Riaan 
Lesi sikhathi sasihlukile. Abasebenzi bakhe basebhange asebenesikhathi eside benovalo ngokusebenza ne-software encane ye-inthanethi. Wazama amabhange amakhulu kazwelonke, kwanhlanga zimuka nomoya. Sebebonke, amabhange angu-27 amalahlile.
Kwathi ngo-2019, wathola iSilicon Valley Bank.
U-Giorgi uxhumeke ebhange laseCalifornia nge-Techstars – uhlelo oludumile lokufundisa lokuqalisa. Abameli be-SVB bandize baya eColorado, lapho bekwenzeke khona uhlelo, bamyisa esidlweni sasemini futhi bathandana naye. Ngemva kwamahora angu-24, inkampani kaGiorgi, i-Soona, ekugcineni yaba ne-akhawunti yasebhange.
Inqwaba yabasaqalayo ixoxa izindaba zokwelashwa okufanayo kokhaphethi obomvu. Iminyaka engu-40, i-SVB yakhula nemboni yezobuchwepheshe, yaba umphakathi ohlangene ngenkathi isebenzela abaqalayo kanye nabasebenzi babo – ekugcineni yaba yibhange elihamba phambili labanye abantu baseMelika abanamandla nabacebile kakhulu.
Khona-ke, ngesonto eledlule, konke kwaphahlazeka. Amakhasimende agijime ebhange, akhipha amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-42, ngemuva kwezimpawu zobuthakathaka bezezimali. Ngakusasa ekuseni, the uhulumeni ungene wayivala.
Manje, umphakathi wezobuchwepheshe kanye nebhizinisi unjalo ukuthuthumela ngenxa yokulahlekelwa, ngikhathazekile ngokuthi ukuwa kwe-SVB kuzomisa injini yokusungula yaseMelika. Kakade, imibuzo iyavela mayelana nokuthi ukubolekwa kwezinkampani ezincane zobuchwepheshe kuyimodeli yebhizinisi esebenzayo ukuya phambili. Futhi abaqalayo – abaningi babo okuyimidlalo yokugembula eyingozi ngokwemvelo yamabhange – abanaso isiqiniseko sokuthi ubani ozobasiza baye phambili.
“Ngiphoxekile,” kusho uGiorgi. “Besinobudlelwano nebhange eliqonda ibhizinisi lethu, futhi thina njengemboni asizange sibeke iso lethu ebholeni ngokwanele ukuthi siqhubeke nokuqinisekisa ukuthi lokho bekuyindlela ephephile.”
Ukukhathazeka kuyakhula kuwo wonke umkhakha wezobuchwepheshe
I ukuqubuka kwe-SVB ikhulisa ukukhathazeka okubanzi ngemboni yezobuchwepheshe, okuthe ngemuva kweminyaka yokukhula kwe-meteoric ekugcineni ibhekane nokwehla okukhulu kanye nokungabaza okwandayo – ikakhulukazi uma kukhulunywa ngamabhizinisi ayo ayingozi. Izinkampani ezifana ne-Amazon kanye nenkampani engumzali ye-Facebook i-Meta zinqume amashumi ezinkulungwane zabasebenzi njengoba zifuna ukunciphisa amabhizinisi abo futhi zibuyele emazingeni angaphambili enzuzo. Ama-Tech giants ayasuka ekuthuthukisweni amaphrojekthi “wokudubula kwenyanga”.. Sekunzima kakhulu kwabaqalayo ukuthola imali yokuqala nokugcina amabhizinisi abo.
Umsunguli we-Amazon uJeff Bezos ungumnikazi weWashington Post. Okhulumela iSVB akasiphendulanga isicelo sokuthi aphawule.
Ngenkathi uhulumeni enze ukuthi kube nokwenzeka ukuthi abaqalayo kanye nabanye abafaka imali sebebuyiselwe imali yaboukuqedwa kwe-SVB kuyigalelo elikhulu phakathi kwesimo sezulu esivele siphathelene nobuchwepheshe – futhi kuzobuyisela imboni emuva nakakhulu.
Ibhange lasungulwa ngo-1983, libhekelele izinkampani zobuchwepheshe ezixhaswe ngemali enkulu, umkhakha lapho ukwehluleka kuwumkhuba. Amafemu amaningi athatha iminyaka ukuthi aqale ukwenza inzuzo, futhi ikhefu elincane kuphela libe yizinkunzi zebhizinisi njenge-Google ne-Facebook.
