Silicon Valley Bank Partners with Forge to Provide Private Market Liquidity to Innovation Economy Clients through Forge Platform
Rhea-AI Summary
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank (NYSE:FCNCA), has announced a strategic partnership with Forge Securities LLC, a subsidiary of Forge Global Holdings. The collaboration aims to provide SVB clients with enhanced access to private market liquidity solutions through Forge's platform.
The partnership offers key benefits including issuer-led structured liquidity events, controlled shareholder transactions, access to over 19,000 institutional investors, and private market transactions. This initiative addresses the growing trend of companies staying private longer and their increasing need for secondary market liquidity solutions.
Positive
- Access to over 19,000 institutional investors for private companies
- Enhanced liquidity options for employees, founders, and early investors
- Strategic expansion of services for SVB clients through Forge's platform
- New revenue stream potential through referral partnership
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- None.
Insights
SVB-Forge partnership creates new revenue opportunities and addresses critical private market liquidity needs for innovation economy companies.
This partnership between Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Forge represents a strategic evolution in how private market companies can manage liquidity challenges. With companies staying private longer than historical norms, the secondary market has become increasingly critical for employee retention, investor diversification, and capital management. The partnership addresses several market inefficiencies:
By providing SVB clients preferred access to Forge's platform, the bank is filling a significant gap in its service offerings without having to build this capability internally. For Forge, this creates a powerful distribution channel into SVB's extensive client base of innovation economy companies – precisely the demographic most likely to need secondary market solutions.
The mechanics of this partnership are particularly valuable in the current market environment. SVB clients gain access to Forge's network of 19,000+ institutional investors seeking private company exposure, creating potential new capital sources. Meanwhile, the structured liquidity events (tender offers, secondary sales) provide a controlled mechanism for managing cap tables and addressing employee liquidity needs without forcing companies into premature public offerings.
For shareholders at private companies – particularly employees with concentrated equity positions – this partnership creates meaningful diversification opportunities that have traditionally been difficult to access. For First Citizens Bank, this represents a value-added service enhancement that strengthens client relationships while potentially generating referral revenues with minimal capital commitment.
SVB clients will now have preferred access to Forge's services and solutions tailored for private market liquidity management
"As we continue to see companies staying private longer, the need for secondary market liquidity has become a key need for our client base," said Marc Cadieux, President of Silicon Valley Bank. "By introducing private companies to Forge's platform, we're creating more opportunities for our clients to access the capital they need to scale with confidence and offer their valued employees liquidity options."
Benefits of the Silicon Valley Bank and Forge partnership for companies and shareholders, include:
- Issuer-led structured liquidity events, including tender offers and secondary sales
- Controlled shareholder transactions for employees, founders, or early investors
- Access to 19K+institutional investors looking to invest in private companies
- Private market transactions via a trusted platform
"Demand for trusted, flexible liquidity solutions is growing—and this partnership is a powerful response to that demand," said Eric Thomassian, Executive Vice President of Private Company Relations at Forge. "Forge is proud to work with Silicon Valley Bank to offer their clients tailored capital solutions that support long-term company growth while meeting the liquidity needs of employees, investors, and founders. Together, we're unlocking new pathways to value creation in the private market."
Forge offers a trusted trading platform and proprietary data and insights to inform investment strategies, along with custody services to help companies, shareholders, institutions and accredited investors navigate and transact in the private market. The partnership offers Silicon Valley Bank clients, some of the world's most innovative companies and investors, access to Forge's secondary liquidity solutions at scale.
About Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of some of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial banking to companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, and venture capital industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout
About Forge
Forge (NYSE: FRGE) is a leading provider of marketplace infrastructure, data services and technology solutions for private market participants. Forge Securities LLC is a registered broker-dealer and a Member of FINRA that operates an alternative trading system.
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SOURCE Silicon Valley Bank
FAQ
What is the new partnership between Silicon Valley Bank and Forge?
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