Frequently asked
Questions, honestly answered.
The people we back, how we work and what to prepare.
Maintained by Oakvale Invest · Updated
About Oakvale.
Who founded Oakvale Invest?
Oakvale Invest was founded by Henrik Persson Ekdahl, a Swedish technology entrepreneur and investor. Herman Ekdahl is an Investment Associate.
Source: Oakvale Invest: team biographies · Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
Who is on the team?
The team is Henrik Persson Ekdahl, Founder, and Herman Ekdahl, Investment Associate.
Source: Oakvale Invest: team biographies
Where does the Oakvale name come from?
Oakvale is the English rendering of the Ekdahl family name. The name reflects the initiative’s family roots.
Source: Varsity Newspaper: A R200 Million Bet on South Africa’s Next Generation of Tech Startups · Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
Where is Oakvale based?
Oakvale Invest is based in Cape Town, South Africa. Please contact invest@oakvaleinvest.com before arranging a meeting or visit.
Which companies has Oakvale invested in?
Tennsa is the one company currently listed in Oakvale’s public portfolio and its first investment. It is a Cape Town AI business intelligence company founded by Rivar Maharaj. Event speakers and community participants should not be counted as portfolio companies.
Source: Oakvale Invest: portfolio
The investment fit.
Who does Oakvale back?
African founders aged 18 to 25, building with AI at pre-seed. For cofounder teams, we assess the average age across the founding team. A working prototype or MVP is the minimum.
We look for people close to a real problem, building something customers will value. Meeting the criteria does not guarantee investment.
How does the age requirement work?
The age range is 18 to 25. For a company with cofounders, the average age of the founding team must be within that range. Give us every founder’s age so we can assess the team accurately.
If timing or your team’s situation is unclear, contact invest@oakvaleinvest.com.
Which African countries do you consider?
Oakvale backs African founders and is based in Cape Town. Our focus starts with nationality, the company, the product and the people building it.
Describe where each founder is from, where they live and where the business operates. If your company spans several countries, ask the team to confirm the fit.
Can diaspora founders apply?
African nationality is one of our core filters. Diaspora founders building for and from Africa are included. Tell us your nationality, current residence and the company’s operating base separately.
For a cross-border situation, contact invest@oakvaleinvest.com to confirm the fit.
Public background: Oakvale’s FAQ.
Where should my company and customers be based?
Tell us where your company is based, where it operates and who its customers are. These are separate from the nationality and residence of the founders.
We have described the market focus in different ways across our public pages. If you are building across borders or serving global customers, let the team confirm the fit for your particular company.
What role should AI play?
AI needs to drive the product, competitive advantage or defensibility. Adding an AI feature to an otherwise unrelated business does not match our mandate. We look for ambitious applications that solve a real problem.
At what stage does Oakvale invest?
Oakvale invests at pre-seed only. Leading a round after seed is outside our standard mandate. Exceptional existing portfolio companies may receive rare follow-on investment, but that is not a policy of leading those rounds. Please email invest@oakvaleinvest.com to discuss a specific case.
Source: Oakvale Invest: published investment mandate · Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
Do I need a product or revenue?
A working prototype or MVP is required; revenue and early traction are optional. Early evidence of demand, such as users or letters of intent, strengthens the case, but is not required.
Source: Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
Can I apply as a solo founder?
The application offers a “Solo founder” option. You can describe a company you are building on your own; the other eligibility requirements still apply.
Source: Oakvale Invest: live application
The capital.
What does family-backed mean?
Oakvale’s pre-seed capital comes from a family. We invest with a patient view and work directly with the founders we back.
The relationship includes practical company-building support alongside capital.
How much capital is behind Oakvale?
Public reporting describes Oakvale as a R200 million investment initiative. This is not a statement of deployed capital, assets under management, a live available-cash balance or a fixed amount for any individual company.
Each investment is considered separately.
Public context: Varsity Newspaper’s R200 million feature.
How much do you invest in each company?
Pre-seed investment amounts are decided case by case, according to the company’s needs. We do not publish a fixed minimum or maximum. Older LaunchLab posts advertised an initial intake range; that historical range should not be treated as a current offer.
Source: Oakvale Invest: investment focus · Oakvale: Stellenbosch LaunchLab founder event
Do you invest for equity?
