The earthquake caused by the closure of Silicon Valley Bank continues to resonate in business circles. 

Investors, companies and startups are still wondering how the 16th largest bank in the United States could have collapsed so suddenly and so quickly. 

SVB  (SIVB) - Get Free Report was the bank of startups.

"SVB was a very important bank in the venture capital ecosystem," investor Ryan Gilbert, founder of venture capital firm LaunchPad Capital said. "It's a bank that we worked with significantly. They held our deposits when we had deposits with them, and they extended lines of credit and other loans to many companies."

"They understood startups, they probably understood startups better than any other bank. So it's a big loss, that they no longer going to be in business."

SVB was the go-to lender for many tech companies. The firm was a central player in the innovation economy. It was the backbone of the tech industry in Silicon Valley. It played an important role in the startup ecosystem, by providing specialized financial services, industry expertise, a valuable network, and a strong reputation.