Year-over-year tone shift - average net-tone change across Risk Factors and MD&A vs the prior 10-K.
Why YoY instead of absolute: the LM lexicon has ~6.6× more negative words than positive (legal/risk-disclosure language is heavy on hedging), so every 10-K reads bearish on raw tone. Year-over-year change strips that bias and surfaces the actual shift in management's framing.
Per-snippet highlights
Sentence-level sentiment highlighting with category and subcategory filters is coming once the snippet-scoring pipeline lands. For now, dig into the actual section text on the Sections tab.
Risk Factors (Item 1A)
41,660 words
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Investing in our securities involves a number of significant risks. In addition to the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, you should consider carefully the following information before making an investment in our securities. The risks set out below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or not presently deemed material by us might also our operations and performance. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and affected. In such case, you may all or part of your investment.
Real-time Form 4 intelligence. Smarter insider tracking.
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SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS
The following is a summary of the principal risks that may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Risks Related to the Company’s Business and Structure
The Company and the Advisor have a limited operating history.
The Company may have difficulty sourcing investment opportunities.
Due to the illiquid nature of the Company’s holdings in the Company’s portfolio companies, the Company may not be able to dispose of the Company’s interests in the Company’s portfolio companies.
The Company borrows money, which may increase the risk of investing in the Company.
Provisions in a credit facility or other borrowings may limit discretion in operating the Company’s business.
The Company will face competition for investment opportunities.
The Company, its executive officers, directors and the Advisor, its affiliates and/or any of their respective principals and employees may be the subject of litigation or similar proceedings.
Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents may adversely affect the Company’s business or the business of the portfolio companies.
Compliance with the privacy laws to which the Company is subject may require the dedication of substantial time and financial resources, and non-compliance with such laws could lead to regulatory action.
The Company’s business and operations could be adversely affected by developments in artificial intelligence.
The Board of Directors may change the Company’s operating policies and strategies without prior notice or Stockholder approval, the effects of which may be adverse to the Company’s Stockholders.
The Company may not consummate any Liquidity Event.
No stockholder approval is required for certain mergers.
Risks Related to the Advisor and its Affiliates
The Company’s ability to achieve the Company’s investment objective depends on the Advisor’s ability to manage and support.
The Company will be obligated to pay the Advisor an Incentive Fee even if the Company incurs a net loss.
The Company’s ability to enter into transactions with the Company’s affiliates is restricted.
The Company may make investments that could give rise to conflicts of interest.
The recommendations given to the Company by the Advisor may differ from those rendered to its other clients.
The Advisor’s liability is limited under the Investment Advisory Agreement, and the Company is required to indemnify the Advisor against certain liabilities.
Investment by employees of 5C in the Company and/or other 5C Accounts may lead to conflicts of interest.
Risks Related to Business Development Companies
Changes in laws or regulations governing the Company’s operations may adversely affect the Company’s business.
Failure to maintain the Company’s status as a BDC would reduce the Company’s operating flexibility.
Regulations governing the Company’s operation as a BDC and RIC affect the Company’s ability to raise capital.
Risks Related to the Company’s Investments
The Company’s investments in portfolio companies may be risky.
Investing in upper middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks.
The Company may not be in a position to exercise control over the Company’s portfolio companies.
Prepayments of the Company’s debt investments by the Company’s portfolio companies could adversely impact the Company.
The Company’s portfolio companies may be highly leveraged.
An investment strategy focused primarily on a limited number of privately held companies subjects the Company to risk of significant loss if there is a downturn in a particular industry or industries.
The Company may not have the funds or ability to make additional investments in the Company’s portfolio companies.
The prices of the debt instruments and other securities in which the Company invests may decline substantially.
The Company may not be able to realize expected returns on the Company’s invested capital.
To the extent OID and PIK interest income constitute a portion of the Company’s income, the Company will be exposed to risks associated with the deferred receipt of cash representing such income.
The Company is subject to risks relating to portfolio company fraud or misrepresentations.
Risks Related to the Private Placement of Common Stock
Stockholders will be obligated to fund drawdowns and may need to maintain a substantial portion of their Capital Commitments in assets that can be readily converted to cash.
Stockholders who default on their Capital Commitment to the Company will be subject to significant adverse consequences.
Certain Stockholders may have to comply with 1934 Act filing requirements.
Risks Related to the Company’s Common Stock
Investing in the Company’s Common Stock involves a high degree of risk.
The amount of any distributions the Company may make on the Company’s Common Stock is uncertain.
The Company’s shares are not listed on an exchange or quoted through a quotation system and will not be listed for the foreseeable future, if ever.
The net asset value of the Company’s Common Stock may fluctuate significantly.
Stockholders will experience dilution in their ownership percentage if they do not elect to reinvest their distributions.
Holders of the Company’s Preferred Stock have rights and preferences that could adversely affect Common Stockholders.
Risks Related to Federal Income Tax
The Company cannot predict how tax reform legislation will affect the Company, the Company’s investments, or the Company’s Stockholders.
The Company will be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax if the Company is unable to continue to qualify for and maintain the Company’s tax treatment as a RIC.
The Company may have difficulty paying the Company’s required distributions.
If the Company is not treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company,” as defined in the Code, certain U.S. Stockholders will be treated as having received a dividend from the Company.
General Risk Factors
The Company may experience fluctuations in the Company’s operating results.
The Company is an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act which may make the Company’s Common Stock less attractive to investors.
Global economic, political and market conditions may adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations, including the Company’s revenue growth and profitability.
Risks Related to the Company’s Business and Structure
The Company and the Advisor have a limited operating history.
The Company has a limited operating history on which a prospective investor can evaluate an investment in the Company’s Common Stock or the Company’s prior performance. Additionally, the Advisor and its affiliates have a limited operating history. As a result, the Company is subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with recently formed businesses, including the risk that the Company will not achieve the Company’s investment objective and the value of a Stockholder’s investment could decline substantially or become worthless.
Additionally, the results of any other funds and accounts managed by the Company’s Founders or Advisor or their affiliates are not indicative of the results that the Company may achieve.
The Company may have difficulty sourcing investment opportunities.
The Company has not identified all of the potential investments for the Company’s portfolio that the Company wishes to acquire. The Company cannot assure investors that the Company will be able to locate a sufficient number of suitable investment opportunities to allow the Company to deploy all Capital Commitments successfully. In addition, privately negotiated investments in loans and illiquid securities of private upper middle-market companies require substantial due diligence and structuring, and the Company cannot assure investors that the Company will achieve the Company’s anticipated investment pace. As a result, investors will be unable to evaluate future portfolio company investments, and the economic merits, transaction terms or other financial or operational data thereof, prior to making a decision to invest. Additionally, the Advisor will select the Company’s investments, and the Company’s Stockholders will have no input with respect to such investment decisions. Investors, therefore, must rely on the Advisor to implement the Company’s investment policies, to evaluate all of its investment opportunities and to structure the terms of its investments. These factors increase the uncertainty, and thus the risk, of investing in the Company’s Common Stock. To the extent the Company is unable to deploy all Capital Commitments, the Company’s investment income and, in turn, the Company’s results of operations, will likely be materially adversely affected.
In addition, the Company anticipates, based on the amount of proceeds raised in the Company’s closings that it could take some time to invest substantially all of the capital the Company expects to raise due to market conditions generally and the time necessary to identify, evaluate, structure, negotiate and close suitable investments in private upper middle-market companies. In order to comply with the RIC diversification requirements during the startup period, the Company may invest proceeds in temporary investments, such as cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from the time of investment, which the Company expects will earn yields substantially lower than the interest, dividend or other income that the Company seeks to receive in respect of suitable portfolio investments. Distributions paid during this period may be substantially lower than the distributions the Company expects to pay when the Company’s portfolio is fully invested. If market conditions change, it may take longer for the Company to fully invest its available capital. The Company cannot assure you that it will achieve its targeted investment pace. The Company will pay the Management Fee to the Advisor irrespective of the Company’s performance. If the Management Fee and the Company’s other expenses exceed the return on the temporary investments, the Company’s equity capital will be reduced. If the Company does not produce positive investment returns, expenses and fees will reduce the amount of the original invested capital recovered by the Stockholders to an amount less than the amount invested in the Company by such Stockholders.
The Company generally will not control the business operations of the Company’s portfolio companies.
The Company acquires a significant percentage of the Company’s portfolio company investments from privately held companies in directly negotiated transactions. The Company does not expect to control most of the Company’s portfolio companies, although the Company may have board representation or board observation rights, and the Company’s debt agreements may impose certain restrictive covenants on the Company’s borrowers. As a result, the Company is subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which the Company invests may make business decisions with which the Company disagrees and the management of such company, as representatives of the holders of their common equity, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve the Company’s interests as a debt investor and could decrease the value of the Company’s portfolio holdings.
Due to the illiquid nature of the Company’s holdings in the Company’s portfolio companies, the Company may not be able to dispose of the Company’s interests in the Company’s portfolio companies.
The illiquidity of the Company’s portfolio company investments may make it difficult or impossible for the Company to sell investments if the need arises. Many of these investments are subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or are otherwise less liquid than exchange-listed securities or other securities for which there is an active trading market. The Company typically would be unable to exit these investments unless and until the portfolio company has a liquidity event such as a sale, maturity, refinancing, or initial public offering. If the Company is required to liquidate all or a portion of the Company’s portfolio quickly, the Company may realize significantly less than the value at which the Company has previously recorded the Company’s investments, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, investments purchased by the Company that are liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid due to events relating to the issuer, market events, economic conditions or investor perceptions.
The Company borrows money, which may magnify the potential for gain or loss and may increase the risk of investing in the Company.
As part of the Company’s business strategy, the Company is permitted to borrow from and issue senior debt securities to banks, insurance companies and other lenders or investors. Holders of these senior securities will have fixed-dollar claims on the Company’s assets that are senior to the claims of the Company’s Stockholders. If the value of the Company’s assets decreases, leverage would cause the Company’s net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have if the Company did not employ leverage. Similarly, any decrease in the Company’s income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had the Company not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect the Company’s ability to make distributions on the Company’s Common Stock. Although borrowings by the Company have the potential to enhance overall returns that exceed the Company’s cost of funds, they will further diminish returns (or increase losses on capital) to the extent overall returns are less than the Company’s cost of funds.
The Company’s ability to service any borrowings that the Company incurs will depend largely on the Company’s financial performance and will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures.
The Company cannot assure you that the Company will be able to obtain credit at all or on terms acceptable to the Company, which could affect the Company’s return on capital. However, to the extent that the Company uses leverage to finance the Company’s assets, the Company’s financing costs will reduce cash available for distributions to Stockholders. Moreover, the Company may not be able to meet the Company’s financing obligations and, to the extent that the Company cannot, the Company risks the loss of some or all of the Company’s assets to liquidation or sale to satisfy the obligations. In such an event, the Company may be forced to sell assets at significantly depressed prices due to market conditions or otherwise, which may result in losses.
As a BDC, the ratio of the Company’s total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness represented by senior securities) to the Company’s total indebtedness represented by senior securities plus preferred stock, if any, must be at least 200% (or 150% if certain requirements under the 1940 Act are met). Our initial stockholder and the Board of Directors approved a proposal to reduce the asset coverage ratio to 150%.
If the Company’s asset coverage ratio were to fall below 150%, the Company could not incur additional debt and may need to sell a portion of the Company’s investments to repay some debt when it is disadvantageous to do so. This could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations and investment activities. Moreover, the Company’s ability to make distributions to you may be significantly restricted or the Company may not be able to make any such distributions at all.
As the Company may use leverage to partially finance the Company’s investments, you will experience increased risks of investing in the Company’s securities. If the value of the Company’s assets increases, then leveraging would cause the net asset value attributable to shares of the Company’s Common Stock to increase more sharply than it would have had the Company not leveraged the Company’s business. Similarly, any increase in the Company’s income in excess of interest payable on the borrowed funds would cause the Company’s net investment income to increase more than it would without the leverage, while any decrease in the Company’s income would cause net investment income to decline more sharply than it would have had the Company not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect the Company’s ability to make distributions or pay dividends on the shares of Common Stock, make scheduled debt payments or other payments related to the Company’s securities.
In addition to having fixed-dollar claims on the Company’s assets that are superior to the claims of the Company’s Stockholders, if the Company has senior debt securities or other credit facilities, any obligations to such creditors may be secured by a pledge of and security interest in some or all of the Company’s assets, including the Company’s portfolio of investments, the Company’s cash and/or the Company’s right to call unused Capital Commitments from the Stockholders. If the Company enters into a subscription credit facility, the lenders (or their agent) may have the right on behalf of the Company to directly call unused Capital Commitments and enforce remedies against the Stockholders. In the case of a liquidation event, lenders and other creditors would receive proceeds to the extent of their security interest before any distributions are made to the Stockholders.
Provisions in a credit facility or other borrowings may limit discretion in operating the Company’s business and defaults thereunder may adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
The Company has entered into and may enter into additional credit facilities or other borrowings, either directly or through one or more subsidiaries. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to close a credit facility or obtain other financing.
Further, if the Company’s borrowing base under a credit facility or other borrowings were to decrease, the Company may be required to secure additional assets in an amount sufficient to cure any borrowing base deficiency. In the event that all of the Company’s assets are secured at the time of such a borrowing base deficiency, the Company could be required to repay advances under a credit facility or other borrowings or make deposits to a collection account, either of which could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s ability to fund future investments and to make distributions.
The Company may also be subject to limitations as to how borrowed funds may be used, which may include restrictions on geographic and industry concentrations, loan size, payment frequency and status, average life, collateral interests and investment ratings, as well as regulatory restrictions on leverage which may affect the amount of funding that may be obtained. There may also be certain requirements relating to portfolio performance, including required minimum portfolio yield and limitations on delinquencies and charge-offs, a violation of which could limit further advances and, in some cases, result in an event of default. An event of default under a credit facility could result in an accelerated maturity date for all amounts outstanding thereunder, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and financial condition and could lead to cross defaults under other credit facilities and other borrowings. This could reduce the Company’s liquidity and cash flow and impair the Company’s ability to manage and grow the Company’s business.
Also, any security interests and/or negative covenants required by a credit facility or other borrowings the Company enters into may limit the Company’s ability to create liens on assets to secure additional debt and may make it difficult for the Company to restructure or refinance indebtedness at or prior to maturity or obtain additional debt or equity financing. Any obligations to the Company’s creditors under the Company’s credit facilities or other borrowings may be secured by a pledge of and a security interest in some or all of the Company’s assets, including the Company’s portfolio of investments and cash. If the Company defaults, the Company may be forced to sell a portion of the Company’s investments quickly and prematurely at what may be disadvantageous prices to the Company in order to meet the Company’s outstanding payment obligations and/or support working capital requirements, any of which would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
As part of certain credit facilities or other borrowings, the right to make capital calls of Stockholders may be pledged as collateral, which will allow the Company’s creditors to call for capital contributions upon the occurrence of an event of default. To the extent such an event of default does occur, Stockholders could therefore be required to fund any shortfall up to their remaining Capital Commitments, without regard to the underlying value of their investment.
The Company, and the portfolio companies it may invest in, are exposed to risks associated with high rates of inflation.
High rates of inflation and rapid increases in the rate of inflation generally have a negative impact on financial markets and the broader economy. In an attempt to stabilize inflation, governments may impose wage and price controls or otherwise intervene in a country’s economy. Governmental efforts to curb inflation, including by increasing interest rates or reducing fiscal or monetary stimuli, often have negative effects on the level of economic activity. Certain countries, including the U.S., have experienced increased levels of inflation, and persistently high levels of inflation could have a material and adverse impact on the Company’s investments and its returns.
Certain of the portfolio companies in which the Company may invest may be impacted by inflation. If such portfolio companies are unable to pass any increases in their costs along to their customers, it could adversely affect their results and impact their ability to pay interest and principal on the Company’s loans. In addition, any projected future decreases in the Company’s portfolio companies’ operating results due to inflation could adversely impact the fair value of those investments. Any decreases in the fair value of the Company’s investments could result in future unrealized losses and therefore reduce the Company’s net assets resulting from operations.
For example, if a portfolio company were unable to increase its revenue while the portfolio company’s cost of relevant inputs was increasing, the portfolio company’s profitability likely would suffer, which may impact returns on the Company’s investment therein. Likewise, to the extent a portfolio company has revenue streams that are slow or unable to adjust to changes in inflation, including by contractual arrangements or otherwise, the portfolio company could increase revenue by less than its expenses increase. Conversely, as inflation declines, a portfolio company may see its competitors’ costs stabilize sooner or more rapidly than its own.
The Company is exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates.
Because the Company has borrowed and anticipates that it will continue to borrow money to make investments, the Company’s net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which the Company borrows funds and the rate at which the Company invests those funds. While central banks began cutting their policy interest rates in the latter part of 2024, interest rates remain above recent norms. Changing interest rates could also adversely affect the Company’s performance if such increases cause the Company’s borrowing costs to rise at a rate in excess of the rate that the Company’s investments yield. As a result, the Company can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s net investment income.
Trading prices for debt that pays a fixed rate of return tend to fall as interest rates rise and trading prices tend to fluctuate more for fixed-rate securities that have longer maturities. An increase in interest rates could decrease the value of any investments the Company holds which earn fixed interest rates and also could increase the Company’s interest expense, thereby decreasing the Company’s net income. Conversely, as interest rates decline, borrowers may refinance their loans at lower interest rates, which could shorten the average life of the loans and reduce the associated returns on the investment, as well as require the Advisor to incur significant time and expense to re-deploy the Company’s assets, including on terms that may not be as favorable as the Company’s existing loans.
In periods of rising interest rates, to the extent the Company borrows money subject to a floating interest rate, the Company’s cost of funds would increase, which could reduce the Company’s net investment income. Further, rising interest rates could also adversely affect the Company’s performance if the Company holds investments with floating interest rates, subject to specified minimum interest rates (such as a Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) floor), while at the same time engaging in borrowings subject to floating interest rates not subject to such minimums. In such a scenario, rising interest rates may increase the Company’s interest expense, even though the Company’s interest income from investments is not increasing in a corresponding manner as a result of such minimum interest rates.
If interest rates rise, there is a risk that the portfolio companies in which the Company holds floating rate securities will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with the Company. Rising interest rates could also cause portfolio companies to shift cash from other productive uses to the payment of interest, which may have a material adverse effect on their business and operations and could, over time, lead to increased defaults.
The Company may enter into certain hedging transactions, such as interest rate swap agreements, in an effort to mitigate the Company’s exposure to adverse fluctuations in interest rates and the Company may increase the Company’s floating rate investments to position the portfolio for rate increases. However, the Company cannot assure you that such transactions will be successful in mitigating the Company’s exposure to interest rate risk or if the Company will enter into such interest rate hedges. Hedging transactions may also limit the Company’s ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to the Company’s portfolio investments.
The Company may expose itself to risks if the Company engages in hedging transactions.
The Company may enter into hedging transactions, which may expose the Company to risks associated with such transactions. The Company may utilize instruments such as forward contracts and currency options to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of the Company’s portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates. Use of these hedging instruments may include counterparty credit risk. The fair value (rather than the notional value) of any derivatives the Company enters into will be included in the Company’s calculation of gross assets for purposes of calculating the Management Fee. Additionally, derivatives will be accounted for as realized or unrealized gains (losses) for accounting purposes and could impact the portion of the Incentive Fee based on realized capital gains. As a result, any derivatives the Company enters into that result in realized gains may increase the amount of the fees you will be required to pay the Company.
Hedging against a decline in the values of the Company’s portfolio positions does not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of such positions decline. However, such hedging can establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions may also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions should increase. Moreover, it may not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that is so generally anticipated that the Company is not able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price.
The success of the Company’s hedging transactions will depend on the Company’s ability to correctly predict movements in currencies and interest rates. Therefore, while the Company may enter into such transactions to seek to reduce currency exchange rate and interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates or interest rates may result in poorer overall investment performance than if the Company had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions being hedged may vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, the Company may not seek to (or be able to) establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent the Company from achieving the intended hedge and expose the Company to risk of loss. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge fully or perfectlyagainst currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations.
The Company’s investment portfolio is recorded at fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Directors and, as a result, there is and will be uncertainty as to the value of the Company’s portfolio investments.
There is not a public market or active secondary market for many of the types of investments in privately held companies that the Company holds and makes. As a result, the Company values these investments quarterly at fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with valuation policy and procedures approved by the Board of Directors. In accordance with Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Board of Directors has designated the Advisor to serve as the Valuation Designee. Subject to the oversight of the Board of Directors, the Advisor values the Company’s investments, no less frequently than quarterly, including with the assistance of one or more independent valuation firms. The types of factors that may be considered in determining the fair values of the Company’s investments include the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to publicly traded companies, discounted cash flow, current market interest rates and other relevant factors. In connection with that determination, portfolio company valuations are prepared using different sources, including preliminary valuations obtained from independent valuation firms and/or proprietary models depending on the availability of information and the type of asset being valued, all in accordance with the Advisor’s valuation policy.
The determination of fair value, and thus the amount of unrealized appreciation or depreciation the Company may recognize in any reporting period, is to a degree subjective, and the Advisor has a conflict of interest in fair valuing the Company’s investments, as the Advisor’s Management Fee is based in part on the Company’s gross assets. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, the valuations may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time due to changes in current market conditions. The determinations of fair value in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Directors may differ materially from the values that would have been used if an active market and market quotations existed for such investments. Volatile market conditions could also cause reduced liquidity in the market for certain assets, which could result in liquidation values that are materially less than the values of such assets as reflected in net asset value. The Company’s net asset value could be adversely affected if the determinations regarding the fair value of the investments were materially higher than the values that the Company ultimately realizes upon the disposal of such investments.
Any unrealized depreciation the Company experiences on the Company’s portfolio may be an indication of future realized losses, which could reduce the Company’s income available for distribution.
As a BDC, the Company is required to carry its investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at the fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with procedures established by the Board of Directors. Decreases in the market values or fair values of the Company’s investments relative to amortized cost are recorded as unrealized depreciation. Any unrealized losses in the Company’s portfolio could be an indication of a portfolio company’s inability to meet its repayment obligations to the Company with respect to the affected loans. This could result in realized losses in the future and ultimately in reductions of the Company’s income available for distribution in future periods. In addition, decreases in the market value or fair value of the Company’s investments reduce the Company’s net asset value.
The Company will face competition for investment opportunities, which could delay further investment of the Company’s capital, reduce returns and result in losses.
The Company will compete for investments with other BDCs and investment funds (including registered investment companies, private equity or credit funds and mezzanine funds) and other clients of the Advisor or its affiliates, as well as traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks and other sources of funding. Moreover, alternative investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, continue to increase their investment focus in the Company’s target market of privately owned U.S. companies. The Company may experience increased competition from banks and investment vehicles who may continue to lend to the middle-market. Additionally, the Federal Reserve and other bank regulators may periodically provide incentives to U.S. commercial banks to originate more loans to U.S. upper middle-market private companies. As a result of these market participants and regulatory incentives, competition for investment opportunities in privately owned U.S. companies is strong and may intensify. Many of the Company’s competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial and marketing resources than the Company does. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that are not available to the Company. In addition, some competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments than the Company. These characteristics could allow the Company’s competitors to consider a wider variety of investments, establish more relationships and offer better pricing and more flexible structuring than the Company is able to do.
The Company may lose investment opportunities if the Company does not match the Company’s competitors’ pricing, terms, and investment structure criteria. If the Company is forced to match these competitors’ investment terms, the Company may not be able to achieve acceptable returns on the Company’s investments or may bear substantial risk of capital loss. A significant increase in the number and/or the size of the Company’s competitors in the Company’s target market could force the Company to accept less attractive investment terms. Furthermore, many competitors have greater experience operating under, or are not subject to, the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on the Company as a BDC and/or the source of income, asset diversification and distribution requirements the Company must satisfy to maintain the Company’s RIC tax treatment. The competitive pressures the Company faces, and the manner in which the Company reacts or adjusts to competitive pressures, may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, effective yield on investments, investment returns, leverage ratio, and cash flows. As a result of this competition, the Company may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to time. Also, the Company may not be able to identify and make investments that are consistent with the Company’s investment objective.
The Company, its executive officers, directors and the Advisor, its affiliates and/or any of their respective principals and employees may be the subject of litigation or similar proceedings.
In the ordinary course of its business, the Company, its executive officers, directors and the Advisor, its affiliates and/or any of their respective principals and employees may be subject to litigation from time to time. The outcome of such proceedings may materially adversely affect the value of the Company and may continue without resolution for long periods of time. The Company’s investment activities may include activities that will subject it to the risks of becoming involved in litigation by third parties. Any litigation may consume substantial amounts of the Advisor’s and 5C’s time and attention, and that time and the devotion of these resources to litigation may, at times, be disproportionate to the amounts at stake in the litigation. The adoption of new or the enhancement of existing laws and regulations may further increase the risk of litigation. Any such litigation would likely have a negative financial impact on the Company. For instance, the expense of defendingagainstclaims by third parties and paying any amounts pursuant to settlements or judgments would generally be borne by the Company and would reduce the Company’s net assets. In addition, the recent change in presidential administrations has resulted in leadership changes at a number of U.S. federal regulatory agencies with oversight over the Company’s industry. Any changes or reforms may impose additional costs or result in other limitations on the Company.
The Company is dependent on information systems and systems failures could significantly disrupt the Company’s business, which may, in turn, negatively affect the Company’s liquidity, financial condition or results of operations.
The Company’s business is dependent on the Company’s and third parties’ communications and information systems. Any failure or interruption of those systems, including as a result of the termination of an agreement with any third-party service providers, could cause delays or other problems in the Company’s activities. The Company’s financial, accounting, data processing, portfolio monitoring, backup or other operating systems and facilities may fail to operate properly or become disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors including events that are wholly or partially beyond the Company’s control. There could be:
sudden electrical or telecommunications outages;
natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes;
disease pandemics;
events arising from local or larger scale political or social matters, including terrorist acts;
outages due to idiosyncratic issues at specific service providers; and
cyber-attacks.
These events, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operating results and negatively affect the net asset value of the Company’s Common Stock and the Company’s ability to pay distributions to the Company’s Stockholders.
Additionally, there continues to be significant evolution and developments in the use of artificial intelligence technologies, including generative artificial intelligence. The Company cannot fully determine the impact of such evolving technology at this time.
Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents may adversely affect the Company’s business or the business of the Company’s portfolio companies by causing a disruption to the Company’s operations or the operations of the Company’s portfolio companies, a compromise or corruption of the Company’s confidential information or the confidential information of the Company’s portfolio companies and/or damage to the Company’s business relationships or the business relationships of the Company’s portfolio companies, all of which could negatively impact the business, financial condition and operating results of the Company or the Company’s portfolio companies. In addition, critical infrastructure, including projects and companies in which the Company invests, may attract particular interest from cyber criminals and therefore be the subject of infiltration and attack.
The Company depends heavily upon computer systems to perform necessary business functions. Despite the Company’s implementation of a variety of security measures, the Company’s computer systems, networks, and data, like those of other companies, could be subject to cyber incidents. A cyber incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the information resources of the Company or the Company’s portfolio companies. These incidents may be an intentional attack, such as unauthorized access, use, alteration, or destruction, from physical and electronic break-ins, or unauthorized tampering, or an unintentional event, such as a natural disaster, an industrial accident, failure of the Company’s disaster recovery systems, or employee error. These events could involve gainingunauthorized access to the Company’s information systems or those of the Company’s portfolio companies for purposes of misappropriating assets, stealing confidential information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. The result of these incidents may include disrupted operations, misstated or unreliable financial data, liability for stolen assets or information, regulatory penalties, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, litigation and damage to business relationships, reputational damage, and increased costs associated with mitigation of damages and remediation. As the Company’s and the Company’s portfolio companies’ reliance on technology has increased, so have the risks posed to the Company’s information systems, both internal and those provided by third-party service providers, and the information systems of the Company’s portfolio companies. Cybersecurity risks are also exacerbated by the rapidly increasing volume of highly sensitive data, including the Company’s proprietary business information and intellectual property, personal information of the Advisor’s employees, its Administrator’s employees, their affiliates’ employees, the Company’s investors and others, and other sensitive information that the Company may collect, processes and store. Many jurisdictions have also enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals of data security breaches involving certain types of personal information, with which the Company must comply in the event of a security incident or cyber-attack. The rapid evolution and increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence technologies may also increase the Company’s cybersecurity risks as such attacks are becoming more sophisticated and difficult to detect. The Company has implemented processes, procedures and internal controls to help mitigate cybersecurity risks and cyber intrusions, but these measures, as well as the Company’s increased awareness of the nature and extent of a risk of a cyber-incident, enhanced by artificial technologies, do not guarantee that a cyber-incident will not occur and/or that the Company’s financial results, operations or confidential information will not be negatively impacted by such an incident.
