As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2016
U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Amendment No. 2
to
FORM 10
GENERAL FORM FOR REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
GSV GROWTH CREDIT FUND INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
| Maryland | 47-5049745 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or registration) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
2925 Woodside Road Woodside, California |
94062 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |
(650) 206-4604
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
with copies to:
Steven B. Boehm
Stephani M. Hildebrandt
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
700 Sixth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 383-0100
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
None
Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
(Title of class)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
| Large accelerated filer | ¨ | Accelerated filer | ¨ | |||
| Non-accelerated filer | þ (do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller reporting company | ¨ | |||
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | ||||
| Explanatory Note | 1 | |||
| Forward-Looking Statements | 1 | |||
| Item 1. | Business | 3 | ||
| Item 1A. | Risk Factors | 26 | ||
| Item 2. | Financial Information | 49 | ||
| Item 3. | Properties | 57 | ||
| Item 4. | Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management | 57 | ||
| Item 5. | Directors and Executive Officers | 57 | ||
| Item 6. | Executive Compensation | 62 | ||
| Item 7. | Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence | 63 | ||
| Item 8. | Legal Proceedings | 64 | ||
| Item 9. | Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters | 64 | ||
| Item 10. | Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities | 66 | ||
| Item 11. | Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered | 66 | ||
| Item 12. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers | 73 | ||
| Item 13. | Financial Statements and Supplementary Data | 74 | ||
| Item 14. | Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure | 74 | ||
| Item 15. | Financial Statements and Exhibits | 74 | ||
GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc. is filing this Amendment No. 2 to its Registration Statement on Form 10 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on a voluntary basis in order to permit it to file an election to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and to provide current public information to the investment community and to comply with applicable requirements in the event of the future quotation or listing of its securities on a national securities exchange or other public trading market.
In this Registration Statement, except where the context suggests otherwise:
| • | the terms “we,” “us,” “our” and “Company” refer to GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc.; |
| • | the term “GSVGC” refers to GSV Growth Credit LLC, our investment adviser; and |
| • | the term “Administrator” refers to GSV Credit Service Company, LLC, our administrator. |
Once this Registration Statement has been deemed effective, we will be subject to the requirements of Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act, including the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, which will require us, among other things, to file annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, and we will be required to comply with all other obligations of the Exchange Act applicable to issuers filing registration statements pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act.
Shortly after the effectiveness of this Registration Statement, we intend to file an election to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. Upon the filing of such election, we will become subject to the 1940 Act requirements applicable to BDCs.
This Registration Statement contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and undue reliance should not be placed thereon. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our Company, our current and prospective portfolio investments, our industry, our beliefs and opinions, and our assumptions. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “may,” “continue,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “targets,” “projects,” “outlook,” “potential,” “predicts” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation:
| • | an economic downturn could impair our portfolio companies’ ability to continue to operate, which could lead to the loss of some or all of our investments in such portfolio companies; |
| • | such an economic downturn could disproportionately impact the companies that we intend to target for investment, potentially causing us to experience a decrease in investment opportunities and diminished demand for capital from these companies; |
| • | a contraction of available credit and/or an inability to access the equity markets could impair our lending and investment activities; |
| • | interest rate volatility could adversely affect our results, particularly if we elect to use leverage as part of our investment strategy; |
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| • | currency fluctuations could adversely affect the results of our investments in foreign companies, particularly to the extent that we receive payments denominated in foreign currency rather than U.S. dollars; |
| • | our future operating results; |
| • | our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio companies; |
| • | our contractual arrangements and relationships with third parties; |
| • | the ability of our portfolio companies to achieve their objectives; |
| • | competition with other entities and our affiliates for investment opportunities; |
| • | the speculative and illiquid nature of our investments; |
| • | the use of borrowed money to finance a portion of our investments; |
| • | the adequacy of our financing sources and working capital; |
| • | the loss of key personnel; |
| • | the timing of cash flows, if any, from the operations of our portfolio companies; |
| • | the ability of GSVGC to locate suitable investments for us and to monitor and administer our investments; |
| • | the ability of GSVGC to attract and retain highly talented professionals; |
| • | our ability to qualify and maintain our qualification as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and as a BDC; |
| • | the effect of legal, tax and regulatory changes; and |
| • | the other risks, uncertainties and other factors we identify under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Registration Statement. |
Although we believe that the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of those assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those assumptions also could be inaccurate. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statement in this Registration Statement should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include those described or identified in the section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Registration Statement. These forward-looking statements apply only as of the date of this Registration Statement. Moreover, we assume no duty and do not undertake to update the forward-looking statements. Because we are an investment company, the forward-looking statements and projections contained in this Registration Statement are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 21E of the Exchange Act.
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| (a) | General Development of Business |
We were formed on August 31, 2015 as a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland. We expect to conduct private offerings (the “Private Offering”) of our common shares to investors in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
Shortly after the effectiveness of this Registration Statement, we intend to file with the SEC an election to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. We also intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code for U.S. federal income tax purposes. While we intend to elect to be treated as a RIC as soon as practicable, we anticipate that we may have difficulty satisfying the asset diversification requirements as we deploy initial capital and build our portfolio. As a BDC and a RIC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Regulation as a Business Development Company” and “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
Subsequent to our election to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act, we expect to have the initial closing of the Private Offering of our shares of common stock to investors in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. At each closing of the Private Offering, each investor will make a capital commitment to purchase shares of our common stock pursuant to a subscription agreement entered into with us. Investors will be required to fund drawdowns to purchase shares of our common stock up to the amount of their respective capital commitments on an as-needed basis with a minimum of 10 business days’ prior notice to the investors. We anticipate commencing our loan origination and investment activities contemporaneously with the initial drawdown from investors in the Private Offering (the “Initial Drawdown”). The initial closing of the Private Offering will occur as soon as practicable in the sole discretion of GSVGC upon the receipt of aggregate commitments totaling at least $50 million (the “Initial Closing Date”). GSVGC may accept additional capital commitments at one or more subsequent closings (“Subsequent Closings”) until a date which is no more than twenty-four (24) months after the Initial Closing Date (the “Final Closing”); provided, however, we may conduct one or more subsequent private offerings with additional closings after a Spin-Off transaction (as such term is defined in “Item 1(c). Description of Business — The Private Offering — Investor Optionality; Potential Spin-Offs”) has been completed. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business — The Private Offering.”
| (b) | Financial Information about Industry Segments |
Our operations comprise only a single reportable segment.
| (c) | Description of Business |
We are a newly organized Maryland corporation, formed on August 31, 2015, structured as an externally managed, non-diversified closed-end management investment company. We expect to operate as a “private” BDC while we invest the proceeds of the Private Offering, at which point, if market conditions are favorable, we plan to pursue an initial public offering (“IPO”) and seek to have our shares traded publicly on a national securities exchange. We are an “emerging growth company” under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended (the “JOBS Act”). For so long as we remain an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act, we will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements.
We were formed to create significant value for our stockholders, and the entrepreneurs we support, by providing high growth-potential companies with hybrid debt and equity financing that is more flexible than traditional credit and less dilutive than equity. Our investment objective is to maximize our total return to our stockholders primarily through current income on our loan portfolio, and secondarily through capital appreciation on our warrants and other equity positions. Under normal conditions, at least 80% of the value of our net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes will be invested in debt securities.
Our investment activities are managed by our external investment adviser, GSVGC. The Administrator, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GSVGC, provides all administrative services necessary for us to operate.
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Our Board of Directors will have ultimate authority as to our investments, but we expect it will delegate authority to GSVGC to select and monitor our investments, subject to the supervision of the Board of Directors. Pursuant to our Articles of Amendment and Restatement, the Board of Directors will initially consist of three members. A majority of the Board of Directors will at all times consist of directors who are not “interested persons” of the Company, of GSVGC or of any of their respective affiliates, as defined in the 1940 Act (“Independent Directors”). The Board of Directors is divided into three classes, each serving staggered, three-year terms: the terms of our Class I directors will expire at the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders; the terms of our Class II directors will expire at the 2018 annual meeting of stockholders; and the terms of our Class III directors will expire at the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders.
David Spreng, our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors, is also the founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of GSVGC, which is responsible for all investment decisions for the Company. Mr. Spreng has a unique combination of experience as a senior executive of a $20 billion asset management firm, over 25 years as a venture capitalist, and five years as a direct growth-debt lender to small, fast-growing, private companies. For the past 15 years, Mr. Spreng has been a thought leader in applying risk management processes to investing in equity and debt of small, fast-growing, private companies. We believe that Mr. Spreng’s experience as a venture capitalist and direct growth-debt lender, relationships and disciplined investment and risk management processes will be a significant competitive advantage for us.
Thomas B. Raterman will serve as our Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary, and as Chief Financial Officer of GSVGC. Mr. Raterman also serves as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of GSV Financial Group LLC (“GSV Financial Group”), the parent of GSV Equity LLC (“GSV Equity”), which manages the day-to-day operations of GSV Ventures LLC (“GSV Ventures”), a specialized venture firm that leads or co-invests in mid- and late-stage financing for pre-IPO companies alongside well-known venture capital groups. GSV Ventures has invested in some of the world’s fastest growing companies including Instacart, Lyft, Palantir, Pinterest, Twitter, Spotify, Glori Energy and Bloom Energy. Mr. Raterman has more than 30 years of corporate finance, investment banking, private equity and financial executive management experience with rapidly growing entrepreneurial companies. Earlier in his career, Mr. Raterman worked at several leading commercial lending firms including GE Capital, Continental Illinois National Bank and Security Pacific Bank. Mr. Raterman is currently a registered representative with Harbor Light Securities, LLC (“Harbor Light Securities”), which is not presently acting in any capacity on our behalf in connection with the Private Offering. Harbor Light Securities, however, may form a private fund available to its clients that are accredited investors that will invest in the Private Offering.
We will typically invest in what we believe to be high growth-potential, private companies. We will primarily originate our own investments in the debt and, to a lesser extent, equity of our portfolio companies and will utilize a multi-strategy approach to providing growth capital to these companies. The types of loans in which we will typically invest will be senior secured and second lien secured loans, which generally fall into two strategies: Sponsored Growth Lending and Non-Sponsored Growth Lending.
Our investment objective is to maximize our total return to our stockholders primarily through current income on our loan portfolio, and secondarily through capital appreciation on our warrants and other equity positions. Through our Sponsored Growth Lending and Non-Sponsored Growth Lending strategies, we will invest in senior secured loans and second lien loans. We also expect to acquire equity securities in connection with our investments in secured loans.
Sponsored Growth Lending. Our Sponsored Growth Lending includes loans to companies that are already backed by established venture capital and private equity firms. Our Sponsored Growth Lending will also typically include the receipt of warrants and/or other equity from the venture-backed companies. We refer to these target borrowers as “venture-backed companies.” We will target venture-backed companies at all stages of development, with a bias towards later-stage, including those that are pre-revenue. To a limited extent, we will also selectively lend to publicly traded companies with venture capital ownership. We expect to focus on lending to companies focused in technology, life sciences, business services and other high growth industries. We believe that the Sponsored Growth Lending strategy we will follow is particularly attractive because the loans have high yields and additional equity upside. Investors may receive significant current income while gaining access to equity upside in companies that are often backed by the nation’s top-tier venture capital investors. We believe our Sponsored Growth Lending strategy typically:
| ● | provides us access to many high-quality companies backed by top-tier investors; |
| ● | delivers consistent returns through double-digit loan yields; and |
| ● | participates in equity upside via warrants. |
Non-Sponsored Growth Lending. Our Non-Sponsored Growth Lending includes loans to fast-growing private companies that are not backed by a professional equity investor sponsor, a venture capital firm or a private equity firm. We refer to these target borrowers as “non-sponsored growth companies.” As opposed to Sponsored Growth Lending, in the case of Non-Sponsored Growth Lending, we generally target companies with annual revenue of at least $20 million per year. To a limited extent, we will also selectively provide non-sponsored growth loans to publicly traded companies.
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We believe that our multi-strategy lending approach significantly reduces the volatility inherent in financing emerging-growth companies.
We believe the following attributes, which we expect to be included in most of the loans of our investment strategies, present an attractive risk profile:
| ● | meaningful amortization over the life of each loan and short to medium loan term; |
| ● | a low ratio of leverage to enterprise value;1 and |
| ● | a secured collateral position. |
We believe there are significant barriers to entry in providing sponsored growth lending and non-sponsored growth lending, which results in an environment with a limited number of competitors. In particular, we believe we will be able to capitalize on the following crucial elements for success in the private growth company lending market:
| ● | relationships with top-tier venture investors, growth company entrepreneurs, and other deal referral sources; |
| ● | reputation as a reliable, supportive, and value-added partner; |
| ● | ability to accurately determine credit risk and gauge warrant potential; and |
| ● | experience in the unique aspects of growth company debt pricing, structure, portfolio construction and management. |
The above attributes are not easily acquired and take years to establish. We believe GSVGC’s experienced, disciplined, and cohesive investment team possesses these necessary capabilities.
In addition to our core strategy of providing sponsored growth lending and non-sponsored growth lending, we may also opportunistically participate in the secondary markets for sponsored growth lending and non-sponsored growth lending.
Investment Structure. Typical attributes of our Sponsored Growth Lending and Non-Sponsored Growth Lending are as follows:
| ● | loan-size ranges from $3 million to $15 million; |
| ● | short total repayment periods: typically 36 to 60 months or less; |
| ● | may provide for interest only or moderate loan amortization in the early period of the loan; |
| ● | unlevered yield-to-maturity (i.e., the total return anticipated on a debt investment if it is held until maturity) generally ranging from 10% to 15%, which may include current interest payments, upfront and facility fees, an end-of-term payment and/or a payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest payment; |
| ● | warrants to acquire preferred or common stock in the prospective borrower that allow us to participate in any equity appreciation and enhance our overall returns; |
| ● | senior secured lien on the borrower's assets, including a pledge on or a promise by the borrower to not pledge the borrower’s intellectual property to another individual or lender; and |
| ● | limited and/or flexible covenant structures and, with certain affirmative and negative covenants, default penalties, lien protection, investor abandonment provisions, material adverse change provisions, change-of-control provisions, restrictions on additional use of leverage, and reimbursement for upfront and regular internal and third party expenses and prepayment penalties. |
Because we intend to elect to be regulated as a BDC, and we intend to qualify as a RIC under the Code, our portfolio will be subject to diversification and other requirements. See “ — Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” and “ — Regulation as a Business Development Company.”
About Our Investment Adviser
Our investment activities are managed by our external investment adviser, GSVGC. We expect to benefit from GSVGC’s ability to identify attractive investment opportunities, conduct due diligence to determine credit risk and gauge warrant potential, structure and price investments accordingly, and manage a diversified portfolio of loans.
Our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors, David Spreng, is also the founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of GSVGC. Mr. Spreng has over 25 years of experience as a venture capitalist and five years as a growth-debt lender. He has been active in the formation and development of nearly 50 technology companies with 18 IPOs and 14 trade-sales. He was ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the top 10 venture capitalists on their annual Midas List in 2005. Mr. Spreng also currently serves as a Partner of Decathlon Capital Partners, which he co-founded in 2010 as a provider of growth capital for established companies. He also currently serves as Managing Partner of Crescendo Ventures, which he co-founded in 1998 as a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in the technology, digital media and technology-enabled service markets. He founded IAI Ventures in 1994, before which he served as Vice President and then Senior Vice President of Investment Advisers Inc., a $20 billion diversified asset management firm from 1989 to 1994. Mr. Spreng served on the board and as chairman of the Government Affairs Committee of the National Venture Capital Association from 2005 to 2009. He served as an advisory board member of the Silicon Valley Executive Network from 2007 to 2012 and as a member of the Silicon Valley Executive Network from 2007 to 2015. Mr. Spreng has also been active member of the World Economic Forum community, including as a frequent panelist in Davos, as a member of the Technology Pioneers Selection Committee, the Steering Committee for Entrepreneurship and Successful Growth Strategies, and as an adviser to the Alternative Investments 2020 and Mainstreaming Impact Investing initiatives.
| 1 | “Enterprise value” is the value that a portfolio company’s most recent investors place on the company or “enterprise.” The value is determined by multiplying (x) the number of shares of common stock of the portfolio company outstanding on the date of calculation, on a fully diluted basis (assuming the conversion of all outstanding convertible securities and the exercise of all outstanding options and warrants), by the price per share paid by the most recent purchasers of equity securities of the portfolio company. |
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GSVGC’s investment committee (the “Investment Committee”) consists of Mr. Spreng, who is its Chairman, Mr. Raterman, Chief Financial Officer of the Company and GSVGC, Michael Moe and Larry Aschebrook. Mr. Moe is the founder, chief executive officer, president and chief investment officer of GSV Asset Management, LLC (“GSV Asset Management”), a leading growth-investment manager and the investment adviser to GSV Capital Corp. (“GSV Capital”), a publicly traded BDC launched in April 2011 that offers the first publicly traded security enabling investors to own a piece of the world's most dynamic, venture-backed private companies. GSV Capital invests principally in the equity securities of venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging companies and has invested prior to IPO or acquisition in leading growth companies such as Facebook and Twitter. GSV Capital has also invested in Palantir and Dropbox. GSV Asset Management also serves as the sub-adviser for the funds of GSV Ventures. Prior to founding GSV Asset Management, Mr. Moe co-founded and served as chairman and chief executive officer of ThinkEquity Partners, an asset management and investment banking firm focusing on venture capital, entrepreneurial and emerging growth companies and held positions as Head of Global Growth Research at Merrill Lynch and Head of Growth Research and Strategy at Montgomery Securities.
Mr. Aschebrook is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of GSV Financial Group, the parent of GSV Equity, which manages the day-to-day operations of GSV Ventures, a specialized venture firm that leads or co-invests in mid- and late-stage financing for pre-IPO companies alongside well-known venture capital groups. Mr. Aschebrook has over 10 years of experience as a venture capitalist and growth investor and has managed over 20 venture capital investments. He is also a registered representative with Harbor Light Securities, which is not presently acting in any capacity on our behalf in connection with the Private Offering. Harbor Light Securities, however, may form a private fund available to its clients that are accredited investors that will invest in the Private Offering.
Investment Advisory Agreement
Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) we intend to enter into with GSVGC prior to the filing of our election to be treated as a BDC, we will pay GSVGC a fee for investment advisory and management services consisting of two components — a base management fee and an incentive fee. The cost of both the base management fee and the incentive fee will ultimately be borne by our stockholders.
Base Management Fee
The base management fee is payable at the beginning of each calendar quarter and calculated at an annual rate of 2.0% of the aggregate amount of capital committed to us by investors as of the end of the most recently completed calendar quarter. GSVGC, however, has agreed to permanently waive all or such portion of the base management fee that it would otherwise be entitled to receive under the Advisory Agreement through June 30, 2016.
The base management fee for any partial month or quarter will be appropriately prorated.
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Incentive Fee
The incentive fee, which provides GSVGC with a share of the income that GSVGC generates for us, will consist of an investment-income component and a capital-gains component, which are largely independent of each other, with the result that one component may be payable even if the other is not.
Investment Income Component: Under the investment income component, we will pay GSVGC each quarter an incentive fee with respect to our pre-incentive fee net investment income. The investment income component will be calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on the pre-incentive fee net investment income for the immediately preceding fiscal quarter. Payments based on pre-incentive fee net investment income will be based on the pre-incentive fee net investment income earned for the quarter. For this purpose, “pre-incentive fee net investment income” means interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees, such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence, managerial and consulting fees or other fees we receive from portfolio companies) we accrue during the fiscal quarter, minus our operating expenses for the quarter (including the base management fee, expenses payable under the administration agreement with the Administrator (the “Administration Agreement”), and any interest expense and dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the incentive fee); provided however, that pre-incentive fee net investment income shall be reduced by multiplying the pre-incentive fee net investment income earned for the quarter by a fraction, the numerator of which is our total assets minus average daily borrowings for the immediately preceding fiscal quarter, and the denominator of which is our total assets for the immediately preceding fiscal quarter. Pre-incentive fee net investment income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with pay in kind interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash; provided, however, that the portion of the incentive fee attributable to deferred interest features shall be paid, only if and to the extent received in cash, and any accrual thereof shall be reversed if and to the extent such interest is reversed in connection with any write off or similar treatment of the investment giving rise to any deferred interest accrual, applied in each case in the order such interest was accrued. Such subsequent payments in respect of previously accrued income shall not reduce the amounts payable for any quarter pursuant to the calculation of the investment income component described above. Pre-incentive fee net investment income does not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation.
Pre-incentive fee net investment income, expressed as a rate of return on the value of our net assets (defined as total assets less liabilities) at the end of the immediately preceding fiscal quarter, will be compared to a “hurdle rate” of 2.0% per quarter (8.0% annualized). The Company shall pay GSVGC an incentive fee with respect to the Company’s pre-incentive fee net investment income in each calendar quarter as follows: (1) no incentive fee in any calendar quarter in which the Company’s pre-incentive fee net investment income does not exceed the hurdle rate of 2.0%; (2) 100% of the Company’s pre-incentive fee net investment income with respect to that portion of such pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 2.5% in any calendar quarter (10.0% annualized) (the portion of the Company’s pre-incentive fee net investment income that exceeds the hurdle but is less than 2.5% is referred to as the “catch-up”; the “catch-up” is meant to provide GSVGC with 20.0% of the Company’s pre-incentive fee net investment income as if a hurdle did not apply if the Company’s pre-incentive fee net investment income exceeds 2.5% in any calendar quarter); and (3) 20.0% of the amount of the Company’s pre-incentive fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds 2.5% in any calendar quarter (10.0% annualized) payable to GSVGC (once the hurdle is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 20.0% of all pre-incentive fee net investment income thereafter is allocated to GSVGC). These calculations shall be appropriately pro-rated for any period of less than three months.
The following is a graphical representation of the calculation of the income-related portion of the incentive fee:
Pre-incentive fee net investment income (expressed as a percentage of the value of net assets)
In connection with a Spin-Off transaction, as described below in “The Private Offering — Investor Optionality; Potential Spin-Offs”, the investment income component of the incentive fee will be payable in respect of the exchanged shares of common stock (the “Spin-Off Income Incentive Fee”). The Spin-Off Income Incentive Fee will be calculated as of the date of the completion of a Spin-Off transaction and will equal the amount of the investment income component of the incentive fee that would be payable to GSVGC if (A) all our investments were liquidated for their current value, and any unamortized deferred portfolio investment-related fees would be deemed accelerated, (B) the proceeds from such liquidation were used to pay all of our outstanding liabilities, and (C) the remainder were distributed to stockholders and paid as an incentive fee in accordance with the investment income component of the incentive fee described in (A) and (B) above for determining the amount of the Spin-Off Income Incentive Fee; provided, however, that in no event shall the Spin-Off Income Incentive Fee (a) include the portion of the income incentive fee attributable to deferred interest features of a particular investment that is not transferred pursuant to a Spin-Off transaction until such time as the deferred interest is received in cash, or (b) exceed 20% of our pre-incentive fee net investment income accrued for the fiscal quarter as of the date of the completion of the Spin-Off transaction. We will make the Spin-Off Income Incentive Fee payment in cash on or immediately following the date of the completion of a Spin-Off transaction. After a Spin-Off transaction, all calculations relating to the incentive fee payable by us will be made beginning on the day immediately following the completion of the Spin-Off transaction without taking into account the exchanged shares of our common stock (or contributions, distributions or proceeds relating thereto).
Capital Gains Component: Under the capital gains component of the incentive fee, we will pay GSVGC at the end of each calendar year 20.0% of our aggregate cumulative realized capital gains from the date of our election to be regulated as a business development company through the end of that year, computed net of all aggregate cumulative realized capital losses and aggregate cumulative unrealized depreciation through the end of such year, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gain incentive fees. For the foregoing purpose, our “aggregate cumulative realized capital gains” will not include any unrealized appreciation. We will accrue an incentive fee for accounting purposes taking into account any unrealized appreciation in accordance with GAAP. The capital gains component of the incentive fee is not subject to any minimum return to stockholders. If that amount is negative, then no capital gains incentive fee will be payable for such year. If the Advisory Agreement is terminated as of a date that is not a calendar year end, the termination date will be treated as though it were a calendar year end for purposes of calculating and paying the capital gains incentive fee.
In connection with a Spin-Off transaction, as described below in “The Private Offering — Investor Optionality; Potential Spin-Offs”, the capital gains component of the incentive fee will be payable in respect of the exchanged shares of common stock (the “Spin-Off Capital Gains Incentive Fee” and together with the Spin-Off Income Incentive Fee, the “Spin-Off Incentive Fee”). We expect that the Spin-Off Capital Gains Incentive Fee would be calculated as of the date of the completion of a Spin-Off transaction as if such date were a calendar year-end for purposes of calculating and paying the Spin-Off Capital Gains Incentive Fee.
Because GSVGC would be managing each of the Company, the Public Fund and the Liquidating Funds (each as defined below in “The Private Offering — Investor Optionality; Potential Spin-Offs”) in connection with any Spin-Off transaction, and the 1940 Act prohibits entities under common control from engaging in certain transactions, and due to the uncertainty as to whether the transfer of assets by us in connection with a Spin-Off transaction would result in a realization event for the underlying transferred assets, we will be required to obtain exemptive and/or no-action relief from the SEC to permit us to transfer assets to a Public Fund and/or a Liquidating Fund, as well as with respect to other aspects relating to the Spin-Off transaction, including the calculation of incentive fees to be paid by us in connection with a Spin-Off transaction. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain such exemptive and/or no-action relief from the SEC. If we are unable to do so, then we will continue our operations in the manner otherwise set forth in this Registration Statement.
Payment of Our Expenses
All professionals of GSVGC, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory and management services to us, and the compensation and routine overhead expenses of personnel allocable to these services to us, will be provided and paid for by GSVGC and not by us. We will bear all other out-of-pocket costs and expenses of our operations and transactions, including, without limitation, those relating to:
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| ● | organization and offering (in an amount up to the greater of either $500,000 or 0.5% of the aggregate amount of capital committed to us by investors as of the end of the most recently completed calendar quarter, provided that, the amount of initial organizational and offering expenses in excess of $500,000 or 0.5% of the aggregate amount of capital committed to us by investors as of the end of the most recently completed calendar quarter, as applicable, will be paid by GSVGC); | |
| ● | our pro-rata portion of fees and expenses related to a Spin-Off transaction; |
| ● | calculating our net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firm); |
| ● | fees and expenses payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisers, in connection with monitoring financial and legal affairs for us and in providing administrative services, monitoring our investments and performing due diligence on our prospective portfolio companies or otherwise relating to, or associated with, evaluating and making investments; |
| ● | interest payable on debt, if any, incurred to finance our investments; |
| ● | sales and purchases of our common stock and other securities; |
| ● | investment advisory and management fees; |
| ● | administration fees, if any, payable under the Administration Agreement; |
| ● | transfer agent and custodial fees; |
| ● | federal and state registration fees; |
| ● | all costs of registration and listing our securities on any securities exchange; |
| ● | U.S. federal, state and local taxes; |
| ● | independent directors’ fees and expenses; |
| ● | costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents required by the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or other regulators; |
| ● | costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to stockholders, including printing costs; |
| ● | our allocable portion of any fidelity bond, directors’ and officers’ errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; |
| ● | direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, copying, secretarial and other staff, independent auditors and outside legal costs; |
| ● | and all other expenses incurred by us, our Administrator or GSVGC in connection with administering our business, including payments under the Administration Agreement based on our allocable portion of our Administrator’s overhead in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and the allocable portion of the cost of our Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Financial Officer and their respective staffs. |
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Duration and Termination
Unless terminated earlier as described below, the Advisory Agreement will continue in effect for a period of two years from its effective date. It will remain in effect from year to year thereafter if (i) (A) approved annually by our Board of Directors or (B) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities and (ii) approved by a majority of our Independent Directors. The Advisory Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act, by GSVGC and may be terminated by either party without penalty upon 60 days’ written notice to the other. The holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities may also terminate the Advisory Agreement without penalty upon 60 days’ written notice. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Business and Structure — GSVGC or our Administrator will have the right to resign on 60 days’ notice, and we may not be able to find a suitable replacement for either within that time, or at all, resulting in a disruption in our operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.”
The Advisory Agreement provides that, absent criminal conduct, willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations under the Advisory Agreement, GSVGC and its professionals and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from us for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of GSVGC’s services under the Advisory Agreement or otherwise as our investment adviser.
Board Approval of the Advisory Agreement
Our Board of Directors expects to approve the Advisory Agreement at its first in-person meeting, to be held prior to the effectiveness of this Registration Statement. A discussion regarding the basis for our Board of Directors’ approval of the Advisory Agreement will be included in our first annual report on Form 10-K or quarterly report on Form 10-Q.
Our Administrator
GSV Credit Service Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of GSVGC, will serve as our Administrator and provide all administrative services necessary for us to operate. The principal executive offices of our Administrator are located at 2925 Woodside Road, Woodside, California 94062.