Ukuzimisela kwe-SVB ukuthatha lezo zingozi kuyenze yaba isigcawu se-Bay Area tech. Abaqalayo ababungaza uxhaso lwezigidi zamarandi bafake imali lapho. Abaphathi bezobuchwepheshe abafuna imali yokuthenga izindlu bathinte ibhange. Futhi le nkampani yaziwa kakhulu ngokuhlinzeka ngezinsizakalo zasebhange ezindaweni ezikhiqiza iwayini ezisezingeni eliphezulu lapho amakhasimende ayo ezobuchwepheshe ayehamba khona ukuze aphumule futhi abaleke ngezimpelasonto.
Yaba umxhasi ogcwele yonke indawo wezingqungquthela zobuchwepheshe, futhi ngokukhula kwesiqalo okwalandela inkinga yezezimali ka-2008, i-SVB yanda kulo lonke elase-United States kanye nomhlaba wonke, yavula amahhovisi eCanada, eJalimane, kwa-Israel nakwamanye amazwe ambalwa, isibonelo esikhazimulayo sempumelelo nokuqamba okusha okuvela endaweni yobuchwepheshe yaseMelika.
Ngesikhathi iwa, le nkampani yasebenza ngaphezu kwengxenye yezinkampani ezisekelwa yibhizinisi e-United States, ngokusho kwewebhusayithi yayo. Iphinde yadinga amakhasimende amaningi ukuthi abhange ngayo kuphela njengombandela wesevisi, okuholela ekugxiliseni okukhulu nakakhulu.
Njengoba amadiphozithi ebhange enziwa ibhaluni eduze kwe-tech boom, lafaka imali enkulu kumabhondi esikhathi eside. Kodwa onyakeni odlule, amanani enzalo akhula kancane kancane enze ongxiwankulu babambe iqhaza, okuphoqe abaqalayo ukuthi basebenze ngemali abanayo kunokuba balindele imizuliswano yoxhaso olusha ezinyangeni ezizayo. Abaningi badonsela phansi amaqoqo emali abebewagcine eminyakeni edlule, ikakhulukazi ku-SVB.
Ukudiliza ukuwa kwe-SVB
Ngesonto eledlule, le nkampani imangaze abatshalizimali kanye nabafaka imali yayo ngokuthi ithengise ama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-21 futhi izothengisa amanye amasheya ayo ukuze ihlanganise ishidi layo lebhalansi. Amabhondi esikhathi eside ibhange elase lifake imali eningi kuwo – ngokujwayelekile ukubheja okuphephile – manje ayesenenani eliphansi kunalokho elikhokhelwe yibhange ngoba amanani enzalo aphezulu ayesho ukuthi abantu base bengathola amanye amabhondi akhokha inzalo enkulu kwenye indawo.
Abantu abafanayo ababezimisele iminyaka eminingi ukufihla imali yezinkampani zabo, kanye nezinhlanhla zabo, kwa-SVB, bavele bahluleka. Ukukhathazeka kwaqubuka ezingxoxweni zamaqembu nasezinkundleni zokuxhumana. Amafemu asezingeni eliphezulu atshele izinkampani zawo zamaphothifoliyo ukuthi ziphume.
Okusele kukahulumeni, okuthe – ngokumangalisayo – uthembise ukubuyisela amadiphozithi angaphezu kuka-$250,000 womkhawulo oqinisekiswe yi-Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. ukuze wonke amakhasimende e-SVB akhokhelwe ngokugcwele.
Leso siqinisekiso sinqande ukwethuka okuhlasele umhlaba wonke ngempelasonto. NgoMsombuluko, izinkampani eziningi zikwazile ukuthola imali yazo, abaningi baqala ukuyikhipha bayoyifaka kwamanye amabhange. Kodwa umthelela wesikhathi eside wokwehluleka kwe-SVB usuqala ukungena.
“Ukulahlekelwa okukhulu kakhulu esizokuzwa yindwangu yezenhlalakahle enikezwe i-SVB,” kusho uCasey Rosenthal, oyi-CEO yenkampani yesofthiwe yezokuphepha i-Verica. “Mina nabatshalizimali bami sizoba nesikhathi esinzima kakhulu sokuthola izixazululo zezimali njengokubolekwa kwezikweletu kwebhizinisi nabanye abahlinzeki bamabhange abangenalo ulwazi ngobuchwepheshe.”