Third parties with which the Company does business may also be sources of cybersecurity or other technological risk. The Company may outsource certain functions and these relationships allow for the storage and processing of the Company’s information, as well as client, counterparty, employee, and borrower information. While the Company engages in actions to reduce the Company’s exposure resulting from outsourcing, ongoing threats may result in unauthorized access, loss, exposure, destruction, or other cybersecurity incidents that adversely affects the Company’s data, resulting in increased costs and other consequences as described above. For that reason, the Company cannot guarantee that third parties and infrastructure in the Company’s partners’ networks have not been compromised or that they do not contain exploitable defects or bugs that could result in a breach of or disruption to the Company’s information technology systems or the third-party information technology systems that support its services. The Company’s ability to monitor these third parties’ information security practices is limited, and they may not have adequate information security measures in place. The costs related to cyber-attacks or other security threats or disruptions may not be fully insured or indemnified by others, including by the Company’s third-party providers.
In addition, cybersecurity has become a priority for regulators in the U.S. and around the world. In February 2022, the SEC proposed, and subsequently delayed the adoption of, new rules related to cybersecurity risk management for registered investment advisers, registered investment companies and business development companies, as well as amendments to certain rules that govern investment adviser and fund disclosures. In July 2023, the SEC also adopted rules requiring public companies to disclose material cybersecurity incidents on Form 8-K and periodic disclosure of a registrant’s cybersecurity risk management, strategy, and governance in annual reports. The rules became effective beginning with annual reports for fiscal years ending on or after December 15, 2023 and beginning with Form 8-Ks on December 18, 2023. In May 2024, the SEC adopted amendments to Regulation S-P, which, beginning in December 2025, require investment companies and SEC-registered investment advisers to adopt written policies and procedures for incident response programs to address unauthorized access to, or use of, customer information, including providing notice to certain individuals affected by any such incident. With the SEC particularly focused on cybersecurity, the Company expects increased scrutiny of the Company’s policies and systems designed to manage cybersecurity risks and related disclosures. The Company also may face increased costs to comply with the new SEC rules, including increased costs for cybersecurity training and management, a portion of which may be allocated to the Company. In addition, the SEC has indicated in recent periods that one of its examination priorities for the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations is to continue to examine cybersecurity procedures and controls, including testing the implementation of these procedures and controls.
Additionally, policies of extended periods of remote working, whether by the Company or the Company’s service providers, could strain technology resources, introduce operational risks and otherwise heighten the risks described above as remote working environments may be less secure and more susceptible to hacking attacks.
Compliance with the privacy laws to which the Company is subject may require the dedication of substantial time and financial resources, and non-compliance with such laws could lead to regulatory action being taken and/or could negatively impact the business, financial condition and operating results of the Company or the Company’s portfolio companies.
The Company and the Company’s portfolio companies, as well as the Advisor and 5C, may be subject to laws and regulations related to privacy, data protection and information security in the jurisdictions in which the Company/they do business, including such laws and regulations as enacted, implemented and amended in the United States, the European Union (the “EU”) (and its member states), and the United Kingdom (the “UK”) (regardless of where the Advisor, 5C, the Company and the Company’s portfolio companies, and their/the Company’s affiliates have establishments) from time to time, including, the General Data Protection Regulation, U.K. Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”), the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (as amended, the “CCPA”) and the New York SHIELD Act (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”). These Privacy Laws and related regulations are quickly evolving and may conflict with one another. Moreover, to the extent that these laws and regulations or the enforcement of the same become more stringent, or if new laws or regulations are enacted, our financial performance or plans for growth may be adversely impacted.
Compliance with the applicable Privacy Laws may require adhering to stringent legal and operational obligations and therefore the dedication of substantial time and financial resources by the Advisor, 5C, the Company and the Company’s portfolio companies, and/or each of their affiliates, which may increase over time (in particular in relation to any transfers of relevant personal data to third parties located in certain jurisdictions). Further, significant actual or potential theft, loss, corruption, exposure, fraudulent use or misuse of investor, employee or other personal information, proprietary business data or other sensitive information, whether by third parties or as a result of employee malfeasance or otherwise, non-compliance with the Company, the Advisor’s contractual or other legal obligations regarding such data or intellectual property or a violation of the Company’s privacy and controls security policies with respect to such data could result in significant investigation, including testing the implementation remediation and other costs, fines, penalties, litigation or regulatory actions against the Company and significant reputational harm, any of these procedures which could harm the Company’s business and controls results of operations.
Further, failure to comply with the Privacy Laws may lead to the Advisor, 5C, the Company and the Company’s portfolio companies, and/or the Company’s affiliates incurring fines and/or suffering other enforcement action or reputational damage. For example, failure to comply with the GDPR, depending on the nature and severity of the breach (and with a requirement on regulators to ensure any enforcement action taken is proportionate), could (in the worst case) attract regulatory penalties up to the greater of: (i) €20 million / £17.5 million (as applicable); and (ii) 4% of an entire group’s total annual worldwide turnover, as well as the possibility of other enforcement actions (such as suspension of processing activities and audits), liabilities from third-party claims.
The Company’s United States operations in particular will be impacted by a growing movement to adopt comprehensive privacy and data protection laws similar to the GDPR, where such laws focus on privacy as an individual right in general. For example, California has passed the CCPA, which took effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA generally applies to businesses that collect personal information about California consumers, and either meet certain thresholds with respect to revenue or buying and/or selling consumers’ personal information. The CCPA imposes stringent legal and operational obligations on such businesses as well as certain affiliated entities that share common branding. The CCPA is enforceable by the California Attorney General. Additionally, if unauthorized access, theft or disclosure of a consumer’s personal information occurs, and the business did not maintain reasonable security practices, consumers could file a civil action (including a class action) without having to prove actual damages. Statutory damages range from $100 to $750 per consumer per incident, or actual damages, whichever is greater. The California Attorney General also may impose civil penalties ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 per violation. Further, California passed the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (the “CPRA”) to amend and extend the protections of the CCPA, effective as of January 1, 2023. The CPRA established a new state agency focused on the enforcement of its privacy laws, which will likely lead to greater levels of enforcement and greater costs related to compliance with the CCPA (and CPRA).
Other states in the United States, have either passed, proposed or are considering similar law and regulations to the GDPR and the CCPA (such as the Nevada Privacy of Information Collected on the Internet from Consumers Act, which became effective on October 1, 2021, and the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act passed March 2, 2021, the Colorado Privacy Act passed on July 8, 2021, the Utah Consumer Privacy Act passed on March 24, 2022, and the Connecticut Data Privacy Act passed on May 10, 2022, all of which became effective in 2023), which could impose similarly significant costs, potential liabilities and operational and legal obligations. Such laws and regulations are expected to vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, thus increasing costs, operational and legal burdens, and the potential for significant liability on regulated entities.
The Company’s business and operations could be adversely affected by developments in artificial intelligence.
The Company may incorporate, directly or through third-party vendors, the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) into the Company’s business and operations, and anticipates that usage and adoption of AI in the marketplace will continue to grow. Notwithstanding any preventative policies that aim to restrict or govern the use of AI, it is possible that AI may be used in contravention of such policies or otherwise misused, and the data and/or outputs of AI could be inaccurate or otherwise flawed or inadequate. It is also possible that use of AI could result in the input of confidential information, and such information subsequently being exposed to other parties, and may be more susceptible to and increase the likelihood of cybersecurity incidents and threats. Such occurrences and events may affect use and reliance on AI, including by organizations connected to the Company and its affiliates, and adversely affect the Company. Any such developments could impede business activities, strategies, or industries that relied on products or services that AI has caused to be noncompetitive or obsolete, including those of organizations connected to the Company and the Company’s affiliates.
Portfolio companies of the Company may operate in industries or rely on products, services, or business models that are materially affected by developments in AI. Rapid AI‑driven changes may render certain portfolio company products or services less competitive or obsolete. If a portfolio company is unable to adapt to such developments or competes against businesses that more effectively leverage AI, it may be adversely affected which could in turn negatively impact the value of the Company’s investments and investment performance.
The legal and regulatory environment relating to AI is uncertain and rapidly evolving, in the U.S. and internationally, and includes regulation targeted specifically at AI, as well as provisions in intellectual property, privacy, consumer protection, employment and other laws applicable to the use of AI. These evolving laws and regulations could require changes in the Company’s implementation of AI, increase the Company’s compliance costs and the risk of non-compliance, and restrict or impede the Company’s ability to develop, adopt and deploy AI efficiently and effectively.
AI and its current and potential future applications, as well as the legal and regulatory frameworks in which they operate, continue to develop, and it is not possible to predict the full extent of current or future risks related thereto or the impact or risk of such evolving technology on the Company’s business at this time.
The Board of Directors may change the Company’s operating policies and strategies without prior notice or Stockholder approval, the effects of which may be adverse to the Company’s Stockholders.
The Board of Directors has the authority to modify or waive current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies without prior notice and without Stockholder approval. However, absent Stockholder approval, the Company may not change the nature of the Company’s business so as to cease to be, or withdraw the Company’s election as, a BDC. The Company cannot predict the effect any changes to current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies would have on the Company’s business, net asset value, operating results and the value of the Company’s securities. However, the effects might be adverse, which could negatively impact the Company’s ability to pay you distributions and cause you to lose all or part of your investment. Moreover, the Company will have significant flexibility in investing the net proceeds of the Company’s Private Offerings and may use the net proceeds from the Company’s Private Offerings in ways with which the Company’s investors may not agree.
The Company may not consummate any Liquidity Event, despite its intention to do so, and may determine to offer its Stockholders the option to restructure their investment, or the Company may be wound down and/or liquidated and dissolved in an orderly manner.
The Company cannot assure prospective investors when the Company will undertake any Liquidity Event, including an Exchange Listing, or that the Company will undertake any Liquidity Event, including an Exchange Listing. If the Company undertakes an Exchange Listing, the Company cannot assure prospective investors of the share price at which such listing would be consummated. If the Company does not consummate any Liquidity Event, the Company may determine to (but shall not be obligated to) offer Stockholders the option to restructure their investment in the Company by either (i) exchanging all or a portion of their shares of Common Stock and any unfunded Capital Commitment in the Company for an interest in a Liquidating Vehicle and/or (ii) exchanging their shares of Common Stock for shares in a newly formed entity that will elect to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act and a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, and which may, among other things, seek to publicly list its shares. Any such restructuring may be predicated upon the Company obtaining an exemptive order from the SEC, as well as applicable approvals from the Board of Directors and/or Stockholders.
While the Company’s term is indefinite, if the Company has not effectuated any aforementioned restructuring and have not consummated any Liquidity Event within the timeline indicated herein, the Board of Directors (subject to any necessary Stockholder approvals and applicable requirements of Maryland law and the 1940 Act) shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to wind down and/or liquidate and dissolve the Company in an orderly manner, subject to any alternative determination by the Company’s Stockholders.
If the Company has not effectuated any aforementioned restructuring and have not consummated any Liquidity Event within the timeline indicated herein, the Company may be required to sell investments at an inopportune time, which could adversely affect the Company’s performance and/or cause the Company to seek to invest in loans with a shorter term than would be the case if the timeline was extended, which might adversely affect the nature and/or quality of the Company’s investments. The liquidation or winding up process may cause the Company’s fixed expenses to increase as a percentage of assets under management. In addition, any proceeds realized by the Company from the sale or repayment of investments could result in an increased concentration of the Company’s portfolio, which could increase the risks associated with ownership of the Company’s Common Stock.
The Company’s business model depends upon the development and maintenance of strong referral relationships with other market participants.
The Company is substantially dependent on the Company’s informal relationships, which the Company uses to help identify and gain access to investment opportunities. If the Company fails to maintain these relationships with key firms, or if the Company fails to establish strong referral relationships with other firms or other sources of investment opportunities, the Company may not be able to grow its portfolio of investments and achieve its investment objective. In addition, persons with whom the Company has informal relationships are not obligated to inform the Company of investment opportunities, and therefore such relationships may not lead to the origination of debt or other investments. Any loss or diminishment of such relationships could effectively reduce the Company’s ability to identify attractive portfolio companies that meet the Company’s investment criteria, either for direct debt investments or secondary transactions.
Certain investors are limited in their ability to make significant investments in the Company.
Investment companies regulated under the 1940 Act are restricted from acquiring directly or through a controlled entity more than 3% of the Company’s total outstanding voting shares (measured at the time of the acquisition), unless these funds comply with an exemption under the 1940 Act as well as other limitations under the 1940 Act that would restrict the amount that they are able to invest in the Company’s securities. Private funds that are excluded from the definition of investment company either pursuant to Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act are also subject to this restriction. As a result, certain investors may be precluded from acquiring additional shares at a time that they might desire to do so.
No stockholder approval is required for certain mergers.
The Board of Directors may be able to undertake to approve mergers between the Company and certain other funds or vehicles. Subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, such mergers will not require stockholder approval so investors will not be given an opportunity to vote on these matters unless such mergers are reasonably anticipated to result in a material dilution of the then current NAV per share of the Company. These mergers may involve funds managed by affiliates of the Advisor.
Uncertainty about U.S. federal initiatives could negatively impact the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.
There is significant uncertainty with respect to legislation, regulation and government policy at the federal, state and local levels. Recent events have created a climate of heightened uncertainty and introduced new and difficult-to-quantify macroeconomic and political risks with potentially far-reaching implications. The change in U.S. presidential administrations has led to changes to U.S. policy that may impact, among other things, the U.S. and global economy, international trade and relations, unemployment, immigration, taxes, healthcare, the U.S. regulatory environment, inflation and other areas. Although the Company cannot predict the impact, if any, of these changes to the Company’s business, they could adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows. Until the Company knows what policy changes are made and how those changes impact the Company’s business and the business of the Company’ s competitors over the long term, the Company will not know the impact of them.
Risks Related to the Advisor and its Affiliates
The Company’s ability to achieve the Company’s investment objective depends on the Advisor’s ability to manage and support the Company’s investment process.
The Company does not have any employees. Additionally, the Company has no internal management capacity other than the Company’s appointed executive officers and is dependent upon the investment expertise, skill and network of business contacts of the Advisor and 5C to achieve the Company’s investment objective. The Advisor evaluates, negotiates, structures, executes, monitors and services the Company’s investments. The Company’s success depends to a significant extent on the continued service and coordination of the Advisor, including its key professionals. See “ Risk Factors—The Advisor relies on key personnel, the loss of any of whom could impair its ability to successfully manage the Company. ” The Advisor will also depend upon investment professionals to obtain access to deal flow generated by 5C.
The Company’s ability to achieve the Company’s investment objective will also depend on the ability of the Advisor to identify, analyze, invest in, finance, and monitor companies that meet the Company’s investment criteria. The Advisor’s capabilities in structuring the investment process and providing competent, attentive and efficient services to the Company depends on the involvement of investment professionals of adequate number and sophistication to match the corresponding flow of transactions. To achieve the Company’s investment objective, the Advisor may need to retain, hire, train, supervise, and manage new investment professionals to participate in the Company’s investment selection and monitoring process. The Advisor may not be able to find qualified investment professionals in a timely manner or at all. Any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. The Advisor may also be called upon to provide managerial assistance to the Company’s portfolio companies. These demands on their time, which will increase as the number of investments grow, may distract them or slow the rate of investment.
In addition, the Investment Advisory Agreement has a termination provision that allows the agreement to be terminated by the Company on 60 days’ notice without penalty by the vote of a Majority of the Outstanding Voting Securities or by the vote of the Company’s Independent Directors. The Investment Advisory Agreement generally may be terminated at any time, without penalty, by the Advisor upon 60 days’ notice to the Company. Furthermore, the Investment Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act, by the Advisor. If the Advisor resigns or is terminated, or if the Company does not obtain the requisite approvals of the Company’s Stockholders and the Board of Directors to approve an agreement with the Advisor after an assignment, the Company may not be able to find a new investment adviser or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms prior to the termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement, or at all. If the Company is unable to do so quickly, the Company’s operations are likely to experience a disruption and costs under any new agreements that the Company enters into could increase. Even if the Company is able to retain comparable management, whether internal or external, the integration of such management and their lack of familiarity with the Company’s investment objective may result in additional costs and time delays. The Company’s financial condition, business and results of operations, as well as the Company’s ability to meet the Company’s payment obligations under any indebtedness and to pay distributions, are likely to be adversely affected, and the value of the Company’s Common Stock may decline.
In addition, the Advisor depends on its relationships with corporations, financial institutions and investment firms, and the Company relies to a significant extent upon these relationships to provide the Company with potential investment opportunities. If the Advisor fails to maintain its existing relationships or develop new relationships or sources of investment opportunities, the Company may not be able to grow the Company’s investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom the Advisor has relationships are not obligated to provide the Company with investment opportunities, and, therefore, there is no assurance that such relationships will generate investment opportunities for the Company.
The Advisor relies on key personnel, the loss of any of whom could impair its ability to successfully manage the Company.
The ability of the Company to achieve its investment objective is highly dependent upon the skills of the Advisor in analyzing, acquiring, originating and managing the Company’s assets. As a result, the Company depends on the experience and expertise of certain individuals associated with the Advisor, any of whom may cease to be associated with the Advisor at any point. The loss of one or more of these individuals could have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Company to achieve its investment objective. In particular, the Company is highly dependent on the involvement of Thomas Connolly and Michael Koester in its investment activities. If both of Messrs. Connolly and Koester fail to remain actively involved in the Company’s investment activities, a Key Person Event will occur. In the event of a Key Person Event, the Company will promptly provide a Key Person Notice to all Stockholders consistent with its obligations under the U.S. federal securities laws, and the Commitment Period of the Company shall be suspended until the earlier of (i) the one hundred twentieth (120th) calendar day following the date that the Key Person Notice is provided and (ii) the Suspension Period; provided, that, during a Suspension Period, a majority of Stockholders may elect to end the Suspension Period (in which case the investment period shall resume immediately following such election).
For the avoidance of doubt, during a Suspension Period, the Company may issue drawdowns or utilize its assets to pay Company expenses, complete investments in certain transactions, including follow-on investments, fund any guaranteed obligations and/or as necessary for the Company to preserve its tax status. The provisions described in this paragraph will not apply upon the effectuation of any Exchange Listing.
In addition, individuals not currently associated with the Advisor may become associated with the Advisor and the performance of the Company may also depend on the experience and expertise of such individuals.
The Advisor has entered into the Resource Sharing Agreement with 5C Investment Partners Advisor, pursuant to which 5C Investment Partners Advisor provides the Advisor with experienced investment professionals and access to the resources of 5C Investment Partners Advisor so as to enable the Advisor to fulfill its obligations under the Investment Advisory Agreement, there can be no assurance that 5C Investment Partners Advisor will perform its obligations under the Resource Sharing Agreement. In addition, the Resource Sharing Agreement may be terminated by either party on 60 days’ notice, which if terminated may have a material adverse consequence on the Company’s operations.
The Company’s fee structure may create a conflict of interest due to the incentives for the Advisor to make speculative investments or use substantial leverage.
The Incentive Fee payable by the Company to the Advisor may create an incentive for the Advisor to make investments on the Company’s behalf that are risky or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangements. These compensation arrangements could affect the Advisor’s or its affiliates’ judgment with respect to investments made by the Company, which allow the Advisor to earn increased Management Fees and Incentive Fees. The way in which the Incentive Fee is determined may encourage the Advisor to use leverage to increase the leveraged return on the Company’s investment portfolio.
In addition, the fact that the Company’s Management Fee is payable based upon the Company’s average gross assets excluding cash and cash equivalents but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts may encourage the Advisor to use leverage to make additional investments. Such a practice could make such investments riskier than would otherwise be the case, which could result in higher investment losses, particularly during cyclical economic downturns. Under certain circumstances, the use of substantial leverage (up to the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act) may increase the likelihood of the Company defaulting on the Company’s borrowings, which would be detrimental to holders of the Company’s securities.
The “catch-up” portion of the Incentive Fee may encourage the Company’s Advisor to accelerate or defer interest payable by portfolio companies from one calendar quarter to another, potentially resulting in fluctuations in timing and dividend amounts.
The Company may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the securities and instruments of other investment companies, including private funds, and, to the extent the Company so invests, bear the Company’s ratable share of any such investment company’s expenses, including management and performance fees. The Company also remains obligated to pay Management Fees and Incentive Fees to the Company’s Advisor with respect to the assets invested in the securities and instruments of other investment companies. With respect to each of these investments, each of the Company’s Stockholders will bear his or her share of the Management Fees and Incentive Fees of the Company’s Advisor as well as indirectly bearing the management and performance fees and other expenses of any investment companies in which the Company invests.
The Advisor and its affiliates may have incentives to favor their respective other funds, accounts and clients over the Company, which may result in conflicts of interest that could be adverse to the Company and the Company’s investment opportunities and harmful to the Company.
The Advisor and its affiliates may, from time to time, manage assets for funds and accounts other than the Company. While the Advisor and its affiliates will seek to manage potential conflicts of interest in good faith, the portfolio strategies employed by the Advisor and its affiliates in managing its other funds and accounts could conflict with the transactions and strategies employed by the Advisor in managing the Company and may affect the prices and availability of investments. The Advisor and its affiliates may, from time to time, give advice and make investment recommendations to other affiliate-managed investment vehicles that differ from advice given to, or investment recommendations made to, the Company, even though their investment objective may be the same or similar to the Company’s. In order to accommodate certain investors that are subject to insurance company regulations, 5C may structure and offer interests or securities in one or more investment vehicles or special purpose entities, including as feeder funds into other 5C Accounts, including the Company (such vehicles referred to as “Specified Funds”). Variance in the terms and portfolio strategies among Specified Funds and other 5C Accounts may present conflicts of interest for the Advisor. For example, the Advisor may be incentivized to make decisions with respect to actual or proposed investments for the benefit of a Specified Fund or the equity or debt investors therein, which decisions may not be aligned with other 5C Accounts. Other affiliate-managed investment vehicles, whether now existing or created in the future, could also compete with the Company for the purchase and sale of investments.
With respect to the allocation of investment opportunities among the Company and other affiliated funds and accounts, the ability of the Advisor to recommend such opportunities to the Company may be restricted by applicable laws or regulatory requirements (including the 1940 Act) and the Advisor will allocate investment opportunities and realization opportunities between the Company and other affiliated funds and accounts in a manner that is consistent with the adopted written investment allocation policies and procedures established by the Advisor and its affiliates, which may be amended from time to time, designed to ensure allocations of opportunities are made over time on a fair and equitable basis. The outcome of any allocation determination by the Advisor and its affiliates may result in the allocation of all or none of an investment opportunity to the Company. 5C’s allocation of investment opportunities among the Company and other affiliated investment funds and accounts in the manner discussed above may not result in proportional allocations, and such allocations may be more or less advantageous to some relative to others.
To the extent the Company and such other funds and accounts invest in the same portfolio investments, actions taken by the Advisor or its affiliates on behalf of such other funds and accounts may be adverse to the Company and the Company’s investments, which could harm the Company’s performance. For example, the Company may invest in the same credit obligations, although, to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the Company’s investments may include different obligations or levels of the capital structure of the same issuer. Such investments may inherently give rise to conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest between or among the various classes of securities that may be held. Conflicts may also arise because portfolio decisions regarding the Company’s portfolio may benefit such funds and accounts. On the other hand, such funds and accounts may pursue or enforce rights with respect to one of the Company’s portfolio companies, and those activities may have an adverse effect on the Company. As a result, prices, availability, liquidity and terms of the Company’s investments may be negatively impacted by the activities of such funds and accounts, and transactions for the Company may be impaired or effected at prices or terms that may be less favorable than would otherwise have been the case.
In addition, a conflict of interest exists to the extent the Advisor, its affiliates, or any of their respective executives, portfolio managers or employees have proprietary or personal investments in other investment companies or accounts or when certain other investment companies or accounts are investment options in the Advisor’s or its affiliates’ employee benefit plans. In these circumstances, the Advisor has an incentive to favor these other investment companies or accounts over the Company. The Board of Directors seeks to monitor these conflicts but there can be no assurances that such monitoring will fully mitigate any such conflicts.
The Advisor and its affiliates may face conflicts of interest with respect to services performed for issuers in which the Company invests and their use of service providers.
Conflicts of interest may exist with respect to the Advisor’s selection of brokers, dealers, transaction agents, counterparties and financing sources for the execution of the Company’s transactions. When engaging these services, the Advisor may, subject to best execution, take into consideration a variety of factors, including, to the extent applicable, the ability to achieve prompt and reliable execution, competitive pricing, transaction costs, operational efficiency with which transactions are effected, access to deal flow and precedent transactions, and the financial stability and reputation of the particular service provider, as well as other factors that the Advisor deems appropriate to consider under the circumstances. Service providers and financing sources may provide other services that are beneficial to the Advisor and their affiliates, but that are not necessarily beneficial to the Company, including capital introductions, other marketing assistance, client and personnel referrals, consulting services, and research-related services. These other services and items may influence the Advisor’s selection of service providers and financing sources.
In addition, the Advisor or an affiliate thereof may exercise its discretion to recommend to a business in which the Company has made an investment, that it contract for services with (i) the Advisor or a related person of the Advisor (which may include a business in which the Company has made an investment); (ii) an entity with which the Advisor or its affiliates and their employees has a relationship or from which the Advisor or its affiliates otherwise derives financial or other benefit, including relationships with joint venturers or co-venturers, or relationships where personnel of the Advisor or its affiliates are seconded, or from which the Advisor or its affiliates receives secondees; or (iii) certain investors (including Stockholders) or their affiliates. Such relationships may influence decisions that the Advisor makes with respect to the Company. Although the Advisor and its affiliates select service providers that it believes are aligned with the Company’s operational strategies and that enhance portfolio company performance and, relatedly, the Company’s returns, the Advisor has a potential incentive to make recommendations because of its or its affiliates’ financial or other business interest. There can be no assurance that no other service provider is more qualified to provide the applicable services or could provide such services at lesser cost.
The Advisor and its affiliates’ personnel will work on other projects and conflicts may arise in the allocation of personnel between the Company and other funds, accounts or projects.
The Company’s Advisor and its affiliates devote such time as they deem necessary to conduct the Company’s business affairs in an appropriate manner. However, the Advisor’s personnel, as well as the personnel of 5C, will work on matters related to other funds and accounts. Employees of affiliates of the Advisor may also serve as directors, or otherwise be associated with, companies that are competitors of businesses in which the Company has made investments. These businesses may also be counterparties or participants in agreements, transactions, or other arrangements with businesses in which other affiliated investment vehicles have made investments that may involve fees and/or servicing payments to the Advisor or its affiliates.
In addition, the Advisor and its affiliates may also, from time to time, employ employees of its affiliates with pre-existing ownership interests in businesses owned by the Company; conversely, former employees of the Advisor and/or its affiliates are expected, from time to time, to serve in significant management roles at businesses or service providers recommended by the Advisor. In such capacity, this may give rise to conflicts to the extent that an employee’s fiduciary duties to such business may conflict with the Company’s interests, but, because the Advisor and/or affiliates will generally have made a significant investment in such business, it is expected that such interests will generally be aligned.
The Company’s access to confidential information may restrict the Company’s ability to take action with respect to some investments, which, in turn, may negatively affect the Company’s results of operations.