Oakvale invests for equity; the percentage is negotiated individually.
Source: Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
Do you co-invest with other investors?
Oakvale prefers sole-investor pre-seed rounds but accepts suitable co-investment.
Source: Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
Are there standard terms or a standard valuation?
Oakvale invests for equity. The investment amount, valuation and percentage are agreed for each company, rather than offered as one standard package.
The team will discuss the structure and terms with you during the investment process. An application is not an investment offer.
The application.
Do I need an account to apply?
The new application flow begins with Create account or Sign in, followed by email verification. The initiating applicant can enter cofounder information; every cofounder does not need their own account before submission.
Drafts are saved to your verified account. This platform currently has restricted access, and email delivery must be configured before sign-in works. A successful submission displays a dated receipt. Read about application privacy.
How long does the investment process take?
We estimate around two months from the first conversation to funding. That is guidance, not a guaranteed deadline.
Source: Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
Who makes the investment decision?
Investment decisions are made by Oakvale’s committee. Our criteria focus on young African founders, AI at the core, pre-seed readiness and market potential. We do not publish the exact internal scoring method or committee membership.
Source: Oakvale Invest: original FAQ · Oakvale Invest: published investment mandate
Is there an application deadline?
The application form is available, but there is no current published closing date. A LaunchLab post advertised a June 30 deadline for an earlier intake. Confirm current timing with invest@oakvaleinvest.com rather than relying on that old post.
Source: Oakvale: Stellenbosch LaunchLab founder event · Oakvale Invest: live application
What should I prepare?
Prepare a clear company explanation, product evidence, recent progress, funding history and the milestones you want to reach. For every founder, gather their email, personal LinkedIn profile, nationality, residence, previous work and a difficult thing they personally built or achieved.
You will also need three separate files: a pitch deck, a business plan and a pitch video. Tell us about competitions, accelerators and coverage if you have them. “None yet” is a valid answer.
For a wider view, read our comparison of startup application guidance.
The application breaks this into six sections. Save a draft as you go. When the required answers and materials are ready, review and submit a dated version to Oakvale.
What counts as early traction?
Show us what you have built, tested or learned, especially in the last 90 days. Interviews, prototype tests, returning users, pilots, customer commitments and revenue can all help us understand your progress.
Keep paid and unpaid activity separate. A waitlist, a letter of intent and a paying customer mean different things. If something is not measured yet, say so. We want an honest picture of what is real today.
What makes a strong application?
Explain your company simply. Show us the product, the evidence and what you personally have learned. Tell us why this problem matters to you and why you are the person to solve it.
Write like yourself. Clear, specific answers help us understand you better than polished buzzwords or generic AI-written copy.
Working together.
What support comes with the investment?
Support includes strategy, hiring, product focus, go-to-market planning, operating routines, governance, investor readiness and introductions. Oakvale brings company-building experience alongside its capital.
Source: Oakvale Invest: published investment mandate · Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
What happens in the first 90 days?
The first 90 days focus on understanding the business, joining Oakvale’s network and starting regular meetings. This includes access to workspaces in Cape Town CBD and the Polo Offices at Val de Vie, Paarl.
Source: Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
How closely does Oakvale work with founders?
The team meets with each portfolio founder at least once a month and takes a board seat. Founders also have continuing access to the team between meetings.
Source: Oakvale Invest: investment focus · Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
What happens when a business faces difficulties?
Oakvale works actively with founders when the business faces difficulties. The commitment is support, not a guarantee against failure or a promise of rescue funding.
Source: Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
Should founders plan on follow-on funding?
Usually no; founders should plan without follow-on funding.
Source: Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
Are there any follow-on exceptions?
Exceptional portfolio companies may receive further investment, but this is rare.
Source: Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
Can you introduce founders to later-round investors?
Oakvale offers optional introductions to its Series A and B investor network.
Source: Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
Does later-round support carry an additional fee?
Network access, introductions and support through the next two rounds carry no additional advisory fee or equity. That support is separate from investing in those rounds.
Source: Oakvale Invest: original FAQ
No exact match. Try “product”, “age”, “capital” or “application”.
Ask the team at invest@oakvaleinvest.com.Still wondering?
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