• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

2

Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal

3

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

1

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

2

Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal

3

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
FinanceSilicon Valley Bank

Startup founders are reeling as their Silicon Valley Bank funds are in limbo: ‘Our heads are spinning’

Anne Sraders
By
Anne Sraders
Anne Sraders
Down Arrow Button Icon
Anne Sraders
By
Anne Sraders
Anne Sraders
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 10, 2023, 4:21 PM ET
People walk through the parking lot at the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) headquarters on March 10, 2023 in Santa Clara, California.
People walk through the parking lot at the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) headquarters on March 10, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

When Silicon Valley Bank failed in a whirlwind on Friday, startup founders who had funds in the bank were left wondering what will happen to the money they thought was safe. And for some, the fate of those funds could mean whether or not they’ll be able to continue paying their employees. 

SVB, one of the most prolific lenders and banking institutions catering to a large swath of the startup and venture community, was closed by a regulator around midday New York time on Friday after customers sought to take out funds from the bank in a hectic roughly 48 hour bank run. SVB was taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as its receiver, and while insured deposits—those $250,000 and under—will be available for depositors on Monday, per an FDIC press release, the big question for the startups who banked with SVB is, what happens to the funds over that limit? 

One startup founder who banked with SVB told Fortune in a private message that, hours after the bank failed, “Our heads are spinning over here—not entirely sure what happens next.” 

Another founder told Fortune in a private message that “My take is the entire ecosystem is effectively paralyzed.” They said that the focus right now is freeing up “cash basically, however you can, and make sure you can pay your people.” 

Meanwhile some venture capital investors are also unsure what’s going on with their portfolio companies and the startup community at large: One VC told Fortune that the question of what happens with startups’ funds over that insured amount and whether those funds are locked up is the “question of the day,” adding that this weekend “will be critical.” 

The FDIC said SVB had $209 billion in assets and $175.4 billion in deposits when they seized it. It’s unclear exactly how much money was in uninsured deposits at SVB as of Friday, but per the company’s 2022 annual report filing, they had just over $151 billion in uninsured deposits in U.S. offices. In other words, it appears more than 90% of the deposits are uninsured. 

Per the FDIC, those with insured deposits ($250,000 or less) will have access to those “no later than” Monday. “The FDIC will pay uninsured depositors an advance dividend within the next week. Uninsured depositors will receive a receivership certificate for the remaining amount of their uninsured funds. As the FDIC sells the assets of Silicon Valley Bank, future dividend payments may be made to uninsured depositors.” The agency recommends those with more than $250,000 in an account should call the FDIC toll-free at 1-866-799-0959.

But some founders are not only unsure of what’s going to happen with those uninsured funds, but don’t have time to wait around to find out. One founder of an early stage company told Fortune on the condition of anonymity that they believed the situation could be dire for their startup.

“My company is done,” they said. “I will be able to make one more payroll, or two more payrolls, and then it’s over.” They said that since the FDIC announcement came out, “no one knows what it means. And [there’s] all kinds of talk: all the groups, all the Slacks, all the email lists…all the founders have pretty much been trying to help each other.” The founder blamed VCs for not handling the situation well, and likened it to leaving startups to “fight over the scraps and get Taylor Swift tickets on Ticketmaster.” 

Meanwhile another founder of an early stage company who spoke with Fortune said they had about $1 million altogether at SVB, and were expecting to get the $250,000 insured portion back on Monday. They said that considering they had a small team, that sum would be enough for about three months of runway. But broadly, “I think everyone’s nervous about the March 15th payroll, and short term liquidity,” they said. 

The founder said they opened a Chase account in person on Friday, and said that one of their investors had told them to let them know if they had a “near term operating cash need,” but that they didn’t know what that meant yet. Another big question they had was whether the funds they had in a money market account at SVB was “administered by BlackRock or another large institution and SVB is the custodian, or is it actually SVB’s money?” 

Silicon Valley is all wondering who might step in to buy up SVB’s assets—and when. And some founders wondered what would happen to the venture debt that startups had with SVB. 

“This was like Goldman of the bulge bracket banks going down,” the early stage founder with $1 million at SVB said. They added that “if Monday happens and it’s still this, like, ‘Well, it’s in receivership and who knows when the funds will be unlocked,’ and there’s just like, no line of sight on the rest of the money above $250,000, then that’s when I get concerned.” 

Fortune's CFO Daily newsletter is the must-read analysis every finance professional needs to get ahead. Sign up today.

About the Author
Anne Sraders
By Anne Sraders
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Finance

No, Miami isn’t more expensive than New York. But it may be less ‘affordable’
Real Estatehomebuying
No, Miami isn’t more expensive than New York. But it may be less ‘affordable’
By Catherina GioinoJuly 26, 2026
9 minutes ago
The Trump administration has accrued roughly $26.7 billion across 30 equity or quasi-equity deals
EconomyDonald Trump
The U.S. government invested $27 billion in corporate stakes. Good luck finding them
By Eva RoytburgJuly 26, 2026
39 minutes ago
Salary Transparent Street creator Hannah Williams
SuccessCareers
This millennial job-hopped every 6 months to $90K by the time she was 23—she left it all behind to become a salary negotiation guru
By Emma BurleighJuly 26, 2026
2 hours ago
Photo of young woman in a red dress observing the man she's talking to
Economylifestyle
College women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 26, 2026
3 hours ago
‘My childhood home is being taken’: Eminent domain for data centers targets properties across a thousand miles of grid expansion in Georgia
EnergyData centers
‘My childhood home is being taken’: Eminent domain for data centers targets properties across a thousand miles of grid expansion in Georgia
By Joshua HongJuly 26, 2026
4 hours ago
Fans Watch Super Bowl LX In California beneath tv screens with betting ads
EconomySports
Gambling becomes America’s favorite pastime as Americans spend more on sports bets than movies, arts, museums, and music combined
By Catherina GioinoJuly 26, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
1 day ago
Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal
Middle East
Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal
By Jason MaJuly 25, 2026
17 hours ago
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
Economy
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
By Eleanor PringleJuly 24, 2026
2 days ago
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
Success
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 25, 2026
1 day ago
Startups are installing tiny data centers in people’s homes to reduce strain on the beleaguered electrical grid
Environment
Startups are installing tiny data centers in people’s homes to reduce strain on the beleaguered electrical grid
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 25, 2026
24 hours ago
A Hims cofounder fired his entire marketing team for AI. Now his 24/7 online vet service is growing 20% a month
Success
A Hims cofounder fired his entire marketing team for AI. Now his 24/7 online vet service is growing 20% a month
By Sydney LakeJuly 25, 2026
23 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.