In 2005, an artist named David Choe was offered a few thousand dollars to paint murals inside a small startup’s first office. He took equity instead. Seven years later, when that startup listed on the Nasdaq, his shares were worth approximately $200 million. The startup was Facebook.
Around the same time, angel investor Jason Calacanis wrote a modest cheque into a ride-hailing company nobody had heard of – Uber. His return was reportedly over 100x.
These aren’t fairy tales; they are the documented results of what happens when ordinary people get access to extraordinary private companies before the rest of the world can buy in.
Right now, the biggest wave of private wealth creation in human history is underway, and at the centre of it is a company many believe could be the ‘Nvidia of the next decade’: Tenstorrent.
The $4.5 trillion ambition: Tenstorrent vs Nvidia
In the world of silicon, one name commands more respect than almost any other: Jim Keller.
As the legendary architect behind the chips that powered Apple’s iPhone revolution and Tesla’s Autopilot, Keller is now the CEO of Tenstorrent. His mission? To disrupt Nvidia’s $4.5 trillion dominance in the AI chip market.
The math for investors is compelling but comes with high stakes.
As of early 2026, Nvidia sits at a market capitalisation of approximately $4.5 trillion. Meanwhile, Tenstorrent – backed by the likes of Jeff Bezos, Samsung, and Hyundai – is currently valued in the private markets at approximately $3.2 billion.
If Tenstorrent succeeds in capturing a significant share of the AI inference market and scales to a valuation comparable to current industry leaders, the upside potential is mathematically a 1 000x multiple.
However, this is a ‘David versus Goliath’ battle. Tenstorrent’s open-source RISC-V architecture is designed to be more affordable and efficient than proprietary stacks, but it remains a speculative, high-stakes venture.
South Africa’s one great private-market bet
South Africans know the power of a single, well-placed private investment.
In 2001, Naspers wrote a $34 million cheque into a small Chinese technology company called Tencent. That private bet turned a local media company into one of the largest investment holding groups in the world.
The AI revolution is producing a dozen ‘Tencents’ simultaneously: OpenAI, SpaceX, Anthropic, and Tenstorrent are just a few.
The problem for South African investors has never been conviction; it has been infrastructure.
Deal access requires deep institutional relationships, and managing the foreign exchange (FX), South African Reserve Bank compliance, and legal structuring often closes the window before an individual can act.
OVEX: Your bridge to Silicon Valley
OVEX Private Placements is a fully managed service built specifically for serious South African investors, allowing them to bypass these barriers.
- Allocate: Browse curated late-stage private equity rounds in global AI leaders like Tenstorrent.
- Deploy: Fund your account in ZAR. OVEX converts at institutional FX rates and deploys your capital directly into the investment vehicle. No offshore bank account is required.
- Own: Receive your digital shareholding certificate, giving you legally documented beneficial ownership. Track your portfolio via the OVEX Private Client Portal.
OVEX handles all SPV (special-purpose vehicle) structuring, legal compliance across South African and US frameworks, and exit coordination.
The window is finite
Private equity rounds, especially for high-demand companies like Tenstorrent, have hard allocation caps. When the round fills, it closes – no exceptions.
Just as David Choe only had one chance to paint Facebook’s office, the opportunity to enter these companies at current valuations exists only as long as the allocation lasts.
Minimum investment: R1 000 000.
Allocations are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Join the waitlist here.
OVEX (Pty) Ltd is an authorised Financial Services Provider. This is not financial advice. Investment in private equity carries significant risk, including the potential for a total loss of capital. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. For investments above the Single Discretionary Allowance, Sars AIT approval is required.
OVEX Private Placements are offered via SPV structures and are only available to Qualified Investors able to invest at least R1 000 000 and bear a possible total loss of capital. These are unlisted, illiquid, high‑risk investments with no guaranteed exit, performance, liquidity or capital protection, and do not constitute financial, investment, tax or legal advice or a public offer. Participation is only on the basis of final legal documents and may be restricted or unlawful in some jurisdictions; investors should obtain independent professional advice before investing.
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