Key facts
- John China and Andrew Kresse co-lead JPMorgan's Innovation Economy team, comprising over 550 employees.
- The team serves more than 11,000 companies, from pre-seed stage to those with $2 billion in revenue or an IPO.
- The nickname JACK is a shared identity for China and Kresse, derived from their initials.
- China joined the team in 2023 after 27 years at Silicon Valley Bank; Kresse became co-head in 2025.
- The team is actively competing to bank startups from their earliest stages, aiming to support them through accelerated growth.
John China and Andrew Kresse, who share the nickname JACK, are co-leading JPMorgan's Innovation Economy team, which supports over 550 employees and more than 11,000 companies. The team focuses on banking startups from their earliest stages, aiming to foster relationships from pre-seed through to IPO. China, a veteran from Silicon Valley Bank, and Kresse, a long-time JPMorgan executive, have been instrumental in the team's rapid expansion, which has seen its client base quadruple and hired over 200 bankers since 2023. They emphasize a collaborative leadership style, built on trust and delegation, to manage the fast-paced growth and diverse needs of companies in sectors like AI. Their strategy involves undercutting the perception that JPMorgan is only for established firms, aiming to be a partner for founders throughout their company's lifecycle.