Dell is offering more than $120 million of its own funds to support customers affected by the SVB crisis

International salary provider Dell plans to use $120 million of its own cash from its balance sheet to fund startup payroll operations following the closing of Silicon Valley Bank. If you are an investor in Dell, you will be partnering with Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Y Combinator to provide the support to customers.

The Federal Reserve has announced that Silicon Valley bank depositors, insured and uninsured, will be fully protected — prompting collective relief throughout the tech ecosystem. When TechCrunch interviewed Dell founder and CEO Alex Bouaziz, his initial reaction to the news was: “We’ll see what happens, you can never be absolutely sure. But in the meantime, we’re ready with our customers, and we’ll do everything we can to help our customers get there now and us.

He later added: “It’s amazing that all the deposits are complete.” Until tomorrow morning when all the funds are available, the founders should be careful and vigilant to ensure that all employees get paid.

Del was not specifically bankrolled by SVB; Because it operates in over 100 countries, has over 450 bank accounts and has in-house treasury management. Dell paid a penalty to get the money out of the account, Bouaziz said, but he hopes the penalty will be waived.

The goal of Dell’s $120 million lifeline is to help businesses run payroll “with minimal disruption” for the next two cycles. Companies that need help can fill out a request form and apply through Dell, which will help employees and contractors for current customers as well as some new customers.

“We have freed up some of our money because it is our responsibility to help other companies, but we have to be very selective,” Boaziz said. “Since we are already in the wage system, we have ways to get good contracts.”

Before the decision was announced, businesses and companies across the country were working to find ways to help startups pay salaries. With the government now offering relief, the efforts are more useful as a back-up plan in case there are any setbacks between now and Monday morning. The terms of Deel’s financial offer are currently unclear; It makes it difficult to compare the selection with the money at SVB Bank, which is said to be released to founders from Monday morning.

Dell appears to be working on a founder-friendly deal, Bouaziz added: “The goal here is not for us to make money.” It’s more about helping people and gaining trust as a salary leader in the market.

Brakes announced yesterday that it is trying to raise capital for an emergency credit line this weekend after receiving $1 billion in interest. CEO Henrique Dubougras declined to comment on how much capital has been committed to the line of credit yet, but said he returned calls trying to lock in funds after the last discussion with TechCrunch. It is unclear how the fundraising strategy has changed in light of the regulator’s latest update.

“The question is not that interesting for us, because what we want to do is help people,” Bouaziz said.

Dell, which has raised nearly $680 million since 2019 and is ultimately valued at $12 billion, has said it has been profitable since September. According to Bouaziz, it has more than 450 bank accounts worldwide, citing JPMorgan Chase and Citibank as two of its “major banking partners.”

In January, the fintech-turned-HR outfit said it had reached $295 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) by the end of 2022, up 417.5% from $57 million by the end of 2021. At the time, Dell said it had more than 15,000 customers, including Nike, Subway, Reebok, Forever 21 and Klarna. Today, Bouaziz, the company has almost 18,000 customers. Also in January, Deel acquired Capbase for an undisclosed amount in a cash and stock deal, marking the entry into the fair management space.