The Company, directly or through the Advisor, may obtain confidential information about the companies in which the Company has invested or may invest or be deemed to have such confidential information. The Advisor, including its investment personnel, may come into possession of material, non-public information through its members, officers, directors, employees, principals or affiliates. The possession of such information may, to the Company’s detriment, limit the ability of the Company and the Advisor to buy or sell a security or otherwise to participate in an investment opportunity. In certain circumstances, employees of the Advisor may serve as board members or in other capacities for portfolio or potential portfolio companies, which could restrict the Company’s ability to trade in the securities of such companies. For example, if personnel of the Advisor come into possession of material non-public information with respect to the Company’s investments, such personnel will be restricted by the Advisor’s information-sharing policies and procedures or by law or contract from sharing such information with the Company’s management team, even where the disclosure of such information would be in the Company’s best interests or would otherwise influence decisions taken by the members of the management team with respect to that investment. This conflict and these procedures and practices may limit the freedom of the Advisor to enter into or exit from potentially profitable investments for the Company, which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to fully leverage the resources and industry expertise of the Advisor in the course of its duties. Additionally, there may be circumstances in which one or more individuals associated with the Advisor will be precluded from providing services to the Company because of certain confidential information available to those individuals or to other parts of the Advisor.
The Company is obligated to pay the Advisor an Incentive Fee even if the Company incurs a net loss due to a decline in the value of the Company’s portfolio and even if the Company’s earned interest income is not payable in cash.
The Investment Advisory Agreement entitles the Advisor to receive an Incentive Fee that is based on the Company’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income regardless of any capital losses. In such case, the Company may be required to pay the Advisor an Incentive Fee for a fiscal quarter even if there is a decline in the value of the Company’s portfolio or if the Company incurs a net loss for that quarter.
Any Incentive Fee payable by the Company that relates to Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income may be computed and paid on PIK income. PIK income is included in the Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income used to calculate the incentive fee to the Advisor even though the Company does not receive the income in the form of cash. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan that is structured to provide accrued interest income, it is possible that accrued interest income previously included in the calculation of the Incentive Fee will become uncollectible. The Advisor is not obligated to reimburse the Company for any part of the Incentive Fee it received that was based on accrued interest income that the Company never received as a result of a subsequent default.
The quarterly Incentive Fee on income is recognized and paid without regard to: (i) the trend of Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income as a percent of adjusted capital over multiple quarters in arrears which may in fact be consistently less than the quarterly preferred return, or (ii) the net income or net loss in the current calendar quarter, the current year or any combination of prior periods.
For federal income tax purposes, the Company may be required to recognize taxable income in some circumstances in which the Company does not receive a corresponding payment in cash and to make distributions with respect to such income to maintain the Company’s tax treatment as a RIC and/or minimize corporate-level U.S. federal income or excise tax. Under such circumstances, the Company may have difficulty meeting the Annual Distribution Requirement necessary to maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code. This difficulty in making the required distribution may be amplified to the extent that the Company is required to pay the Incentive Fee on income with respect to such accrued income. As a result, the Company may have to sell some of the Company’s investments at times and/or at prices the Company would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital, or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If the Company is not able to obtain cash from other sources, the Company may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax.
The Company’s ability to enter into transactions with the Company’s affiliates is restricted.
The Company is prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with certain of the Company’s affiliates without the prior approval of a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors and, in some cases, the SEC. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of the Company’s outstanding voting securities will be the Company’s affiliate for purposes of the 1940 Act, and the Company will generally be prohibited from buying or selling any securities from or to such affiliate on a principal basis, absent the prior approval of the Board of Directors and, in some cases, the SEC. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of the Company’s affiliates, including other funds or clients advised by the Advisor or its affiliates, which in certain circumstances could include investments in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or different times to the extent the transaction involves a joint investment), without prior approval of the Board of Directors and, in some cases, the SEC. If a person acquires more than 25% of the Company’s voting securities, the Company will be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such person or certain of that person’s affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC. Similar restrictions limit the Company’s ability to transact business with the Company’s officers or directors or their affiliates or anyone who is under common control with the Company. The SEC has interpreted the BDC regulations governing transactions with affiliates to prohibit certain joint transactions involving entities that share a common investment adviser. As a result of these restrictions, the Company may be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to any portfolio company that is controlled by a fund managed by either of the Advisor or its affiliates without the prior approval of the SEC, which may limit the scope of investment or disposition opportunities that would otherwise be available to the Company.
The Company and certain of the Company’s affiliates have received exemptive relief from the SEC that the Company intends to rely on to permit the Company to co-invest with other funds and accounts managed by the Advisor or its affiliates in a manner consistent with the Company’s investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. Pursuant to such exemptive relief, the Company generally expects to be permitted to co-invest with certain of the Company’s affiliates pursuant to the conditions of the exemptive relief, including that the participants in such co-investment transaction acquire or dispose of the same class of securities, at the same time, for the same price and with the same conversion, financial reporting and registration rights, and with substantially the same other terms. In certain cases where an existing or future investment fund or account managed by 5C or any of its affiliates have a pre-existing investment in an issuer in which the Company and such other investment funds or accounts will co-invest, a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of the Company’s Board of Directors will be required to take steps set forth in Section 57(f) of the 1940 Act, including approving the transaction on the basis that (1) the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid or received, are reasonable and fair to the Company’s Stockholders and do not involve overreaching of the Company or the Company’s Stockholders on the part of any person concerned, (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of the Company’s Stockholders and the Company’s policy as recited in filings made by the Company with the SEC and its reports to Stockholders, and (3) the Board of Directors records in its minutes and preserves in its records a description of the transaction, its findings, the information or materials upon which those findings were based, and the basis for the findings.
In addition to co-investing pursuant to the exemptive relief, the Company may invest alongside affiliates or their affiliates in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with applicable law and current regulatory guidance. For example, the Company may invest alongside such investors consistent with guidance promulgated by the SEC staff permitting the Company and an affiliated person to purchase interests in a single class of privately placed securities so long as certain conditions are met, including that the Company negotiates no terms other than price. The Company may, in certain cases, also make investments in securities owned by affiliates that the Company acquires from non-affiliates. In such circumstances, the Company’s ability to participate in any restructuring of such investment or other transaction involving the issuer of such investment may be limited, and as a result, the Company may realize a loss on such investments that might have been prevented or reduced had the Company not been restricted in participating in such restructuring or other transaction.
In situations when co-investment with the Advisor’s or its affiliates’ other clients is not permitted under the 1940 Act and related rules, existing or future staff guidance, or the terms and conditions of any exemptive relief granted to the Company by the SEC, the Advisor will need to decide which client or clients will proceed with the investment. Generally, the Company will not be entitled to make a co-investment in these circumstances and, to the extent that another client elects to proceed with the investment, the Company will not be permitted to participate. Moreover, except in certain circumstances, the Company will not invest in any issuer in which an affiliate’s other client holds a controlling interest.
The Company may make investments that could give rise to conflicts of interest.
The Company does not expect to invest in, or hold securities of, companies that are controlled by an affiliate and/or an affiliate’s other clients. However, the Advisor or an affiliate’s other clients may invest in, and gain control over, one of the Company’s portfolio companies. If the Advisor or an affiliate’s other client, or clients, gains control over one of the Company’s portfolio companies, it may create conflicts of interest and may subject the Company to certain restrictions under the 1940 Act. As a result of these conflicts and restrictions the Advisor may be unable to implement the Company’s investment strategies as effectively as they could have in the absence of such conflicts or restrictions. For example, as a result of a conflict or restriction, the Advisor may be unable to engage in certain transactions that it would otherwise pursue. In order to avoid these conflicts and restrictions, the Advisor may choose to exit such investments prematurely and, as a result, the Company may forego any positive returns associated with such investments. In addition, to the extent that an affiliate’s other client holds a different class of securities than the Company as a result of such transactions, the Company’s interests may not be aligned.
The recommendations given to the Company by the Advisor may differ from those rendered to its other clients.
The Advisor and its affiliates may, from time to time, give advice and recommend securities to other clients which may differ from advice given to, or securities recommended or bought for, the Company even though such other clients’ investment objectives may be similar to the Company’s, which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Advisor’s liability is limited under the Investment Advisory Agreement, and the Company is required to indemnify the Advisor against certain liabilities, which may lead the Advisor to act in a riskier manner on the Company’s behalf than it would when acting for its own account.
The Advisor will not assume any responsibility to the Company other than to render the services described in the Investment Advisory Agreement, and it will not be responsible for any action of the Board of Directors in declining to follow the Advisor’s advice or recommendations. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Advisor and its directors, officers, stockholders, members, agents, employees, controlling persons, and any other person or entity affiliated with, or acting on behalf of the Advisor is not liable to the Company for their acts under the Investment Advisory Agreement, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence in the performance of their duties. The Company also agrees to indemnify, defend and protect the Advisor and its directors, officers, stockholders, members, agents, employees, controlling persons and any other person or entity affiliated with, or acting on behalf of the Advisor with respect to all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses resulting from acts of the Advisor not arising out of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their duties. However, in accordance with Sections 17(i) and 17(h) of the 1940 Act, neither the Advisor nor any of its affiliates, directors, officers, members, employees, agents, or representatives is protected against any liability to the Company or the Company’s investors to which it would otherwise be subject by reason of willful malfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or recklessdisregard of the duties involved in the conduct of its office. These protections may lead the Advisor to act in a riskier manner when acting on the Company’s behalf than it would when acting for its own account.
Investment by employees of 5C in the Company and/or other 5C Accounts may lead to conflicts of interest.
Employees of 5C, including members of the Investment Committee, are permitted to invest, and at times will invest significantly, in 5C Accounts, including the Company. Such investments can operate to align the interests of 5C and their employees with the interests of the 5C Accounts and their investors, but will also give rise to conflicts of interest as such employees can have an incentive to favor the 5C Accounts in which they participate or from which they are otherwise entitled to share in returns or fees. Further, from time to time, employees of 5C, or members of their families, could have an interest in a particular transaction, or in securities or other financial instruments of the same kind or class, or a different kind or class, of the same obligor or issuer, that 5C directs for a Client, including the Company.
The Advisor’s failure to comply with pay-to-play laws, regulations and policies could have an adverse effect on the Advisor, and thus, the Company.
A number of U.S. states and municipal pension plans have adopted so-called “pay-to-play” laws, regulations or policies which prohibit, restrict or require disclosure of payments to (and/or certain contacts with) state officials by individuals and entities seeking to do business with state entities, including those seeking investments by public retirement funds. The SEC has adopted a rule that, among other things, prohibits an investment adviser from providing advisory services for compensation to a government client for two years after the adviser or certain of its executives or employees makes a contribution to certain elected officials or candidates. If the Advisor or its affiliates or any service provider acting on its behalf, fails to comply with such laws, regulations or policies, such non-compliance could have an adverse effect on the Advisor, and thus, the Company.
There are risks associated with any potential merger with or purchase of assets of another fund.
The Advisor may in the future recommend to the Board of Directors that the Company merge with or acquire all or substantially all of the assets of one or more funds including a fund that could be managed by the Advisor or its affiliates (including another BDC). The Company does not expect that the Advisor would recommend any such merger or asset purchase unless it determines that it would be in the best interest of the Company and the Company’s Stockholders, with such determination dependent on factors it deems relevant, which may include the Company’s historical and projected financial performance and any proposed merger partner, portfolio composition, potential synergies from the merger or asset sale, available alternative options and market conditions. In addition, no such merger or asset purchase would be consummated absent the meeting of various conditions required by applicable law or contract, at such time, which may include approval of the board of directors and equity holders of both funds. If the Advisor is the investment adviser of both funds, various conflicts of interest would exist with respect to any such transaction. Such conflicts of interest may potentially arise from, among other things, differences between the compensation payable to the Advisor by the Company and by the entity resulting from such a merger or asset purchase or efficiencies or other benefits to the Advisor as a result of managing a single, larger fund instead of two separate funds.
The Company’s Administrator can resign from its role as Administrator under the Administration Agreement, and a suitable replacement may not be found, resulting in disruptions that could adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
The Company’s Administrator has the right to resign under the Administration Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice, whether a replacement has been found or not. If the Company’s Administrator resigns, it may be difficult to find a new administrator or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms, or at all. If a replacement is not found quickly, the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition are likely to be adversely affected and the value of the Company’s Common Stock may decline. Even if a comparable service provider or individuals to perform such services are retained, whether internal or external, their integration into the Company’s business and lack of familiarity with the Company’s investment objective may result in additional costs and time delays that may materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
Any sub-administrator that the Administrator engages to assist the Administrator in fulfilling its responsibilities could resign from its role as sub-administrator, and a suitable replacement may not be found, resulting in disruptions that could adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
The Company’s Administrator has the right under the Administration Agreement to enter into one or more sub-administration agreements with Sub-Administrators pursuant to which the Administrator may obtain the services of the Sub-Administrator(s) to assist the Administrator in fulfilling its responsibilities under the Administration Agreement. If any such Sub-Administrator resigns, it may be difficult to find a new Sub-Administrator or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms, or at all. If a replacement is not found quickly, the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition are likely to be adversely affected and the value of the Company’s Common Stock may decline. Even if a comparable service provider or individuals to perform such services are retained, whether internal or external, their integration into the Company’s business and lack of familiarity with the Company’s investment objective may result in additional costs and time delays that may materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
Risks Related to Business Development Companies
Changes in laws or regulations governing the Company’s operations may adversely affect the Company’s business or cause the Company to alter the Company’s business strategy.
The Company and the Company’s portfolio companies are, and will be, subject to regulation at the local, state, and federal levels. Changes to the laws and regulations governing the Company’s permitted investments may require a change to the Company’s investment strategy. Such changes could differ materially from the Company’s strategies and plans as set forth in this Report and may shift the Company’s investment focus from the areas of expertise of the Advisor. Thus, any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations and the value of your investment in the Company.
Regulators are also increasing scrutiny and considering regulation of the use of artificial intelligence technologies, including with respect to uses of artificial intelligence by investment advisors. While comprehensive U.S. regulation has not been enacted to date, various U.S. governmental agencies and departments, including the SEC and Department of the Treasury, have recently released reports or otherwise indicated interest in assessing risks relating to uses of artificial intelligence by businesses such as the Company. Some specific laws governing artificial intelligence have already been passed in certain U.S. states and in the EU. The Company cannot predict what, if any, effects this may have on the Company’s business or the nature of future regulations.
Over the past several years, there also has been increasing regulatory attention to the extension of credit outside of the traditional banking sector, raising the possibility that some portion of the non-bank financial sector may be subject to new regulation. While it cannot be known at this time whether any regulation will be implemented or what form it will take, increased regulation of non-bank lending could be materially adverse to the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company is subject to limited restrictions with respect to the proportion of the Company’s assets that may be invested in a single issuer.
The Company is operating as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that the Company is not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of the Company’s assets that the Company may invest in a single issuer. Beyond the asset diversification requirements associated with the Company’s qualification as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Company does not have fixed guidelines for diversification. While the Company is not targeting any specific industries, the Company’s investments may be focused on relatively few industries. To the extent that the Company holds large positions in a small number of issuers, or within a particular industry, the Company’s net asset value may be subject to greater fluctuation. The Company may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence or a downturn in a particular industry.
The requirement that the Company invest a sufficient portion of the Company’s assets in qualifying assets could preclude the Company from investing in accordance with the Company’s current business strategy; conversely, the failure to invest a sufficient portion of the Company’s assets in qualifying assets could result in the Company’s failure to maintain the Company’s status as a BDC.
As a BDC, the 1940 Act prohibits the Company from acquiring any assets other than certain qualifying assets unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of the Company’s total assets are qualifying assets. In addition, in order to qualify as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Company is required to satisfy certain source-of-income, diversification and distribution requirements. Therefore, the Company may be precluded from investing in what the Company believes are attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets, or if necessary to maintain our status as a RIC. Conversely, if the Company fails to invest a sufficient portion of the Company’s assets in qualifying assets, the Company could lose the Company’s status as a BDC, which would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, these rules could prevent the Company from making additional investments in existing portfolio companies, which could result in the dilution of the Company’s position, or could require the Company to dispose of investments at an inopportune time to comply with the 1940 Act. If the Company were forced to sell non-qualifying investments in the portfolio for compliance purposes, the proceeds from such sale could be significantly less than the then-current value of such investments.
Failure to maintain the Company’s status as a BDC would reduce the Company’s operating flexibility.
If the Company does not remain a BDC, the Company might be regulated as a closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act, which would subject the Company to substantially more regulatory restrictions and correspondingly decrease the Company’s operating flexibility. Furthermore, any failure to comply with the requirements imposed on BDCs by the 1940 Act could cause the SEC to bring an enforcement action against the Company and/or expose the Company to claims of private litigants. In addition, any such failure could cause an event of default under the Company’s future outstanding indebtedness, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.
The Company is subject to corporate-level income tax if the Company is unable to satisfy RIC distribution requirements.
The Annual Distribution Requirement is satisfied if the Company distributes dividends to the Company’s Stockholders each taxable year of an amount generally at least equal to 90% of the Company’s investment company taxable income, determined without regard to the deduction for any dividends paid. The Company is subject to tax on any retained investment company taxable income and/or net capital gains. The Company must also satisfy an additional annual distribution requirement in respect of each calendar year in order to avoid a 4% excise tax on the amount of any under-distribution. The Company is subject to an asset coverage ratio requirement under the 1940 Act and may in the future become subject to restrictions from making distributions necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements. If the Company is unable to obtain cash from other sources, the Company could fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment, or could be required to retain a portion of the Company’s income or gains, and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax.
Regulations governing the Company’s operation as a BDC and RIC affect the Company’s ability to raise capital and the way in which the Company raises additional capital or borrows for investment purposes, which may have a negative effect on the Company’s growth. As a BDC, the necessity of raising additional capital may expose the Company to risks, including risks associated with leverage.
As a result of the Annual Distribution Requirement to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC, the Company may need to access the capital markets periodically to raise cash to fund new investments in portfolio companies. The Company may issue “senior securities,” including borrowing money from banks or other financial institutions only in amounts such that the ratio of the Company’s total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness represented by senior securities) to the Company’s total indebtedness represented by senior securities plus preferred stock, if any, equals at least 150% after such incurrence or issuance. If the Company issues senior securities, the Company will be exposed to risks associated with leverage, including an increased risk of loss. The Company’s ability to issue different types of securities is also limited. Compliance with RIC distribution requirements may unfavorably limit the Company’s investment opportunities and reduce the Company’s ability in comparison to other companies to profit from favorable spreads between the rates at which the Company can borrow and the rates at which the Company can lend. Therefore, the Company intends to seek to continuously issue equity securities, which may lead to Stockholder dilution.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Company is required to recognize taxable income (such as deferred interest that is accrued as OID) in some circumstances in which the Company does not receive a corresponding payment in cash and to make distributions with respect to such income to maintain the Company’s status as a RIC. Under such circumstances, the Company may have difficulty meeting the Annual Distribution Requirement necessary to maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code. This difficulty in making the required distribution may be amplified to the extent that the Company is required to pay an incentive fee with respect to such accrued income. As a result, the Company may have to sell some of the Company’s investments at times and/or at prices the Company would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital, or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If the Company is not able to obtain cash from other sources, the Company may not qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax.
The Company may borrow to fund investments. If the value of the Company’s assets declines, the Company may be unable to satisfy the asset coverage test under the 1940 Act, which would prohibit the Company from paying distributions and could prevent the Company from qualifying for tax treatment as a RIC, which would generally result in a corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on any income and net gains. If the Company cannot satisfy the asset coverage test, the Company may be required to sell a portion of the Company’s investments and, depending on the nature of the Company’s debt financing, repay a portion of the Company’s indebtedness at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous.
In addition, the Company anticipates that as market conditions permit, the Company may securitize the Company’s loans to generate cash for funding new investments. To securitize loans, the Company may create a subsidiary, contribute a pool of loans to the subsidiary and have the subsidiary issue primarily investment grade debt securities to purchasers who would be expected to be willing to accept a substantially lower interest rate than the loans earn. The Company would retain all or a portion of the equity in the securitized pool of loans. The Company’s retained equity would be exposed to any losses on the portfolio of loans before any of the debt securities would be exposed to such losses. The term “subsidiary” includes entities that engage in investment activities in securities or other assets that are primarily controlled by the Company. Further, the Company treats a subsidiary’s assets as assets of the Company for purposes of determining compliance with various provisions of the 1940 Act applicable to the Company, including those relating to investment policies (Section 8), capital structure and leverage (Sections 18 and 61) and affiliated transactions and custody (Sections 17 and 57). The Company would generally expect to consolidate any such subsidiary for purposes of the Company’s financial statements and compliance with the 1940 Act. In addition, the Board of Directors will comply with the provisions of Section 15 of the 1940 Act with respect to a subsidiary’s investment advisory contract, if applicable.
Under the 1940 Act, the Company is generally prohibited from issuing or selling the Company’s shares at a price per share, after deducting selling commissions and dealer manager fees, that is below the Company’s net asset value per share, which may be a disadvantage as compared with other public companies. The Company may, however, sell the Company’s shares, or warrants, options or rights to acquire the Company’s Common Stock, at a price below the current net asset value per share if the Board of Directors, including the Company’s Independent Directors, determine that such sale is in the Company’s best interests and the best interests of the Company’s Stockholders, and the Company’s Stockholders, as well as those Stockholders that are not affiliated with the Company, approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which the Company’s securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of the Board of Directors, closely approximates the fair value of such securities.
Risks Related to the Company’s Investments
The Company’s investments in portfolio companies may be risky, and the Company could lose all or part of the Company’s investments.
The Company primarily invests in U.S.-domiciled upper middle-market companies through direct originations of first lien debt (including stand-alone first lien loans, “unitranche” loans, which are loans that combine both senior and subordinated debt, generally in a first lien position and first lien secured bonds) and, to a lesser extent, second lien debt, unsecured debt and equity or equity-related investments. The companies in which the Company intends to invest are typically highly leveraged, and, in most cases, the Company’s investments in these companies are not rated by any rating agency. If these instruments were rated, the Company believes that they would likely receive a rating of below investment grade (that is, below BBB- or Baa3, which is often referred to as “junk”). Exposure to below investment grade instruments involves certain risks, including speculation with respect to the borrower’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. In addition, some of the loans in which the Company may invest may be “covenant-lite” loans. The Company uses the term “covenant-lite” loans to refer generally to loans that do not have a complete set of financial maintenance covenants. Generally, “covenant-lite” loans provide borrower companies more freedom to negatively impact lenders because their covenants are incurrence-based, which means they are only tested and can only be breached following an affirmative action of the borrower, rather than by a deterioration in the borrower’s financial condition. Accordingly, to the extent the Company invests in “covenant-lite” loans, the Company may have fewer rights against a borrower and may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants. Therefore, the Company’s investments may result in an above-average amount of risk and volatility or loss of principal. The Company also may invest in other assets, including U.S. government securities and structured securities. These investments entail additional risks that could adversely affect the Company’s investment returns. See “ —Risks Related to the Company’s Investments—Investing in upper middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks .”
First Lien Debt . When the Company makes a first lien loan, the Company generally takes a security interest in the available assets of the portfolio company, including the equity interests of its subsidiaries, which the Company expects to help mitigate the risk that the Company will not be repaid. However, there is a risk that the collateral securing the Company’s loans may decrease in value over time, may be difficult to sell in a timely manner, may be difficult to appraise, and may fluctuate in value based upon the success of the business and market conditions, including as a result of the inability of the portfolio company to raise additional capital. In some circumstances, the Company’s lien is, or could become, subordinated to claims of other creditors. Consequently, the fact that a loan is secured does not guarantee that the Company will receive principal and interest payments according to the loan’s terms, or at all, or that the Company will be able to collect on the loan should the Company need to enforce the Company’s remedies. In addition, in connection with the Company’s “last out” first lien loans, the Company enters into agreements among lenders. Under these agreements, the Company’s interest in the collateral of the first lien loans may rank junior to those of other lenders in the loan under certain circumstances. This may result in greater risk and loss of principal on these loans.
Unitranche Loans . Unitranche loans provide leverage levels comparable to a combination of first lien and second lien or subordinated loans, and may rank junior to other debt instruments issued by the portfolio company.
Unitranche loans generally allow the borrower to make a large lump sum payment of principal at the end of the loan term, and there is a heightened risk of loss if the borrower is unable to pay the lump sum or refinance the amount owed at maturity. This may result in greater risk and loss of principal on these loans.
Second Lien Debt . The Company’s investments in second lien debt generally are subordinated to senior loans and will have a junior security interest. As such, other creditors may rank senior to the Company in the event of insolvency. This may result in greater risk and loss of principal.
Unsecured Debt . The Company’s investments in unsecured debt generally are subordinated to senior loans. As such, other creditors may rank senior to the Company in the event of insolvency. This may result in greater risk and loss of principal.
Equity Investments. When the Company invests in first lien debt, second-lien debt or unsecured debt, the Company may acquire equity securities, including common equity securities, warrants, options and/or convertible instruments. The Company seeks to dispose of these equity interests and realize gains upon the Company’s disposition of these interests. However, the equity interests the Company receives may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, the Company may not be able to realize gains from the Company’s equity interests, and any gains that the Company does realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses the Company experiences. Furthermore, the Company may invest in preferred securities, which are subordinated to debt instruments in a company’s capital structure in terms of priority to income and liquidation payments, and therefore are subject to greater risk than more senior debt instruments; and generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company unless preferred dividends have been in arrears for a specified period of time, at which time the preferred security holders may elect a number of directors to the issuer’s board; generally, once all the arrearages have been paid, the preferred security holders no longer have voting rights; furthermore, preferred securities typically include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer. If the Company owns a preferred security that is deferring its distributions, the Company may be required to report income for U.S. federal income tax purposes before the Company receives such distributions.
Non-U.S . Securities . The Company may invest in non-U.S. securities, which may include securities denominated in U.S. dollars or in other currencies, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Because evidence of ownership of such securities usually is held outside the United States, the Company would be subject to additional risks if the Company invested in non-U.S. securities, which include possible adverse political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits and adoption of governmental restrictions, which might adversely affect or restrict the payment of principal and interest on the non-U.S. securities to Stockholders located outside the country of the issuer, whether from currency blockage or otherwise. Because non-U.S. securities may be purchased with and payable in foreign currencies, the value of these assets as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected unfavorably by changes in currency rates and exchange control regulations.
Restructurings . Investments in companies operating in workout or bankruptcy modes present additional legal risks, including fraudulent conveyance, voidable preference and equitable subordination risks. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful investment in companies experiencing significant business and financial difficulties is unusually high. There is no assurance that the Company will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the Company’s loans or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action.
Co-Investments. The Company may make (or commit to make) an investment in a portfolio company with a view to selling a portion of the investment to third-party investors prior to or following the consummation of the investment. In such event, the Company will bear the risk that any or all of the excess portion of such investment may not be sold or may only be sold on unattractive terms, including for example the risk that a portion of the investment will be syndicated at reduced cost, at cost, or at a lower amount at a time when the Advisor believes the value of such investment has appreciated or should be higher than that paid (or willing to be paid) by the acquiring party. As a consequence of a failed syndication process or a syndication on unattractive terms, the Company would be required to (i) bear the entire portion of any break-up or other fees, costs and expenses related to such investment (including the proportionate share of such amounts that were expected to have been borne by the acquiring party), (ii) hold a larger-than-expected investment in such portfolio company, (iii) receive less-than-fair-market value for the syndicated portion of the investment and/or (iv) be diluted or realize lower than expected returns from such investment.
Investing in upper middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks.
Investing in upper middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks, including:
such companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that the Company holds, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of the Company realizing any guarantees the Company may have obtained in connection with the Company’s investment;
such companies may have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns;
such companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons; therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s portfolio company and, in turn, on the Company;
such companies generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position;
there is generally little public information about these companies and their financial information if they are not subject to the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act and other regulations that govern public companies and the Company may be unable to uncover all material information about these companies, which may prevent the Company from making a fully informed investment decision and cause the Company to lose money on the Company’s investments;
the Company’s executive officers, directors and the Advisor may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from the Company’s investments in the portfolio companies; and
such companies may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs, which may limit their ability to grow or to repay their outstanding indebtedness, including any debt securities held by the Company, upon maturity.
Investments in common and preferred equity securities of private companies, many of which are illiquid with no readily available market, involve a substantial degree of risk.
Although equity securities, including common stock, have historically generated higher average total returns than fixed income securities over the long term, equity securities also have experienced significantly more volatility in those returns. The Company’s equity investments may fail to appreciate and may decline in value or become worthless, and the Company’s ability to recover the Company’s investment will depend on the Company’s portfolio company’s success. Investments in equity securities involve a number of significant risks, including:
any equity investment the Company makes in a portfolio company could be subject to further dilution as a result of the issuance of additional equity interests and to serious risks as a junior security that will be subordinate to all indebtedness (including trade creditors) or senior securities in the event that the issuer is unable to meet its obligations or becomes subject to a bankruptcy process;
to the extent that the portfolio company requires additional capital and is unable to obtain it, the Company may not recover the Company’s investment; and
in some cases, equity securities in which the Company invests will not pay current dividends, and the Company’s ability to realize a return on the Company’s investment, as well as to recover the Company’s investment, will be dependent on the success of the portfolio company.
Even if the portfolio company is successful, the Company’s ability to realize the value of the Company’s investment may be dependent on the occurrence of a liquidity event, such as a public offering or the sale of the portfolio company. It is likely to take a significant amount of time before a liquidity event occurs or the Company can otherwise sell the Company’s investment. In addition, the equity securities the Company receives or invests in may be subject to restrictions on resale during periods in which it could be advantageous to sell them.
There are special risks associated with investing in preferred securities, including:
preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer. If the Company owns a preferred security that is deferring its distributions, the Company may be required to report income for tax purposes before the Company receives such distributions;
preferred securities are subordinated to debt in terms of priority to income and liquidation payments, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than debt;
preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as common stock or U.S. government securities; and
generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company, subject to limited exceptions.
Additionally, when the Company invests in debt securities, the Company may acquire warrants or other equity securities as well. The equity interests the Company receives may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, the Company may not be able to realize gains from the Company’s equity interests and any gains that the Company does realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses the Company experiences.
The Company may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the equity securities of investment funds that are operating pursuant to certain exceptions to the 1940 Act and, to the extent the Company so invests, will bear the Company’s ratable share of any such company’s expenses, including management and performance fees. The Company will also remain obligated to pay the Management Fee and Incentive Fee to the Advisor with respect to the assets invested in the securities and instruments of such companies. With respect to each of these investments, each of the Company’s Stockholders will bear his or her share of the Management Fee and Incentive Fee due to the Advisor as well as indirectly bearing the management and performance fees and other expenses of any such investment funds or advisers.
By originating investments to companies that are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties, the Company may be exposed to distressed investing risks.
As part of the Company’s investing activities, the Company may originate investments to companies that are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties, including companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Although the terms of such financing may result in significant financial returns to the Company, they involve a substantial degree of risk. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful financing to companies experiencing significant business and financial difficulties is unusually high. There is no assurance that the Company will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing the Company’s investments or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a company that the Company funds, the Company may lose all or part of the amounts advanced to the issuer or may be required to accept collateral with a value less than the amount of the investment advanced by the Company to the issuer.
The Company may suffer a loss if a portfolio company defaults on a loan and the underlying collateral is not sufficient, or if the portfolio company has debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the Company’s investments.
To attempt to mitigate credit risks, the Company intends to take a security interest in the available assets of the Company’s portfolio companies. There is no assurance that the Company will obtain or properly perfect the Company’s liens.
Where a portfolio company defaults on a secured loan, the Company will only have recourse to the assets collateralizing the loan. There is a risk that the collateral securing the Company’s loans may decrease in value over time, may be difficult to sell in a timely manner, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value based upon the success of the business and market conditions, including as a result of the inability of a portfolio company to raise additional capital. If the underlying collateral value is less than the loan amount, the Company will suffer a loss.
Consequently, the fact that a loan is secured does not guarantee that the Company will receive principal and interest payments according to the loan’s terms, or that the Company will be able to collect on the loan should the Company be forced to enforce the Company’s remedies.
The Company’s portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt in which the Company invests. By their terms, such debt instruments may entitle the holders to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which the Company is entitled to receive payments with respect to the debt instruments in which the Company invests. For example, certain debt investments that the Company will make in portfolio companies will be secured on a second priority lien basis by the same collateral securing senior debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under the agreements governing the debt. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, any holders of debt instruments ranking senior to the Company’s investment in that portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before the Company receives any distribution. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from the sale or sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the debt obligations secured by the first priority or second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. If such proceeds are not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the debt obligations secured by the first priority or second priority liens, then the Company, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the portfolio company’s remaining assets, if any.
In the case of debt ranking equally with debt instruments in which the Company invests, the Company would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company and the Company’s portfolio company may not have sufficient assets to pay all equally ranking credit even if the Company holds senior, first lien debt. Where debt senior to the Company’s loan exists, the presence of intercreditor arrangements may limit the Company’s ability to amend the Company’s loan documents, assign the Company’s loans, accept prepayments, exercise the Company’s remedies (through “standstill” periods) and control decisions made in bankruptcy proceedings relating to the portfolio company.
In addition, the Company may make loans that are unsecured, which are subject to the risk that other lenders may be directly secured by the assets of the portfolio company. In the event of a default, those collateralized lenders would have priority over the Company with respect to the proceeds of a sale of the underlying assets. In cases described above, the Company may lack control over the underlying asset collateralizing the Company’s loan or the underlying assets of the portfolio company prior to a default, and as a result the value of the collateral may be reduced by acts or omissions by owners or managers of the assets.
In the event of bankruptcy of a portfolio company, the Company may not have full recourse to its assets in order to satisfy the Company’s loan, or the Company’s loan may be subject to “equitable subordination.” This means that depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which the Company actually provided significant “managerial assistance,” if any, to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might re-characterize the Company’s debt holding and subordinate all or a portion of the Company’s claim to that of other creditors. Bankruptcy and portfolio company litigation can significantly increase collection losses and the time needed for the Company to acquire the underlying collateral in the event of a default, during such time the collateral may decline in value, causing the Company to sufferlosses.
If the value of collateral underlying the Company’s loan declines or interest rates increase during the term of the Company’s loan, a portfolio company may not be able to obtain the necessary funds to repay the Company’s loan at maturity through refinancing. Decreasing collateral value and/or increasing interest rates may hinder a portfolio company’s ability to refinance the Company’s loan because the underlying collateral cannot satisfy the debt service coverage requirements necessary to obtain new financing. If a borrower is unable to repay the Company’s loan at maturity, the Company could suffer a loss which may adversely impact the Company’s financial performance.
The Company may not be in a position to exercise control over the Company’s portfolio companies or to prevent decisions by management of the Company’s portfolio companies that could decrease the value of the Company’s investments.
The Company does not generally hold controlling equity positions in the Company’s portfolio companies. While the Company is obligated as a BDC to offer to make managerial assistance available to the Company’s portfolio companies, there can be no assurance that management personnel of the Company’s portfolio companies will accept or rely on such assistance. To the extent that the Company does not hold a controlling equity interest in a portfolio company, the Company is subject to the risk that such portfolio company may make business decisions with which the Company disagrees, and the stockholders and management of such portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that are adverse to the Company’s interests. Due to the lack of liquidity for the debt and equity investments that the Company typically holds in the Company’s portfolio companies, the Company may not be able to dispose of the Company’s investments in the event the Company disagrees with the actions of a portfolio company and may therefore suffer a decrease in the value of the Company’s investments.
In addition, the Company may not be in a position to control any portfolio company by investing in its debt securities. As a result, the Company is subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which the Company invests may make business decisions with which the Company disagrees and the management of such company, as representatives of the holders of their common equity, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve the Company’s interests as debt investors.
Certain of the Company’s investments may be adversely affected by laws relating to fraudulent conveyance or voidable preferences, or the Company could become subject to lender liability claims.
Certain of the Company’s investments could be subject to federal bankruptcy law and state fraudulent transfer laws, which vary from state to state, if the debt obligations relating to certain investments were issued with the intent of hindering, delaying or defrauding creditors, if the Company were deemed to have provided managerial assistance to that portfolio company or a representative of 5C or the Advisor sat on the board of directors of such portfolio company, or, in certain circumstances, if the issuer receives less than reasonably equivalent value or fair consideration in return for issuing such debt obligations. If the debt proceeds are used for a buyout of stockholders, this risk is greater than if the debt proceeds are used for day-to-day operations or organic growth. If a court were to find that the issuance of the debt obligations was a fraudulent transfer or conveyance, the court could re-characterize the Company’s debt investment and subordinate all or a portion of the Company’s claim to that of other creditors, void or otherwise refuse to recognize the payment obligations under the debt obligations or the collateral supporting such obligations, or require the Company to repay any amounts received by the Company with respect to the debt obligations or collateral. In the event of a finding that a fraudulent transfer or conveyance occurred, the Company may not receive any repayment on such debt obligations.
In addition, a number of U.S. judicial decisions have upheld judgments obtained by borrowers against lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively termed “lender liability.” Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has violated a duty (whether implied or contractual) of good faith, commercial reasonableness and fair dealing, or a similar duty owed to the borrower or has assumed an excessive degree of control over the borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or stockholders. Because of the nature of the Company’s investments in portfolio companies (including that, as a BDC, the Company may be required to provide managerial assistance to those portfolio companies if they so request upon the Company’s offer), the Company may be subject to allegations of lender liability.
Prepayments of the Company’s debt investments by the Company’s portfolio companies could adversely impact the Company’s results of operations and reduce the Company’s return on equity.
The Company is subject to the risk that the investments the Company makes in the Company’s portfolio companies may be repaid prior to maturity. When this occurs, the Company will generally reinvest these proceeds in temporary investments, pending their future investment in new portfolio companies. These temporary investments will typically have substantially lower yields than the debt being prepaid and the Company could experience significant delays in reinvesting these amounts. Any future investment in a new portfolio company may also be at lower yields than the debt that was repaid. As a result, the Company’s results of operations could be materially adversely affected if one or more of the Company’s portfolio companies elect to prepay amounts owed to the Company. Additionally, prepayments, net of prepayment fees, could negatively impact the Company’s return on equity. This risk will be more acute when interest rates decrease, as the Company may be unable to reinvest at rates as favorable as when the Company made the Company’s initial investment.
If the Company cannot obtain debt financing or equity capital on acceptable terms, the Company’s ability to acquire investments and to expand the Company’s operations will be adversely affected.
Drawdowns that will reduce the unfunded Capital Commitments of Stockholders and the net proceeds from the Company’s investments and the Private Offering will be used for the Company’s investment opportunities, and, if necessary, the payment of operating expenses (which include, without limitation, compliance or regulatory filings or reports (including, without limitation, any filings or reports contemplated by the UK Alternative Investment Fund Managers Regulations 2013/1773, and retained and amended from time to time (the “AIFMD”), Swiss Qualified Investors as defined under the Swiss Collective Investment Schemes Act dated June 23, 2006 (as amended), including any law, rule or regulation relating to the implementation thereof (the “CISA”), the Swiss Financial Services Act 2018 (as amended), including any law, rule or regulation relating to the implementation thereof (the “FinSA”), the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 (“SFDR”), the EU Taxonomy Regulation (EU) 2020/852 (as required) or any law, rule or regulation relating to the implementation thereof, or any other similar law, rule or regulation in any relevant jurisdiction (other than those classified as organizational expenses) and the appointments or changes of any depositary appointed pursuant to the AIFMD and other administrative or similar services (including, without limitation, the appointments or changes of a Swiss representative and paying agent pursuant to the CISA and the FinSA)) and the payment of various fees and expenses such as Management Fee, Incentive Fee, other expenses and distributions. Any working capital reserves the Company maintains may not be sufficient for investment purposes, and the Company may require additional debt financing or equity capital to operate. Pursuant to tax rules that apply to RICs, the Company is required to distribute at least 90% of the Company’s net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, to the Company’s Stockholders. Accordingly, in the event that the Company needs additional capital in the future for investments or for any other reason the Company may need to access the capital markets periodically to issue debt or equity securities or borrow from financial institutions in order to obtain such additional capital. These sources of funding may not be available to the Company due to unfavorable economic conditions, which could increase the Company’s funding costs, limit the Company’s access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to the Company. Consequently, if the Company cannot obtain further debt or equity financing on acceptable terms, the Company’s ability to acquire additional investments and to expand the Company’s operations will be adversely affected. As a result, the Company would be less able to diversify the Company’s portfolio and achieve the Company’s investment objective, which may negatively impact the Company’s results of operations and reduce the Company’s ability to make distributions to the Company’s Stockholders.
The effect of global climate change may impact the operations of the Company’s portfolio companies.
There may be evidence of global climate change. Climate change creates physical and financial risk and some of the Company’s portfolio companies may be adversely affected by climate change. For example, the needs of customers of energy companies vary with weather conditions, primarily temperature and humidity. To the extent weather conditions are affected by climate change, energy use could increase or decrease depending on the duration and magnitude of any changes. Increases in the cost of energy could adversely affect the cost of operations of the Company’s portfolio companies if the use of energy products or services is material to their business. A decrease in energy use due to weather changes may affect some of the Company’s portfolio companies’ financial condition through, for example, decreased revenues. Extreme weather conditions in general require more system backup, adding to costs, and can contribute to increased system stresses, including service interruptions. Additionally, various regulatory and voluntary initiatives launched by international, federal, state, and regional policymakers and regulatory authorities, as well as private actors, which seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may expose businesses to so-called “transition risks” in addition to physical risks (changes in weather and climate patterns), including: (i) political and policy risks; (ii) regulatory and litigation risks; (iii) technology and market risks and (iv) reputational risks. These may include, for example, changing legal requirements that could result in increased tax and compliance costs, changes in business operations, the discontinuance of certain operations, or risks tied to changing investor, customer or community perceptions of an asset’s relative contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
The Company’s portfolio companies may be highly leveraged.
Some of the Company’s portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, which may have adverse consequences to these companies and to the Company as an investor. These companies may be subject to restrictive financial and operating covenants and the leverage may impair these companies’ ability to finance their future operations and capital needs. As a result, these companies’ flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions and to take advantage of business opportunities may be limited. Further, a leveraged company’s income and net assets will tend to increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money were not used.
The Company’s investments in non-U.S. companies may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.
The Company’s investment strategy contemplates potential investments in securities of non-U.S. companies to the extent permissible under the 1940 Act. Investing in non-U.S. companies may expose the Company to additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These risks include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of non-U.S. taxes (potentially at confiscatory levels), less liquid markets, less available information than is generally the case in the United States, higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility. These risks are likely to be more pronounced for investments in companies located in emerging markets and particularly for middle-market and upper middle-market companies in these economies.
Although most of the Company’s investments are, and are expected to be denominated in U.S. dollars, the Company’s investments that are denominated in other currencies will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency will change in relation to the U.S. dollar. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation and political developments. The Company may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but the Company cannot assure you that such strategies will be effective or without risk to the Company.
In addition, interest income derived from loans to foreign companies is not eligible to be distributed to the Company’s non-U.S. Stockholders free from withholding taxes.
The market structure applicable to derivatives imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFTC and the SEC may affect the Company’s ability to use over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives for hedging purposes.
Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFTC and the SEC have issued rules to implement broad new regulatory requirements and broad new structural requirements applicable to OTC derivatives markets and, to a lesser extent, listed commodity futures (and futures options) markets. Similar changes are in the process of being implemented in other major financial markets.
Engaging in OTC derivatives or other commodity interest transactions such as futures contracts or options on futures contracts may cause the Company to fall within the definition of “commodity pool” under the Commodity Exchange Act and related CFTC regulations. The Advisor has claimed relief from CFTC registration and regulation as a commodity pool operator with respect to the Company’s operations, with the result that the Company is limited in the Company’s ability to use futures contracts or options on futures contracts or engage in such OTC derivatives transactions. Specifically, the Company is subject to strict limitations on using such derivatives other than for hedging purposes, whereby the use of derivatives not used solely for hedging purposes is generally limited to situations where (i) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish such positions does not exceed five percent of the liquidation value of the Company’s portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such contracts the Company has entered into; or (ii) the aggregate net notional value of such derivatives does not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Company’s portfolio. The Company intends to operate in a manner to be able to rely on the exclusion from the definition of commodity pool operator provided in Rule 4.5 under the Commodity Exchange Act.
The Dodd-Frank Act also imposed requirements relating to real-time public and regulatory reporting of OTC derivative transactions, enhanced documentation requirements, position limits on an expanded array of commodity-based transactions, recordkeeping requirements, mandatory margining of certain OTC derivatives and mandatory central clearing and swap execution facility (“SEF”) execution of certain OTC derivatives. At present, certain interest rate derivatives and index credit derivatives are subject to mandatory central clearing and SEF execution. Taken as a whole, these changes could significantly increase the cost of using OTC derivatives to hedge risks, including interest rate and foreign exchange risk; reduce the level of exposure the Company is able to obtain for risk management purposes through OTC derivatives (including as the result of the CFTC imposing position limits on additional products); reduce the amounts available to the Company to make non-derivatives investments; impair liquidity in certain OTC derivatives; and adversely affect the quality of execution pricing obtained by the Company, all of which could adversely impact the Company’s investment returns.
The Company’s ability to enter into transactions involving derivatives and financial commitment transactions may be limited.
Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act impacts the ability of a BDC (or a registered investment company) to use derivatives and other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations (including reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions). In accordance with Rule 18f-4, BDCs that use derivatives and certain other related instruments and do not qualify as a “limited derivatives user” are subject to a value-at-risk leverage limit, a derivatives risk management program and testing requirements and requirements related to board reporting. The Company intends to operate and qualify as a “limited derivatives user” and has adopted compliance policies to monitor the Company’s derivatives exposure in accordance with Rule 18f-4.
The Company may enter into long and short positions in all types of swaps, including rate of return swaps, credit default swaps and interest rate swaps. OTC credit default swaps are bilateral agreements between two parties that transfer a defined credit risk from one party to another.
Derivatives transactions, like other financial transactions, involve a variety of significant risks. The specific risks presented by a particular derivative transaction necessarily depend upon the terms of the transaction and the Company’s circumstances. In general, however, all derivative transactions involve some combination of market risk, credit risk, counterparty credit risk, funding risk, liquidity risk and operational risk. Highly customized swap transactions in particular may increase liquidity risk. Highly leveraged transactions generally experience substantial gains or losses in value as a result of relatively small changes in the value or level of an underlying or related market factor. In evaluating the risks and contractual obligations associated with a particular swap transaction, it is important to consider that a swap transaction generally is modified or terminated only by mutual consent of the original parties and subject to agreement on individually negotiated terms. Therefore, it may not be possible for the Company to modify, terminate or offset the Company’s obligations under a swap or the Company’s exposure to the risks associated with a swap prior to its scheduled termination date.
As noted herein, the Company may enter into transactions involving privately negotiated off-exchange derivative instruments, including other derivative instruments. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular derivative instrument at any particular time, including for those derivative instruments that were originally categorized as liquid at the time they were acquired by the Company. In volatile markets, the Company may not be able to close out a position without incurring a significant amount of loss. Although OTC derivative instruments are designed to be tailored to meet particular financing needs and, therefore, typically provide more flexibility than exchange-traded products, the risk of illiquidity is also greater as these instruments can generally be closed out only by negotiation with the other party to the instrument. OTC derivative instruments, unlike exchange-traded instruments, are not guaranteed by an exchange or clearinghouse, and thus are generally subject to greater credit risks. In addition, the Company may not be able to convince its counterparty to consent to an early termination of an OTC derivative contract or may not be able to enter into an offsetting transaction to effectively unwind the transaction. Such OTC derivative contracts generally are not assignable except by agreement between the parties concerned, and a counterparty typically has no obligation to permit such assignments. Even if the Company’s counterparty agrees to early termination of such OTC derivatives at any time, doing so may subject the Company to certain early termination charges.
The Company may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. When the Company enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, the Company will sell an asset and concurrently agree to repurchase such asset (or an equivalent asset) at a date in the future at a price roughly equal to the original purchase price plus a negotiated interest rate. In the event of the insolvency of the counterparty to a repurchase agreement or reverse repurchase agreement, recovery of the repurchase price owed to the Company or, in the case of a reverse repurchase agreement, the assets sold by the Company, may be delayed. Because reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be the practical equivalent of borrowing funds, they constitute a form of leverage and may impact the amount of leverage available to the Company as a BDC. If the Company reinvests the proceeds of a reverse repurchase agreement at a rate lower than the cost of the agreement, entering into the agreement may adversely affect the Company’s returns.
Defaults by the Company’s portfolio companies could jeopardize a portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity investments that the Company holds which could harm the Company’s operating results.
A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by the Company or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its debt financing and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize a portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity investments that the Company holds. The Company may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants, with a defaulting portfolio company.
As part of the Company’s lending activities, the Company may in certain opportunistic circumstances originate loans to companies that are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties, including companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Any such investment would involve a substantial degree of risk. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a company that the Company funds, the Company may lose all or part of the amounts advanced to the borrower or may be required to accept collateral with a value less than the amount of the loan advanced by the Company to the borrower. In addition, to the extent the Company invests in “covenant-lite” loans, the Company may have fewer rights against a borrower. See “— Risks Related to the Company’s Investments—The Company’s investments in portfolio companies may be risky, and the Company could lose all or part of the Company’s investments. ”
An investment strategy focused primarily on a limited number of privately held companies presents certain challenges, including the lack of available information about these companies and subjects the Company to risk of significant loss if there is a downturn in a particular industry or industries.
The Company invests primarily in privately held companies. Investments in private companies pose certain incremental risks as compared to investments in public companies including that they:
have reduced access to the capital markets, resulting in diminished capital resources and ability to withstand financial distress;
may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt obligations that the Company holds, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of the Company realizing any guarantees the Company may have obtained in connection with the Company’s investment;
may have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and changing market conditions, as well as general economic downturns;
are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons and, therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on the company and, in turn, on the Company; and
generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence, and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position.
In addition, investments in private companies tend to be less liquid. The securities of private companies are not publicly traded or actively traded on the secondary market and are, instead, traded on a privately negotiated OTC secondary market for institutional investors. These OTC secondary markets may be inactive during an economic downturn or a credit crisis and in any event often have lower volumes than publicly traded securities even in normal market conditions. In addition, the securities in these companies will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than publicly traded securities. If there is no readily available market for these investments, the Company is required to carry these investments at fair value as determined by the Board of Directors. As a result, if the Company is required to liquidate all or a portion of the Company’s portfolio quickly, the Company may realize significantly less than the value at which the Company had previously recorded these investments. Additionally, the lack of available information about the Company’s investments could impact the ability to value the Company’s investments. The Company may also face other restrictions on the Company’s ability to liquidate an investment in a portfolio company to the extent that the Company, the Advisor or any of its affiliates have material nonpublic information regarding such portfolio company or where the sale would be an impermissible joint transaction under the 1940 Act. The reduced liquidity of the Company’s investments may make it difficult for the Company to dispose of them at a favorable price, and, as a result, the Company may sufferlosses.
Finally, little public information generally exists about private companies and these companies may not have third-party credit ratings or audited financial statements. The Company must therefore rely on the ability of the Advisor to obtain adequate information through due diligence to evaluate the creditworthiness and potential returns from investing in these companies, and to monitor the activities and performance of these investments. To the extent that the Company (or other clients of the Advisor) may hold a larger number of investments, greater demands will be placed on the Advisor’s time, resources and personnel in monitoring such investments, which may result in less attention being paid to any individual investment and greater risk that the Company’s investment decisions may not be fully informed. Additionally, these companies and their financial information will not generally be subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other rules that govern public companies. If the Company is unable to uncover all material information about these companies, the Company may not make a fully informed investment decision, and the Company may lose money on the Company’s investments.
Beyond the asset diversification requirements associated with the Company’s qualification as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Company does not have fixed guidelines for diversification. While the Company is not targeting any specific industries, the Company’s investments may at times, be concentrated, including, for example during ramp-up or harvest periods in which the number of portfolio companies in which the Company has invested is limited. As a result, the aggregate returns the Company realizes may be significantly adversely affected if a small number of investments perform poorly or if the Company needs to write down the value of any one investment. Additionally, a downturn in any particular industry in which the Company has material investments could significantly affect the Company’s aggregate returns. For example, as of December 31, 2025, the Company’s investments in companies operating in the software industry accounted for 29.9% of its total investments, based on fair value.
Certain investment analyses and decisions by the Advisor may be required to be undertaken on an expedited basis.
Investment analyses and decisions by the Advisor may be required to be undertaken on an expedited basis to take advantage of certain investment opportunities. While the Company generally does not seek to make investments until the Advisor has conducted sufficient due diligence to make a determination as to the acceptability of the credit quality of the investment and the underlying issuer, in such cases, the information available to the Advisor at the time of making an investment decision may be limited. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the Advisor will have knowledge of all circumstances that may adversely affect an investment. In addition, the Advisor may rely upon independent consultants in connection with its evaluation of proposed investments. No assurance can be given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by such independent consultants and the Company may incur liability as a result of such consultants’ actions, many of whom the Company will have limited recourse against in the event of any such inaccuracies.
The Company may not have the funds or ability to make additional investments in the Company’s portfolio companies.
After the Company’s initial investment in a portfolio company, the Company may be called upon from time to time to provide additional funds to such company or have the opportunity to increase the Company’s investment through the exercise of a warrant or other right to purchase common stock. There is no assurance that the Company will make, or will have sufficient funds to make, follow-on investments. Even if the Company does have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, the Company may elect not to make a follow-on investment because the Company may not want to increase the Company’s level of risk, the Company prefers other opportunities, the Company is limited in the Company’s ability to do so by compliance with BDC requirements, in order to maintain the Company’s RIC status, or otherwise. The Company’s ability to make follow-on investments may also be limited by the Advisor’s allocation policies. Any decision not to make a follow-on investment or any inability on the Company’s part to make such an investment may have a negative impact on a portfolio company in need of such an investment, may result in a missedopportunity for the Company to increase the Company’s participation in a successful investment or may reduce the expected return to the Company on the investment.
The prices of the debt instruments and other securities in which the Company invests may decline substantially.
For reasons not necessarily attributable to any of the risks set forth herein (for example, supply/demand imbalances or other market forces), the prices of the debt instruments and other securities in which the Company invests may decline substantially. In particular, purchasing debt instruments or other assets at what may appear to be “undervalued” or “discounted” levels is no guarantee that these assets will not be trading at even lower levels at a time of valuation or at the time of sale, if applicable. It may not be possible to predict, or to hedge against, such “spread widening” risk. Additionally, the perceived discount in pricing from previous environments described herein may still not reflect the true value of the assets underlying debt instruments in which the Company invests.
Because the Company’s business model in the future may depend to an extent upon relationships with private equity sponsors and intermediaries, the inability of the Advisor and/or its affiliates to maintain or develop these relationships, or the failure of these relationships to generate investment opportunities, could adversely affect the Company’s business.
If the Advisor and/or its affiliates fail to maintain their existing relationships or develop new relationships with sponsors or other sources of investment opportunities, the Company may not be able to grow the Company’s investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom the Advisor and/or its affiliates have relationships are not obligated to provide the Company with investment opportunities, and, therefore, there is no assurance that such relationships will generate investment opportunities for the Company.
The credit ratings of certain of the Company’s investments may not be indicative of the actual credit risk of such rated instruments.
Although the Company’s investments are not rated by rating agencies, the Company expects that some investments will be rated instruments. Rating agencies rate debt securities based upon their assessment of the likelihood of the receipt of principal and interest payments. Rating agencies do not consider the risks of fluctuations in market value or other factors that may influence the value of debt securities. Therefore, the credit rating assigned to a particular instrument may not fully reflect the true risks of an investment in such instrument. Credit rating agencies may change their methods of evaluating credit risk and determining ratings. These changes may occur quickly and often. While the Company may give some consideration to ratings, ratings may not be indicative of the actual credit risk of the Company’s investments in rated instruments.
The Company may be found liable for unfunded pension liabilities of its portfolio companies in certain circumstances.
In at least one federal circuit court of appeals, a court found that, in certain circumstances, an investment company could be treated as a “trade or business” for purposes of determining pension liability under the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). Therefore, where an investment company owns 80% or more (or, possibly, under certain circumstances, less than 80%) of a portfolio company, such company (and any other 80%-owned portfolio companies of such investment company) might be found liable for certain pension liabilities of such a portfolio company to the extent the portfolio company is unable to satisfy such liabilities. The Company may, from time to time, own an 80% or greater interest in a portfolio company that has unfunded pension fund liabilities. If the Company (or other 80%-owned portfolio companies of the Company) were deemed to be liable for such pension liabilities, this could have a material adverse effect on the operations of the Company and the companies in which the Company invests. This discussion is based on current court decisions, statutes and regulations regarding control group liability under ERISA as in effect as of the date of this Report, which may change in the future as the case law and guidance develops.
To the extent OID and PIK interest income constitute a portion of the Company’s income, the Company will be exposed to risks associated with the deferred receipt of cash corresponding to such income.
The Company’s investments may include OID and PIK instruments. To the extent OID and PIK constitute a portion of the Company’s income, the Company will be exposed to risks associated with such income being required to be included in income for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP and taxable income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:
OID instruments may have unreliable valuations because the accruals require judgments about collectability or deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral;
OID instruments may create heightened credit risks because the inducement to the borrower to accept higher interest rates in exchange for the deferral of cash payments typically represents, to some extent, speculation on the part of the borrower;
For U.S. GAAP purposes, cash distributions to Stockholders that include a component of OID income do not come from paid-in capital, although they may be paid from the offering proceeds. Thus, although a distribution of OID income may come from the cash invested by the Stockholders, the 1940 Act does not require that stockholders be given notice of this fact;
The presence of OID and PIK creates the risk of non-refundable cash payments to the Advisor in the form of Incentive Fees on income based on non-cash OID and PIK accruals that may never be realized; and
In the case of PIK, “toggle” debt, which gives the issuer the option to defer an interest payment in exchange for an increased interest rate in the future, the PIK election has the simultaneous effect of increasing the investment income, thus increasing the potential for realizing Incentive Fees.
The Company may not be able to realize expected returns on the Company’s invested capital.
The Company may not realize expected returns on the Company’s investment in a portfolio company due to changes in the portfolio company’s financial position or due to an acquisition of the portfolio company. If a portfolio company repays the Company’s loans prior to their maturity, the Company may not receive the Company’s expected returns on the Company’s invested capital. Many of the Company’s investments are structured to provide a disincentive for the borrower to pre-pay or call the security, but this call protection may not cover the full expected value of an investment if that investment is repaid prior to maturity.
Middle-market companies operate in a highly acquisitive market with frequent mergers and buyouts. If a portfolio company is acquired or merged with another company prior to drawing on the Company’s commitment, the Company would not realize the Company’s expected return. Similarly, in many cases companies will seek to restructure or repay their debt investments or buy the Company’s other equity ownership positions as part of an acquisition or merger transaction, which may result in a repayment of debt or other reduction of the Company’s investment.
The Company is subject to risks relating to portfolio company fraud or misrepresentations.
Of paramount concern in originating loans is the possibility of fraud, including the material misrepresentation or omission on the part of portfolio companies, their affiliates or guarantors. Such inaccuracy or incompleteness may adversely affect the valuation of the collateral underlying a loan or may adversely affect the ability of the Company or its affiliates to perfect or effectuate a lien on the collateral securing a loan. The Company or its affiliates will rely upon the accuracy and completeness of representations made by portfolio companies, their affiliates or guarantors to the extent reasonable but cannot guarantee such accuracy or completeness.
Any acquisition or strategic investment that the Company pursues is subject to risks and uncertainties.
The Company has pursued and may continue to pursue growth through acquisitions or strategic investments in new businesses. Completion and timing of any such acquisitions or strategic investments may be subject to a number of contingencies, including the uncertainty in reaching a commercial agreement with the Company’s counterparty, the Company’s ability to obtain required approvals from the Board of Directors, Stockholders and/or regulators, as well as any required financing (or the risk that these are obtained subject to terms and conditions that are not anticipated). The announcement or consummation of any transaction also may adversely impact the Company’s business relationships or engender competitive responses.
Acquisitions could involve numerous additional risks, such as unanticipatedlitigation, unexpected costs, liabilities, charges or expenses resulting from a transaction, the inability to generate sufficient revenue to offset acquisition costs and any changes in general economic or industry specific conditions. There can be no assurance that the integration of an acquired business will be successful or that an acquired business will prove to be profitable or sustainable. The failure to integrate successfully or to manage the challenges presented by an integration process may adversely impact the Company’s financial results. In addition, the proposal and negotiation of acquisitions or strategic investments, whether or not completed, as well as the integration of those businesses into the Company’s existing portfolio, could result in substantial expenses and the diversion of the Company’s Advisor’s time, attention and resources from the Company’s day-to-day operations.
The Company’s ability to manage the Company’s growth through acquisitions or strategic investments will depend, in part, on the Company’s success in addressing these risks. Any failure to effectively implement the Company’s acquisition or strategic investment strategies could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.
The Company cannot guarantee that the Company is, or will be able to, obtain various required licenses in U.S. states or in any other jurisdiction where they may be required in the future.
The Company may be required to obtain various state licenses to, among other things, originate commercial loans, and may be required to obtain similar licenses from other authorities, including outside of the United States, in the future in connection with one or more investments. Applying for and obtaining required licenses can be costly and take several months. The Company cannot assure investors that the Company maintains or will obtain all of the licenses that the Company needs on a timely basis. The Company also is subject to various information and other requirements to maintain and obtain these licenses, and the Company cannot assure investors that the Company will satisfy those requirements. The Company’s failure to maintain or obtain licenses that the Company requires, now or in the future, might restrict investment options and have other adverse consequences.
Credit funds have been the subject of increasing regulatory focus at the international and regional level.
Credit funds have been the subject of increasing regulatory focus at international and regional level. To the extent that the Company is engaged in lending activity, it may be subject to restrictions on its activities and be obliged to comply with regulatory reporting and disclosure requirements in accordance with the EU’s plans to implement a Directive to amend AIFMD (referred to as “AIFMD II”) and/or other future regulatory initiatives. This may impact upon the activities and/or returns of the Company, lead to additional costs and expenses, and/or require the commitment of additional resources.
The International Organisation of Securities Commissions (“IOSCO”) and the Financial Stability Board (“FSB”) have called on regulators to consider issues arising from the rapid growth in private finance, including in relation to systemic risk, transparency, leverage, liquidity, and conflicts of interest. It is likely that regulators will continue to focus on the credit funds sector and may introduce further regulatory requirements in the future.
From 2026, AIFMD II will introduce rules in respect of funds that originate loans, including in relation to (a) leverage limits, (b) liquidity requirements for open-ended loan-originating funds, (c) a limit on exposure to a single financial institution, (d) a prohibition on lending to certain entities and/or individuals that may give rise to conflicts of interest, (e) a ban on ‘originate-to-distribute’ strategies, (f) a risk retention requirement, (g) mandatory disclosures and reporting, and (h) policies and procedures for loan origination.
It is not yet confirmed whether or not the AIFMD II requirements in respect of funds originating loans will apply to non-EEA AIFMs. The Company may or may not, therefore, be required to comply with the AIFMD II restrictions on funds originating loans. If the Company is required to comply with the AIFMD II restrictions, this could affect the Company’s investment portfolio, require the implementation of policies and procedures for loan origination, and lead to an increase in the resources and costs necessary for compliance.
Securitisation Regulations.
To the extent the Company is actively marketed to investors domiciled or having their registered office in the European Economic Area (“EEA”) or the UK, the EU Securitisation Regulation, including as implemented and retained by the UK following its departure from the EU and amended from time to time, may prohibit the Company from acquiring securitization positions which do not comply with the EU’s risk retention criteria, where the securities / instruments of such securitizations were issued on or after 1 January 2019. The EU’s or UK’s risk retention criteria for securitizations may not be aligned with the criteria for securitizations under the laws of other jurisdictions, where such laws exist, including under U.S. law. This could result in the Company being prohibited from acquiring positions in certain securitizations or similar structures, whether originated in the EU or UK or otherwise, notwithstanding that such transactions would otherwise be permitted in accordance with the Company’s investment strategy / restrictions.
Risks Related to the Private Placement of Common Stock
Stockholders are obligated to fund drawdowns and may need to maintain a substantial portion of their Capital Commitments in assets that can be readily converted to cash.
Stockholders are obligated to fund drawdowns to purchase shares of Common Stock based on their Capital Commitment. To satisfy such obligations, Stockholders may need to maintain a substantial portion of their Capital Commitments in assets that can be readily converted to cash. Failure by a Stockholder to timely fund its Capital Commitment may result in some of its shares of Common Stock being forfeited or subject the Stockholder to other remedies available to the Company, as set forth in further detail in the form of Subscription Agreement attached as an exhibit to this Report. Failure of a Stockholder to contribute their Capital Commitments could also cause the Company to be unable to realize the Company’s investment objective. A default by a substantial number of Stockholders or by one or more Stockholders who have made substantial Capital Commitments would limit the Company’s opportunities for investment or diversification and would likely reduce the Company’s returns.
Stockholders who default on their Capital Commitments to the Company will be subject to significant adverse consequences.
The Subscription Agreement provides for significant adverse consequences in the event a Stockholder defaults on its Capital Commitment to the Company. In addition to losing its right to participate in future drawdowns, a defaulting Stockholder may be forced to transfer its shares of Common Stock to a third party for a price that is less than the net asset value of such shares of Common Stock.
Certain Stockholders may have to comply with 1934 Act filing requirements.
Because the Common Stock is registered under the 1934 Act, ownership information for any person who beneficially owns 5% or more of the Common Stock has to be disclosed in a Schedule 13G, Schedule 13D or other filings with the SEC. Beneficial ownership for these purposes is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and includes having voting or investment power over the securities. In some circumstances, Stockholders who choose to reinvest their distributions may see their percentage stake increased to more than 5%, thus triggering this filing requirement. Each Stockholder is responsible for determining their filing obligations and preparing the filings. In addition, Stockholders who hold more than 10% of a class of the Company’s equity securities may be subject to Section 16(b) of the 1934 Act, which recaptures for the benefit of the Company’s profits from the purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of registered stock within a six-month period.
If investors domiciled or having their registered office in the UK or the European Economic Area participate in the private placement, the Company may be subject to additional reporting, regulatory and compliance obligations pursuant to the AIFMD.
The AIFMD regulates the activities of certain private fund managers undertaking fund management activities or marketing fund interests to investors in the EEA and the UK respectively.
To the extent the Company is actively marketed to investors domiciled, residing or having their registered office in the EEA or the UK: (i) the Company and the Advisor will be subject to certain reporting, disclosure and other compliance obligations under the AIFMD, which will result in the Company incurring additional costs and expenses; (ii) the Company and the Advisor may become subject to additional regulatory or compliance obligations arising under national law in certain EEA jurisdictions or the UK, which would result in the Company incurring additional costs and expenses or may otherwise affect the management and operation of the Company; (iii) the Advisor will be required to make detailed information relating to the Company and its investments available to regulators and third parties; and (iv) the AIFMD will also restrict certain activities of the Company in relation to EEA or UK portfolio companies, including, in some circumstances, the Company’s ability to recapitalize, refinance or potentially restructure a portfolio company within the first two years of ownership, which may in turn affect operations of the Company generally. In addition, it is possible that some jurisdictions will elect to restrict or prohibit the marketing of non-EEA funds to investors based in EEA jurisdictions, which may make it more difficult for the Company to raise its targeted amount of Capital Commitments.
AIFMD II will impose obligations including: (i) minimum substance considerations that EU regulators will need to take into account during the AIFM authorization process; (ii) enhanced requirements around delegation, including additional reporting requirements in relation to delegation arrangements; (iii) new requirements applying to AIFMs managing funds that originate loans; (iv) increased investor pre-contractual disclosure requirements, notably around fees and charges; and (v) a prohibition on non-EU AIFMs and AIFs established in jurisdictions identified as “high risk” countries under the European Anti-Money Laundering Directive (as amended) or the revised EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions. The final text of AIFMD II was published in the Official Journal of the EU in March 2024, with AIFMD II due to be implemented by EU Member States from 2026. It is possible that AIFMD II may require additional costs, expenses and/or resources, as well as restricting or prohibiting certain activities, including in relation to loan-originating funds and managers or funds established in jurisdictions outside the EU identified as having anti-money laundering and/or tax failings.
The Advisor or its affiliates may provide information regarding the Company and the shares of Common Stock to UK or EEA investors who have contacted the Advisor, its affiliates or its placement agent at the investor’s own initiative to request such information. Where information is provided in response to an own-initiative request by a prospective Investor, such Investor will not benefit from any protections or rights under the AIFMD in respect of any resulting subscription for the shares of Common Stock in the Company.
Risks Related to the Company’s Common Stock
Investing in the Company’s Common Stock involves a high degree of risk.
The investments the Company makes in accordance with the Company’s investment objective may result in a higher amount of risk than alternative investment options, including volatility or loss of principal. The Company’s investments in portfolio companies may be highly speculative and aggressive and, therefore, an investment in the Company’s Common Stock may not be suitable for someone with lower risk tolerance.
The amount of any distributions the Company may make on the Company’s Common Stock is uncertain. The Company may not be able to pay distributions, or be able to sustain distributions at any particular level, and the Company’s distributions per share, if any, may not grow over time, and the Company’s distributions per share may be reduced. The Company has not established any limit on the extent to which the Company may use borrowings, if any, and the Company may use offering proceeds to fund distributions (which may reduce the amount of capital the Company ultimately invests in portfolio companies).
Subject to the Board of Directors’ discretion and applicable legal restrictions, the Board of Directors intends to authorize, and the Company intends to declare, cash distributions on a quarterly basis and pay such distributions on a quarterly basis. The Company expects to pay distributions out of assets legally available for distribution. However, the Company cannot assure you that the Company will achieve investment results that will allow the Company to make a consistent level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. The Company’s ability to pay distributions might be adversely affected by, among other things, the impact of one or more of the risk factors described herein. In addition, the inability to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to the Company as a BDC may limit the Company’s ability to pay distributions. Distributions from offering proceeds also could reduce the amount of capital the Company ultimately invests in debt or equity securities of portfolio companies. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend on the Company’s earnings, the Company’s financial condition, maintenance of the Company’s RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations and Maryland law and such other factors as the Board of Directors may deem relevant from time to time. The Company cannot assure you that the Company will pay distributions to the Company’s Stockholders in the future.
The Company’s shares are not listed on an exchange or quoted through a quotation system and will not be listed for the foreseeable future, if ever. Therefore, the Company’s Stockholders will have limited liquidity.
The Company’s shares are illiquid investments for which there is not a secondary market nor is it expected that any such secondary market will develop in the future. The Company’s Common Stock is not registered under the 1933 Act, or any state securities law and is restricted as to transfer by law. Pursuant to the terms of the Subscription Agreement, Stockholders generally may not sell, assign or transfer their shares without prior written consent of the Advisor, which the Advisor may grant or withhold in its sole discretion. Except in limited circumstances for legal or regulatory purposes, Stockholders are not entitled to redeem their shares of the Company’s Common Stock. Stockholders must be prepared to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Company for an indefinite period of time.
The Company intends to effect an Exchange Listing, as determined by the Advisor in its sole discretion within seven years of the Initial Closing, subject to an additional one-year extension with the approval of the Board of Directors, and subject to future market conditions. The Company may also pursue one or more Liquidity Events within seven years of the Initial Closing, subject to an additional one-year extension with the approval of the Board of Directors, as determined by the Advisor in its sole discretion. While the Company intends to effect a Liquidity Event, there can be no assurance that any Liquidity Event, including an Exchange Listing, will be successfully completed. The Company does not know at this time what circumstances will exist in the future and therefore the Company does not know what factors the Board of Directors will consider in determining whether to conduct any Liquidity Event.
If the Company does undertake an Exchange Listing, the Company cannot assure you a public trading market will develop or, if one develops, that such trading market can be sustained. Shares of companies offered in an initial public offering often trade at a discount to the initial offering price due to underwriting discounts and related offering expenses. Also, shares of closed-end investment companies and BDCs frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies is separate and distinct from the risk that the Company’s net asset value per share of Common Stock may decline. The Company cannot predict whether the Company’s Common Stock, if listed on a national securities exchange, will trade at, above or below net asset value. Each Stockholder acknowledges and agrees in the Subscription Agreement that, following an Exchange Listing, if any, the Stockholder shall be restricted from selling or disposing its shares of the Company by applicable securities laws or contractually by a lock-up agreement with the underwriters of any Exchange Listing, or similar institutions, acting on the Company’s behalf, in connection with an Exchange Listing.
A Stockholder’s interest in the Company will be diluted if the Company issues additional shares, which could reduce the overall value of an investment in the Company.
The Company’s Stockholders have no preemptive rights to purchase any shares the Company issues in the future. The Charter authorizes the Company to issue up to 5,000,000,000 shares of Common Stock and 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share. Pursuant to the Charter, a majority of the Company’s entire Board of Directors may amend the Charter to increase or decrease the number of shares of Common Stock the Company may issue without Stockholder approval. The Board of Directors may elect to sell additional shares in the future or issue equity interests in private offerings. To the extent the Company issues additional shares of Common Stock at or below net asset value, your percentage ownership interest in the Company may be diluted. In addition, depending upon the terms and pricing of any additional offerings and the value of the Company’s investments, you may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of your shares.
Under the 1940 Act, the Company generally is prohibited from issuing or selling the Company’s Common Stock at a price below net asset value per share, which may be a disadvantage as compared with certain public companies. The Company may, however, sell the Company’s Common Stock, or warrants, options, or rights to acquire the Company’s Common Stock, at a price below the current net asset value of the Company’s Common Stock if the Board of Directors, including a majority of the Independent Directors, determines that such sale is in the Company’s best interests and the best interests of the Company’s Stockholders, and the Company’s Stockholders, including a majority of those Stockholders that are not affiliated with the Company, approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which the Company’s securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of the Board of Directors, closely approximates the fair value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). If the Company raises additional funds by issuing Common Stock or securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, the Company’s Common Stock, then the percentage ownership of the Company’s Stockholders at that time will decrease and you will experience dilution. Depending on the terms and pricing of such offerings and the value of the Company’s investments, you may also experience dilution in the net asset value and fair value of your shares of the Company’s Common Stock.
Certain provisions of the Charter and actions of the Board of Directors could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the value of shares of the Company’s Common Stock.
The Charter, as well as certain statutory and regulatory requirements, contain certain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging a third party from attempting to acquire the Company. The Board of Directors is divided into three classes of directors with each class holding office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of Stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election and until their successors are duly elected and qualify, which could prevent Stockholders from removing a majority of directors in any given election. The Board of Directors may, without Stockholder action, authorize the issuance of shares in one or more classes or series, including shares of preferred stock; and the Board of Directors may, without Stockholder action, amend the Charter to increase or decrease the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock, of any class or series, that the Company will have authority to issue. The Board of Directors also has the exclusive power to alter, amend or repeal the Company’s Bylaws. These anti-takeover provisions may inhibit a change of control in circumstances that could give the holders of shares of the Company’s Common Stock the opportunity to realize a premium over the value of shares of the Company’s Common Stock.
The net asset value of the Company’s Common Stock may fluctuate significantly.
The net asset value of the Company’s Common Stock may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control and may not be directly related to the Company’s operating performance. These factors include:
changes in the value of the Company’s portfolio of investments and derivative instruments as a result of changes in market factors, such as interest rate shifts, and also portfolio specific performance, such as portfolio company defaults, among other reasons;
changes in regulatory policies or tax guidelines, particularly with respect to RICs or BDCs;
loss of RIC tax treatment or BDC status;
distributions that exceed the Company’s net investment income and net income as reported according to U.S. GAAP;
changes in earnings or variations in operating results;
changes in accounting guidelines governing valuation of the Company’s investments;
any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors;
departure of the Advisor or certain of its key personnel;
general economic trends and other external factors; and
loss of a major funding source.
Stockholders will experience dilution in their ownership percentage if they do not elect to reinvest their distributions.
All distributions declared in cash payable to Stockholders will generally be automatically reinvested in shares of the Company’s Common Stock, unless otherwise elected by the Stockholder. As a result, Stockholders that do not elect to reinvest their distributions will experience dilution over time.
The existence of a large number of outstanding shares and Stockholders prior to an Exchange Listing could negatively affect the Company’s stock price.
The ability of the Company’s Stockholders to liquidate their investments is limited. If the Company were to conduct an Exchange Listing in the future, a large volume of sales of the Company’s Common Stock could decrease the prevailing market prices of the Company’s Common Stock and could impair the Company’s ability to raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities in the future. The ability of the Company’s Stockholders to liquidate their investments would be limited during any lock-up period; however, the mere perception of the possibility of these sales could depress the market price of the Company’s Common Stock and have a negative effect on the Company’s ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, anticipated downward pressure on the Company’s Common Stock price due to actual or anticipated sales of Common Stock from this market overhang could cause some institutions or individuals to engage in short sales of the Company’s Common Stock, which may itself cause the price of the Company’s stock to decline.
If the Company issues preferred stock or convertible debt securities, the net asset value of the Company’s Common Stock may become more volatile.
The Company cannot assure you that the issuance of preferred stock and/or convertible debt securities would result in a higher yield or return to the Company’s Stockholders. The issuance of preferred stock, debt securities or convertible debt would likely cause the net asset value of the Company’s Common Stock to become more volatile. If the dividend rate on the preferred stock, or the interest rate on the convertible debt securities, were to approach the net rate of return on the Company’s investment portfolio, the benefit of such leverage to the holders of the Company’s Common Stock would be reduced. If the dividend rate on the preferred stock, or the interest rate on the convertible debt securities, were to exceed the net rate of return on the Company’s portfolio, the use of leverage would result in a lower rate of return to the holders of Common Stock than if the Company had not issued the preferred stock or convertible debt securities. Any decline in the net asset value of the Company’s investment would be borne entirely by the holders of the Company’s Common Stock. Therefore, if the market value of the Company’s portfolio were to decline, the leverage would result in a greater decrease in net asset value to the holders of the Company’s Common Stock than if the Company were not leveraged through the issuance of preferred stock or debt securities. This decline in net asset value would also tend to cause a greaterdecline in the market price, if any, for the Company’s Common Stock.
There is also a risk that, in the event of a sharp decline in the value of the Company’s net assets, the Company would be in danger of failing to maintain required asset coverage ratios, which may be required by the preferred stock or convertible debt, or the Company’s current investment income might not be sufficient to meet the dividend requirements on the preferred stock or the interest payments on the debt securities. In order to counteract such an event, the Company might need to liquidate investments in order to fund the redemption of some or all of the preferred stock, debt securities or convertible debt. In addition, the Company would pay (and the holders of the Company’s Common Stock would bear) all costs and expenses relating to the issuance and ongoing maintenance of the preferred stock, convertible debt, or any combination of these securities. Holders of preferred stock or convertible debt may have different interests than holders of Common Stock and may at times have disproportionate influence over the Company’s affairs.
Holders of the Company’s Preferred Stock have rights and preferences that could adversely affect holders of the Company’s Common Stock, including the right to elect certain members of the Board of Directors and class voting rights on certain matters.
The Company’s shares of Preferred Stock rank senior to all classes or series of shares of Common Stock and will rank on parity with any other class or series of preferred stock created in the future, with respect to dividend and redemption rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company. As required by the 1940 Act, the holders of Preferred Stock are entitled as a class to elect two directors at all times and to elect a majority of the directors if dividends on such preferred stock are in arrears by two years or more, until such arrearage is eliminated. In addition, certain matters under the 1940 Act require the separate vote of the holders of any issued and outstanding preferred stock, including changes in fundamental investment restrictions and conversion to open-end status and, accordingly, holders of Preferred Stock could veto any such changes. Restrictions imposed on the declarations and payment of distributions or dividends, as applicable, to the holders of the Company’s Common Stock and Preferred Stock, both by the 1940 Act and by requirements imposed by rating agencies, might impair the Company’s ability to maintain the Company’s tax treatment as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Shares of our Preferred Stock carry a dividend rate of 12.0% per annum of the liquidation preference ($3,000.00 per share), and therefore, the Company’s ability to pay dividends on shares of Common Stock may be impaired by the Company’s obligations to the holders of the preferred stock.
The Company intends to use leverage in the form of the issuance of the Preferred Stock, and may in the future issue additional series of preferred stock, though it has no intention to do so.
Stockholders will likely have conflicting interests with respect to their investments in the Company.
Stockholders will likely have conflicting investment, tax, and other interests with respect to their investments in the Company, including conflicts relating to the structuring of loans and investment acquisitions and dispositions. As a consequence, conflicts will from time to time arise in connection with decisions made by the Advisor regarding an investment that may be more beneficial to one Stockholder than another, especially with respect to tax matters. The results of the Company’s investment activities will affect individual Stockholders differently, depending on their different situations. In structuring and completing investments, the Advisor generally will consider the investment and tax objectives of the Company and its Stockholders as a whole, not the investment, tax, or other objectives of any Stockholder individually. Thus, there can be no assurance that the structure of the Company or any of its investments will be tax efficient for any particular Stockholder or that any particular tax result will be achieved. In particular, the risk of Stockholders being subject to tax inefficiencies, including taxation under controlled foreign corporation rules in their jurisdiction, withholding tax or other taxation that may arise if certain requirements are not met, or tax timing disadvantages as a result of their participation in the Company may occur and will depend on the individual tax circumstances of each Stockholder.
The Company’s Bylaws provide that, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, state and federal courts in the State of Maryland are the sole and exclusive forum for certain Stockholder litigation matters, which could limit the Company’s Stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with the Company or the Company’s directors and officers. However, these exclusive forum provisions do not apply to claims arising under the federal securities laws.
The Company’s Bylaws provide that, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, other than any action arising under federal securities laws, the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any Internal Corporate Claim, as such term is defined in the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”), (b) any derivative action or proceeding brought on the Company’s behalf, (c) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any of the Company’s directors, officers or agents to the Company or to the Stockholders, (d) any action asserting a claim against the Company or any of the Company’s directors, officers or agents arising pursuant to any provision of the MGCL, the Charter or the Bylaws, or (e) any other action asserting a claim against the Company or any of the Company’s directors, officers or agents that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division. None of the foregoing actions, claims or proceedings may be brought in any court sitting outside the State of Maryland unless the Company consents in writing to such court. This exclusive forum provision, which does not apply to claims arising under the federal securities laws, may limit a Stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum it finds favorable for disputes with the Company and the Company’s directors and officers or may cause a Stockholder to incur additional expense by having to bring a claim in a judicial forum that is distant from where the Stockholder resides, or both. In addition, if a court were to find this exclusive forum provision to be inapplicable or unenforceable in a particular action, the Company may incur additional costs associated with resolving the action in another jurisdiction, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Federal Income Tax
The Company cannot predict how tax reform legislation will affect the Company, the Company’s investments, or the Company’s Stockholders, and any such legislation could adversely affect the Company’s business.
All statements contained herein concerning the U.S. federal income tax (or other tax) consequences of an investment in the Company are based on existing law and interpretations thereof. Changes in U.S. federal income tax (and other) tax laws could materially affect the tax consequences of a Stockholder’s investment in the Company, the tax treatment of the Company’s investments and the Company’s ability to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. U.S. and other tax legislation may be enacted in the future, and administrative tax guidance may also be issued in the future, in each case possibly with retroactive effect. While certain changes in tax laws may be beneficial, others could significantly and negatively affect the Company’s ability to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC or the U.S. federal income tax consequences to the Company and the Company’s Stockholders of such qualification, or could have other adverse consequences. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the currently anticipated tax consequences of an investment in the Company, or of the Company’s investments, will not be modified by legislative, judicial or administrative changes, including with retroactive effect. Stockholders are urged to consult with their tax advisor regarding tax legislative, regulatory, or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in the Company’s securities.
The Company will be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax if the Company is unable to continue to qualify for and maintain the Company’s tax treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code or if the Company makes investments through taxable subsidiaries.
Qualification and taxation as a RIC depends upon the Company’s ability to satisfy on a continuing basis, through actual, annual operating results, distribution, income and asset, and other requirements imposed under the Code. No assurance can be given that the Company will be able to meet the complex and varied tests required to qualify as a RIC or to avoid corporate level U.S. federal income tax. In addition, because the relevant laws may change, compliance with one or more of the RIC requirements may be impossible or impracticable. As of the date hereof, to continue to qualify for and maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code, the Company must satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, the 90% Income Test and the Diversification Tests described below. See “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
The Annual Distribution Requirement for a RIC will be satisfied if the Company distributes to the Company’s Stockholders on an annual basis at least 90% of the Company’s “investment company taxable income,” which is generally the Company’s net ordinary income plus the excess, if any, of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses. In addition, a RIC may, in certain cases, satisfy the 90% distribution requirement by disbursing distributions relating to a taxable year after the close of such taxable year under the “spillback dividend” provisions of Subchapter M. The Company would be taxed, at regular corporate rates, on retained income and/or gains, including any short-term capital gains or long-term capital gains. Because the Company may use debt financing, the Company is subject to (i) an asset coverage ratio requirement under the 1940 Act and may, in the future, be subject to (ii) certain financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict the Company from making distributions necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements. If the Company is unable to obtain cash from other sources, or choose to, or are required to, retain a portion of the Company’s taxable income or gains, the Company could (1) be required to pay income and/or excise taxes or (2) fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment, and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax on all the Company’s taxable income (including gains) regardless of whether or not such income and gains are distributed to Stockholders.
The 90% Income Test will be satisfied if the Company obtains at least 90% of the Company’s annual income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale of stock or securities, net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership,” or other income derived from the business of investing in stock or securities.
The Diversification Tests will be satisfied if the Company meets certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of the Company’s taxable year. Specifically, at least 50% of the value of the Company’s assets must consist of cash, cash-equivalents (including receivables), U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other acceptable securities if such securities or any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of the Company’s assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer; and no more than 25% of the value of the Company’s assets can be invested in the securities, other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer, of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable Code rules, by the Company and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or of certain “qualified publicly traded partnerships.” Failure to meet these requirements may result in the Company’s having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of the Company’s investments will be in private companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses.
If the Company fails to continue to qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce the Company’s net assets, the amount of income available for distribution, and the amount of the Company’s distributions, if any. Such a failure would likely have a material adverse effect on the Company and the Company’s Stockholders.
The Company may invest in certain debt and equity investments through taxable subsidiaries and the net taxable income of these taxable subsidiaries will be subject to federal and state corporate income taxes. The Company may invest in certain foreign debt and equity investments which could be subject to foreign taxes (such as income tax, withholding, and value added taxes).
The Company may have difficulty paying the Company’s required distributions if the Company recognizes income before or without receiving cash representing such income.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Company may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which the Company does not receive a corresponding payment in cash. For example, if the Company holds debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having OID (such as debt instruments or preferred equity with PIK, secondary market purchases of debt securities at a discount to par, interest or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or debt instruments that were issued with warrants), the Company must include in income each year a portion of the OID that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by the Company in the same taxable year. The Company may also have to include in income other amounts that the Company has not yet received in cash, such as unrealized appreciation for foreign currency forward contracts and deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock. Furthermore, the Company may invest in non-U.S. corporations (or other non-U.S. entities treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that could be treated under the Code and U.S. Treasury regulations as “passive foreign investment companies” and/or “controlled foreign corporations.” The rules relating to investment in these types of non-U.S. entities are designed to ensure that U.S. taxpayers are either, in effect, taxed currently (or on an accelerated basis with respect to corporate-level events) or taxed at increased tax rates at distribution or disposition. In certain circumstances this could require the Company to recognize income where the Company does not receive a corresponding payment in cash.
Unrealized appreciation on derivatives, such as foreign currency forward contracts, may be included in taxable income while the receipt of cash may occur in a subsequent period when the related contract expires. Any unrealized depreciation on investments that the foreign currency forward contracts are designed to hedge are not currently deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This can result in increased taxable income whereby the Company may not have sufficient cash to pay distributions or the Company may opt to retain such taxable income and pay a 4% excise tax. In such cases the Company could still rely upon the “spillback provisions” to maintain RIC tax treatment.
The Company anticipates that a portion of the Company’s income may constitute OID or other income required to be included in taxable income prior to receipt of cash. Further, the Company may elect to amortize market discounts with respect to debt securities acquired in the secondary market and include such amounts in the Company’s taxable income in the current year, instead of upon disposition, as an election not to do so would limit the Company’s ability to deduct interest expenses for tax purposes. Because any OID or other amounts accrued will be included in the Company’s investment company taxable income for the year of the accrual, the Company may be required to make a distribution to the Company’s Stockholders in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, even if the Company will not have received any corresponding cash amount. As a result, the Company may have difficulty meeting the Annual Distribution Requirement necessary to maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code. The Company may have to sell some of the Company’s investments at times and/or at prices the Company would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital, make a partial share distribution, or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If the Company is not able to obtain cash from other sources, and choose not to make a qualifying share distribution, the Company may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax.
The tax treatment of a non-U.S. Stockholder in its jurisdiction of tax residence will depend entirely on the laws of such jurisdiction, and may vary considerably from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Depending on (i) the laws of such non-U.S. Stockholder’s jurisdiction of tax residence, (ii) how the Company, its investments and/or any other investment vehicles through which the Company directly or indirectly invests are treated in such jurisdiction, and (iii) the activities of any such entities, an investment in the Company could result in such non-U.S. Stockholder recognizing adverse tax consequences in its jurisdiction of tax residence, including (a) with respect to any generally required or additional tax filings and/or additional disclosure required in such filings in relation to the treatment for tax purposes in the relevant jurisdiction of an interest in the Company, its investments and/or any other investment vehicles through which the Company directly or indirectly invests and/or of distributions from such entities and any uncertainties arising in that respect (such entities not being established under the laws of the relevant jurisdiction); (b) the possibility of taxable income significantly in excess of cash distributed to a non-U.S. Stockholder, and possibly in excess of the Company’s actual economic income; (c) the possibilities of losing deductions or the ability to utilize tax basis and of sums invested being returned in the form of taxable income or gains, and (d) the possibility of being subject to tax at unfavorable tax rates. A non-U.S. Stockholder may also be subject to restrictions on the use of its share of the Company’s deductions and losses in its jurisdiction of tax residence. Each prospective investor is urged to consult its own tax advisors with respect to the tax and tax filing consequences, if any, in its jurisdiction of tax residence of an investment in the Company, as well as any other jurisdiction in which such prospective investor is subject to taxation.
Non-U.S. Stockholders may be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax on dividends the Company pays.
Distributions of the Company’s “investment company taxable income” to a non-U.S. Stockholder that are not effectively connected with the non-U.S. Stockholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States will generally be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax, currently at a 30% rate (or lower rate provided by an applicable income tax treaty), to the extent paid out of the Company’s current or accumulated earnings and profits.
Certain properly reported distributions are generally exempt from withholding of U.S. federal income tax where they are paid in respect of the Company’s (i) “qualified net interest income” (generally, the Company’s U.S.-source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the Company or the non-U.S. Stockholder are at least a 10% equity holder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) “qualified short-term capital gains” (generally, the excess of the Company’s net short-term capital gain over its net long-term capital loss for such taxable year), and certain other requirements are satisfied.
General Risks
The Company may experience fluctuations in the Company’s operating results.
The Company may experience fluctuations in the Company’s operating results due to a number of factors, some of which may be beyond the Company’s control, including the Company’s ability or inability to make investments in companies that meet the Company’s investment criteria, interest rates and default rates on the debt investments the Company makes, the level of the Company’s expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized gains or losses, unrealized appreciation or depreciation, the degree to which the Company encounters competition in the Company’s markets, and general economic conditions. As a result of these factors, results for any previous period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods. These occurrences could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations, the value of your investment in the Company and the Company’s ability to pay distributions to you and the Company’s other Stockholders.
The Company will expend significant financial and other resources to comply with the requirements of being a reporting entity under the 1934 Act.
The Company is subject to the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act and requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The 1934 Act requires that the Company files annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to the Company’s business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that the Company maintains effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting. The Company’s management is required to report on its internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company is required to review on an annual basis its internal control over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and annual basis to evaluate and disclose changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
In order to maintain and improve the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls, significant resources and management oversight are required. The Company implemented procedures, processes, policies and practices for the purpose of addressing the standards and requirements applicable to reporting companies. These activities may divert management’s attention from other business concerns, and may require significant expenditures, each of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The Company also expects to incur significant additional annual expenses related to these steps, and, among other things, directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, director fees, reporting requirements to the SEC, transfer agent fees, additional administrative expenses payable to the Company’s Administrator to compensate them for hiring additional accounting, legal and administrative personnel, increased auditing and legal fees and other similar expenses. In addition, the Company may be unable to ensure that the process is effective or that the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting are or will be effective in a timely manner. In the event that the Company is unable to develop or maintain an effective system of internal controls and maintain or achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules, the Company may be adversely affected.
The systems and resources necessary to comply with applicable reporting requirements will increase further once the Company ceases to be an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act. As long as the Company remains an emerging growth company and thereafter does not qualify as an accelerated filer or large accelerated filer, the Company intends to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other reporting companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. See “— General Risks — The Company is an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act, and the Company cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make the Company’s Common Stock less attractive to investors. ”
The Company’s internal controls over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements because of its inherent limitations, including the possibility of human error, the circumvention or overriding of controls, or fraud. Even effective internal controls can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements. If the Company fails to maintain the adequacy of the Company’s internal controls, including any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or if the Company experiences difficulties in their implementation, the Company’s business and operating results could be harmed and the Company could fail to meet the Company’s financial reporting obligations.
As a reporting company under the 1934 Act, the Company is subject to regulations not applicable to other private companies, such as provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Efforts to comply with such regulations will involve significant expenditures, and non-compliance with such regulations may adversely affect the Company.
As a reporting company under the 1934 Act, the Company is subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the related rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. The Company’s management will be required to report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act after the Company has been subject to the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act for a specified period of time. The Company will be required to review on an annual basis our internal control over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and annual basis to evaluate and disclose changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. As a relatively new company, developing and maintaining an effective system of internal controls may require significant expenditures, which may negatively impact the Company’s financial performance and the Company’s ability to make distributions. This process also will result in a diversion of our management’s time and attention. The Company cannot be certain of how long our evaluation, testing and remediation actions will take to complete or the impact of the same on our operations. In addition, we may be unable to ensure that the process is effective or that the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting will be effective in a timely manner. In the event that the Company is unable to develop or maintain an effective system of internal controls and maintain or achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules, the Company may be adversely affected.
The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm is not required to formally attest to the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting until there is a public market for the Company’s Common Stock.
The Company is an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act, and the Company cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make the Company’s Common Stock less attractive to investors.
The Company is, and will remain, an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act until the earlier of (a) the last day of the fiscal year (i) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of the Company’s initial public offering of common equity securities, (ii) in which the Company has total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (iii) in which the Company is deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of the Company’s Common Stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (b) the date on which the Company has issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. For so long as the Company remains an “emerging growth company” the Company may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the 1933 Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. The Company intends to take advantage of such extended transition periods.
The Company cannot predict if investors will find the Company’s Common Stock less attractive because the Company relies on some or all of these exemptions. Investors may be unable to compare the Company’s business with other companies in the Company’s industry if they believe that the Company’s financial accounting is not as transparent as other companies in the Company’s industry. If the Company is unable to raise additional capital as and when the Company needs it, the Company’s financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Global economic, political and market conditions may adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations, including the Company’s revenue growth and profitability.
Social, political, economic and other conditions and events, such as natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, shifts in global trade, immigration, regulatory and other policies, terrorism, conflicts, including the Russia/Ukraine and Israel/Palestine conflicts, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, sanctions imposed by the U.S. and other countries in connection with the hostilities between Russia and Ukraine and tensions between China and Taiwan, the recent U.S. military action in Venezuela and Iran, and general social unrest, create uncertainty and have significant impacts on issuers, industries, governments and other systems, including the financial markets, to which companies and their investments are exposed. In addition, social unrest, changes regarding immigration and work permit policies and other political and security concerns may not abate, may worsen and could spread, causing the debt and equity capital markets and the Company’s business to be adversely affected both within and outside of regions experiencing ongoing conflicts because of interrelationships within the global financial markets. As global systems, economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, events that once had only local impact are now more likely to have regional or even global effects. Uncertainty can result in or coincide with, among other things: increased volatility in the financial markets for securities, derivatives, loans, credit and currency; a decrease in the reliability of market prices and difficulty in valuing assets (including portfolio company assets); greater fluctuations in spreads on debt investments and currency exchange rates; increased risk of default (by both government and private obligors and issuers); concerns over actual and potential tariffs and sanctions, further social, economic, and political instability; nationalization of private enterprise; greater governmental involvement in the economy or in social factors that impact the economy; changes to governmental regulation and supervision of the loan, securities, derivatives and currency markets and market participants and decreased or revised monitoring of such markets by governments or self-regulatory organizations and reduced enforcement of regulations; limitations on the activities of investors in such markets; controls or restrictions on foreign investment, capital controls and limitations on repatriation of invested capital; the significant loss of liquidity and the inability to purchase, sell and otherwise fund investments or settle transactions (including a market freeze); unavailability of currency hedging techniques; substantial, and in some periods extremely high rates of inflation, potential for economic recession, interest rate volatility, and fluctuations in oil and gas prices resulting from global production and demand levels, which can last many years and have substantial negative effects on credit and securities markets, increase market volatility, increase geopolitical tensions as well as create negative effects on the economy as a whole; recessions; and difficulties in obtaining and/or enforcing legal judgments. Market uncertainty and volatility have also been magnified as a result of the 2024 U.S. presidential and congressional elections and resulting uncertainties regarding actual and potential shifts in U.S. and foreign, trade, economic and other policies, including with respect to treaties and tariffs and the regulation of U.S. financial markets. Regulatory changes could result in greater competition from banks and other lenders with which the Company competes for lending and other investment opportunities. The United States may also potentially withdraw from or renegotiate various trade agreements and take other actions that would change current trade policies of the United States. These market and economic disruptions could negatively impact the operating results of the Company’s portfolio companies. This could in turn materially reduce the Company’s net asset value and dividends and adversely affect the Company’s financial prospects and condition.
In addition, disruptions in the capital markets have increased the spread between the yields realized on risk-free and higher risk securities, resulting in illiquidity in parts of the capital markets. The Company could be subject to any of the following risks, any of which could have a material, adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations:
Significant changes or volatility in the capital markets may also have a negative effect on the valuations of the Company’s investments.
Significant changes in the capital markets may adversely affect the pace of the Company’s investment activity and economic activity generally.
The illiquidity of the Company’s investments may make it difficult for the Company to sell such investments to access capital if required, and as a result, the Company could realize significantly less than the value at which the Company has recorded the Company’s investments.
In addition, current market conditions may make it difficult to extend or obtain indebtedness on favorable terms and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business. The debt capital that will be available to the Company in the future, if at all, may be at a higher cost and on less favorable terms and conditions than what the Company would otherwise expect, including being at a higher cost in rising interest rate environments. If the Company is unable to raise debt, then the Company’s equity investors may not benefit from the potential for increased returns on equity resulting from leverage and the Company may be limited in the Company’s ability to make or fund commitments to the Company’s portfolio companies and, in turn, could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business, operating results and financial condition.
Changes to United States tariff and import/export regulations may have a negative effect on the Company’s portfolio companies and, in turn, harm the Company.
The United States has recently enacted and proposed to enact significant new tariffs. Additionally, the current presidential administration has directed various federal agencies to further evaluate key aspects of U.S. trade policy and there has been ongoing discussion and commentary regarding potential significant changes to U.S. trade policies, treaties and tariffs. There continues to exist significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.S. and other countries with respect to such trade policies, treaties and tariffs. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted nations and the U.S. Any of these factors could depress economic activity and restrict the Company’s portfolio companies’ access to suppliers or customers and have a material adverse effect on their business, financial condition and results of operations, which in turn would negatively impact the Company .
Economic recessions or downturns could impair the Company’s portfolio companies and harm the Company’s operating results.
The Company’s portfolio companies may be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay the Company’s debt investments during these periods. In the past, instability in the global capital markets resulted in disruptions in liquidity in the debt capital markets, significant write-offs in the financial services sector, the re-pricing of credit risk in the broadly syndicated credit market and the failure of major domestic and international financial institutions. In particular in past periods of instability, the financial services sector was negatively impacted by significant write-offs as the value of the assets held by financial firms declined, impairing their capital positions and abilities to lend and invest. In addition, the continued uncertainty surrounding the relationship between the United States and other countries, including China, with respect to trade policies, treaties, and tariffs, the Russia/Ukraine and Israel/Palestine conflicts, and the imposition by the U.S. and other countries of sanctions or other restrictive actions against Russia, among other factors, have caused disruption in the global markets. There can be no assurance that market conditions will not worsen in the future.
The United States has recently enacted and proposed to enact significant new tariffs. There has been ongoing discussion and commentary regarding potential significant changes to U.S. trade policies, treaties and tariffs. There continues to exist significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.S. and other countries with respect to such trade policies, treaties and tariffs. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted nations and the U.S. Any of these factors could depress economic activity and restrict our portfolio companies’ access to suppliers or customers and have a material adverse effect on their business, financial condition and results of operations, which in turn would negatively impact us.
In an economic downturn, the Company may have non-performing assets or non-performing assets may increase, and the value of the Company’s portfolio is likely to decrease during these periods. Adverse economic conditions may also decrease the value of any collateral securing the Company’s loans. A severerecession may further decrease the value of such collateral and result in losses of value in the Company’s portfolio and a decrease in the Company’s revenues, net income, assets and net worth. Unfavorable economic conditions, including rising interest rates, also could increase the Company’s funding costs, limit the Company’s access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to the Company on terms the Company deems acceptable. These events could prevent the Company from increasing investments and harm the Company’s operating results.
A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by the Company or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due and foreclosure on the portfolio company’s secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize the portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt that the Company holds. See “— Risks Related to the Company ’ s Investments — Defaults by the Company’s portfolio companies could jeopardize a portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity investments that the Company holds which could harm the Company’s operating results .” The Company may incur additional expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company. In addition, if one of the Company’s portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which the Company will actually provide significant managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might subordinate all or a portion of the Company’s claim to that of other creditors.
The Company is subject to the risk that one or more of the Financial Institutions or some or all of the Company’s portfolio assets experience a Distress Event.
An investment in the Company is subject to the risk that one of the banks, brokers, hedging counterparties, lenders or other custodians (each, a “Financial Institution”) of some or all of the Company’s (or any portfolio company’s) assets fails to timely perform its obligations or experiences insolvency, closure, receivership or other financial distress or difficulty (each, a “Distress Event”). Distress Events can be caused by factors including eroding market sentiment, significant withdrawals, fraud, malfeasance, poor performance or accounting irregularities. If a Financial Institution experiences a Distress Event, the Advisor, the Company or one of its portfolio companies may not be able to access deposits, borrowing facilities or other services, either permanently or for an extended period of time. Although assets held by regulated Financial Institutions in the United States frequently are insured up to stated balance amounts by organizations such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, in the case of banks, and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, in the case of certain broker-dealers, amounts in excess of the relevant insurance are subject to risk of total loss, and any non-U.S. Financial Institutions that are not subject to similar regimes pose increased risk of loss. While in recent years governmental intervention has often resulted in additional protections for depositors and counterparties during Distress Events, there can be no assurance that such intervention will occur in a future Distress Event or that any such intervention undertaken will be successful or avoid the risks of loss, substantial delays or negative impact on banking or brokerage conditions or markets.
Any Distress Event has a potentially adverse effect on the ability of the Advisor to manage the Company’s investments, and on the ability of the Advisor, the Administrator, the Company and any portfolio company to maintain operations, which in each case could result in significant losses and in unconsummated investment acquisitions and dispositions. Such losses could include: a loss of funds; an obligation to pay fees and expenses in the event the Company is not able to close a transaction (whether due to the inability to draw capital on a credit line provided by a Financial Institution experiencing a Distress Event, the inability of the Company to access capital contributions or otherwise); the inability of the Company to acquire or dispose of investments, or acquire or dispose of such investments at prices that the Advisor believes reflect the fair value of such investments; and the inability of portfolio companies to make payroll, fulfill obligations or maintain operations. If a Distress Event leads to a loss of access to a Financial Institution’s services, it is also possible that the Company or a portfolio company will incur additional expenses or delays in putting in place alternative arrangements or that such alternative arrangements will be less favorable than those formerly in place (with respect to economic terms, service levels, access to capital, or otherwise). To the extent the Advisor is able to exercise contractual remedies under agreements with Financial Institutions in the event of a Distress Event, there can be no assurance that such remedies will be successful or avoid losses, delays or other impacts. The Company and its portfolio companies will be subject to similar risks if a Financial Institution utilized by investors in the Company or by suppliers, vendors, service providers or other counterparties of the Company or a portfolio company becomes subject to a Distress Event, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company.
Many Financial Institutions require, as a condition to using their services (including lending services), that the Advisor and/or the Company maintain all or a set amount or percentage of their respective accounts or assets with the Financial Institution, which heightens the risks associated with a Distress Event with respect to such Financial Institutions. The Advisor is under no obligation to use a minimum number of Financial Institutions with respect to the Company or to maintain account balances at or below the relevant insured amounts.
Further, Distress Events such as the current turmoil of the U.S. banking system raise fears of broader financial contagion, and it is not certain what impact this will have on financial markets. Any deterioration of the global financial markets (particularly the U.S. debt markets), any possible future failures of certain financial services companies and a significant rise in market perception of counterparty default risk, interest rates or taxes will likely significantly reduce investor demand and liquidity for investment grade, high-yield and senior bank debt, which in turn is likely to lead some investment banks and other lenders to be unwilling or significantly less willing to finance new investments or to offer less favorable terms than had been prevailing in the recent past. The tightening of availability of credit to businesses generally could lead to an overall weakening of the U.S. and global economies, which in turn is likely to adversely affect the ability of the Company to sell or liquidate investments at favorable times or at favorable prices or otherwise have an adverse effect on the business and operations of the Company. In addition, valuations of the Company’s investments are subject to heightened uncertainty as the result of market volatility and disruption. To the extent the Company is unable to obtain favorable financing terms for its portfolio investments or sell investments on favorable terms, the Company’s ability to generate attractive investment returns for its Stockholders is expected to be adversely affected.
The Company is subject to risks related to sustainability matters.
Depending on the investment, the impact of developments connected with sustainability factors, including worker health and safety, environmental compliance, and bribery and corruption, could have a material effect on the return and risk profile of the investment. The act of selecting and evaluating material sustainability factors is subjective by nature, and the Advisor may be subject to competing demands from different investors and other stakeholder groups with divergent views on sustainability matters, including the role of sustainability in the investment process. There is no guarantee that the criteria utilized or judgment exercised by the Advisor or a third-party sustainability advisor will reflect the beliefs or values, internal policies or preferred practices of any particular Stockholder or other asset managers or reflect market trends. Similarly, to the extent the Advisor or a third-party sustainability advisor engages with portfolio investments on sustainability-related practices and potential enhancements thereto, there is no guarantee that such engagements will improve the performance of the investment. Successful engagement efforts on the part of the Advisor or a third-party sustainability advisor will depend on the Advisor’s or any relevant third-party advisor’s ability to engage with the relevant investment and skill in properly identifying and analyzing material sustainability and other factors and their value, and there can be no assurance that the strategy or techniques employed will be successful.
Conversely, anti-environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) sentiment also has gained momentum across the U.S., with several states, the executive branch and federal agencies, and Congress having proposed enacted or indicated an intent to pursue “anti-ESG” policies, legislation or initiatives, or issued related legal opinions and engaged in related investigations and litigation. Additionally, asset managers have been subject to recent scrutiny related to Sustainability-focused industry working groups, initiatives and associations, including organizations advancing action to address climate change or climate-related risk. Such anti-ESG and anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”)-related policies, legislation, initiatives, litigation, legal opinions, and scrutiny could result in 5C and/or the Advisor facing additional compliance obligations, becoming the subject of investigations or enforcement actions, or sustaining reputational harm. If investors subject to anti-ESG legislation view the Advisor’s investing or sustainability practices as being in contradiction of such anti-ESG or anti-DEI policies, legislation or legal opinions, such investors may not invest in the Company. If the Company does not successfully manage expectations across varied stakeholder interests, it could erode stakeholder trust, impact the Company’s reputation and constrain the Company’s investment opportunities. There are also significant differences in interpretations of what sustainability characteristics mean by region, industry and topic, as well as interpretations of their scope and materiality.
The Advisor may consider responsible investing and reputational risks when making investment decisions where the Advisor determines that such information is material and available. Considering such sustainability factors when evaluating an investment in certain circumstances could, to the extent material risks associated with an investment are identified, cause the Advisor not to make an investment that it would have made or to make a management decision with respect to an investment differently than it would have made in the absence of such consideration, which carries the risk that the Company could perform differently than investment funds that do not take such sustainability factors into account. Additionally, to the extent considered, sustainability factors will only be some of the many factors that the Advisor considers in making an investment. Although the Advisor may consider application of sustainability considerations to be an opportunity to enhance or protect the performance of its investments over the long-term, the Advisor cannot guarantee that it will do so, and further, the Advisor cannot guarantee that to the extent they consider sustainability factors, which will include qualitative judgments, that such considerations will positively impact the performance of any individual investment or the Company as a whole. It is important to note that the presence of one or more material responsible investing or reputational risks may not preclude the Company from making an investment as the Advisor’s investment process is intended to analyze, evaluate, and price the potential impact of relevant responsible investing and reputational risks.
The materiality of sustainability risks and impacts on an individual asset or issuer and on a portfolio as a whole depends on many factors, including the relevant industry, location, asset class and investment style. Additionally, certain regulation related to sustainability that may be applicable to the Company and its portfolio investments could adversely affect the Company’s business, assets or the returns from those assets. For example, one or more of the Company’s portfolio investments may fall within scope of certain regulations related to sustainability and this may lead to increased management burdens and costs. In evaluating a prospective investment’s sustainability practices, the Advisor may depend upon information and data provided by the entity or obtained via third-party reporting or advisors, which could be incomplete or inaccurate and could cause the Advisor to incorrectly identify, prioritize, assess or analyze the entity’s sustainability practices and/or related risks and opportunities. The Advisor does not intend to independently verify certain of the sustainability information reported by investments of the Company, and may decide in its discretion not to utilize, report on, or consider certain information provided by such investments. Any sustainability reporting will be provided in the Advisor’s sole discretion.
In addition, the Advisor’s sustainability framework, including associated procedures and practices, is expected to change over time. The Advisor, in certain circumstances, is permitted to determine in its discretion that it is not feasible or practical to implement or complete certain of its sustainability initiatives based on cost, timing, or other considerations. It is also possible that market dynamics or other factors will make it impractical, inadvisable, or impossible for the Advisor to adhere to all elements of the Company’s investment strategy, including with respect to sustainability risk and opportunity management, whether with respect to one or more individual investments or the Company’s portfolio generally. Sustainability-related statements, initiatives, and goals as described herein with respect to the Company’s investment strategy, portfolio, and investments are aspirational and not guarantees or promises that the Advisor will consider sustainability factors as determinative when making investment decisions, or that all or any such initiatives and goals will be achieved other than as set out in any applicable regulatory disclosures, including those made pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2088.
Further, sustainability integration and responsible investing practices as a whole are evolving rapidly and there are different principles, frameworks, methodologies, and tracking tools being implemented by asset managers, and 5C’s adoption of and adherence to such principles, frameworks, methodologies, and tools may vary over time. For example, 5C’s policies and procedures do not represent a universally recognized standard for assessing sustainability considerations. Any sustainability-related initiatives to which the Advisor is or becomes a signatory, member, or supporter may not align with the approach used by other asset managers (or preferred by prospective investors) or with future market trends. There is no guarantee that the Advisor will remain a signatory, supporter, or member of or continue to report at the intended cadence or at all under or in alignment with such initiatives or other similar industry frameworks. There is also regulatory interest across jurisdictions in improvingtransparency regarding the definitions, measurement and disclosure of sustainability factors in order to allow investments to validate and better understand sustainability claims. Compliance with any new laws or regulations increases the Company’s regulatory burden and could result in increased legal, accounting and compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming and costly, affect the manner in which the Company or the Company’s portfolio investments conduct their business and adversely affect the Company’s profitability.
SFDR Classification
The Company currently discloses under Article 8 for the purposes of SFDR. This may change in the future in circumstances where requirements change and/or the Advisor determines that such change is necessary, taking into account applicable fiduciary or other duties and legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements, and will be updated in accordance with applicable sectoral legislation. Investors should refer to the most up-to-date regulatory disclosures for the Company provided pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2088. There is legal uncertainty around the parameters applicable when categorizing a financial product under the SFDR and there is no guarantee that regulators will agree with the categorization. In circumstances where there is a determination that the Company has been characterized incorrectly, there could be a risk of investigation, enforcement proceedings and/or sanctions.
Under the SFDR, when Article 8 products (such as the Company) invest in companies (such companies, “Investee Companies”), they should only invest in Investee Companies that follow good governance practices. It is required to assess the governance practices of the Company’s Investee Companies but, at present, no threshold has been established by law nor has guidance been issued to determine whether governance practices should be considered “good”. It is possible that legislation or guidance could subsequently establish a standard for assessing good governance and such standard could be different from, or higher than, the standard applied by the Advisor. This could: (i) result in breaching the requirements under Article 8 of the SFDR and/or (ii) materially restrict the potential investments available to the Company, so long as the Company promotes environmental or social characteristics. There can be no assurance that an Investee Company will be able to adequately address any deficiencies in its governance practices nor that the Advisor will be successful in remedying any breach or in ensuring an Investee Company’s compliance with the requisite good governance practices, and as a result, the Advisor may seek to dispose of the investment in the Investee Company or cease the promotion of environmental and/or social characteristics. Indeed, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Advisor reserves the right to amend disclosures made pursuant to Article 8 SFDR, including, without limitation, the Company’s promoted characteristic(s) and sustainability indicator(s).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the promotion of environmental and/or social characteristics and the pursuit of any initiatives related to the ongoing management and compliance with good governance practices will only be pursued to the extent that such activities are consistent with the Company’s objective of seeking to maximize risk-adjusted returns, and subject to the Advisor’s fiduciary or other duties and applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements.
MD&A (Item 7)
12,822 words
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
The information in this section contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. See “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.
The following discussion is designed to provide a better understanding of our consolidated financial statements, including a brief discussion of our business, key factors that impacted our performance and a summary of our operating results. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included or incorporated by reference in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Historical results and percentage relationships among any amounts in the consolidated financial statements are not necessarily indicative of trends in operating results for any future periods.
Amounts are in thousands except percentages, share and per share amounts or as otherwise noted.
Overview of Our Business and Investment Framework
The Company is incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland and was formed on October 16, 2023. The Company is an externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Company has elected to be treated, and intends to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a BDC and a RIC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. We are managed by the Advisor. The Advisor is a limited liability company that is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. The Advisor is responsible for managing our day-to-day operations and providing investment advisory and management services to the Company. On April 4, 2025, the Company formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, 5CLP BDC I Equity Holdings I LLC (“Equity Holdings I”), a Delaware limited liability company, which is taxed as a C corporation for federal income tax purposes. Equity Holdings I was formed to allow the Company to hold equity securities of portfolio companies organized as pass-through entities while continuing to satisfy the requirements applicable to a RIC under the Code. On October 1, 2025, the Company formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, 5CLP BDC I ABL SPV-A LLC (“ABL SPV-A”), a Delaware limited liability company whose assets are used to secure the ABL Credit Facility (as defined below).
Our investment objective is to generate current income and long-term capital appreciation primarily by investing in U.S.-domiciled upper middle-market companies through direct originations of first lien debt (including stand-alone first lien loans, “unitranche” loans, which are loans that combine both senior and subordinated debt, generally in a first lien position and first lien secured bonds) and, to a lesser extent, second lien debt, unsecured debt and equity or equity-related investments. The Company generally considers upper middle-market companies to consist of companies with earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation and amortization between $50 million to $500 million annually at the time of investment. The Company may from time to time invest in smaller or larger companies and other instruments if the Advisor believes that the opportunity presents attractive investment characteristics and the potential for attractive risk-adjusted returns. Under normal market conditions, we generally invest at least 80% of our total assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in private credit instruments issued by corporate issuers (including loans, notes, bonds and other corporate debt securities). The Company’s 80% policy with respect to investments in credit-related instruments is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board of Directors without Stockholder approval. Stockholders will be provided with sixty (60) days’ notice in the manner prescribed by the SEC before making any change to this policy. We invest primarily in private companies based in the United States, which is subject to compliance with BDC requirements to invest at least 70% of our assets in U.S. companies.
Although not expected to be a primary component of the Company’s investment strategy, the Company may also selectively make opportunistic investments in portfolios of loans, receivables or other debt instruments, traded loans, and securities of corporate issuers when market conditions create opportunities with a compelling risk profile, and potential strategic opportunities, including acquisitions of other private and public finance companies, business development companies and asset managers.
Most of the Company’s debt investments are expected to be unrated. When rated by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization, the Company expects that its debt investments will generally carry a rating below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services), which is often referred to as “junk.”
The Company employs leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of the Advisor, but in no event will leverage employed exceed the limitations set forth in the 1940 Act. Pursuant to the 1940 Act, the Company is required to have an asset coverage ratio of at least 150%, which means for every $100 of net assets the Company holds, the Company may raise $200 from borrowings and issuing senior securities (including debt and preferred stock). Under the 1940 Act, any preferred stock we issue, including the Preferred Stock will constitute a “senior security” for purposes of the 150% asset coverage test. Any such leverage would be expected to increase the total capital available for investment by the Company.
The Company intends to seek to list its shares of Common Stock on a national securities exchange (an “Exchange Listing”) as determined by the Advisor in its sole discretion within seven years of the initial closing, subject to an additional one-year extension with the approval of the Board of Directors. Any Exchange Listing is subject to future market conditions and there can be no assurance that any exchange listing will occur. Until any Exchange Listing, the Company’s Common Stock is not registered under the 1933 Act, or any state securities law, and will be restricted as to transfer by law and the terms of the charter of the Company.
The Company commenced operations on September 26, 2024, the date on which the Company issued 515 shares of Preferred Stock and 80,000 shares of Common Stock. Prior to the commencement of operations, our efforts were limited to the organization of and preparation for the Company’s commencement of operations and future operations. The Company commenced investment operations in January 2025.
Emerging Growth Company
The Company is an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act and is eligible to take advantage of certain specified reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise generally applicable to public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company expects to remain an emerging growth company for up to five years following the completion of the Company’s initial public offering or until the earliest of (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which the Company’s annual gross revenues equal or exceed $1.235 billion, (ii) December 31 of the fiscal year that the Company becomes a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the 1934 Act which would occur if the market value of the Common Stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700.0 million as of the last business day of the Company’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter and the Company has been publicly reporting for at least 12 months or (iii) the date on which the Company has issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the preceding three-year period. In addition, the Company will take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the 1933 Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards.
Key Components of Our Results of Operations
Revenues
We generate revenue primarily from interest income on debt investments we hold. In addition, we may generate income from capital gains on the repayment or sale of investments, dividend income and various other fees. Our debt investments typically have a term of eight years or less and bear interest on a floating rate basis. Interest on our debt investments is also generally payable quarterly. In certain cases, our investments may provide for deferred or PIK interest or dividend payments. To the extent a debt investment contains PIK provisions, PIK interest is accrued and recorded as interest income at the contractual rates and added to the principal balance of the investment. The principal amount of the investment plus any accrued but unpaid PIK interest or dividend payments are generally due on the maturity date of the investment. In addition, the Company may also generate revenue in the form of commitment, amendment, structuring, syndication, due diligence, unused and other fees.
Dividend income on preferred equity securities is recorded on the accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are payable by the portfolio company and are expected to be collected. Dividend income on common equity securities is recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies or on the ex-dividend date for publicly traded portfolio companies. To the extent a preferred equity security contains PIK provisions, PIK dividends, computed at the contractual rate specified in each applicable agreement, are accrued and recorded as dividend income and added to the principal balance of the preferred equity security. PIK dividends added to the principal balance are generally collected upon redemption of the equity. Dividend income earned from money market funds is recorded on an accrual basis.
Expenses
Our primary operating expenses include the payment of management fees, incentive fees, expenses reimbursable under the Administration Agreement and the Investment Advisory Agreement, professional fees and other expenses.
Except as specifically provided below, all investment professionals and staff of the Advisor, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory services to us, and the base compensation, bonus and benefits, and the routine overhead expenses, of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Advisor. We incur all other costs and expenses of our operations, administration and transactions, including, but not limited to (a) investment advisory fees, including the Management Fees and Incentive Fees, to the Advisor, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement; (b) our allocable portion of compensation, overhead (including rent) and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its administrative obligations under the Administration Agreement, including those relating to (i) our Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Financial Officer and their respective staffs; (ii) compensation of investor relations, legal, operations and other non-investment professionals of the Administrator that perform duties for us; and (iii) costs associated with compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended; and (c) all other expenses of our operations, administration and transactions. See “ Item 1. Business- Payment of the Company’s Expenses under the Investment Advisory and Administration Agreements ” for additional details of expenses borne by the Company.
The Advisor has agreed to advance costs on our behalf. Unless the Advisor waives or elects to cover such expenses pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement, we will be obligated to reimburse the Advisor for such advanced expenses. See the Expense Support Agreement section below. Any reimbursements that may be made by us in the future will not exceed actual expenses incurred by the Advisor and its affiliates.
Expense Support Agreement
On June 18, 2024, the Company entered into an Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement (the “Expense Support Agreement”) with the Advisor, pursuant to which the Advisor may elect to pay certain of the Company’s expenses, including those expenses incurred prior to the first drawdown date which occurred on September 26, 2024, on the Company’s behalf (“Expense Payments”), provided that no portion of such Expense Payments will be used to pay any interest expense or distribution and/or stockholder servicing fees. Any Expense Payment that the Advisor commits to pay must be paid by the Advisor to or on behalf of the Company in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds no later than ninety days after such commitment is made in writing, and/or offset against amounts due from the Company to the Advisor or its affiliates.
Following any calendar quarter in which Available Operating Funds (as defined below) exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Company’s stockholders based on distributions declared with respect to record dates occurring in such calendar quarter (the amount of such excess referred to as “Excess Operating Funds”), the Company will pay such Excess Operating Funds, or a portion thereof, to the Advisor until such time as all Expense Payments made by the Advisor to the Company within three years prior to the last business day of such calendar quarter have been reimbursed. As a result, no amounts subject to the Expense Support Agreement will be reimbursed after three years from the date of the respective Expense Payment. Any payments required to be made by the Company under the Expense Support Agreement are referred to as a “Reimbursement Payment.” “Available Operating Funds” means the sum of (i) the Company’s net investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gains reduced by net long-term capital losses), (ii) the Company’s net capital gains (including the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) and (iii) dividends and other distributions paid to the Company on account of investments in portfolio companies (to the extent such amounts listed in clause (iii) are not included under clauses (i) and (ii) above).
The amount of the Reimbursement Payment for any calendar quarter will equal the lesser of (i) the Excess Operating Funds in such quarter and (ii) the aggregate amount of all Expense Payments made by the Advisor to the Company within three years prior to the last business day of such calendar quarter that have not been previously reimbursed by the Company to the Advisor; provided that the Advisor may waive its right to receive all or a portion of any Reimbursement Payment in any particular calendar quarter, in which case such waived amount will remain unreimbursed Expense Payments reimbursable in future quarters pursuant to the terms of the Expense Support Agreement.
The Company’s obligation to make a Reimbursement Payment will automatically become a liability on the last business day of the applicable calendar quarter, except to the extent the Advisor has waived its right to receive such payment for the applicable quarter. The Reimbursement Payment for any calendar quarter will be paid by the Company to the Advisor in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds as promptly as possible following such calendar quarter and in no event later than ninety (90) days after the end of such calendar quarter.
No Reimbursement Payment for any applicable calendar quarter shall be made if: (1) the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share declared by the Company at the time of such proposed Reimbursement Payment is less than the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Reimbursement Payment relates, or (2) the Company’s Operating Expense Ratio at the time of such proposed Reimbursement Payment is greater than the Operating Expense Ratio at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Reimbursement Payment relates. “Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share” means the annualized rate (based on a 365-day year) of regular cash distributions per share exclusive of returns of capital and declared special dividends or special distributions, if any. The “Operating Expense Ratio” is calculated by dividing all of the Company’s operating costs and expenses incurred, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for investment companies, less organizational and offering expenses, Management Fees and Incentive Fees owed to the Advisor, and interest expense, by the Company’s net assets.
Either the Company or the Advisor may terminate the Expense Support Agreement at any time, with or without notice, without the payment of any penalty, provided that any Expense Payments that have not been reimbursed by the Company to the Advisor will remain the Company’s obligation following any such termination, subject to the terms of the Expense Support Agreement.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, administrative service expenses of $824, professional fees of $1,045, directors’ fees of $176, other general and administrative expenses of $414, and amortization of deferred offering costs of $1,298, are subject to conditional reimbursement by the Company under the Expense Support Agreement.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, organizational expenses of $2,285, administrative service expenses of $161, professional fees of $583, directors’ fees of $204, other general and administrative expenses of $199, and amortization of deferred offering costs of $358 are subject to conditional reimbursement by the Company under the Expense Support Agreement.
For the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, organizational expenses of $184 are subject to conditional reimbursement by the Company under the Expense Support Agreement.
Expense Waivers
For the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, Management Fees were $1,118, $2, and $0, respectively. Management Fees for the year ended December 31, 2024 were waived by the Advisor.
For the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, $762, $3,493, and $6, respectively, of expenses have been waived by the Advisor, and will not be subject to reimbursement by the Company. Expenses waived for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $762 of administrative service expenses. Expenses waived for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $3,458 of administrative service expenses and $35 of other general and administrative expenses. Expenses waived for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023 were $6 of administrative service expenses. The Advisor’s waiver of these expenses was a voluntary election by the Advisor and the Advisor is not obligated to waive any expenses of the Company in future periods.
Leverage
The Company employs leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of the Advisor, but in no event will leverage employed exceed the limitations set forth in the 1940 Act. Pursuant to the 1940 Act, and as approved by the Board of Directors and the Company’s initial stockholder, the Company is required to have an asset coverage of at least 150%, which means for every $100 of net assets the Company holds, the Company may raise $200 from borrowing and issuing senior securities (including debt and preferred stock). Any such leverage, if incurred, would be expected to increase the total capital available for investment by the Company.
Portfolio and Investment Activity
The Company commenced investment operations in January 2025.
The total fair value of our investment portfolio was $452,442 as of December 31, 2025, consisting of 19 portfolio companies. As of December 31, 2025, our investment portfolio based on fair value consisted of 68.3% first lien debt investments, 19.5% second lien debt investments and 12.2% preferred equity investments.
Our investment activity for the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023 is presented below (the information presented herein is at par value unless otherwise indicated):
For the Year Ended
For the Period from
October 16, 2023
(Inception) through
Investments:
December 31, 2025
December 31, 2024 (1)
December 31, 2023 (1)
New investment commitments: (3)
Purchases and originations
Total new investment commitments
Principal amount of investments funded:
First Lien debt investments
Second Lien debt investments
Preferred equity investments
Total principal amount of investments funded
Principal amount of investments sold or repaid:
First Lien debt investments
Second Lien debt investments
Preferred equity investments
Total principal amount of investments sold or repaid
Number of new investment commitments in new portfolio companies
Weighted average interest rate on income-producing investments, at amortized cost (2)
As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2024, the Company had not yet commenced investment operations.
The weighted average interest rate is calculated using the interest rates in effect as of December 31, 2025 for each income-producing investment and weighted by its amortized cost relative to the aggregate amortized cost of all income-producing investments.
New investment commitments include funded and unfunded commitments to fund revolving loans and delayed draw loans.
As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, our investments consisted of the following:
December 31, 2025
December 31, 2024 (1)
Amortized Cost
Fair Value
Amortized Cost
Fair Value
First Lien debt investments
Second Lien debt investments
Preferred equity investments
Total Investments
As of December 31, 2024, the Company had not yet commenced investment operations.
As of December 31, 2025, no investments in the portfolio were on non-accrual status.
The Advisor monitors the financial condition and trends of each portfolio company on an ongoing basis to determine if they are meeting their respective business plans and the Advisor’s underwriting assumptions and to assess the appropriate course of action with respect to each portfolio company. The Advisor has several methods of evaluating and monitoring the performance and fair value of our investments, which may include the following:
assessment of the performance of the portfolio company against its business plan and the Advisor’s underwriting assumptions;
assessment of the portfolio company’s compliance with covenants;
review of monthly or quarterly financial statements and financial projections of the portfolio company;
periodic or regular contact with the portfolio company’s management team and, if appropriate, the financial or strategic sponsor, to discuss financial position, requirements and accomplishments;
comparisons to our other portfolio companies and to publicly available market data, if any; and
attendance at and participation in board meetings or presentations by the portfolio company where permitted in the credit documentation.
As part of the monitoring process, the Advisor employs an investment performance rating system to categorize our investments. In addition to various risk management and monitoring tools, the Advisor rates the credit risk of all investments on a scale of 1 to 4. This system is intended primarily to reflect the underlying risk of a portfolio investment relative to our initial cost basis in respect of such portfolio investment (i.e., at the time of origination or acquisition), although it may also take into account in certain circumstances the performance of the portfolio company’s business, the collateral coverage of the investment and other relevant factors. The investment performance rating system for our investments is as follows:
An investment performance rating of 1 involves the least amount of risk to our initial cost basis. The trends and risk factors for this investment since origination or acquisition are generally favorable versus expectations at the time of origination or acquisition, which may include the performance of the portfolio company or a potential exit;
An investment performance rating of 2 involves a level of risk to our initial cost basis that is similar to the risk to our initial cost basis at the time of origination or acquisition. This portfolio company is generally performing as expected and the risk factors to our ability to ultimately recoup the cost of our investment are neutral versus expectations at the time of origination or acquisition. Generally, all investments or acquired investments in new portfolio companies are initially assessed a rating of 2;
An investment performance rating of 3 indicates that the risk to our ability to recoup the initial cost basis of such investment has increased materially since origination or acquisition, including as a result of factors such as declining performance and/or non-compliance with debt covenants; however, payments are generally not significantly past due; and
An investment performance rating of 4 indicates that the risk to our ability to recoup the initial cost basis of such investment has substantially increased since origination or acquisition, and the portfolio company likely has materially declining performance. For debt investments with an investment rating of 4, in most cases, most or all of the debt covenants are out of compliance and payments are substantially delinquent. For investments with an investment rating of 4, it is anticipated that we will not recoup our initial cost basis and may realize a substantial loss relative to our initial cost basis upon exit.
The Advisor rates the investments in our portfolio each quarter and it is possible that the rating of a portfolio investment may be reduced or increased over time. For investments with a rating of 3 or 4, the Advisor enhances its level of scrutiny over the monitoring of such portfolio company. The following table shows the composition of our portfolio (excluding investments in money market funds) on the 1 to 4 performance investment rating system at fair value as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024:
December 31, 2025
December 31, 2024 (1)
Investment
Performance
Rating
Investments at Fair
Value
Percentage of Total
Portfolio
Investments at Fair
Value
Percentage of Total
Portfolio
Total
As of December 31, 2024, the Company had not yet commenced investment operations.
Results of Operations
Although the Company was formed on October 16, 2023, we commenced operations on September 26, 2024. As a result, comparisons may not be meaningful. On January 9, 2025, we commenced investment operations.
Operating results for the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, were as follows:
For the Year Ended
For the Period from October 16, 2023 (Inception) through
December 31, 2025
December 31, 2024 (1)
December 31, 2023 (1)
Total Investment Income
Net Expenses
Net Investment Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes
Income taxes, including excise taxes
Net Investment Income (Loss)
Net Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses)
Net Realized Gains (Losses)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations
The Company commenced operations on September 26, 2024. Prior to the commencement of operations, only organizational and administrative activities were conducted which were either waived or advanced by the Advisor and made subject to the Expense Support Agreement.
Investment Income
Investment income for the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, was as follows:
For the Year Ended
December 31, 2025
December 31, 2024
For the Period from October 16, 2023 (Inception) through December 31, 2023
Interest income
Paid-in-kind interest income
Dividend income
Paid-in-kind dividend income
Other income
Total Investment Income
Interest income, which includes amortization of upfront fees, increased from $0 for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $18,611 for the year ended December 31, 2025. The increase in interest income was primarily the result of investment operations commencing in January 2025 and growth in our investment portfolio. Paid-in-kind (“PIK”) interest income increased from $0 for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $272 for the year ended December 31, 2025, primarily due to new originations of investments with PIK provisions. For the year ended December 31, 2025, 1.3% of our total investment income was comprised of PIK interest. Dividend income increased from $73 for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $285 for the year ended December 31, 2025 and was primarily due to a higher average balance invested in a money market fund during 2025 compared to 2024. Paid-in-kind dividend income increased from $0 for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $1,294 for the year ended December 31, 2025, driven by new originations of investments structured with PIK provisions. For the year ended December 31, 2025, 6.1% of our total investment income was comprised of PIK dividends. Other income increased from $0 for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $716 for the year ended December 31, 2025, primarily due to unfunded commitment fees.
Dividend income increased from $0 for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023 to $73 for the year ended December 31, 2024 and was attributable to dividends earned on a money market fund. There was no other investment income earned during the year ended December 31, 2024 and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023 as investment operations had not yet commenced.
Expenses
Operating expenses for the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, were as follows:
For the Year Ended
December 31, 2025
December 31, 2024
For the Period from October 16, 2023 (Inception) through December 31, 2023
Interest expense
Administrative service expenses
Organizational expenses
Professional fees
Amortization of deferred offering costs
Other general and administrative expenses
Directors’ fees
Management fees
Incentive fees on net investment income
Incentive fees on net capital gains
Total Expenses
Less: Management fees waived
Less: Expenses waived by Advisor
Less: Expense Support
Reimbursement of expense support (1)
Net Expenses
Reimbursement of expense support for the year ended December 31, 2024 is zero due to rounding.
Interest Expense
Interest expense increased from $0 for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $8,377 for the year ended December 31, 2025. The increase in interest expense was due to an increase in average debt outstanding of $113,426 for the year ended December 31, 2025, resulting from the Company entering into the Revolving Credit Agreement (as defined herein) on January 16, 2025, the Macquarie Transactions (as defined herein) on August 14, 2025 and September 26, 2025, and the Ally Loan Agreement (as defined herein) on November 6, 2025.
For the year ended December 31, 2024 and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, the Company did not incur any interest expense as there was no debt outstanding.
Administrative Service Expenses
Administrative service expenses represent fees paid to the Administrator for our allocable portion of overhead, technology and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including our allocable portion of the cost of certain of our executive officers and other non-investment professionals that perform duties for us. Refer to Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding the Administration Agreement and the administrative fees thereunder. Administrative service expenses decreased from $3,638 for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $2,896 for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Administrative service expenses increased from $6 for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023 to $3,638 for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily as a result of the commencement of operations on September 26, 2024.
Organizational Expenses
Organizational expenses include the cost of formation, including legal fees related to the creation and organization of the Company and its related documents of organization. Organizational expenses decreased from $2,285 for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $0 for the year ended December 31, 2025, as organizational activities were substantially completed upon the commencement of operations on September 26, 2024.
Organizational expenses increased from $184 for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023 to $2,285 for the year ended December 31, 2024, as a result of operations commencing on September 26, 2024.
Professional Fees
Professional fees include legal, audit, tax, valuation and other professional fees incurred related to the management of the Company. Professional fees increased from $583 for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $1,823 for the year ended December 31, 2025, primarily as a result of the commencement of investment operations.
Professional fees increased from $0 for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023 to $583 for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily as a result of the commencement of operations.
Amortization of Deferred Offering Costs
Costs associated with the offering of shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock are capitalized as deferred offering costs and included on the Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities and amortized over a twelve-month period. For the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, the Company incurred $534, $1,453 and $158 in offering costs, respectively. Amortization of deferred offering costs increased from $385 for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $1,374 for the year ended December 31, 2025, primarily as a result of the commencement of operations.
Amortization of deferred offering costs increased from $0 for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023 to $385 for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily as a result of the commencement of operations.
Other General and Administrative Expenses
Other general and administrative expenses include insurance, research, sub-administrator, and other costs. Other general and administrative expenses increased from $234 for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $1,006 for the year ended December 31, 2025, primarily as a result of sub-administrator and investment research costs.
Other general and administrative expenses increased from $0 for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023 to $234 for the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily as a result of sub-administrator costs.
Compensation to the Advisor
We pay the Advisor investment advisory fees for its services under the Investment Advisory Agreement consisting of two components: a Management Fee and an Incentive Fee. The cost of both the Management Fee and the Incentive Fee is borne by the Company’s stockholders.
Management Fee
The Management Fee is payable quarterly in arrears. The Management Fee is payable at an annual rate of 0.60% of the average value of the Company’s gross assets (excluding cash and cash equivalents but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts) at the end of each of the Company’s two most recently completed calendar quarters. For purposes of the Investment Advisory Agreement, “gross assets” means the Company’s total assets determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with U.S GAAP, excluding cash and cash equivalents, but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts.
The Management Fee for any partial quarter is appropriately prorated (based on the actual number of days elapsed relative to the total number of days in such calendar quarter). See Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding the Investment Advisory Agreement and the fee arrangement thereunder. Management Fees increased from $2 for the year ended December 31, 2024 to $1,118 for the year ended December 31, 2025 due to an increase in average assets from growth in our investment portfolio.
Management Fees increased from $0 for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023 to $2 for the year ended December 31, 2024 due to an increase in average assets. Management Fees for the year ended December 31, 2024 were waived by the Advisor.
Incentive Fee
We pay the Advisor an Incentive Fee consisting of two parts: (i) an Investment Income Incentive Fee and (ii) a Capital Gains Incentive Fee. The Investment Income Incentive Fee is calculated and payable on a quarterly basis, in arrears, and will equal 10.0% (17.5% in the event of an Exchange Listing) of Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income for the immediately preceding calendar quarter, subject to a quarterly preferred return of 1.50% (i.e., 6.0% annualized), or “Hurdle,” measured on a quarterly basis and subject to a 100% “catch-up” feature. See Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding the Investment Advisory Agreement and the fee arrangement thereunder.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, Investment Income Incentive Fees were $413. For the year ended December 31, 2024, and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, the Company did not incur any Investment Income Incentive Fees.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, $126 of Capital Gains Incentive Fees were accrued. As of December 31, 2025, these accrued Capital Gains Incentive Fees are not contractually payable to the Advisor. For the year ended December 31, 2024 and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, the Company did not accrue any Capital Gains Incentive Fee as there were no net unrealized and realized gains or losses as of such date.
Reimbursement of expense support
We may owe the Advisor a Reimbursement Payment, subject to certain conditions, in accordance with the Expense Support Agreement. As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company owed the Advisor $560 and $186 dollars, respectively, for the reimbursement of expense support.
Income Taxes, Including Excise Taxes
We have elected to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, and we intend to operate in a manner so as to continue to qualify for the tax treatment applicable to RICs. As a RIC, we must, among other things, distribute to our stockholders in each taxable year generally at least 90% of our investment company taxable income, as defined by the Code, and net tax-exempt income for that taxable year. To maintain RIC status, we, among other things, intend to make the requisite distributions to our stockholders, which generally relieves us from corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes.
Depending on the level of taxable income earned in a tax year, we can be expected to carry forward taxable income (including net capital gains, if any) in excess of current year dividend distributions from the current tax year into the next tax year and pay a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax on such taxable income, as required. To the extent that we determine that our estimated current year annual taxable income will be in excess of estimated current year dividend distributions from such income, we will accrue excise tax on estimated excess taxable income.
For the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024 and the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, we recorded a net expense of $151, $0, and $0, respectively, for U.S. federal excise tax.
Net Unrealized and Realized Gains (Losses)
We fair value our portfolio investments quarterly and any changes in fair value are recorded as unrealized gains or losses. For the year ended December 31, 2025, the net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments was $1,645, which includes $388 attributable to changes in foreign exchange rates on investments, with the remainder largely driven by the tightening in credit spreads relative to the origination date. For the year ended December 31, 2024 and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, there was no net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments as investment operations had not yet commenced.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, we had net unrealized gains (losses) of ($472) on foreign currency transactions, primarily as a result of translating our foreign currency borrowings and fluctuations in the EUR and CAD exchange rates. For the year ended December 31, 2024 and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, there were no unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency transactions.
For the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, there were no net realized gains (losses) on investments.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, we had net realized gains (losses) of $84 on foreign currency transactions, primarily resulting from changes in exchange rates between the date funds were drawn and the date the related investments were funded. For the year ended December 31, 2024 and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, there were no realized gains (losses) on foreign currency transactions.
Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources
We generate cash primarily from (i) the net proceeds of the Private Offerings, (ii) cash flows from our operations, and (iii) proceeds from borrowings under our Credit Facilities. To the extent the Company determines that additional capital would allow us to take advantage of additional investment opportunities, if the market for debt financing presents attractively priced debt financing opportunities, or if our Board of Directors otherwise determines that leveraging our portfolio would be in our best interest and the best interests of our stockholders, the Company may from time to time enter into one or more additional credit facilities including revolving credit facilities, increase the size of our existing Credit Facilities or issue additional senior securities. In accordance with the 1940 Act, with certain limited exceptions, we are only allowed to incur borrowings, issue debt securities or issue preferred stock, if immediately after the borrowing or issuance, our asset coverage ratio is at least 150%. Any such credit facilities may be secured by certain of our assets and may contain advance rates based upon pledged collateral. The pricing and other terms of any such facilities would depend upon market conditions when we enter into any such facilities as well as the performance of our business, among other factors.
In addition, we may raise capital by securitizing certain of our investments, including through the formation of one or more collateralized loan obligations or warehouse facilities, while retaining all or most of the exposure to the performance of these investments. This would involve contributing a pool of assets to a special purpose entity, and selling debt interests in such entity to purchasers on a non-recourse or limited recourse basis.
As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company’s asset coverage ratios were 167.82% and 2,096.46%, respectively. We carefully consider our unfunded commitments for the purposes of planning our ongoing financial leverage. Further, we maintain sufficient borrowing capacity within the 150% asset coverage limitation to cover any outstanding unfunded commitments we are required to fund.
Our primary uses of cash are (i) investments in portfolio companies, (ii) payments of the Company’s expenses, (iii) debt service, repayment and other financing costs of our borrowings, and (iv) cash distributions to the Company’s Stockholders.
We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents on hand and our anticipated cash flows from operations will be adequate to meet our needs for our daily operations for at least the next twelve months. As of December 31, 2025, we had approximately $198,032 of availability on our Credit Facilities, subject to asset coverage and borrowing base limitations, and $492,157 in undrawn Capital Commitments.
As of December 31, 2025, we had $139,030 in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, an increase of $106,750 from December 31, 2024. Restricted cash represents principal and interest collections received that are held at ABL SPV-A, the use of which is restricted based on the terms of the Ally Loan Agreement (as defined below). During the year ended December 31, 2025, cash used in operating activities was $444,174, primarily attributable to funding portfolio investments of $452,552. Cash provided by financing activities was $550,924 during the period, primarily due to borrowings on our Credit Facilities of $1,027,795, Repurchase Obligation proceeds of $80,000 and proceeds from the issuance of Common Stock of $206,000, which were partially offset by Credit Facility paydowns of $676,300, Repurchase Obligations repayments of $80,000, payment of deferred financing costs of $5,886, Common Stockholder distributions paid in cash of $500 and Preferred Stock dividends paid of $185.
As of December 31, 2024, we had $32,280 in cash and cash equivalents, an increase of $32,280 from December 31, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2024, cash used in operating activities was $84 while cash provided by financing activities was $32,364, primarily from the proceeds of the issuance of Common Stock and Preferred Stock.
Net Assets
The following table summarizes the total shares of Common Stock issued and proceeds received related to the Company’s drawdowns of Capital Commitments delivered pursuant to the Subscription Agreements for the year ended December 31, 2025:
Common Stock Issuance Date
Shares of Common Stock Issued
Aggregate Proceeds
March 26, 2025
June 26, 2025
September 25, 2025
December 17, 2025
Total
During the year ended December 31, 2025, we issued 25,487 shares of Common Stock to Common Stockholders who have not opted out of our distribution reinvestment plan, with a value of $643.
The following table summarizes the total shares of Common Stock issued and proceeds received related to the Company’s drawdowns of Capital Commitments delivered pursuant to the Subscription Agreements for the year ended December 31, 2024:
Common Stock Issuance Date
Shares of Common Stock Issued
Aggregate Proceeds
July 10, 2024
September 26, 2024
November 7, 2024
December 23, 2024
Total
As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company had received Capital Commitments totaling $729,030 and $604,804, respectively ($492,157 and $573,931 remaining undrawn, respectively), of which $269,745 and $21,550, respectively ($182,090 and $19,450 remaining undrawn, respectively), are from affiliates of the Advisor.
On September 26, 2024, the Company completed a private offering of its Preferred Stock to unaffiliated individual investors who are “accredited investors” as defined in Regulation D of the 1933 Act. Pursuant to this private offering we issued and sold 515 shares of Preferred Stock for an aggregate purchase price of $1,545. We may in the future issue additional series of preferred stock, though we have no intention to do so. The holders of the Preferred Stock are subject to certain dividend, voting, liquidation and other rights that are more fully described in Note 8 to our consolidated financial statements.
There were no Preferred Stock issuances during the year ended December 31, 2025.
Distributions
We have elected to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, and we intend to operate in a manner so as to continue to qualify each taxable year for the tax treatment applicable to RICs. To qualify for tax treatment as a RIC, we must, among other things, distribute to our stockholders in each taxable year generally at least 90% of the sum of our investment company taxable income, as defined by the Code (without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), and net tax-exempt income (if any) for that taxable year. To maintain our tax treatment as a RIC, we, among other things, intend to make the requisite distributions to our stockholders, which generally relieve us from corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes. During the year ended December 31, 2025, $3,080 of Common Stock distributions were declared and $1,143 was paid to Common Stockholders by the Company. During the year ended December 31, 2024, and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, no distributions had been declared or paid by the Company to Common Stockholders. For the years ended December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, and for the period from October 16, 2023 (inception) through December 31, 2023, $185, $54, and $0, respectively, of Preferred Dividends were declared, accrued and paid by the Company. The Preferred Dividends are calculated from and including September 16, 2024.
Depending on the level of taxable income earned in a tax year, we may carry forward taxable income (including net capital gains, if any) in excess of current year distributions from the current tax year into the next tax year and pay a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax on such taxable income, as required. To the extent that we determine that our estimated current year annual taxable income will be in excess of estimated current year distributions from such income, we will accrue excise tax on estimated excess taxable income.
Borrowings
The following tables show the Company’s outstanding debt as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024:
December 31, 2025
Aggregate
Principal
Amount
Committed
Outstanding
Principal
Carrying Value
Amount
Available (1)
Credit Facility
ABL Credit Facility
Total Debt
The amount available may be subject to limitations related to the borrowing base under the Credit Facility, the ABL Credit Facility and asset coverage requirements.
December 31, 2024 (1)
Aggregate
Principal
Amount
Committed
Outstanding
Principal
Carrying Value
Amount
Available
Credit Facility
Total Debt
The Company did not have any outstanding debt as of December 31, 2024.
Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility
On January 16, 2025, the Company entered into a revolving credit agreement (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Revolving Credit Agreement”), by and between the Company, as initial borrower, U.S. Bank National Association (“U.S. Bank”) as administrative agent, lead arranger, letter of credit issuer and the lenders party thereto from time to time (each a “Lender”). Capitalized terms used herein but not defined will have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Revolving Credit Agreement.
Pursuant to Section 2.15 of the Revolving Credit Agreement (“Section 2.15”), an increase was effective on June 27, 2025 for the revolving credit facility (the “Credit Facility” and, such increase, the “First Committed Accordion Exercise”). The Credit Facility and ABL Credit Facility (as defined below) are referred to collectively as the “Credit Facilities.” Pursuant to the First Committed Accordion Exercise, the aggregate Credit Facility commitments pursuant to the Revolving Credit Agreement increased from $150.0 million to $215.0 million. Pursuant to Section 2.15, an increase was effective on September 8, 2025 for the Credit Facility (the “Second Committed Accordion Exercise”). Pursuant to the Second Committed Accordion Exercise, the aggregate Credit Facility commitments pursuant to the Revolving Credit Agreement increased from $215.0 million to $250.0 million, (the “Maximum Principal Amount”), of which $50.0 million is available for standby letters of credit. The Maximum Principal Amount is subject to availability under the borrowing base, which is based on unfunded capital commitments by eligible investors, and the reserve, if any, for borrowings denominated in non-U.S. dollars. Subject to compliance with the terms and conditions of the Revolving Credit Agreement, the Company may request an increase of the maximum principal amount of the Credit Facility up to $1 billion, which request is subject to the discretionary consent of the administrative agent and to the commitment to provide such increase by U.S. Bank or any other new or existing lenders.
On December 19, 2025, the Company entered into a second amendment to its revolving credit agreement (“Second Amendment”). The Second Amendment, among other things, added a newly formed feeder fund, 5C Lending Partners Structured Feeder LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “New Pledgor”) as a credit party under the Revolving Credit Agreement, and provides that the commitments to the New Pledgor will be included in the borrowing base under the Revolving Credit Agreement. In connection with the Second Amendment the New Pledgor entered into certain security documents pledging to the administrative agent customary subscription facility collateral.
Borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of loans denominated in U.S. dollars, at the Company’s option (a) the daily simple SOFR plus 2.30%, (b) the Adjusted Term SOFR for the applicable interest period plus 2.30% or (c) 1.30% plus the greatest of (1) U.S. Bank’s prime rate, (2) the federal funds rate plus 0.50% and (3) the daily simple SOFR plus 1.00%; (ii) in the case of loans denominated in Euros, Yen, Australian dollars or other alternative currencies (other than sterling, Canadian dollars or Swiss francs), the Eurocurrency Rate for the applicable interest period plus 2.30%; (iii) in the case of loans denominated in sterling, SONIA plus 2.30%; (iv) in the case of loans denominated in Swiss francs, SARON plus 2.30%; or (v) in the case of loans denominated in Canadian dollars, at the Company’s option (a) the adjusted CORRA plus 2.30% or (b) the adjusted Term CORRA for the applicable interest period plus 2.30%. Term SOFR Loans are subject to a credit spread adjustment ranging from 0.00% to 0.25% and CORRA loans are subject to a credit spread adjustment of 0.29547%, subject to certain conditions. The Company also will pay to U.S. Bank an unused commitment fee, payable quarterly in arrears, equal to (a) 0.30% per annum on the unused portion of the lenders’ commitments under the Credit Facility when such unused portion is greater than 50% of the maximum commitment; or (b) 0.25% per annum on the unused portion of the lenders’ commitments under the Credit Facility when such unused portion is equal to or less than 50% of the maximum commitment, in either case calculated daily and on the basis of actual days elapsed in a year consisting of 360 days.
The Credit Facility will mature upon the earliest of (i) January 15, 2027 (the “Stated Maturity Date”), (ii) the date upon which the administrative agent declares the obligations under the Credit Facility due and payable after the occurrence of an event of default, (iii) forty-five (45) days prior to the termination of the organizational documents of the Company, (iv) forty-five (45) days prior to the date on which the Company’s ability to call capital commitments for purposes of repaying the obligations under the Credit Facility is terminated, and (v) the date the Company terminates the commitments pursuant to the Credit Facility. At the Company’s option, the Stated Maturity Date may be extended for one term up to 364 days, subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions. The Company’s obligations under the Revolving Credit Agreement are secured by the Company’s rights, titles, interests and privileges in and to the capital commitments of the Company’s investors, including the Company’s right to make capital calls, receive and enforce capital contributions, exercise any remedies and claims related thereto together with all proceeds and related rights of any and all of the foregoing and a pledge of the collateral account into which the capital call proceeds are deposited. The Revolving Credit Agreement contains customary representations and warranties and covenants and events of (with customary notice and cure provisions). Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement are subject to the asset coverage requirements contained in the 1940 Act.
On January 30, 2026, the Company entered into a third amendment to its Revolving Credit Agreement (the “Third Amendment”). The Third Amendment, among other things, (i) extends the Stated Maturity Date from January 15, 2027 to January 14, 2028, (ii) provides that 80% of the aggregate unfunded capital commitments of certain investors will be included in calculations of the borrowing base under the Revolving Credit Agreement once at such times the Company has called and received at least 40% of the aggregate capital commitments of all investors, (iii) reduced the Applicable Margin (as defined therein) (A) in the case of RFR Loans, from 2.30% to 1.85%, (B) in the case of Eurocurrency Rate Loans, from 2.30% to 1.85%, (C) in the case of Reference Rate Loans, from 1.30% to 0.85% (each such loan as defined therein) and (D) in the case of Letter of Credit (as defined therein) fees, from 2.30% to 1.85%, (iv) reduced the unused commitment fee to 0.25% per annum on the unused portion of the lenders ’ commitments when such unused portion is greater than fifty percent (50%) of the Credit Facility ’ s maximum commitment and (v) amends certain investor concentration limits, and waives the applicability of certain investor concentration limits until June 30, 2026.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company was in compliance with the terms of the Credit Facility.
Repurchase Obligations
In order to finance certain investment transactions, the Company may, from time to time, enter into repurchase agreements with Macquarie Bank Limited (“Macquarie”), whereby the Company sells to Macquarie an investment that it holds and concurrently enters into an agreement to repurchase the same investment at an agreed-upon price at a future date, not to exceed 90-days from the date it was sold (each such repurchase agreement, a “Macquarie Transaction”).
In accordance with ASC Topic 860, these Macquarie Transactions meet the criteria for secured borrowings. Accordingly, the investments financed by the Macquarie Transactions remain on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as an asset, and the Company records a liability to reflect its repurchase obligation to Macquarie (the “Repurchase Obligations”). The Repurchase Obligations are secured by the respective investments that are the subject of the repurchase agreements.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had no outstanding Repurchase Obligations. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company entered into two repurchase agreements on August 14, 2025 and September 26, 2025 for an aggregate of $80.0 million. Interest under these Repurchase Obligations were calculated at the inception of each repurchase agreement, as the 2 month interpolated SOFR rate in effect, plus the applicable margin of 3.20% or 3.25%. For the year ended December 31, 2025, interest expense on the Repurchase Obligations was $665. The contractual maturities of these repurchase agreements were 60 days and the $80.0 million was repaid during the year ended December 31, 2025.
Ally ABL Credit Facility
On November 6, 2025, the Company, as transferor, entered into the Loan, Security and Collateral Management among the Advisor, as collateral manager (in such capacity, the “Collateral Manager”), ABL SPV-A, as borrower (in such capacity, the “Borrower”), the lenders party thereto, Ally Bank, as administrative agent, and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as collateral custodian, swingline lender and arranger (the “Ally Loan Agreement”). The Ally Loan Agreement provides for a revolving credit facility (the “ABL Credit Facility”) under which the lenders agreed to extend credit to the Borrower in a total amount of up to $300.0 million the proceeds of which may be used, among other things, to acquire eligible loans and to make distributions to the Company. The Collateral Manager will act as collateral manager of the Borrower and manage the Collateral. In addition, to the extent not increased earlier at the option of the Borrower, the commitments under the facility will be automatically increased to an amount equal to $400.0 million on or about February 4, 2026. Borrowings under the ABL Credit Facility will bear interest at a rate per annum equal to a benchmark rate, plus 1.75% per annum. The benchmark rate is SOFR based on, at the Borrower’s option, daily SOFR, 1 month term SOFR and 3 month term SOFR. Unused commitments under the ABL Credit Facility are subject to a non-usage fee ranging from 0.50% to 0.75% per annum depending on usage levels. The lenders’ commitments to make advances under the ABL Credit Facility will expire on November 6, 2028 and the scheduled final maturity date of the ABL Credit Facility is November 6, 2030. In connection with the Ally Loan Agreement, the Company, as seller, and the Borrower, as buyer, entered into a sale and contribution agreement pursuant to which the Company will transfer to the Borrower certain originated or acquired loans and related assets from time to time. The Company also pledged its equity interests in the Company as collateral. The ABL Credit Facility is secured by all of the assets of the Borrower and the Company’s equity interests in the Borrower. The Company and the Borrower has made customary representations and warranties and are required to comply with customary covenants and other requirements for similar facilities. The Ally Loan Agreement includes usual and customary events of for facilities of this nature.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company was in compliance with the terms of the ABL Credit Facility.
Contractual Obligations
The following table is a summary of contractual principal payment obligations under our Credit Facility and ABL Credit Facility as of December 31, 2025:
Payments Due by Period
Total
Less than 1 year
1-3 years
3-5 years
After 5 years
Credit Facility
ABL Credit Facility
Total Contractual Obligations
In addition to the contractual principal payment obligations in the table above, we also have commitments to fund investments.
Capital Commitments and Subscription Agreements
The Company has conducted and from time to time may conduct Private Offerings in the United States to “accredited investors” within the meaning of Regulation D under the 1933 Act, and outside the United States in accordance with Regulation S or Regulation D under the 1933 Act, in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act. At each closing of a Private Offering, each investor will make a Capital Commitment to purchase shares of the Common Stock pursuant to Subscription Agreements entered into with the Company. Investors are required to fund drawdowns to purchase shares of Common Stock up to the amount of their respective Capital Commitment on an as-needed basis each time the Company delivers a drawdown notice, which will be issued based on the Company’s anticipated investment activities and capital needs, in an aggregate amount not to exceed each investor’s respective Capital Commitment. Stockholders will be released from any further obligation to purchase additional shares at the earlier of (i) a Liquidity Event and (ii) three years following the Initial Closing, subject to certain conditions.
If a Stockholder fails to fund their commitment obligations or to make required contributions when due, the Company’s ability to complete its investment program or otherwise continue operations may be substantially impaired. Additionally, there may be significant adverse consequences for the Stockholder. In addition to losing its right to participate in future drawdowns, a defaulting Stockholder may be forced to transfer its shares of Common Stock to a third party for a price that is less than the net asset value of such shares of Common Stock.
The Company may, in the Company’s sole discretion, permit one or more investors to make Subsequent Commitments after the date the first Subscription Agreements are accepted by the Company. Additional Stockholders will be required to make Catch-Up Purchases on a date (or dates) to be determined by the Company.
Other Commitments and Contingencies
From time to time, the Company may become a party to certain legal proceedings incidental to the normal course of its business. As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, management was not aware of any pending or threatenedlitigation.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Portfolio Company Commitments
From time to time, the Company may enter into commitments to fund investments in the form of revolver or delayed draw term loan commitments, which require the Company to provide funding during a specified commitment period when requested by portfolio companies in accordance with underlying loan agreements.
As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company had the following unfunded commitments:
Unfunded Commitment Balance
Investment
Commitment Type
Commitment Expiration Date
December 31, 2025
December 31, 2024 (1)
AAH Topco., LLC (dba Alliance Animal Health)
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
AGS Health BCP Holdings, Inc.
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
AGS Health BCP Holdings, Inc.
First Lien Revolver
AGS Health BCP LLC
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
AGS Health BCP LLC
First Lien Revolver
Endor Purchaser, Inc. (dba CompTIA)
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
Endor Purchaser, Inc. (dba CompTIA)
First Lien Revolver
Flexera Software LLC
First Lien Revolver
Foundation Risk Partners, Corp.
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
FYi Eye Care Services and Products Inc. & FYi USA Inc.
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
Glow Intermediate Holdings II, LLC (dba Gallo Mechanical)
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
Glow Intermediate Holdings II, LLC (dba Gallo Mechanical)
First Lien Revolver
High Street Buyer, Inc. (dba Highstreet Insurance)
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
Koala Investment Holdings, Inc. (dba Keystone Agency)
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
Koala Investment Holdings, Inc. (dba Keystone Agency)
First Lien Revolver
Navex Global Holdings Corporation
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
Navex Global Holdings Corporation
First Lien Revolver
Premier Care Dental Management, LLC (dba Dental365)
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
Titan BW Borrower L.P. (dba Triumph)
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
Titan BW Borrower L.P. (dba Triumph)
First Lien Revolver
Vacation Rental Brands, LLC (dba Awayday)
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
Vacation Rental Brands, LLC (dba Awayday)
First Lien Revolver
Vamos Bidco, Inc. (dba Vermont Information Processing)
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
Vamos Bidco, Inc.(dba Vermont Information Processing)
First Lien Revolver
World Insurance Associates, LLC
First Lien Delayed Draw Term Loan
World Insurance Associates, LLC
First Lien Revolver
Total Unfunded Commitments
As of December 31, 2024, the Company had not yet commenced investment operations and had no unfunded portfolio company commitments.
As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company believed that it had adequate financial resources to satisfy its unfunded commitments.
Related-Party Transactions
We have entered into a number of business relationships with affiliated or related parties, including the following:
the Investment Advisory Agreement;
the Administration Agreement;
the Expense Support Agreement; and
the License Agreement.
In addition to the aforementioned agreements, we were granted an exemptive order from the SEC which permits the Company, subject to the satisfaction of specific conditions and requirements, to co-invest in privately negotiated investment transactions with certain affiliates of the Advisor.
Recent Developments
Capital Commitments
Subsequent to December 31, 2025, the Company closed additional Capital Commitments in its private offerings totaling $271.0 million, of which $0.1 million was from affiliates of the Advisor, resulting in total Capital Commitments of $1.0 billion as of March 5, 2026.
Distributions
On March 4, 2026, the Board of Directors of the Company declared a cash distribution of $0.20 per share of the Company’s Common Stock. The distribution is payable on March 12, 2026, to the holders of record of the Company’s Common Stock as of the close of business on March 6, 2026. Distributions will be paid in cash or reinvested in shares of Common Stock for Common Stockholders participating in the Company's distribution reinvestment plan.
Investment Operations
As of March 5, 2026, the Company’s investment portfolio totaled $765.6 million across 22 portfolio companies, comprising of loan commitments of $709.3 million in aggregate principal amount, of which $540.8 million was funded and $168.5 million was unfunded, and a preferred equity investment of $56.3 million.
Recent Transactions
Blue River - Blue River PetCare, LLC
The Company closed on the upsize of a first-lien credit facility for Blue River PetCare (“Blue River”) to fund tuck-in acquisitions and organic growth initiatives. Blue River operates a fully integrated platform of general veterinary practices.
Critical Accounting Policies
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Changes in the economic environment, financial markets, and any other parameters used in determining such estimates could cause actual results to differ. Our critical accounting policies should be read in connection with our risk factors as described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”
Investments at Fair Value
Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Realized gains or losses are measured by the difference between the net proceeds from the repayment or sale and the amortized cost basis of the investment using the specific identification method without regard to unrealized gains or losses previously recognized, and include investments charged off during the period, net of recoveries. The net change in unrealized gains or losses primarily reflects the change in investment values, including the reversal of previously recorded unrealized gains or losses with respect to investments realized during the period.
The Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing the valuation of our portfolio investments at fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to the Advisor’s valuation policy. As permitted by Rule 2a-5 of the 1940 Act, the Board of Directors has designated the Advisor as our valuation designee with day-to-day responsibility for implementing the portfolio valuation process set forth in the Advisor’s valuation policy.
We apply Financial Accounting Standards Board Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement (“ASC Topic 820”), as amended, which establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with U.S. GAAP and required disclosures of fair value measurements. ASC Topic 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received from the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market (which may be a hypothetical market) that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact. In accordance with ASC Topic 820, we consider our principal market to be the market that has the greatest volume and level of activity. ASC Topic 820 specifies a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes and ranks the levels of observability of inputs used in the determination of fair value. In accordance with ASC Topic 820, these three levels are summarized below:
Level 1- Valuations based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date.
Level 2- Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
Level 3- Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.
Transfers between levels, if any, are recognized at the beginning of the period in which the transfer(s) occurs. In addition to using the above inputs in investment valuations, the Advisor applies the valuation policy approved by our Board of Directors that is consistent with ASC Topic 820. Consistent with the valuation policy, the Advisor evaluates the source of each input, including any markets in which our investments are trading (or any markets in which securities with similar attributes are trading), in determining fair value. When a security is valued based on prices provided by reputable dealers or pricing services (i.e., broker quotes), the Advisor subjects those prices to various criteria to determine whether a particular investment would qualify for treatment as a Level 2 or Level 3 investment.
The Advisor determines the fair value of our investment portfolio on a quarterly basis. Securities that are publicly traded with readily available market prices are valued at the reported closing price on the valuation date. Securities that are not publicly traded with readily available market prices are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Advisor, in accordance with the valuation policy approved by the Board of Directors. In connection with that determination, the Advisor prepares portfolio investment valuations which are based on relevant inputs, including, but not limited to, dealer quotes, values of comparable securities, recent portfolio company financial statements, forecasts and other relevant disclosures, and valuations prepared by independent third-party pricing and valuation services.
Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have readily available market values, the fair value of such investments may fluctuate from period to period due to changes in the unobservable inputs that the Advisor employs to determine the fair value of such investments. Additionally, the fair value of such investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a readily available market existed for such investments and may differ materially from the values that may ultimately be realized. Further, such investments are generally less liquid than publicly traded securities and may be subject to contractual and other restrictions on resale. If the Company were required to liquidate a portfolio investment in a forced or liquidation sale, it could realize an amount(s) that is different from the amount(s) presented and such differences could be material.
Interest and Dividend Income Recognition
Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis and includes amortization of discounts or premiums. Certain investments may have contractual PIK interest or dividends. PIK interest represents accrued interest that is added to the principal amount of the investment on the respective interest payment dates rather than being paid in cash and generally becomes due at maturity. To the extent a debt investment contains PIK provisions, PIK interest is accrued and recorded as interest income at the contractual rates. Discounts and premiums to par value on securities purchased are amortized into interest income over the contractual life of the respective security using the effective yield method or the straight-line method for revolving or delayed draw investments. The amortized cost of investments represents the original cost adjusted for the amortization of discounts or premiums, if any. Upon prepayment of a loan or debt security, any prepayment premiums, unamortized upfront loan origination fees and unamortized discounts and premiums to par value are recorded as interest income in the current period.
Loans are generally placed on non-accrual status when interest or principal payments become materially past due and there is reasonable doubt that principal or interest will be collected in full. Recognition of interest income from that loan will be ceased until all principal and interest is current through payment or until a restructuring occurs, such that the interest income is deemed to be collectible. Accrued and unpaid interest is generally reversed when a loan is placed on non-accrual status. Interest payments received on non-accrual loans may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon the Company’s judgment regarding collectability. Non-accrual loans are restored to accrual status when past due principal and interest are paid or there is no longer any reasonable doubt that such principal or interest will be collected in full and, in the Company’s judgment, are likely to remain current. The Company may make exceptions to this policy if the loan has sufficient collateral value or is in the process of collection. Accrued interest is written-off when it becomes probable that the interest will not be collected, and the amount of uncollectible interest can be reasonably estimated.
Dividend income on preferred equity securities is recorded on the accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are payable by the portfolio company and are expected to be collected. Dividend income on common equity securities is recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies or on the ex-dividend date for publicly traded portfolio companies. To the extent a preferred equity investment contains PIK provisions, PIK dividends, computed at the contractual rate specified in each applicable agreement, are accrued and recorded as dividend income and added to the principal balance of the preferred equity investment on the respective dividend payment dates rather than being paid in cash. PIK dividends added to the principal balance are generally due at certain trigger dates or collected upon redemption of the equity . Dividend income earned from money market funds is recorded on an accrual basis.
Income Taxes
We have elected to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. We have elected to be treated, and intend to qualify each year as a RIC. As a RIC, we generally will not have to pay corporate-level U.S. federal or state income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that the Company distributes to the stockholders as dividends. Additionally, as a RIC, the Company must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. In order to maintain and obtain RIC status and tax benefits, the Company must distribute to the Company’s stockholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of the Company’s “investment company taxable income,” which is generally the Company’s ordinary income plus the excess of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses.