Ben Johnson

Background

About Ben Johnson

I currently lead Silicon Valley Bank's Early Stage Life Science effort nationally, which involves leading a team of professionals dedicated to developing and managing relationships with seed stage Life Science companies and the various ecosystem channels where they reside, such as accelerators. Previously I led SVB's Life Science & Healthcare practice for the Central United States, where I spent most of my time providing commercial financial services (e.g. loans, deposits, foreign exchange, etc) for high growth companies in the medical device, diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceutical, and healthcare IT sectors, ranging from seed stage through multi-billion dollar valuation publicly-traded companies. One of my core skills is in providing venture debt and growth capital financing to pre-revenue and pre-cash flow positive companies. Only a handful of banks in the country routinely deploy venture debt and SVB is a leader in wielding this instrument to provide value to the innovation economy. Throughout my tenure at SVB I have successfully deployed over $1 billion in debt capital to pre-revenue and pre-cash flow positive companies who are intently focused upon growing enterprise value through clinical and/or commercial development. I also have expertise in working with technology companies, and prior to my tenure at SVB I practiced middle market commercial banking as well as private wealth management. Specialties: I specialize in providing debt capital and ancillary commercial banking services to companies in the high tech, life sciences, private equity, and venture capital sectors.