Oakley Capital announces investment in Afterbuy and DreamRobot

The move solidifies Oakley Capital’s position as the market-leader provider in the DACH region

Oakley Capital Investments (OCI) announced on Monday that Oakley Capital Origin Fund acquired controlling stakes in Afterbuy and DreamRobot, two of the leading providers of e-commerce software.

OCI will make an indirect contribution via Origin Fund of £6m.

Afterbuy and DreamRobot provide a comprehensive suite of Software as a Service (Saas) solutions for online sellers distributing products via online market places, including Amazon and eBay.

Across both businesses, more than €50m of gross merchandise has been processed to date.

The two investments mark the beginning of a strategy aimed at solidifying Oakley Capital’s position as the market-leading provider for small and medium-sized online merchants in the DACH (Australia, Germany Switzerland) region.

Oakley will support the growth of the businesses through its operational experience and software buy-and-build expertise, drawing on its track-record of successful investments in WebPros and Ekon, it said in a statement today.

Peter Dubens, Managing Partner of Oakley Capital, commented: “This is another example of Oakley’s repeated partnering with talented and trusted business founders, helping us to uncover attractive opportunities that others may not be able to access. As merchants continue to increase their online presence across multiple channels, we see a significant opportunity to build the go-to platform in e-commerce software alongside a talented management team.”

Daliah Salzmann, CEO of Afterbuy, added: “In partnering with Oakley, we look forward to building Germany’s leading e-commerce software provider. A combination of this initial platform investment, a fragmented marketplace and Oakley’s expertise will result in ECOMMERCE ONE being the principal supplier of software solutions to small and medium sized online retailers.”

Just last week Oakley Capital announced that the Oakley Capital IV has agreed to invest in ICP Education Holding, a leading independent group of UK nurseries.