SILICON VALLEY BANK | BUSINESS PROFILE
that most banks won’t help. It enables us to start working with businesses very early on in their life cycle and lend alongside their investors as a partner. It’s a fundamentally different philosophy.”
GLOBAL REACH Now available to clients worldwide, SVB has operations in Israel, China, India and, since 2004, the UK. “We opened our first UK office 10 years ago,” says Brady. “Our European successes since have included the international money transfer site TransferWise, the cloud innovation and content management company Huddle and the communications business Skype.” Of the six nominees for the 2014 Financial Times ArcelorMittal Boldness in Business Awards, four of them bank with SVB. The business has enjoyed this success
against the backdrop of a tough global economy. However, SVB’s distinct way of working has distanced it from the recent troubles in the banking sector. In the last decade, the bank has doubled its investment in the UK, and in 2012 it opened a branch in London. “We’ve stuck to what we know,” says Brady. “We haven’t got into investment banking, we don’t do stock trading, we don’t do bonds, we don’t do retail banking – we’re not trying to be everything
“ A HIGH-STREET BANK WILL ASK ABOUT YOUR REVENUES, WHAT ASSETS YOU’VE GOT. WE’RE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT”
to everyone, and we don’t do the stuff that got Wall Street in trouble. We put our money where our mouth is. At a time when many banks were retrenching, we were investing.” In a speech in 2010, David Cameron cited SVB as helping “provide the finance that’s so urgently needed” for the UK’s technology and life sciences businesses. “We had a lot of cross-party political support while the UK was struggling,” recalls Brady. “All political parties now recognise the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation to the UK economy, both in terms of job creation and long-term wealth creation.”
EXPERTISE AND ADVICE Doing things differently could be the company’s mantra. “We’re trying to be the bridge for UK companies who want to build global technology businesses,” Brady says. The bank achieves this by, for example, introducing its clients to customers, investors and peers in other parts of the world. “Over the years, we’ve worked with hundreds, if not thousands, of CFOs,” he adds, “so we can point young businesses in the direction
of people we know and trust, whether they are accounting firms, law firms or otherwise, and make introductions.” In May 2014, SVB UK did this on a grand scale. Hosting a “pitch day”, the bank invited 80 corporates – including Dyson, Twinings, Virgin and Intel – to an event in London to network with the bank’s start-ups. In addition to helping start-ups, SVB also
works with growth and corporate businesses. Making use of its vast expertise, SVB offers financing, treasury management and global banking solutions, and provides assistance through complex transactions and investments. SVB’s knowledge in the technology sector also makes the bank an increasingly relevant partner in buyout situations. “We play the long game and we’re here for the long term,” says Brady. “My job title is Head of UK Relationship Banking because that’s exactly what we’re trying to build.” With its mix of personal approach and
sector expertise, SVB is developing global connections that give start-ups the best start possible, while being the trusted bank of mid- and late-stage businesses.
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