In March 2023, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapsed in the United States, marking the largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis and triggering a panic in global financial markets. The collapse was caused by a combination of a bank run, a mismatch between the bank's assets and liabilities, and the impact of rising interest rates on its bond holdings. The event led to a swift government intervention to guarantee deposits and prevent a broader contagion in the banking sector.

The SVB collapse was a defining moment for the tech and finance sectors, and it was quickly reflected in the poetry and literature of the period. Writers explored the themes of technological hubris, financial fragility, and the human cost of economic instability, with the crisis serving as a cautionary tale for the start-up generation and inspiring a new wave of 'tech criticism' in poetry.