Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast Erin Platts on SVB collapse and new role at Octopus Ventures: ‘There will always be churn’
Oct 30, 2025
Erin Platts, the former UK CEO at Silicon Valley Bank and now CEO of Octopus Ventures, shares her insights on a tumultuous period in banking. She details the weekend of the SVB collapse and the frantic efforts to safeguard startups' funds. Erin discusses the challenges faced by Octopus Titan and her strategies for revitalizing its performance. She emphasizes the need for diverse capital sources and reflects on the startup community's support during crises. Erin also advocates for a pro-innovation government stance to enhance the UK's capital markets.
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Four-Way Funding Advantage
- Octopus Ventures deploys four distinct capital sources: retail tax-efficient, balance-sheet, institutional LP/GP and family-office/private-bank channels.
- That funding mix gives flexibility to support founders from pre-seed through growth stages across the UK and Europe.
Build A Funding Continuum
- Do build a funding continuum to support founders from first idea through growth so domestic investors can back winners longer.
- Align the right source of capital, teams and sub-strategies to deploy capital effectively for both returns and founder experience.
Timing And Transparency Hurt Titan
- Titan VCT's poor performance stemmed from raising lots of capital at market peak and being forced to invest within tight VCT time rules.
- Public six-month valuations magnified losses versus private LPGP peers who need not disclose so frequently.