HSBC deepens Asia startup push three years after Silicon Valley Bank deal

Its Innovation Banking unit has styled itself as a one-stop shop for businesses just starting up or expanding

Benjamin Cher
Published Mon, Jun 29, 2026 · 05:00 PM
    • HSBC is probably the first bank investors tell founders to call, says Jonathan Yip, head of Innovation Banking Asia at the bank.
    • HSBC is probably the first bank investors tell founders to call, says Jonathan Yip, head of Innovation Banking Asia at the bank. PHOTO: HSBC

    [SINGAPORE] Three years after acquiring Silicon Valley Bank’s UK operations in the wake of the US lender’s collapse, HSBC is putting momentum into its push to become the bank of choice among tech startups, founders and the venture capitalists (VC).

    The acquisition in March 2023 for just £1 (US$1.32) led to the launch of HSBC’s Innovation Banking unit three months later. The bank has since expanded into markets including Singapore, where this new unit debuted in October 2025.

    Since the launch, the bank has on-boarded about 1,000 new-economy firms in Asia which were new-to-bank.