Amakhasimende ashaye ujenga ekuqaleni kwaleli sonto ezokhipha izimali zawo. Omunye usongxiwankulu, okhulume ngombandela wokudalulwa ukuze agcine eyimfihlo izimali zenkampani yakhe, uthe uhlela ukuyisa ibhizinisi lakhe eCiti noma eBhange LaseMelika esikhundleni salokho.
Inkampani yakhe ibiphakathi kwabatshele izinkampani zabo ukuthi zikhiphe izimali zabo kwa-SVB ngeledlule, okuyisikhundla asivumile ukuthi siyingxenye yokushabalala kwebhange.
“Kuyakhathaza ngoba uthola uphawu olulodwa oluyisixwayiso … akubizi lutho ukuyisa imali yakho kwenye indawo futhi kungenzeka ukuthi ufaka imali engcupheni ngokuyishiya,” esho.
Osopolitiki kwesokunxele nakwesokudla bakugxekile ukuhlenga kukahulumeni i-SVB, kanti uMengameli uBiden usethathe izintambo zokungayibizi “ibheyili” ngoba esaba ukusolwa ngokusiza osomabhizinisi bamabhange abacebile.
U-Isa Watson, oyisikhulu esiphezulu senkampani yezokuxhumana ezinze eNew York, i-Squad, uthe ukuqala kwakhe kwaba nesivumelwano ne-SVB sokubhanga kuphela. Noma kunjalo, wayengafuni ezinye izindlela ngaphambi kokuba ibhange lisebenze.
“I-SVB iyona kuphela ibhange elasithatha ngokungathi sína ezinsukwini zethu zakuqala ngaphambi kokuba sikhulise imali yebhizinisi,” kusho uWatson, owaqala ukubhanga ne-SVB eminyakeni emihlanu edlule.
Ngesonto eledlule, uWatson uqale ukuzwa ukuthi kukhona okungahambi kahle ngoLwesithathu ebusuku. NgoLwesine bekugcwele ezinkundleni zokuxhumana.
UWatson uxoxisane nabatshalizimali nabanye abasunguli mayelana nokuthi bangayikhipha yini imali yenkampani yakhe. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuthi ashaye ucingo okokugcina, kwangena uhulumeni wavala ibhange. Uchithe impelasonto edlulisela izikweletu zenkampani eziphindaphindayo ekhadini lakhe lesikweletu.
“Kuzofanele kube khona ozongena esikhundleni se-SVB,” engeza.
Okwamanje, akucaci ukuthi kungaba yini lokho. Amanye amabhange esifunda ase-Bay Area abhekelela abasunguli nabasunguli bezobuchwepheshe, futhi, njengeBhange Lokuqala LeRiphabhulikhi, kodwa awekho anezinga lobuchwepheshe nedumela i-SVB enalo. Futhi abatshalizimali bakhathazekile ukuthi iFirst Republic ingaba senkingeni, futhi – isitoko sayo sehle ngamaphesenti angama-82 kusukela ngoMashi 8.
Uhulumeni uthenga okusele kwe-SVB kwabangase bazuze, kodwa abaphathi abasha bangase bangabaze imodeli yebhizinisi okungenzeka ishiye ibhange esimweni esibucayi. Abaqalayo ngokwabo bazoqaphela ukuthi bangafaki wonke amaqanda abo kubhasikidi owodwa, okungenzeka bagcine amabhange amaningi esikhathini esizayo.
Umhlaba wezobuchwepheshe awuphelele, futhi ukugxekwa okuningi okubhekiswe kuwo, njengokushoda kwemali eya kubasunguli besifazane, kusemthethweni, kusho uGiorgi. Nokho, ukuwa kwe-SVB kudala isethi entsha yezinkinga obekungalindelwe muntu.
“Kusobala ukuthi kunezinkinga lapha. Angicabangi ukuthi noyedwa wethu ubecabanga ukuthi inkinga enkulu bekuyibhange lethu,” kusho uGiorgi. “Lona bekungasiyo ebesimbone eza.”
U-Lisa Bonos ufake isandla kulo mbiko.
