Who Owns Peak Design?

Peter Dering founded Peak Design in 2010 after a round-the-world trip convinced him that carrying a camera with a strap and a backpack was clumsy. He quit his job, designed a metal clip that locks a camera to a bag strap, and launched the product on Kickstarter in 2011. The Capture Camera Clip raised more than $360,000 and gave the young company a product, a customer base, and a funding model.

The company repeated the crowdfunding approach for nearly every major launch. The Everyday Messenger in 2015 and the Everyday Backpack line raised millions of dollars each. The Travel Tripod campaign in 2019 raised roughly $12 million, one of the largest product campaigns in Kickstarter history. By March 2025, Peak Design had run 14 Kickstarter campaigns, choosing crowdfunding over outside investors each time.

Product lines expanded beyond camera gear into general travel and everyday carry. The Everyday line of backpacks, slings, and totes became the company's core business. The Travel Backpack 45 liter, Travel Duffel, and packing tool accessories established Peak Design in the one-bag travel market alongside Osprey and Cotopaxi. The Mobile line of phone mounts and cases extended the brand into consumer electronics accessories.

The company earned B Corp certification in 2019 and has declared carbon neutrality for its operations, co-founding the Change Climate Project to build emissions accounting standards for small companies. It donates one percent of gross revenue to environmental nonprofits through 1% For The Planet.

As of 2026, Peak Design remains independent, employs roughly 130 to 150 people, and sells through its own website, a flagship store in San Francisco, and specialty retailers in more than 60 countries. The Travel Backpack and Everyday Backpack continue to appear near the top of independent travel pack reviews.