Silicon Valley Bank

Silicon Valley Bank was established in 1983 by Bill Biggerstaff and Robert Medearis with the goal of providing banking services to tech startups in Silicon Valley.

Silicon Valley Bank was founded in 1983 by Wells Fargo executive Bill Biggerstaff and Stanford University professor Robert Medearis to cater to the needs of startup companies. It was established as a state-chartered bank with a focus on providing financial services to the tech industry.

In 1985, Silicon Valley Bank opened its Palo Alto office.

In 1986, Silicon Valley Bank merged with National InterCity Bancorp and opened an office in Santa Clara.

In 1987, Silicon Valley Bank began trading stock on Nasdaq and completed its IPO, raising $6 million in equity. This marked a significant milestone in the bank's history.

In 1987, Silicon Valley Bank started trading stock on Nasdaq and completed its IPO, raising $6 million in equity.

In 1988, Silicon Valley Bank completed its IPO, raising $6 million.

Silicon Valley Bank expanded its operations to the East Coast in 1990 by opening an office in Massachusetts. This move allowed the bank to reach a wider market beyond Silicon Valley.

Silicon Valley Bank expanded to the East Coast in 1990 by opening an office in Massachusetts.

In 1992, Silicon Valley Bank was hit by the real estate burst, resulting in a $2.2 million yearly loss.

In 1993, Silicon Valley Bank's founding CEO, Roger V. Smith, was replaced by John C. Dean.

In 1995, SVB was described as 'not your typical lending institution' by SFGate. Unlike most commercial banks, SVB preferred to work with early-stage companies and build strong relationships with the venture capital community.

In 1997, Silicon Valley Bank opened a branch in Atlanta.

In 1999, Silicon Valley Bank was reincorporated in Delaware.

Silicon Valley Bank faced a liquidity crisis in the year 2000 when tech startups and companies started withdrawing their cash. The bank had invested in low-yield treasury bonds, which led to significant losses when they had to sell them quickly at a loss.

During the dot-com bubble burst in the early 2000s, Silicon Valley Bank faced a significant challenge as its stock fell more than 50% in 2001. However, the bank managed to navigate through the crisis and avoid disaster.

During the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, Silicon Valley Bank's stock fell more than 50%, narrowly avoiding disaster.

In 2002, Silicon Valley Bank expanded its services by entering the private banking business.

In 2003, Silicon Valley Bank sponsored international trade missions to Bangalore and Mumbai, Tel Aviv, and Shanghai and Beijing, aiming to expand its global presence.

In 2004, Silicon Valley Bank announced an international expansion drive with new operations in Bangalore, London, Beijing, and Israel.

In 2004, Silicon Valley Bank experienced a 'run on the bank' where depositors rushed to withdraw their funds, leading to a liquidity crisis.

SVBFG's rapid failure was directly linked to its heavy reliance on uninsured deposit funding from the cyclical technology and VC sector. The mismanagement of liquidity and interest-rate risk by SVBFG's board and management further exacerbated the situation. The bank struggled to cope with deposit outflows as tech and VC-backed firms faced financial constraints.

In 2008, Silicon Valley Bank opened an office in Israel as part of its global expansion.

In 2012, Silicon Valley Bank further expanded its global footprint by establishing a branch in the U.K. and entering into a joint venture in China. This strategic move allowed the bank to strengthen its presence in Europe and Asia.

Silicon Valley Bank expanded to the U.K. and China in 2012 with the opening of branches and a joint venture.

In 2015, Silicon Valley Bank's executive vice president and CEO highlighted the importance of the bank's wine business in building its brand and connecting with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. The wine practice accounted for 6% of the bank's gross loan portfolio.

In 2016, Silicon Valley Bank experienced a decrease in financial performance as they took major losses on their long-term bond holdings due to rising interest rates and declining bond prices.

In February 2016, Silicon Valley Bank played a key role as the finance partner during the launch of Stripe's Atlas platform, facilitating startups to register as U.S. corporations.

In 2017, Silicon Valley Bank saw a significant increase in deposits, with a 100% rise in one year, which they then used to invest in longer-term bonds.

During 2018, Silicon Valley Bank invested billions of dollars from venture-backed clients in longer-term bonds, leading to a dangerous trap as interest rates rose and bond prices declined.

On March 8, two days before the collapse, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) sold a $21 billion bond portfolio at a $1.8 billion loss.

By the end of March 9, the bank’s stock fell 60 percent to a drastic loss of over $80 billion in bank shares, leading to depositors rushing to withdraw their funds.

Former customers of Silicon Valley Bank will now become customers of First Citizens Bank, with 17 SVB branches transitioning to First Citizens branches. The FDIC recommends SVB customers to use their current branch until system conversions are finalized.

Following a notice from Moody's, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) sought assistance from Goldman Sachs to develop a strategy for raising equity and calming concerned investors worried about liquidity issues.

Silicon Valley Bank collapsed on March 10 after over two years without a bank failure.

Regulators faced tough questions during a Senate hearing regarding the federal response to the failure of Silicon Valley Bank. The failure of SVB has raised concerns about the stability of the banking sector.

The fall of SVB is the second-largest bank failure in US history.

By December 31, 2022, Silicon Valley Bank held $209 billion in assets and $175 billion in deposits, making it a significant player in the banking industry. The bank also had a strong presence in U.S. venture-backed technology and healthcare IPOs.

Greg Becker, the CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, sold $3.6 million worth of company stock shortly before the firm disclosed significant losses.

SVBFG announced a restructuring of its balance sheet in March 2023, which included selling $21 billion of AFS securities for a $1.8 billion after-tax loss and planning an equity offering of $2.25 billion. The company also warned investors of lower growth and income for fiscal year 2023 due to a slowdown in the tech sector.

Silicon Valley Bank's shares plummeted by roughly 41% on March 9, 2023, marking their biggest decline since 1998. This was triggered by the announcement of selling securities and a forecast of sharp decline in net interest income.

After a bank run on its deposits due to central bank-endorsed interest rate hikes, Silicon Valley Bank collapsed and was seized by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. The collapse was attributed to inadequate liquidity and insolvency.

On March 12, 2023, a joint statement was issued by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen, Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome H. Powell, and FDIC Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, assuring Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank customers of access to their funds from March 13 onwards without any losses to taxpayers.

On March 13, 2023, the FDIC announced the transfer of Silicon Valley Bank assets to a new bridge bank, Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, N.A., with Tim Mayopoulos appointed as CEO.

Silicon Valley Bank, a prominent financial institution in the tech industry for 40 years, suddenly collapsed within days after successfully competing with larger financial institutions.

On March 17, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank's parent company, SVB Financial Group, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, excluding some subsidiaries like SVB Capital and SVB Securities.

On March 26, 2023, the FDIC announced that First Citizens BancShares would acquire the commercial banking business of Silicon Valley Bank, with around $119 billion in deposits and $72 billion of SVB's loans purchased.

First Citizens Bank & Trust Company, a subsidiary of First Citizens BancShares, assumed all customer deposits and acquired all loans of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank from the FDIC. They began operating all SVB branches after the establishment of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank.