1 and General Atlantic owned. In March 2025 ProSiebenSat.1 approved a deal to buy out General Atlantic's minority stake. The sources seen do not show Oakley holding a stake in ParshipMeet Group today.
Also mentioned in
Questions about Oakley Capital
Does Oakley Capital own ParshipMeet Group?
The sources seen do not show that it does. Oakley sold its Parship Elite Group stake in 2018, and ProSiebenSat.1 approved a deal in March 2025 to buy out General Atlantic's minority stake in ParshipMeet Group.
What was Oakley Capital's role in Parship?
It agreed to buy Parship from Holtzbrinck in April 2015, added ElitePartner to form Parship Elite Group, and sold a controlling stake to ProSiebenSat.1 in 2016.
Where is Oakley Capital based?
It is headquartered in London.
What does Oakley Capital do?
Oakley Capital is a London-based private equity firm, founded in 2002 by Peter Dubens, that invests in mid-market European businesses.
When was Oakley Capital founded?
Oakley Capital was founded in 2002.
Also known as: Oakley Capital Limited, Oakley Capital Private Equity.
Sources
- Peter Dubens, Oakley Capital
- CMS: Cross-border CMS team advises Oakley Capital
- Horizont: Holtzbrinck verkauft Parship an Oakley Capital
- Parship Elite Group, Oakley Capital Investments
- Oakley sells partial stake in PARSHIP Elite Group
- Oakley agrees sale of Parship Elite Group and Verivox to NuCom Group, Private Equity Wire
- ProSiebenSat.1 approves proposed agreement with General Atlantic
- Peter Dubens, Oakley Capital Investments