The bankruptcy of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) could have a significant impact on Europe’s startup ecosystem, as it was one of the most important financiers for startups in the US and worldwide. European banks are more risk-averse when it comes to lending to startups, and the loss of SVB could discourage other banks from financing technology companies.

The degree to which family offices are willing to take risks is also influenced by the age of their investments. Family portfolios have recently undergone some changes.

In the previous year, investors had to be skillful to achieve positive returns. Apart from a few outliers like the Brazilian Bovespa, stock indices and government bonds ended the year on a downward trend. With the recent rise in interest rates, the previous upward trend in real estate prices has stalled in several locations. These developments have caused significant changes in the portfolios of family offices, which tend to maintain a low profile.

Many startup founders struggle to secure funding for the expansion of their companies after raising the Pre-Seed and Seed rounds, especially in 2023.  CB Insights found that only 48% of startups manage to attract Series-A funding, after a Seed round. Fundraising in Series-A is much more challenging and requires a more careful and detailed strategic planning compared to earlier stages.