Administration Agreement
Pursuant to a separate Administration Agreement, our Administrator furnishes us with office facilities, together with equipment and clerical, bookkeeping and recordkeeping services at such facilities. The principal executive offices of our Administrator are located at 2925 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062. Under the Administration Agreement, our Administrator also performs, or oversees the performance of, our required administrative services, which includes being responsible for the financial records which we are required to maintain and preparing reports to our stockholders and reports filed with the SEC. In addition, our Administrator assists us in determining and publishing our net asset value, overseeing the preparation and filing of our tax returns and the printing and dissemination of reports to our stockholders, and generally overseeing the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others. Payments under the Administration Agreement are based upon our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by our Administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including a portion of the rent and the compensation of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and other staff providing administrative services. In accordance with the terms of the Administration Agreement, overhead and other administrative expenses are generally allocated between us and GSVGC by reference to the relative time spent by personnel in performing administrative and similar functions on our behalf as compared to performing investment advisory or administrative functions on behalf of GSVGC. To the extent personnel retained by the Administrator perform administrative tasks for GSVGC, the fees incurred with respect to the actual time dedicated to such tasks will be reimbursed by GSVGC. Pursuant to the terms of the Administration Agreement, the amounts payable to the Administrator from us in any fiscal year shall not exceed the greater of (i) 1.00% of the aggregate amount of capital committed to us by investors as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year and (ii) $1 million. Our Administrator will charge us only for the actual expenses it incurs on our behalf, or our allocable portion thereof, without any profit to our Administrator. The Administration Agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty upon 60 days’ written notice to the other party.
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The Administration Agreement provides that, absent criminal conduct, willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their respective duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of their respective duties and obligations, our Administrator and its officers, manager, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from us for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of our Administrator’s services under the Administration Agreement or otherwise as our Administrator.
Our Administrator also provides administrative services to GSVGC. As a result, GSVGC also reimburses our Administrator for its allocable portion of our Administrator’s overhead, including rent, the fees and expenses associated with performing compliance functions for GSVGC, and its allocable portion of the compensation of any administrative support staff.
Competition
Our primary competitors for investments include public and private funds, other BDCs, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity and hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, we believe some competitors may have access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC or to the distribution and other requirements we must satisfy to maintain our qualification as a RIC.
We expect to use the expertise of GSVGC’s Investment Committee, to which we will have access to assess investment risks and determine appropriate pricing for our investments in portfolio companies. In addition, we expect that the relationships of GSVGC’s senior investment professionals, including David Spreng, Thomas B. Raterman, Michael Moe and Larry Aschebrook, will enable us to learn about, and compete effectively for, financing opportunities with attractive companies in the industries in which we seek to invest. For additional information concerning the competitive risks we face, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Structure — We may face increasing competition for investment opportunities.”
Managerial Assistance
As a BDC, we will offer, and must provide upon request, managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. This assistance could involve, among other things, monitoring the operations of our portfolio companies, participating in board and management meetings, consulting with and advising officers of portfolio companies and providing other organizational and financial guidance. We may also receive fees for these services. GSVGC will provide, or arrange for the provision of, such managerial assistance on our behalf to portfolio companies that request this assistance, subject to reimbursement of any fees or expenses incurred on our behalf by GSVGC in accordance with our Advisory Agreement.
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Dividend Reinvestment Plan
We have adopted a dividend reinvestment plan that provides for reinvestment of our dividends and other distributions on behalf of our stockholders, unless a stockholder elects to receive cash as provided below. As a result of adopting such a plan, if our Board of Directors authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend or distribution, our stockholders who have not opted out of our dividend reinvestment plan will have their cash dividends or distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, rather than receiving cash.
No action will be required on the part of a registered stockholder to have his or her cash dividends and distributions reinvested in shares of our common stock. A registered stockholder could instead elect to receive a dividend or distribution in cash by notifying GSVGC in writing, so that such notice is received by GSVGC no later than 10 days prior to the record date for distributions to the stockholders. GSVGC will set up an account for shares of our common stock acquired through the plan for each stockholder who does not elect to receive dividends and distributions in cash and hold such shares in non-certificated form. Those stockholders whose shares are held by a broker or other financial intermediary could receive dividends and distributions in cash by notifying their broker or other financial intermediary of their election.
Stockholders who receive dividends and distributions in the form of stock are generally subject to the same U.S. federal, state and local tax consequences as are stockholders who elect to receive their dividends and distributions in cash. However, since a participating stockholder’s cash dividends and distributions will be reinvested in our common stock, such stockholder will not receive cash with which to pay applicable taxes on reinvested dividends and distributions. A stockholder’s basis for determining gain or loss upon the sale of stock received in a dividend or distribution from us will generally be equal to the cash that would have been received if the stockholder had received the dividend or distribution in cash, unless we were to issue new shares that are trading at or above net asset value, in which case, the stockholder’s basis in the new shares will generally be equal to their fair market value. Any stock received in a dividend or distribution will have a new holding period for tax purposes commencing on the day following the day on which the shares are credited to the U.S. stockholder’s account.
Staffing
We do not currently have any employees. David Spreng, our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors, is also the founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of GSVGC. Thomas B. Raterman, our Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of GSVGC, also serves as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of GSV Financial Group, the parent of GSV Equity, which manages the day-to-day operations of GSV Ventures. The Chief Financial Officer will perform his functions for us under the terms of our Administration Agreement. We have also retained Carl Rizzo of Alaric Compliance Services LLC to serve as our Chief Compliance Officer pursuant to an agreement with Alaric Compliance Services LLC.
Our day-to-day investment and administrative operations will be managed by GSVGC and our Administrator. GSVGC’s Investment Committee is comprised of Messrs. Spreng, Raterman, Moe and Aschebrook. The Investment Committee is supported by a team of additional experienced investment professionals. GSVGC and our Administrator may hire additional investment and administrative professionals in the future to provide services to us, based upon our needs. See “ — Investment Advisory Agreement” and “ — Administration Agreement.”
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In addition, we will reimburse the Administrator for its costs and expenses and our allocable portion of overhead incurred by it in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including compensation paid to or compensatory distributions received by our officers (including our Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Financial Officer) and any of their respective staff who provide services to us, operations staff who provide services to us, and any internal audit staff, to the extent internal audit performs a role in our Sarbanes-Oxley internal control assessment. See “ — Administration Agreement.”
The Private Offering
We expect to enter into separate subscription agreements with a limited number of investors providing for the private placement of shares of our common stock pursuant to the Private Offering. Each investor will make a capital commitment to purchase shares of our common stock pursuant to the subscription agreement. Investors will be required to make capital contributions to purchase shares of our common stock each time we deliver a drawdown notice, which will be issued based on our anticipated investment activities and capital needs and delivered at least 10 business days prior to the required funding date, in an aggregate amount not to exceed each investor’s respective capital commitment. Other than in connection with a Spin-Off transaction described below, no investor who participated in the Private Offering will be permitted to sell, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of its shares or capital commitment unless (i) we provide our prior written consent, (ii) the transfer is made in accordance with applicable law and (iii) the transfer is otherwise in compliance with the transfer restrictions set forth in the relevant subscription agreement. The Initial Closing Date of the Private Offering will occur as soon as practicable in the sole discretion of GSVGC upon the receipt of aggregate commitments totaling at least $50 million. GSVGC may accept additional capital commitments at Subsequent Closings until the Final Closing, which is no more than twenty-four (24) months after the Initial Closing Date.
While we expect each subscription agreement to reflect the terms and conditions summarized in the preceding paragraph, we reserve the right to enter into subscription agreements that contain terms and conditions not found in the subscription agreements entered into with other investors, subject to applicable law.
Investor Optionality; Potential Spin-Offs
At any time after the third anniversary of the Final Closing (or, if earlier, the date on which the undrawn capital commitment of each investor has been reduced to zero), we may offer our stockholders the option to elect to either (i) retain their ownership of shares of our common stock; (ii) exchange their shares of our common stock for shares of common stock in a newly formed entity (the “Public Fund”) 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 complete an IPO of shares of its common stock; or (iii) exchange their shares of our common stock for interests of one or more newly formed entities (“Liquidating Funds”) which will, among other things, seek to complete an orderly wind down and/or liquidation of any such Liquidating Funds. Thereafter, we intend to offer investors the option to elect to exchange their shares of our common stock for interests of a Liquidating Fund on an annual basis. In order to effectuate these options, we expect we would need to, among other things, transfer to the Public Fund and the Liquidating Funds, in exchange for newly issued shares of the Public Fund and interests of the Liquidating Funds, respectively, a pro rata portion of our assets and liabilities attributable to the investors that have elected to invest in the Public Fund or Liquidating Funds, respectively, (such transfer of assets and liabilities and the mechanics relating thereto are referred to herein as a “Spin-Off transaction”). Because GSVGC would be managing each of us, the Public Fund and the Liquidating Funds, and the 1940 Act prohibits entities under common control from engaging in certain transactions, we will be required to obtain exemptive and/or no-action relief from the SEC to permit us to transfer assets to the Public Fund and/or the Liquidating Funds, as well as with respect to other aspects relating to a Spin-Off transaction. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain such exemptive and/or no-action relief from the SEC. If we are unable to do so, then we will continue our operations in the manner otherwise set forth in this Registration Statement. Alternatively, if we do obtain such exemptive and/or no-action relief, our Board of Directors would determine whether (and when) to effectuate a Spin-Off transaction, subject to the receipt of any required stockholder approvals. While the Company expects that a Spin-Off transaction would likely be taxable to a stockholder that chooses to participate in the Spin-Off transaction, the Company cannot at this time predict the specific tax consequences of any future Spin-Off transaction that may occur. The Company will provide its stockholders with specific information regarding the structure and any potential advantages or consequences relating to any Spin-Off transaction at the time it is offered to stockholders. If a Spin-Off transaction is effectuated, for those stockholders who did not elect to participate in the Spin-Off transaction, the Company expects to conduct future private offerings, extend the commitment and investment period of the Company and continue to operate as described in this Registration Statement. The Company does not expect any Spin-Off transaction to result in a taxable event for those stockholders that elect not to participate in a Spin-Off transaction.
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
The following discussion is a general summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to us and to an investment in shares of our common stock. This discussion is based on the provisions of the Code and the regulations of the U.S. Department of Treasury promulgated thereunder, or “Treasury regulations,” each as in effect as of the date of this Registration Statement.
These provisions are subject to differing interpretations and change by legislative or administrative action, and any change may be retroactive. This discussion does not constitute a detailed explanation of all U.S. federal income tax aspects affecting us and our stockholders and does not purport to deal with the U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be important to particular stockholders in light of their individual investment circumstances or to some types of stockholders subject to special tax rules, such as financial institutions, broker dealers, insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, partnerships or other pass-through entities, persons holding our common stock in connection with a hedging, straddle, conversion or other integrated transaction, non-U.S. stockholders (as defined below) engaged in a trade or business in the United States, persons who have ceased to be U.S. citizens or to be taxed as resident aliens or individual non-U.S. stockholders present in the United States for 183 days or more during a taxable year. This discussion also does not address any aspects of U.S. estate or gift tax or foreign, state or local tax. This discussion assumes that our stockholders hold their shares of our common stock as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally, assets held for investment). No ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS regarding any matter discussed herein.
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A “U.S. stockholder” is a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
| ● | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
| ● | a corporation created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state therein or the District of Columbia; |
| ● | an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
| ● | a trust if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary jurisdiction over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust. |
A “non-U.S. stockholder” means a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
| ● | a nonresident alien individual; |
| ● | a foreign corporation; or |
| ● | a foreign estate or trust. |
If a partnership or other entity classified as a partnership, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, holds our shares, the U.S. tax treatment of the partnership and each partner generally will depend on the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. A partnership considering an investment in our common stock should consult its own tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of shares by the partnership.
Taxation of the Company
We intend to elect to be treated and to qualify each year as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, we generally do not pay corporate-level federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that we timely distribute to our stockholders as dividends.
To qualify as a RIC, we must, among other things:
| ● | derive in each taxable year at least 90% of our gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, other income derived with respect to our business of investing in stock, securities or currencies, or net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership,” or “QPTP,” hereinafter the “90% Gross Income Test;” and |
| ● | diversify our holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year: |
| ○ | at least 50% of the value of our total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, with other securities limited, in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of our total assets and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and |
| ○ | not more than 25% of the value of our total assets is invested in the securities of any issuer (other than U.S. Government securities and the securities of other RICs), the securities of any two or more issuers that we control and that are determined to be engaged in the same business or similar or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more QPTPs, or the “Diversification Tests.” |
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In the case of a RIC that furnishes capital to development corporations, there is an exception relating to the Diversification Tests described above. This exception is available only to RICs which the SEC determines to be principally engaged in the furnishing of capital to other corporations which are principally engaged in the development or exploitation of inventions, technological improvements, new processes, or products not previously generally available (“SEC Certification”). We have not sought SEC Certification, but it is possible that we will seek SEC Certification in future years. If we receive SEC Certification, we generally will be entitled to include, in the computation of the 50% value of our assets (described above), the value of any securities of an issuer, whether or not we own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer, if the basis of the securities, when added to our basis of any other securities of the issuer that we own, does not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets.
As a RIC, we (but not our stockholders) are generally not subject to U.S. federal income tax on investment company taxable income and net capital gains that we distribute to our stockholders in any taxable year with respect to which we distribute an amount equal to at least 90% of the sum of our (i) investment company taxable income (which includes, among other items, dividends, interest and the excess of any net realized short-term capital gains over net realized long-term capital losses and other taxable income (other than any net capital gain), reduced by deductible expenses) determined without regard to the deduction for dividends and distributions paid and (ii) net tax-exempt interest income (which is the excess of our gross tax-exempt interest income over certain disallowed deductions), or the “Annual Distribution Requirement.” We intend to distribute annually all or substantially all of such income. Generally, if we fail to meet this Annual Distribution Requirement for any taxable year, we will fail to qualify as a RIC for such taxable year. To the extent we meet the Annual Distribution Requirement for a taxable year, but retain our net capital gains for investment or any investment company taxable income, we are subject to U.S. federal income tax on such retained capital gains and investment company taxable income. We may choose to retain our net capital gains for investment or any investment company taxable income, and pay the associated federal corporate income tax, including the 4% U.S. federal excise tax described below.
We are subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax on certain of our undistributed income, unless we timely distribute (or are deemed to have timely distributed) an amount equal to the sum of:
| ● | at least 98% of our ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for the calendar year; |
| ● | at least 98.2% of the amount by which our capital gains exceed our capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for a one-year period generally ending on October 31 of the calendar year (unless an election is made by us to use our taxable year); and |
| ● | certain undistributed amounts from previous years on which we paid no U.S. federal income tax. |
While we intend to distribute any income and capital gains in order to avoid imposition of this 4% U.S. federal excise tax, we may not be successful in avoiding entirely the imposition of this tax. In that case, we will be liable for the tax only on the amount by which we do not meet the foregoing distribution requirement.
We are authorized to borrow funds and to sell assets in order to satisfy distribution requirements. However, under the 1940 Act, we are not permitted to make distributions to our stockholders while any senior securities are outstanding unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios. See “ — Regulation as a Business Development Company — Senior Securities.” Moreover, our ability to dispose of assets to meet our distribution requirements may be limited by (1) the illiquid nature of our portfolio and/or (2) other requirements relating to our status as a RIC, including the Diversification Tests. If we dispose of assets in order to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement or to avoid the 4% U.S. federal excise tax, we may make such dispositions at times that, from an investment standpoint, are not advantageous.
A RIC is limited in its ability to deduct expenses in excess of its “investment company taxable income” (which is, generally, ordinary income plus the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses). If our expenses in a given year exceed investment company taxable income, we would experience a net operating loss for that year. However, a RIC is not permitted to carry forward net operating losses to subsequent years. In addition, expenses can be used only to offset investment company taxable income, not net capital gain. Due to these limits on the deductibility of expenses, we may, for tax purposes, have aggregate taxable income for several years that we are required to distribute and that is taxable to our stockholders even if such income is greater than the aggregate net income we actually earned during those years. Such required distributions may be made from our cash assets or by liquidation of investments, if necessary. We may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event we realize net capital gains from such transactions, stockholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than they would have received in the absence of such transactions.
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Failure to Qualify as a RIC
While we intend to elect to be treated as a RIC as soon as practicable, we anticipate that we may have difficulty satisfying the Diversification Tests as we deploy initial capital and build our portfolio. To the extent that we have net taxable income prior to our qualification as RIC, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on such income. We would not be able to deduct distributions to stockholders, nor would they be required to be made. Distributions, including distributions of net long-term capital gain, would generally be taxable to our stockholders as ordinary dividend income to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, corporate stockholders would be eligible to claim a dividend received deduction with respect to such dividend; non-corporate stockholders would generally be able to treat such dividends as “qualified dividend income,” which is subject to reduced rates of U.S. federal income tax. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the stockholder’s tax basis, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. In order to qualify as a RIC, in addition to the other requirements discussed above, we would be required to distribute all of our previously undistributed earnings attributable to any period prior to us becoming a RIC by the end of the first year that we intend to qualify as a RIC. To the extent that we have any net built-in gains in our assets (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if we had been liquidated) as of the beginning of the first year that we qualify as a RIC, we would be subject to a corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on such built-in gains when recognized over the next ten years (or shorter applicable period). Alternatively, we may choose to recognize such built-in gains immediately prior to our qualification as a RIC.
If we have previously qualified as RIC, but were subsequently unable to qualify for treatment as a RIC, and certain amelioration provisions are not applicable, we would be subject to tax on all of our taxable income (including our net capital gains) at regular corporate rates. We would not be able to deduct distributions to stockholders, nor would they be required to be made. Distributions, including distributions of net long-term capital gain, would generally be taxable to our stockholders as ordinary dividend income to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, corporate stockholders would be eligible to claim a dividend received deduction with respect to such dividend; non-corporate stockholders would generally be able to treat such dividends as “qualified dividend income,” which is subject to reduced rates of U.S. federal income tax. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the stockholder’s tax basis, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. In order to requalify as a RIC, in addition to the other requirements discussed above, we would be required to distribute all of our previously undistributed earnings attributable to the period we failed to qualify as a RIC by the end of the first year that we intend to requalify as a RIC. If we fail to requalify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, we may be subject to regular corporate tax on any net built-in gains with respect to certain of our assets (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if we had been liquidated) that we elect to recognize on requalification or when recognized over the next ten years.
The remainder of this discussion assumes that we qualify as a RIC for each taxable year.
Company Investments
Certain of our investment practices are subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, including the dividends received deduction, (ii) convert lower taxed long-term capital gains and qualified dividend income into higher taxed short-term capital gains or ordinary income, (iii) convert ordinary loss or a deduction into capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (iv) cause us to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (vi) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions and (vii) produce income that will not qualify as good income for purposes of the 90% Gross Income Test. We monitor our transactions and may make certain tax elections and may be required to borrow money or dispose of securities to mitigate the effect of these rules and to prevent disqualification of us as a RIC but there can be no assurance that we will be successful in this regard.
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Debt Instruments. In certain circumstances, we may be required to recognize taxable income prior to which we receive cash. For example, if we hold debt instruments that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as debt instruments with an end-of-term payment and/or a PIK-interest payment or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or issued with warrants), we must include in taxable income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same taxable year. Because any original issue discount accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our stockholders in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement and to avoid the 4% U.S. federal excise tax, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash amount.
Warrants. Gain or loss realized by us from the sale or exchange of warrants acquired by us as well as any loss attributable to the lapse of such warrants generally are treated as capital gain or loss. The treatment of such gain or loss as long-term or short-term generally depends on how long we held a particular warrant and on the nature of the disposition transaction.
Foreign Investments. In the event we invest in foreign securities, we may be subject to withholding and other foreign taxes with respect to those securities. We do not expect to satisfy the requirement to pass through to our stockholders their share of the foreign taxes paid by us.
Passive Foreign Investment Companies. We may invest in the stock of a foreign corporation which is classified as a “passive foreign investment company” (within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code), or “PFIC.” In general, unless a special tax election has been made, we are required to pay tax at ordinary income rates on any gains and “excess distributions” with respect to PFIC stock as if such items had been realized ratably over the period during which we held the PFIC stock, plus an interest charge. Certain adverse tax consequences of a PFIC investment may be limited if we are eligible to elect alternative tax treatment with respect to such investment. No assurances can be given that any such election will be available or that, if available, we will make such an election.
Foreign Currency Transactions. Under the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates which occur between the time we accrue income or other receivables or accrue expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time we actually collect such receivables or pay such liabilities generally are treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, on disposition of debt instruments and certain other instruments denominated in a foreign currency, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations if the value of the foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the instrument and the date of disposition also are treated as ordinary gain or loss. These currency fluctuations related gains and losses may increase or decrease the amount of our investment company taxable income to be distributed to our stockholders as ordinary income.
Taxation of U.S. Stockholders
Distributions by us generally are taxable to U.S. stockholders as ordinary income or capital gains. Distributions of our “investment company taxable income” (which is, generally, our net ordinary income plus net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses) will be taxable as ordinary income to U.S. stockholders to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares of our common stock. To the extent such distributions paid by us to non-corporate stockholders (including individuals) are attributable to dividends from U.S. corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations and if certain holding period requirements are met, such distributions generally will be treated as qualified dividend income and eligible for a maximum U.S. federal tax rate of 20%. In this regard, it is anticipated that distributions paid by us will generally not be attributable to dividends and, therefore, generally will not qualify for the 20% maximum U.S. federal tax rate.
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Distributions of our net capital gain (which is generally our realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short- term capital losses) properly reported by us as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable to a U.S. stockholder as long-term capital gains (currently at a maximum U.S. federal tax rate of 20%) in the case of individuals, trusts or estates, regardless of the U.S. stockholder’s holding period for his, her or its common stock and regardless of whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional common stock. Distributions in excess of our earnings and profits first will reduce a U.S. stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in such stockholder's common stock and, after the adjusted basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gains to such U.S. stockholder. Stockholders receiving dividends or distributions in the form of additional shares of our common stock purchased in the market should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the amount of money that the stockholders receiving cash dividends or distributions will receive, and should have a cost basis in the shares received equal to such amount. Stockholders receiving dividends in newly issued shares of our common stock will be treated as receiving a distribution equal to the value of the shares received, and should have a cost basis of such amount.
Although we currently intend to distribute any net long-term capital gains at least annually, we may in the future decide to retain some or all of our net long-term capital gains but designate the retained amount as a “deemed distribution.” In that case, among other consequences, we will pay tax on the retained amount, each U.S. stockholder will be required to include their share of the deemed distribution in income as if it had been distributed to the U.S. stockholder, and the U.S. stockholder will be entitled to claim a credit equal to their allocable share of the tax paid on the deemed distribution by us. The amount of the deemed distribution net of such tax will be added to the U.S. stockholder’s tax basis for their common stock. Since we expect to pay tax on any retained capital gains at our regular corporate tax rate, and since that rate is in excess of the maximum rate currently payable by individuals on long-term capital gains, the amount of tax that individual stockholders will be treated as having paid and for which they will receive a credit will exceed the tax they owe on the retained net capital gain. Such excess generally may be claimed as a credit against the U.S. stockholder’s other U.S. federal income tax obligations or may be refunded to the extent it exceeds a stockholder's liability for U.S. federal income tax. A stockholder that is not subject to U.S. federal income tax or otherwise required to file a U.S. federal income tax return would be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return on the appropriate form in order to claim a refund for the taxes we paid. In order to utilize the deemed distribution approach, we must provide written notice to our stockholders prior to the expiration of 60 days after the close of the relevant taxable year. We cannot treat any of our investment company taxable income as a “deemed distribution.”
We or the applicable withholding agent will provide you with a notice reporting the amount of any ordinary income dividends (including the amount of such dividend, if any, eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income) and capital gain dividends by January 31. For purposes of determining (1) whether the Annual Distribution Requirement is satisfied for any year and (2) the amount of capital gain dividends paid for that year, we may, under certain circumstances, elect to treat a dividend that is paid during the following taxable year as if it had been paid during the taxable year in question. If we make such an election, the U.S. stockholder will still be treated as receiving the dividend in the taxable year in which the distribution is made. However, if we pay you a dividend in January which was declared in the previous October, November or December to stockholders of record on a specified date in one of these months, then the dividend will be treated for tax purposes as being paid by us and received by you on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared. If a stockholder purchases shares of our stock shortly before the record date of a distribution, the price of the shares will include the value of the distribution and the stockholder will be subject to tax on the distribution even though it represents a return of its investment.
Alternative Minimum Tax. As a RIC, we are subject to alternative minimum tax, also referred to as “AMT,” but any items that are treated differently for AMT purposes must be apportioned between us and our U.S. stockholders and this may affect the U.S. stockholders’ AMT liabilities. Although regulations explaining the precise method of apportionment have not yet been issued, such items will generally be apportioned in the same proportion that dividends paid to each U.S. stockholder bear to our taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction), unless a different method for particular item is warranted under the circumstances.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan. Under the dividend reinvestment plan, if a U.S. stockholder owns shares of common stock registered in its own name, the U.S. stockholder will have all cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of common stock unless the U.S. stockholder opts out of our dividend reinvestment plan by delivering a written notice to GSVGC or our dividend paying agent, as applicable, prior to the record date of the next dividend or distribution. See “Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters — Dividend Reinvestment Plan.” Any distributions reinvested under the plan will nevertheless remain taxable to the U.S. stockholder. The U.S. stockholder will have an adjusted basis in the additional common shares purchased through the plan equal to the amount of the reinvested distribution. The additional shares will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the shares are credited to the U.S. stockholder’s account.
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Dispositions. A U.S. stockholder generally will recognize gain or loss on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of shares of our common stock in an amount equal to the difference between the U.S. stockholder’s adjusted basis in the shares disposed of and the amount realized on their disposition. Generally, gain recognized by a U.S. stockholder on the disposition of shares of our common stock will result in capital gain or loss to a U.S. stockholder, and will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year at the time of sale. Any loss recognized by a U.S. stockholder upon the disposition of shares of our common stock held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends received (including amounts credited as an undistributed capital gain dividend) by the U.S. stockholder. A loss recognized by a U.S. stockholder on a disposition of shares of our common stock will be disallowed as a deduction if the U.S. stockholder acquires additional shares of our common stock (whether through the automatic reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date that the shares are disposed. In this case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.
Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations. Under applicable Treasury regulations, if a U.S. stockholder recognizes a loss with respect to shares of $2 million or more for a non-corporate U.S. stockholder or $10 million or more for a corporate U.S. stockholder in any single taxable year (or a greater loss over a combination of years), the U.S. stockholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct U.S. stockholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, U.S. stockholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to U.S. stockholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. U.S. stockholders should consult their own tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Backup Withholding. We are required in certain circumstances to backup withhold on taxable dividends or distributions paid to non-corporate U.S. stockholders who do not furnish us or the dividend-paying agent with their correct taxpayer identification number (in the case of individuals, their social security number) and certain certifications, or who are otherwise subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld from payments made to you may be refunded or credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Limitation on Deduction for Certain Expenses. For any period that we do not qualify as a “publicly offered regulated investment company,” as defined in the Code, stockholders will be taxed as though they received a distribution of some of our expenses. A “publicly offered regulated investment company” is a RIC whose shares are either (i) continuously offered pursuant to a public offering, (ii) regularly traded on an established securities market or (iii) held by at least 500 persons at all times during the taxable year. We anticipate that we will not qualify as a publicly offered RIC immediately after the Private Offering; we may qualify as a publicly offered RIC for future taxable years. If we are not a publicly offered RIC for any period, a non-corporate stockholder’s allocable portion of our affected expenses, including our management fees, will be treated as an additional distribution to the stockholder and will be deductible by such stockholder only to the extent permitted under the limitations described below. For non-corporate stockholders, including individuals, trusts, and estates, significant limitations generally apply to the deductibility of certain expenses of a non-publicly offered RIC, including advisory fees. In particular, these expenses, referred to as miscellaneous itemized deductions, are deductible to an individual only to the extent they exceed 2% of such a stockholder’s adjusted gross income, and are not deductible for alternative minimum tax purposes.
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U.S. Taxation of Tax-Exempt U.S. Stockholders. A U.S. stockholder that is a tax-exempt organization for U.S. federal income tax purposes and therefore generally exempt from U.S. federal income taxation may nevertheless be subject to taxation to the extent that it is considered to derive unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). The direct conduct by a tax-exempt U.S. stockholder of the activities we propose to conduct could give rise to UBTI. However, a BDC is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes and its business activities generally will not be attributed to its stockholders for purposes of determining their treatment under current law. Therefore, a tax-exempt U.S. stockholder generally should not be subject to U.S. taxation solely as a result of the stockholder’s ownership of shares of common stock and receipt of dividends with respect to such shares. Moreover, under current law, if we incur indebtedness, such indebtedness will not be attributed to a tax-exempt U.S. stockholder. Therefore, a tax-exempt U.S. stockholder should not be treated as earning income from “debt-financed property” and dividends we pay should not be treated as “unrelated debt-financed income” solely as a result of indebtedness that we incur. Proposals periodically are made to change the treatment of “blocker” investment vehicles interposed between tax-exempt investors and non-qualifying investments. In the event that any such proposals were to be adopted and applied to BDCs, the treatment of dividends payable to tax-exempt investors could be adversely affected. In addition, special rules would apply, however, if we were to invest in certain real estate investment trusts or other taxable mortgage pools, which we do not currently plan to do, that could result in a tax-exempt U.S. stockholder recognizing income that would be treated as UBTI.
Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders
The following discussion only applies to certain non-U.S. stockholders. Whether an investment in shares of our common stock is appropriate for a non-U.S. stockholder will depend upon that person's particular circumstances. An investment in shares of our common stock by a non-U.S. stockholder may have adverse tax consequences. Non-U.S. stockholders should consult their own tax advisers before investing in shares of our common stock.
Actual and Deemed Distributions; Dispositions. In general, non-U.S. stockholders that are not otherwise engaged in a U.S. trade or business will not be subject to U.S. federal income on distributions paid by us. However, distributions of our investment company taxable income generally are subject to withholding of U.S. federal tax at a 30% rate (or lower rate provided by an applicable treaty) to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. However, no withholding is required with respect to such distributions if (i) the distributions are properly reported to our stockholders as “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends,” (ii) the dividends are derived from sources specified in the Code for such dividends and (iii) certain other requirements are satisfied. Distributions of our net capital gains (i.e., net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital losses) properly reported by us as capital gain dividends are not subject to withholding of U.S. federal tax.
If we distribute our net capital gains in the form of deemed rather than actual distributions, a non-U.S. stockholder will be entitled to a federal income tax credit or tax refund equal to the stockholder’s allocable share of the tax we pay on the capital gains deemed to have been distributed. In order to obtain the refund, the non-U.S. stockholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and file a federal income tax return even if the non-U.S. stockholder is not otherwise required to obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number or file a federal income tax return. For a corporate non-U.S. stockholder, distributions (both actual and deemed), and gains realized upon the sale of our common stock that are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business may, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate (or at a lower rate if provided for by an applicable tax treaty). Accordingly, investment in shares of our common stock may not be appropriate for certain non-U.S. stockholders.
Non-U.S. stockholders will not generally be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax with respect to gain recognized on the sale or other disposition of shares of our common stock.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan. Under our dividend reinvestment plan, if a non-U.S. stockholder owns shares of common stock registered in its own name, the non-U.S. stockholder will have all cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of common stock unless it opts out of our dividend reinvestment plan by delivering a written notice to GSVGC or our dividend paying agent, as applicable, prior to the record date of the next dividend or distribution. See “Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters — Dividend Reinvestment Plan.” If the distribution is a distribution of our investment company taxable income and is not properly reported by us as a short-term capital gains dividend or interest-related dividend, the amount distributed (to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits) will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax as described above and only the net after-tax amount will be reinvested in common shares. The non-U.S. stockholder will have an adjusted basis in the additional common shares purchased through the plan equal to the amount reinvested. The additional shares will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the shares are credited to the non-U.S. stockholder’s account.
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Backup Withholding. A non-U.S. stockholder who is a nonresident alien individual, and who is otherwise subject to withholding of federal income tax, will be subject to information reporting, but may not be subject to backup withholding of federal income tax on taxable dividends or distributions if the non-U.S. stockholder provides us or the dividend paying agent with a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or an acceptable substitute form). Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld from payments made to you may be refunded or credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance
Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance provisions of the U.S. Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act, or “FATCA,” (i) certain payments of U.S. source interest, dividends and other fixed or determinable annual or periodical gains, profits, and income and (ii) beginning January 1, 2019, gross proceeds from the sale or disposition of property of a type that can produce U.S. source interest or dividends, together, “withholdable payments,” made to or through certain foreign entities may be subject to a 30% withholding tax. The 30% withholding tax will apply if withholdable payments are made (i) to or through “foreign financial institutions” (that are not otherwise exempt) that do not enter into an agreement with the IRS to report information with respect to accounts held by U.S. persons or (ii) to certain other foreign entities that do not provide information regarding whether their direct and indirect owners are U.S. persons.
Each prospective investor is urged to consult its tax adviser regarding the applicability of FATCA and any other reporting requirements with respect to the prospective investor’s own situation, including investments through an intermediary.
Regulation as a Business Development Company
General
A BDC is regulated by the 1940 Act. A BDC must be organized in the United States for the purpose of investing in or lending to primarily private companies and making significant managerial assistance available to them. A BDC may use capital provided by public stockholders and from other sources to make long-term, private investments in businesses. A BDC provides stockholders the ability to retain the liquidity of a publicly traded stock while sharing in the possible benefits, if any, of investing in primarily privately owned companies.
We may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a BDC unless authorized by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, as required by the 1940 Act. A majority of the outstanding voting securities of a company is defined under the 1940 Act as the lesser of: (a) 67% or more of such company’s voting securities present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company. We do not anticipate any substantial change in the nature of our business.
As with other companies regulated by the 1940 Act, a BDC must adhere to certain substantive regulatory requirements. A majority of our directors must be persons who are not interested persons, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. Additionally, we are required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect the BDC. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any liability to us or our stockholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.
As a BDC, we are generally required to meet an asset coverage ratio, defined under the 1940 Act as the ratio of our gross assets (less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities) to our outstanding senior securities, of at least 200% after each issuance of senior securities. We may also be prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our Independent Directors and, in some cases, prior approval by the SEC.
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We are generally not able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Structure — Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to raise additional capital and the way in which we do so. As a BDC, the necessity of raising additional capital may expose us to risks, including the typical risks associated with leverage.” We may, however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current net asset value of our common stock if our Board of Directors determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders approve such sale. In addition, we may generally issue new shares of our common stock at a price below net asset value in rights offerings to existing stockholders, in payment of dividends and in certain other limited circumstances.
As a BDC, we are generally limited in our ability to invest in any portfolio company in which our investment adviser or any of its affiliates currently has an investment or to make any co-investments with our investment adviser or its affiliates without an exemptive order from the SEC, subject to certain exceptions.
We are subject to periodic examination by the SEC for compliance with the 1940 Act.
As a BDC, we are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Structure.”
Qualifying Assets
Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as qualifying assets, unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets represent at least 70% of the BDC’s gross assets. The principal categories of qualifying assets relevant to our business are the following:
| (1) | Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer (subject to certain limited exceptions) is an eligible portfolio company, or from any person who is, or has been during the preceding 13 months, an affiliated person of an eligible portfolio company, or from any other person, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the SEC. An eligible portfolio company is defined in the 1940 Act as any issuer which: |
| (a) | is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, the United States; |
| (b) | is not an investment company (other than a small business investment company wholly owned by the BDC) or a company that would be an investment company but for certain exclusions under the 1940 Act; and |
| (c) | satisfies any of the following: |
| (i) | does not have any class of securities that is traded on a national securities exchange; |
| (ii) | has a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange, but has an aggregate market value of outstanding voting and non-voting common equity of less than $250 million; |
| (iii) | is controlled by a BDC or a group of companies including a BDC and the BDC has an affiliated person who is a director of the eligible portfolio company; or |
| (iv) | is a small and solvent company having gross assets of not more than $4.0 million and capital and surplus of not less than $2.0 million. |
| (2) | Securities of any eligible portfolio company which we control. |
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| (3) | Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its securities, was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements. |
| (4) | Securities of an eligible portfolio company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities and we already own 60% of the outstanding equity of the eligible portfolio company. |
| (5) | Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described in 1 through 4 above, or pursuant to the exercise of warrants or rights relating to such securities. |
| (6) | Cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment. |
If at any time less than 70% of our gross assets are comprised of qualifying assets, including as a result of an increase in the value of any non-qualifying assets or decrease in the value of any qualifying assets, we would generally not be permitted to acquire any additional non-qualifying assets, other than office furniture and equipment, interests in real estate and leasehold improvements and facilities maintained to conduct the business operations of the BDC, deferred organization and operating expenses, and other non-investment assets necessary and appropriate to its operations as a BDC, until such time as 70% of our then current gross assets were comprised of qualifying assets. We would not be required, however, to dispose of any non-qualifying assets in such circumstances.
Managerial Assistance to Portfolio Companies
In addition, a BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described above in Qualifying Assets categories 1, 2 or 3. However, in order to count portfolio securities as qualifying assets for the purpose of the 70% test, the BDC must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above in Qualifying Assets category 1.c.iv.) significant managerial assistance; except that, where the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, one of the other persons in the group may make available such managerial assistance. Making available managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its directors, officers or employees, offers to provide, and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company.
Temporary Investments
Pending investment in other types of “qualifying assets,” as described above, our investments may consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which we refer to, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets are qualifying assets. Typically, we will invest in U.S. Treasury bills or in repurchase agreements, provided that such agreements are fully collateralized by cash or securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies. A repurchase agreement involves the purchase by an investor, such as us, of a specified security and the simultaneous agreement by the seller to repurchase it at an agreed-upon future date and at a price which is greater than the purchase price by an amount that reflects an agreed-upon interest rate. There is no percentage restriction on the proportion of our assets that may be invested in such repurchase agreements. However, if more than 25% of our gross assets constitute repurchase agreements from a single counterparty, we would not meet the diversification tests in order to qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes. Thus, we do not intend to enter into repurchase agreements with a single counterparty in excess of this limit. GSVGC will monitor the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which we enter into repurchase agreement transactions.
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Senior Securities
We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of stock senior to our common stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least equal to 200% immediately after each such issuance. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we must make provisions to prohibit any distribution to our stockholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our gross assets for temporary or emergency purposes without regard to asset coverage. For a discussion of the risks associated with leverage, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Structure — We may borrow money, which would magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and may increase the risk of investing in us.”
Code of Ethics
We and GSVGC have adopted a joint code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain transactions by our personnel. Our code of ethics generally does not permit investments by our employees in securities that may be purchased or held by us.
Compliance Policies and Procedures
We and GSVGC have adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and prevent violation of the federal securities laws and are required to review these compliance policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation and designate a chief compliance officer to be responsible for administering the policies and procedures. Carl Rizzo currently serves as our Chief Compliance Officer.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) imposes a wide variety of regulatory requirements on publicly held companies and their insiders. Many of these requirements affect us. For example:
| ● | pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Exchange Act, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer must certify the accuracy of the financial statements contained in our periodic reports; |
| ● | pursuant to Item 307 of Regulation S-K, our periodic reports must disclose our conclusions about the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures; |
| ● | pursuant to Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act, our management must prepare an annual report regarding its assessment of our internal control over financial reporting and (once we cease to be an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act or, if later, for the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC) must obtain an audit of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting performed by our independent registered public accounting firm should we become an accelerated filer; and |
| ● | pursuant to Item 308 of Regulation S-K and Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act, our periodic reports must disclose whether there were significant changes in our internal controls over financial reporting or in other factors that could significantly affect these controls subsequent to the date of their evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses. |
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires us to review our current policies and procedures to determine whether we comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. We will continue to monitor our compliance with all regulations that are adopted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and will take actions necessary to ensure that we are in compliance therewith.
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Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
We have delegated our proxy voting responsibility to GSVGC. The Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of GSVGC are set forth below. The guidelines will be reviewed periodically by GSVGC and our non-interested directors, and, accordingly, are subject to change. For purposes of the Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures described below, “we,” “our” and “us” refers to GSVGC.
An investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act has a fiduciary duty to act solely in the best interests of its clients. As part of this duty, we recognize that we must vote client securities in a timely manner, free of conflicts of interest and in the best interests of our clients.
These policies and procedures for voting proxies for our investment advisory clients are intended to comply with Section 206 of, and Rule 206(4)-6 under, the Advisers Act.
Proxy Policies
We will vote proxies relating to our portfolio securities in what we perceive to be the best interest of our clients’ stockholders. We will review on a case-by-case basis each proposal submitted to a stockholder vote to determine its impact on the portfolio securities held by our clients. Although we will generally vote against proposals that may have a negative impact on our clients’ portfolio securities, we may vote for such a proposal if there exist compelling long-term reasons to do so.
Our proxy-voting decisions will be made by the senior officers who are responsible for monitoring each of our clients’ investments. To ensure that our vote is not the product of a conflict of interest, we will require that: (1) anyone involved in the decision-making process disclose to our management any potential conflict that he or she is aware of and any contact that he or she has had with any interested party regarding a proxy vote; and (2) employees involved in the decision-making process or vote administration are prohibited from revealing how we intend to vote on a proposal in order to reduce any attempted influence from interested parties.
Proxy Voting Records
You may obtain information about how we voted proxies by making a written request for proxy voting information to: GSV Growth Credit LLC, The Pioneer Building, 2925 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062.
Privacy Principles
We are committed to maintaining the privacy of our stockholders and to safeguarding their non-public personal information. The following information is provided to help you understand what personal information we collect, how we protect that information and why, in certain cases, we may share information with select other parties.
Generally, we do not receive any non-public personal information relating to our stockholders, although certain non-public personal information of our stockholders may become available to us. We do not disclose any non-public personal information about our stockholders or former stockholders to anyone, except as permitted by law, or as is necessary in order to service stockholder accounts (for example, to a transfer agent or third-party administrator).
We restrict access to non-public personal information about our stockholders to employees of GSVGC and its affiliates with a legitimate business need for the information. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards designed to protect the non-public personal information of our stockholders.
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Reporting Obligations
We will furnish our stockholders with annual reports containing audited financial statements, quarterly reports and such other periodic reports as we determine to be appropriate or as may be required by law. Upon the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the Exchange Act, we will be required to comply with all periodic reporting, proxy solicitation and other applicable requirements under the Exchange Act.
Stockholders and the public may also read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. The public may also obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains such information.
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An investment in our securities involves certain risks relating to our structure and investment objective. The risks set forth below are not the only risks we face, and we may face other risks that we have not yet identified, which we do not currently deem material or which are not yet predictable. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. In such case, our net asset value and the price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business and Structure
We have no operating history as a BDC.
The Company was formed in August 2015 and has no operating history as a BDC. As a result, we are subject to many of the business risks and uncertainties associated with recently formed businesses, including the risk that we will not achieve our investment objective and that the value of your investment could decline substantially. As a BDC, we will be subject to the regulatory requirements of the SEC, in addition to the specific regulatory requirements applicable to BDCs under the 1940 Act and RICs under the Code. From time to time, GSVGC may pursue investment opportunities in which it has more limited experience. We may also be unable to replicate the historical performance of the members of GSVGC’s Investment Committee in prior investment funds. In addition, we may be unable to generate sufficient revenue from our operations to make or sustain distributions to our stockholders.
GSVGC has no prior experience managing a BDC or a RIC.
GSVGC has no experience managing a BDC or a RIC. Therefore, GSVGC may not be able to successfully operate our business or achieve our investment objective. As a result, an investment in shares of our common stock may entail more risk than shares of common stock of a comparable company with a substantial operating history.
The 1940 Act and the Code impose numerous constraints on the operations of BDCs and RICs that do not apply to the other types of investment vehicles. For example, under the 1940 Act, BDCs are required to invest at least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities of qualifying U.S. private or thinly traded companies. Moreover, qualification for RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code requires, among other things, satisfaction of source-of-income, diversification and other requirements. The failure to comply with these provisions in a timely manner could prevent us from qualifying as a BDC or RIC or could force us to pay unexpected taxes and penalties, which could be material. GSVGC’s lack of experience in managing a portfolio of assets under such constraints may hinder its ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and, as a result, achieve our investment objective.
Our investment portfolio will be recorded at fair value, with our Board of Directors having final responsibility for overseeing, reviewing and approving, in good faith, its estimate of fair value and, as a result, there will be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.
Under the 1940 Act, we will be required to carry our portfolio investments at market value or, if there is no readily available market value, at fair value as determined by us with our Board of Directors having final responsibility for overseeing, reviewing and approving, in good faith, our estimate of fair value. Typically, there will not be a public market for the securities of the privately held companies in which we will invest. As a result, we will value these securities quarterly at fair value based on input from management, a third-party independent valuation firm and our audit committee and with the oversight, review and approval of our Board of Directors.
The determination of fair value and consequently, the amount of unrealized gains and losses in our portfolio, are to a certain degree, subjective and dependent on a valuation process approved by our Board of Directors. Certain factors that may be considered in determining the fair value of our investments include external events, such as private mergers, sales and acquisitions involving comparable companies. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, they may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates. Our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these securities existed. Due to this uncertainty, our fair value determinations may cause our net asset value on a given date to materially understate or overstate the value that we may ultimately realize on one or more of our investments. As a result, investors purchasing our common stock based on an overstated net asset value would pay a higher price than the value of our investments might warrant. Conversely, investors selling shares during a period in which the net asset value understates the value of our investments will receive a lower price for their shares than the value of our investments might warrant.
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We have not identified any specific investments that we will make with the proceeds from the Private Offering, and you will not have the opportunity to evaluate our investments prior to subscribing to purchase our common stock. As a result, our offering may be considered a “blind pool” offering.
Neither we nor GSVGC has presently identified, made investments in or contracted to make any investments. As a result, you will not be able to evaluate the economic merits, transaction terms or other financial or operational data concerning our investments prior to purchasing shares of our common stock. You must rely on GSVGC and our Board of Directors to implement our investment policies, to evaluate our investment opportunities and to structure the terms of our investments. Because investors are not able to evaluate our investments in advance of purchasing our common stock, the Private Offering may entail more risk than other types of offerings. This additional risk may hinder your ability to achieve your own personal investment objective related to portfolio diversification, risk-adjusted investment returns and other objectives.
Our financial condition and results of operations will depend on our ability to effectively manage and deploy capital.
Our ability to achieve our investment objective will depend on our ability to effectively manage and deploy capital, which will depend, in turn, on GSVGC’s ability to identify, evaluate and monitor, and our ability to finance and invest in, companies that meet our investment criteria.
Accomplishing our investment objective on a cost-effective basis will largely be a function of GSVGC’s handling of the investment process, its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient services and our access to investments offering acceptable terms. In addition to monitoring the performance of our existing investments, GSVGC’s investment team will also be called upon, from time to time, to provide managerial assistance to some of our portfolio companies. These demands on their time may distract them or slow the rate of investment.
Even if we are able to grow and build upon our investment portfolio, any failure to manage our growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. The results of our operations will depend on many factors, including the availability of opportunities for investment, readily accessible short and long-term funding alternatives in the financial markets and economic conditions. Furthermore, if we cannot successfully operate our business or implement our investment policies and strategies as described herein, it could negatively impact our ability to pay dividends.
We may face increasing competition for investment opportunities.
We will compete for investments with providers of capital with similar investment strategies including other BDCs, private equity funds, sponsored growth lending funds, finance companies, and banks. Many of our competitors will be substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than us. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that will not be available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments than we will have. These characteristics could allow our competitors to consider a wider variety of investments, establish more relationships and offer better pricing and more flexible structuring than we will be able to offer. We may lose investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. If we are forced to match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may not be able to achieve acceptable returns on our investments or may bear substantial risk of capital loss. A significant part of our competitive advantage stems from the fact that the market for investments in small, fast-growing, private companies is underserved by traditional commercial banks and other financing sources. A significant increase in the number and/or the size of our competitors in this target market could force us to accept less attractive investment terms. Furthermore, many of our competitors will have greater experience operating under, or will not be subject to, the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act will impose on us as a BDC.
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Our business model depends to a significant extent upon strong referral relationships. Any inability of GSVGC to maintain or develop these relationships, or the failure of these relationships to generate investment opportunities, could adversely affect our business.
We depend upon GSVGC to maintain its relationships with venture capital and private equity firms, placement agents, investment banks, management groups and other financial institutions, and we expect to rely to a significant extent upon these relationships to provide us with potential investment opportunities. If GSVGC fails to maintain such relationships, or to develop new relationships with other sources of investment opportunities, we will not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom GSVGC has relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and we can offer no assurance that these relationships will generate investment opportunities for us in the future.
We will be dependent upon GSVGC’s key personnel for our future success.
We will depend on the diligence, skill and investment acumen of David Spreng, our President, Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman of our Board of Directors, along with the other investment professionals at GSVGC. Mr. Spreng will also serve as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of GSVGC, and the Chairman of its Investment Committee. Mr. Spreng, together with the other members of GSVGC’s senior management, will evaluate, negotiate, structure, close and monitor our investments. Our future success will depend on the continued service of Mr. Spreng and the other members of GSVGC’s senior management. We cannot assure you that unforeseen business, medical, personal or other circumstances would not lead any such individual to terminate his or her relationship with us. The loss of Mr. Spreng or any of the other members of GSVGC’s senior management could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective as well as on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we can offer no assurance that GSVGC will continue indefinitely as GSVGC. The members of GSVGC’s senior management are and may in the future become affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us, and may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time. We expect that Mr. Spreng will dedicate substantially all of his time to the activities of our company, however, Mr. Spreng may be engaged in other business activities which could divert his time and attention in the future.
In addition, Mr. Spreng has not managed a BDC or a fund with a strategy similar to ours and, as a result, there can be no assurance Mr. Spreng’s experience in venture capital and small-business lending will be indicative of future results that will be achieved by us.
Our success will depend on the ability of GSVGC to attract and retain qualified personnel in a competitive environment.
Our growth will require that GSVGC retain and attract new investment and administrative personnel in a competitive market. Its ability to attract and retain personnel with the requisite credentials, experience and skills will depend on several factors including, but not limited to, its ability to offer competitive wages, benefits and professional growth opportunities. Many of the entities, including investment funds (such as private equity funds and mezzanine funds) and traditional financial services companies, with which it will compete for experienced personnel will have greater resources than it will have.
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There are significant potential conflicts of interest which could impact our investment returns.
Mr. Spreng currently serves as the Managing Partner of Crescendo Ventures and Partner of Decathlon Capital. In addition, our executive officers and directors, as well as the current and future members of GSVGC, may serve as officers, directors or principals of other entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do. For example, Mr. Raterman, our Chief Financial Officer, also serves as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of GSV Financial Group, the parent of GSV Equity. Accordingly, they may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which obligations may not be in the best interests of us or our stockholders. However, GSVGC’s core investment team does not have a present intent to advise or manage another BDC with an investment strategy that is substantially similar to our investment strategy.
In the course of our investing activities, we will pay management and incentive fees to GSVGC and reimburse our Administrator for certain expenses it incurs. As a result, investors in our common stock will invest on a “gross” basis and receive distributions on a “net” basis after expenses, resulting in a lower rate of return than an investor might achieve through direct investments. Accordingly, there may be times when the management team of GSVGC will have interests that differ from those of our stockholders, giving rise to a conflict.
We have entered into a royalty-free license agreement with GSV Asset Management, pursuant to which GSV Asset Management has granted us a non-exclusive royalty-free license to use the name “GSV.” Under the license agreement, we have the right to use the “GSV” name for so long as GSVGC or one of its affiliates remains our investment adviser.
In addition, we will pay our Administrator, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GSVGC, our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by our Administrator in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent, the fees and expenses associated with performing compliance functions. These arrangements will create conflicts of interest that our Board of Directors must monitor.
The compensation we will pay to GSVGC and our Administrator was not determined on an arm’s-length basis. Thus, the terms of such compensation may be less advantageous to us than if such terms had been the subject of arm’s-length negotiations.
The compensation we will pay to GSVGC and our Administrator was not determined on an arm’s-length basis with an unaffiliated third party. As a result, the form and amount of such compensation may be less favorable to us than they might have been had the respective agreements been entered into through arm’s-length transactions with an unaffiliated third party. In addition, we may choose not to enforce, or to enforce less vigorously, our respective rights and remedies under the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement because of our desire to maintain our ongoing relationship with the GSVGC, our Administrator and their respective affiliates. Any such decision, however, could cause us to breach our fiduciary obligations to our stockholders.
Our incentive fee may induce GSVGC to pursue speculative investments and to use leverage when it may be unwise to do so.
The incentive fee payable by us to GSVGC may create an incentive for GSVGC to pursue investments on our behalf that are riskier or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangement. The incentive fee payable to GSVGC will be calculated based on a percentage of our return on invested capital. This may encourage GSVGC to use leverage to increase the return on our investments. Under certain circumstances, the use of leverage may increase the likelihood of default, which would impair the value of our common stock. In addition, GSVGC will receive the incentive fee based, in part, upon net capital gains realized on our investments. As a result, in certain situations GSVGC may have a tendency to invest more capital in investments that are likely to result in capital gains as compared to income producing securities. Such a practice could result in our investing in more speculative securities than would otherwise be the case, which could result in higher investment losses, particularly during economic downturns.
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A general increase in interest rates will likely have the effect of making it easier for GSVGC to receive incentive fees, without necessarily resulting in an increase in our net earnings.
Given the structure of our Advisory Agreement with GSVGC, any general increase in interest rates will likely have the effect of making it easier for GSVGC to meet the quarterly hurdle rate for payment of income incentive fees under the Advisory Agreement without any additional increase in relative performance on the part of GSVGC. In addition, in view of the catch-up provision applicable to income incentive fees under the Advisory Agreement, GSVGC could potentially receive a significant portion of the increase in our investment income attributable to such a general increase in interest rates. If that were to occur, our increase in net earnings, if any, would likely be significantly smaller than the relative increase in GSVGC’s income incentive fee resulting from such a general increase in interest rates.
GSVGC or our Administrator will have the right to resign on 60 days’ notice, and we may not be able to find a suitable replacement for either within that time, or at all, resulting in a disruption in our operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.
GSVGC will have the right, under the Advisory Agreement, to resign at any time upon 60 days’ written notice, regardless of whether we have found a replacement. Similarly, our Administrator has the right under the Administration Agreement to resign at any time upon 60 days’ written notice, regardless of whether we have found a replacement. If GSVGC or our Administrator were to resign, we may not be able to find a new investment adviser or administrator or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 60 days, or at all. If we are unable to do so quickly, our operations are likely to experience a disruption, our financial condition, business and results of operations, as well as our ability to pay distributions, are likely to be materially and adversely affected. In addition, the coordination of our internal management and investment or administrative activities, as applicable, are likely to suffer if we are unable to identify and reach an agreement with a single institution or group of executives having the expertise possessed by GSVGC, our Administrator and their respective affiliates. Even if we are able to retain comparable management, whether internal or external, the integration of such management and their lack of familiarity with our investment objective may result in additional costs and time delays that may adversely affect our financial condition, business, results of operations and cash flows.
GSVGC’s liability is limited under the Advisory Agreement and we have agreed to indemnify GSVGC against certain liabilities, which may lead GSVGC to act in a riskier manner on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account.
Under the Advisory Agreement, GSVGC has not assumed any responsibility to us other than to render the services called for under that agreement. It is not responsible for any action of our Board of Directors in following or declining to follow GSVGC’s advice or recommendations. Under the Advisory Agreement, GSVGC and its professionals and any person controlling or controlled by GSVGC are not liable to us, any subsidiary of ours, our directors, our stockholders or any subsidiary’s stockholders or partners for acts or omissions performed in accordance with and pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, except those resulting from acts constituting gross negligence, willful misfeasance, bad faith or reckless disregard of the duties that GSVGC owes to us under the Advisory Agreement. In addition, as part of the Advisory Agreement, we have agreed to indemnify GSVGC and its professionals from and against any claims or liabilities, including reasonable legal fees and other expenses reasonably incurred, arising out of or in connection with our business and operations or any action taken or omitted on our behalf pursuant to authority granted by the Advisory Agreement, except where attributable to gross negligence, willful misfeasance, bad faith or reckless disregard of such person’s duties under the Advisory Agreement.
GSVGC may not be able to achieve the same or similar returns as those achieved by Mr. Spreng and the other members of GSVGC’s core investment team while they were employed at prior positions.
Although in the past Mr. Spreng and the other members of GSVGC’s core investment team have held senior positions at a number of investment firms, their achievements are not necessarily indicative of future results that will be achieved by GSVGC. We cannot assure you that we will be able to achieve the results realized by prior vehicles managed by Mr. Spreng and the other members of GSVGC’s core investment team.
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Investors may default on capital drawdowns.
Capital Drawdowns (as defined in the Subscription Agreement) will be issued by the Company from time to time at the discretion of the GSVGC based upon the GSVGC’s assessment of the needs and opportunities of the Company. To satisfy such Capital Drawdowns, investors may need to maintain a substantial portion of their capital commitments in assets that can be readily converted to cash. If an investor fails to pay when due installments of its capital commitment to the Company, and the capital commitments made by non-defaulting investors and borrowings by the Company are inadequate to cover the defaulted capital commitment, the Company may be unable to pay its obligations when due. As a result, the Company may be subjected to significant penalties that could materially adversely affect the returns of the investor (including non-defaulting investors). Moreover, the Subscription Agreement provides for significant adverse consequences in the event an investor defaults on its capital commitment or other payment obligations.
Any failure on our part to maintain our status as a BDC would reduce our operating flexibility.
We intend to qualify as a BDC under the 1940 Act prior to the Initial Closing Date. The 1940 Act imposes numerous constraints on the operations of BDCs. For example, BDCs are required to invest at least 70% of their gross assets in specified types of securities, primarily in private companies or thinly-traded U.S. public companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. 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 us and/or expose us to claims of private litigants. In addition, upon approval of a majority of our stockholders, we may elect to withdraw our status as a BDC. If we decide to withdraw our election, or if we otherwise fail to qualify, or maintain our qualification, as a BDC, we will be subject to the substantially greater regulation under the 1940 Act as a closed-end investment company. Compliance with such regulations would significantly decrease our operating flexibility, and could significantly increase our costs of doing business.
Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to raise additional capital and the way in which we do so. As a BDC, the necessity of raising additional capital may expose us to risks, including the typical risks associated with leverage.
We may issue debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrow money from banks or other financial institutions, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” up to the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the provisions of the 1940 Act, we will be permitted, as a BDC, to issue senior securities in amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% of gross assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, after each issuance of senior securities. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments and, depending on the nature of our leverage, repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous. Also, any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness would not be available for distributions to our common stockholders. Furthermore, as a result of issuing senior securities, we would also be exposed to typical risks associated with leverage, including an increased risk of loss. If we issue preferred stock, the preferred stock would rank “senior” to common stock in our capital structure, preferred stockholders would have separate voting rights on certain matters and might have other rights, preferences, or privileges more favorable than those of our common stockholders, and the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in your best interest.
We will not generally be able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. We may, however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current net asset value per share of our common stock if our Board of Directors determines that such sale is in the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of our Board of Directors, closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). If we raise additional funds by issuing more common stock or senior securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, our common stock, then the percentage ownership of our stockholders at that time will decrease, and you may experience dilution.
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We may borrow money, which would magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and may increase the risk of investing in us.
The use of leverage magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and, therefore, increases the risks associated with investing in our securities. We may borrow from and issue senior debt securities to banks, insurance companies and other lenders in the future. Holders of these senior securities will have fixed dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders, and we would expect such lenders to seek recovery against our assets in the event of a default. If the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged. Similarly, any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could also negatively affect our ability to make dividend payments on our common stock. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique. Our ability to service any debt that we incur will depend largely on our financial performance and will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures. In addition, our common stockholders will bear the burden of any increase in our expenses as a result of leverage.
As a BDC, we will generally be required to meet an asset coverage ratio, defined under the 1940 Act as the ratio of our gross assets (less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities) to our outstanding senior securities, of at least 200% after each issuance of senior securities. If this ratio declines below 200%, we may not be able to incur additional debt and could be required by law to sell a portion of our investments to repay some debt when it is disadvantageous to do so, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations, and we may not be able to make distributions. The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on GSVGC’s and our Board of Directors’ assessment of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain credit at all or on terms acceptable to us.
In addition, any debt facility into which we may enter would likely impose financial and operating covenants that restrict our business activities, including limitations that could hinder our ability to finance additional loans and investments or to make the distributions required to maintain our qualification as a RIC.
A general increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle rate and may result in a substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to GSVGC with respect to our pre- incentive fee net investment income.
You should also be aware that a rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle rate and may result in a substantial increase in the amount of incentive fees payable to GSVGC with respect to our pre-incentive fee net investment income. This may occur without a corresponding increase in distributions to our stockholders.
We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly and annual results.
We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly and annual operating results due to a number of factors, including our ability or inability to make investments in companies that meet our investment criteria, the interest rate payable on the debt securities we acquire, the level of portfolio dividend and fee income, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. As a result of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.
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Our Board of Directors is authorized to reclassify any unissued shares of common stock into one or more classes of preferred stock, which could convey special rights and privileges to its owners.
Under the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) and our charter, our Board of Directors is authorized to classify and reclassify any authorized but unissued shares of stock into one or more classes of stock, including preferred stock. Prior to the issuance of shares of each class or series, the Board of Directors is required by Maryland law and our charter to set the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each class or series. Thus, the Board of Directors could authorize the issuance of shares of preferred stock with terms and conditions which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interest. The cost of any such reclassification would be borne by our existing common stockholders. Certain matters under the 1940 Act require the separate vote of the holders of any issued and outstanding preferred stock. For example, holders of preferred stock would vote separately from the holders of common stock on a proposal to cease operations as a BDC. In addition, the 1940 Act provides that holders of preferred stock are entitled to vote separately from holders of common stock to elect two preferred stock directors. We currently have no plans to issue preferred stock, but may determine to do so in the future. The issuance of preferred stock convertible into shares of common stock might also reduce the net income per share and net asset value per share of our common stock upon conversion, provided, that we will only be permitted to issue such convertible preferred stock to the extent we comply with the requirements of Section 61 of the 1940 Act, including obtaining common stockholder approval. These effects, among others, could have an adverse effect on an investment in our common stock.
Our Board of Directors may change our investment objective, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval, the effects of which may be adverse.
Our Board of Directors will have the authority to modify or waive our investment objective, current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies without prior notice (except as required by the 1940 Act) and without stockholder approval. However, absent stockholder approval, we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a BDC. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies would have on our business, net asset value, operating results and value of our stock. However, the effects might be adverse, which could negatively impact our ability to pay you dividends and cause you to lose all or part of your investment.
We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC.
Although we intend to elect to be treated as a RIC as soon as practicable, no assurance can be given that we will be able to qualify for and maintain our qualification as a RIC. To obtain and maintain our qualification as a RIC, we must meet the following source-of-income, asset diversification, and distribution requirements.
The income source requirement will be satisfied if we obtain at least 90% of our gross income for each year from dividends, interest, foreign currency, payments with respect to loans of certain securities, gains from the sale of stock or other securities, net income from certain “qualified publicly traded partnerships,” or similar sources.
The asset diversification requirement will be satisfied if we meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. Failure to meet those requirements may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of our qualification as a RIC. Because most of our 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. We may have difficulty satisfying the diversification requirement during our ramp-up phase until we have a portfolio of investments.
The annual distribution requirement will be satisfied if we distribute to our stockholders on an annual basis at least 90% of our net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. Because we may use debt financing, we are subject to certain asset coverage ratio requirements under the 1940 Act and financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to satisfy the distribution requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we could fail to qualify as a RIC.
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If we fail to qualify as a RIC for any reason and therefore become subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions.
There are risks related to investment by ERISA Plans.
We intend to operate so that we will be an appropriate investment for employee benefit plans subject to ERISA. We will use reasonable efforts to conduct the Company’s affairs so that the assets of the Company will not be deemed to be “plan assets” under the plan asset regulations promulgated by the Department of Labor, as amended by ERISA. The fiduciary of each prospective plan investor must independently determine that the Company is an appropriate investment for such plan, taking into account the fiduciary’s obligations under ERISA and the facts and circumstances of each investing plan.
We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will include in our taxable income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as original issue discount, which may arise if we receive warrants in connection with the origination of a loan or possibly in other circumstances, or contractual “payment-in-kind,” or PIK, interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such original issue discount or increases in loan balances as a result of contractual PIK arrangements will be included in our taxable income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in our taxable income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash.
Since, in certain cases, we may recognize taxable income before or without receiving corresponding cash payments, we may have difficulty meeting the annual distribution requirement necessary to maintain our qualification as a RIC. Accordingly, to satisfy our RIC distribution requirements, we may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or forgo new investment opportunities. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify as a RIC and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax. For additional discussion regarding the tax implications of our election to be taxed as a RIC, please see “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
To the extent original issue discount and PIK-interest constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to typical risks associated with such income being required to be included in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash representing such income.
Our investments may include original-issue-discount instruments and contractual PIK-interest arrangements. To the extent original issue discount or PIK-interest constitutes a portion of our income, we are exposed to typical risks associated with such income being required to be included in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:
| · | The higher interest rates of original issue discount and PIK instruments reflect the payment deferral, which results in a higher principal amount at the maturity of the instrument as compared to the original principal amount of the instrument, and increased credit risk associated with these instruments, and original issue discount and PIK instruments generally represent a significantly higher credit risk than coupon loans. |
| · | Even if the accounting conditions for income accrual are met, the borrower could still default when our actual collection is supposed to occur at the maturity of the obligation. |
| · | Original issue discount and PIK instruments may have unreliable valuations because their continuing accruals require continuing judgments about the collectability of the deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral. Original issue discount and PIK-income may also create uncertainty about the source of our cash distributions. |
| · | To the extent we provide loans with interest-only payments or moderate loan amortization, the majority of the principal payment or amortization of principal may be deferred until loan maturity. Because this debt generally allows the borrower to make a large lump-sum payment of principal at the end of the loan term, there is a risk of loss if the borrower is unable to pay the lump sum or refinance the amount owed at maturity. |
| · | For accounting purposes, any cash distributions to stockholders representing original issue discount and PIK-income are not treated as coming from paid-in capital, even though the cash to pay them comes from the offering proceeds. As a result, despite the fact that a distribution representing original issue discount and PIK-income could be paid out of amounts invested by our stockholders, the 1940 Act does not require that stockholders be given notice of this fact by reporting it as a return of capital. |
| · | In certain cases, we may recognize taxable income before or without receiving corresponding cash payments and, as a result, we may have difficulty meeting the annual distribution requirement necessary to maintain our qualification as a RIC. |
We may in the future choose to pay dividends in our own stock, in which case you may be required to pay tax in excess of the cash you receive.
We may distribute dividends that are payable predominantly in shares of our common stock. Based on certain private rulings issued by the Internal Revenue Service, distributions payable in stock or cash at the election of stockholders will be treated as taxable dividends that may satisfy our minimum distribution requirements even if the total amount of cash to be distributed is limited, provided that at least 20% of such dividend is payable in cash. If too many stockholders elect to receive their distribution in cash, all stockholders electing to receive cash would receive a ratable share of the cash to be distributed and would receive the remainder of their distribution in shares of our common stock. Taxable stockholders receiving such dividends will be required to include the full amount of the dividend as ordinary income (or as long-term capital gain to the extent such distribution is properly reported as a capital gain dividend) to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, a U.S. stockholder may be required to pay tax with respect to such dividends in excess of any cash received. If a U.S. stockholder sells the stock it receives as a dividend in order to pay this tax, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount included in income with respect to the dividend, depending on the market price of our stock at the time of the sale. Furthermore, with respect to non-U.S. stockholders, we may be required to withhold U.S. federal tax with respect to such dividends, including in respect of all or a portion of such dividend that is payable in stock. In addition, if a significant number of our stockholders sell shares of our stock in order to pay taxes owed on dividends, it may put downward pressure on the trading price of our stock.
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There is a risk that our stockholders may not receive any distributions or that our distributions may not grow over time.
We intend to make distributions on a quarterly basis to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. In addition, due to the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC, we may be limited in our ability to make distributions. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Regulation as a Business Development Company.”
For any period that we do not qualify as a “publicly offered regulated investment company,” as defined in the Code, stockholders will be taxed as though they received a distribution of some of our expenses.
A “publicly offered regulated investment company” is a RIC whose shares are either (i) continuously offered pursuant to a public offering, (ii) regularly traded on an established securities market or (iii) held by at least 500 persons at all times during the taxable year. We anticipate that we will not qualify as a publicly offered RIC immediately after the Private Offering; we may qualify as a publicly offered RIC for future taxable years. If we are not a publicly offered RIC for any period, a non-corporate stockholder’s allocable portion of our affected expenses, including our management fees, will be treated as an additional distribution to the stockholder and will be deductible by such stockholder only to the extent permitted under the limitations described below. For non-corporate stockholders, including individuals, trusts, and estates, significant limitations generally apply to the deductibility of certain expenses of a non-publicly offered RIC, including advisory fees. In particular, these expenses, referred to as miscellaneous itemized deductions, are deductible to an individual only to the extent they exceed 2% of such a stockholder’s adjusted gross income, and are not deductible for alternative minimum tax purposes.
We are subject to risks in using custodians, administrators and other agents.
We will depend on the services of custodians, administrators and other agents to carry out certain securities transactions and administrative services for us. In the event of the insolvency of a custodian, we may not be able to recover equivalent assets in full as we will rank among the custodian’s unsecured creditors in relation to assets which the custodian borrows, lends or otherwise uses. In addition, our cash held with a custodian may not be segregated from the custodian’s own cash, and we therefore may rank as unsecured creditors in relation thereto. The inability to recover assets from the custodian could have a material impact on our performance.
We will expend significant financial and other resources to comply with the requirements of being a public entity.
As a public entity, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. These requirements may place a strain on our systems and resources. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, which are discussed below. See “ Item 1(c). Description of Business — Regulation as a Business Development Company — Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.” To maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls, significant resources and management oversight will be required. We will be implementing additional procedures, processes, policies and practices for the purpose of addressing the standards and requirements applicable to public companies. These activities may divert management’s attention from other business concerns, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We expect to incur significant additional annual expenses related to these steps and, among other things, directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, director fees, reporting requirements of the SEC, transfer agent fees, additional administrative expenses payable to our Administrator to compensate them for hiring additional accounting, legal and administrative personnel, increased auditing and legal fees and similar expenses.
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The systems and resources necessary to comply with public company reporting requirements will increase further once we cease to be an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act. As long as we remain an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and exemptions from the requirement to hold advisory votes on executive compensation. We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years following an IPO, although if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31.
We do not currently have comprehensive documentation of our internal controls and have not yet tested our internal controls in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could have a material adverse effect on our business and the market price of our common stock.
We have not previously been required to comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including the internal control evaluation and certification requirements of Section 404 of that statute (“Section 404”), and we will not be required to comply with all of those requirements until we have been subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for a specified period of time. Accordingly, our internal controls over financial reporting do not currently meet all of the standards contemplated by Section 404 that we will eventually be required to meet. We are in the process of addressing our internal controls over financial reporting and are establishing formal procedures, policies, processes and practices related to financial reporting and to the identification of key financial reporting risks, assessment of their potential impact and linkage of those risks to specific areas and activities within our organization.
Additionally, we have begun the process of documenting our internal control procedures to satisfy the requirements of Section 404, which requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until the later of the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC, or the date we are no longer an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. Because we do not currently have comprehensive documentation of our internal controls and have not yet tested our internal controls in accordance with Section 404, we cannot conclude in accordance with Section 404 that we do not have a material weakness in our internal controls or a combination of significant deficiencies that could result in the conclusion that we have a material weakness in our internal controls. As a public entity, we will be required to complete our initial assessment in a timely manner. If we are not able to implement the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner or with adequate compliance, our operations, financial reporting or financial results could be adversely affected. Matters impacting our internal controls may cause us to be unable to report our financial information on a timely basis and thereby subject us to adverse regulatory consequences, including sanctions by the SEC or violations of applicable stock exchange listing rules, and result in a breach of the covenants under the agreements governing any of our financing arrangements. There could also be a negative reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of investor confidence in us and the reliability of our financial statements. Confidence in the reliability of our financial statements could also suffer if we or our independent registered public accounting firm were to report a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting. This could materially adversely affect us and lead to a decline in the value of our common stock.
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Stockholders may be subject to filing requirements under the Exchange Act as a result of an investment in us.
Because our common stock will be registered under the Exchange Act, ownership information for any person who beneficially owns 5% or more of our common stock will have to be disclosed in a 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 dividends may see their percentage stake in us increased to more than 5%, thus triggering this filing requirement. Although we will provide in our quarterly statements the amount of outstanding stock and the amount of the investor’s stock, the responsibility for determining the filing obligation and preparing the filing remains with the investor. In addition, owners of 10% or more of our common stock are subject to reporting obligations under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act.
Stockholders may be subject to the short-swing profits rules under the Exchange Act as a result of an investment in us.
Persons with the right to appoint a director or who hold more than 10% of a class of our shares may be subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, which recaptures for the benefit of the issuer profits from the purchase and sale of registered stock within a six-month period.
There may be state licensing requirements.
We may be required to obtain various state licenses in order to, among other things, originate commercial loans. Applying for and obtaining required licenses can be costly and take several months. There is no assurance that we will obtain all of the licenses that we need on a timely basis. Furthermore, we will be subject to various information and other requirements in order to obtain and maintain these licenses, and there is no assurance that we will satisfy those requirements. Our failure to obtain or maintain licenses might restrict investment options and have other adverse consequences.
Investors in the Private Offering will be subject to transfer restrictions.
Other than in connection with a Spin-Off transaction, investors who participate in the Private Offering may not sell, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of (in each case, a “Transfer”) any common stock unless (i) we give consent and (ii) the Transfer is made in accordance with applicable securities laws. No Transfer will be effectuated except by registration of the Transfer on our books. Each transferee must agree to be bound by these restrictions and all other obligations as an investor in us.
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Provisions of the MGCL and of our charter and bylaws could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock.
The MGCL and our charter and bylaws contain provisions that may discourage, delay or make more difficult a change in control of the Company or the removal of our directors. We are subject to the Maryland Business Combination Act, subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. Our Board of Directors has adopted a resolution exempting from the Business Combination Act any business combination between us and any other person, subject to prior approval of such business combination by our Board of Directors, including approval by a majority of our Independent Directors. If the resolution exempting business combinations is repealed or our Board of Directors does not approve a business combination, the Business Combination Act may discourage third parties from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating such an offer. Our bylaws exempt from the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act (Control Share Act) acquisitions of our stock by any person. If we amend our bylaws to repeal the exemption from the Control Share Act, the Control Share Act also may make it more difficult for a third party to obtain control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating such a transaction. However, we will amend our bylaws to be subject to the Control Share Act only if our Board of Directors determines that it would be in our best interests and if the SEC staff does not object to our determination that our being subject to the Control Share Act does not conflict with the 1940 Act. The SEC staff has issued informal guidance setting forth its position that certain provisions of the Control Share Act would, if implemented, violate Section 18(i) of the 1940 Act.
We have also adopted measures that may make it difficult for a third party to obtain control of us, including provisions of our charter classifying our Board of Directors in three classes serving staggered three-year terms, and authorizing our Board of Directors to classify or reclassify shares of our stock in one or more classes or series, to cause the issuance of additional shares of our stock, to amend our charter without stockholder approval and to increase or decrease the number of shares of stock that we have authority to issue. These provisions, as well as other provisions of our charter and bylaws, may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.
Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business.
Legal, tax and regulatory changes could occur that may adversely affect us. For example, from time to time the market for private equity transactions has been (and is currently being) adversely affected by a decrease in the availability of senior and subordinated financings for transactions, in part in response to credit market disruptions and/or regulatory pressures on providers of financing to reduce or eliminate their exposure to the risks involved in such transactions.
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In addition, as private equity firms become more influential participants in the U.S. and global financial markets and economy generally, there recently has been pressure for greater governmental scrutiny and/or regulation of the private equity industry, in part. It is uncertain as to what form and in what jurisdictions such enhanced scrutiny and/or regulation, if any, on the private equity industry may ultimately take. Therefore, there can be no assurance as to whether any such scrutiny or initiatives will have an adverse impact on the private equity industry, including our ability to effect operating improvements or restructurings of its portfolio companies or otherwise achieve its objectives.
On July 21, 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), was signed into law. Many of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act have extended implementation periods and delayed effective dates and will require extensive rulemaking by regulatory authorities. While the impact of the Dodd-Frank Act on us and our portfolio companies may not be known for an extended period of time, the Dodd-Frank Act, including future rules implementing its provisions and the interpretation of those rules, along with other legislative and regulatory proposals directed at the financial services industry and the financial markets (including derivative markets) or affecting taxation that are proposed or pending in the U.S. Congress, may negatively impact the operations, cash flows or financial condition of us or our portfolio companies, impose additional costs on us or our portfolio companies, restrict or further regulate certain of our activities, including derivative trading and hedging activities, intensify the regulatory supervision of us or our portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies.
In addition, we and our portfolio companies will be subject to applicable local, state and U.S. federal laws and regulations, including, without limitation, U.S. federal immigration laws and regulations. New legislation may be enacted or new interpretations, rulings or regulations could be adopted, including those governing the types of investments we are permitted to make, any of which could harm us and our stockholders, potentially with retroactive effect. Additionally, any changes to the laws and regulations governing our operations relating to permitted investments may cause us to alter our investment strategy in order to avail ourselves of new or different opportunities. Such changes could result in material differences to the strategies and plans set forth herein and may result in our investment focus shifting from the areas of expertise of GSVGC’s investment team to other types of investments in which the investment team may have less expertise or little or no experience. Thus, any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.
A disruption in the capital markets and the credit markets could impair our ability to raise capital and negatively affect our business.
As a BDC, we will have to maintain our ability to raise additional capital for investment purposes. Without sufficient access to the capital markets or credit markets, we may be forced to curtail our business operations or we may not be able to pursue new business opportunities. Capital markets and credit markets sometimes experience extreme volatility and disruption and, accordingly, there has been and may continue to be uncertainty in the financial markets in general. Any further disruptive conditions in the financial industry and the impact of new legislation in response to those conditions could restrict our business operations and could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
If the fair value of our assets declines substantially, we may fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios imposed upon us by the 1940 Act. Any such failure would affect our ability to issue senior securities, including borrowings, and pay dividends, which could materially impair our business operations. Our liquidity could be impaired further by an inability to access the capital markets or to consummate new borrowing facilities to provide capital for normal operations, including new originations. In recent years, reflecting concern about the stability of the financial markets, many lenders and institutional investors have reduced or ceased providing funding to borrowers.
If we are unable to secure debt financing on commercially reasonable terms, our liquidity will be reduced significantly. If we are unable to repay amounts outstanding under any debt facilities we may obtain and are declared in default or are unable to renew or refinance these facilities, we would not be able to initiate significant originations or to operate our business in the normal course. These situations may arise due to circumstances that we may be unable to control, such as inaccessibility to the credit markets, a severe decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, another economic downturn or an operational problem that affects third parties or us, and could materially damage our business.
There may be no future Spin-Off transactions.
No assurances can be made that any Spin-Off transaction will occur, and investors should not rely on a future Spin-Off transaction as a liquidity option. Because GSVGC would be managing each of us, the Public Fund and any Liquidating Fund and the 1940 Act prohibits entities under common control from engaging in certain transactions, and due to the uncertainty as to whether the transfer of assets by us in connection with a Spin-Off transaction would result in a realization event for the underlying transferred assets, we will be required to obtain exemptive and/or no-action relief from the SEC to permit us to transfer assets to the Public Fund and/or any Liquidating Fund, as well as with respect to other aspects relating to a Spin-Off transaction. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain such exemptive and/or no-action relief from the SEC. If we are unable to do so, then we will continue our operations in the manner otherwise set forth in this Registration Statement. Alternatively, if we do obtain such exemptive and/or no-action relief, our Board of Directors would determine whether (and when) to effectuate any Spin-Off transaction, subject to the receipt of any required stockholder approvals. If a Spin-Off transaction does occur, although it is expected that the Spin-Off Incentive Fee will be calculated using the methodology set forth in “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Investment Advisory Agreement — Incentive Fee” (taking into account the pro rata portion of our assets and liabilities relating to the shares of common stock being exchanged on an as-liquidated basis), the final terms of a Spin-Off transaction will be determined at the time of any such Spin-Off transaction, and there is no guarantee that such terms will be favorable to investors. While the Company expects that a Spin-Off transaction would likely be taxable to a stockholder that chooses to participate in the Spin-Off transaction, the Company cannot at this time predict the specific tax consequences of any future Spin-Off transaction that may occur. The Company does not expect any Spin-Off transaction to result in a taxable event for those stockholders that elect not to participate in a Spin-Off transaction.
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Terrorist attacks, acts of war or natural disasters may affect any market for our common stock, impact the businesses in which we invest and harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Terrorist acts, acts of war or natural disasters may disrupt our operations, as well as the operations of the businesses in which we invest. Such acts have created, and continue to create, economic and political uncertainties and have contributed to global economic instability. Future terrorist activities, military or security operations, or natural disasters could further weaken the domestic/global economies and create additional uncertainties, which may negatively impact the businesses in which we invest directly or indirectly and, in turn, could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition. Losses from terrorist attacks and natural disasters are generally uninsurable.
Risks Related to Our Investments
Our investments are very risky and highly speculative.
We intend to invest primarily in secured loans and select equity investments issued by fast-growing companies. We intend to invest primarily in secured loans made to companies whose debt has generally not been rated by any rating agency, although we would expect such debt, if rated, to fall below investment grade. Securities rated below investment grade are often referred to as “high yield” securities and “junk bonds,” and are considered “high risk” and speculative in nature compared to debt instruments that are rated above investment grade.
Senior Secured Loans. There is a risk that the collateral securing our 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, our liens on the collateral securing our loans could be subordinated to claims of other creditors. In addition, deterioration in a portfolio company’s financial condition and prospects, including its inability to raise additional capital, may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of the collateral for the loan. Consequently, the fact that a loan is secured does not guarantee that we will receive principal and interest payments according to the loan’s terms, or at all, or that we will be able to collect on the loan should we be compelled to enforce our remedies.
Second Lien Secured Loans. In structuring our loans, we may subordinate our security interest in certain assets of a borrower to another lender, usually a bank. In these situations, all of the risks identified above in Senior Secured Loans would be true and additional risks inherent in holding a junior security position would also be present, including, but not limited to those outlined below in “Second priority liens on collateral securing loans that we make to our portfolio companies may be subject to control by senior creditors with first priority liens. If there is a default, the value of the collateral may not be sufficient to repay in full both the first priority creditors and us.”
Equity Investments. When we invest in secured loans, we may acquire equity securities as well. In addition, we may invest directly in the equity securities of portfolio companies. The equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and may in fact decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience.
In addition, investing in small, fast-growing, private companies involves a number of significant risks, including the following:
| ● | these companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that we hold. This failure to meet obligations may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of us realizing any guarantees we may have obtained in connection with our investment; |
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| ● | they typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions, market conditions, and general economic downturns; |
| ● | they 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 our portfolio company and, in turn, on us; |
| ● | they 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, our executive officers, directors and GSVGC may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in the portfolio companies; and |
| ● | they may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs, which may limit their ability to grow or to repay their outstanding debt upon maturity. |
Investing in small, fast-growing companies involves a high degree of risk, and our financial results may be affected adversely if one or more of our significant portfolio investments defaults on its loans or fails to perform as we expect.
Our portfolio will consist primarily of debt and equity investments in small privately owned companies. Investing in these companies involves a number of significant risks. Typically, the debt in which we will invest is not initially rated by any rating agency; however, we believe that if such investments were rated, they would be below investment grade. Securities rated below investment grade are often referred to as “high yield” securities and “junk bonds,” and are considered “high risk” and speculative in nature compared to debt instruments that are rated above investment grade. Compared to larger publicly owned companies, these companies may be in a weaker financial position and may experience wider variations in their operating results, which may make them more vulnerable to economic downturns. Typically, these companies need more capital to compete; however, their access to capital is limited and their cost of capital is often higher than that of their competitors. Our portfolio companies face intense competition from larger companies with greater financial, technical, and marketing resources and their success typically depends on the managerial talents and efforts of an individual or a small group of persons. Therefore, the loss of any of its key employees could affect a portfolio company’s ability to compete effectively and harm its financial condition. Further, some of these companies conduct business in regulated industries that are susceptible to regulatory changes. These factors could impair the cash flow of our portfolio companies and result in other events, such as bankruptcy. These events could limit a portfolio company’s ability to repay its obligations to us, which may have an adverse effect on the return on, or the recovery of, our investment in these businesses. Deterioration in a borrower’s financial condition and prospects may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of the loan's collateral.
Some of these companies cannot obtain financing from public capital markets or from traditional credit sources, such as commercial banks. Accordingly, loans made to these types of companies pose a higher default risk than loans made to companies that have access to traditional credit sources.
An investment strategy focused primarily on privately held companies presents certain challenges, including the lack of available information about these companies and a greater vulnerability to economic downturns.
We will invest primarily in privately held companies. Generally, little public information exists about these companies, and we are required to rely on the ability of GSVGC’s investment team to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If we are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision, and we may lose money on our investments. Also, privately held companies frequently have less diverse product lines and smaller market presence than larger competitors. These factors could adversely affect our investment returns as compared to companies investing primarily in the securities of public companies.
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Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies.
We intend to invest primarily in senior secured loans issued by private companies. Our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or in some cases senior to, the debt in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may entitle the holders to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments with respect to the debt instruments in which we invest. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization, or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of debt instruments ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution. After repaying such senior creditors, such portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt instruments in which we invest, we 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.
There may be circumstances in which our debt investments could be subordinated to claims of other creditors or we could be subject to lender liability claims.
Even though we expect to structure most of our investments as secured loans, if one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, depending on the facts and circumstances, and based upon principles of equitable subordination as defined by existing case law, a bankruptcy court could subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors and transfer any lien securing such subordinated claim to the bankruptcy estate. The principles of equitable subordination defined by case law have generally indicated that a claim may be subordinated only if its holder is guilty of misconduct or where the senior loan is re-characterized as an equity investment and the senior lender has actually provided significant managerial assistance to the bankrupt debtor. We may also be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by us with respect to a borrower’s business or instances where we exercise control over the borrower. It is possible that we could become subject to a lender’s liability claim, including as a result of actions taken in rendering significant managerial assistance or actions to compel and collect payments from the borrower outside the ordinary course of business.
Second priority liens on collateral securing loans that we make to our portfolio companies may be subject to control by senior creditors with first priority liens. If there is a default, the value of the collateral may not be sufficient to repay in full both the first priority creditors and us.
Certain loans that we intend to make are secured by a second priority security interest in the same collateral pledged by a portfolio company to secure senior debt owed by the portfolio company to commercial banks or other traditional lenders. Often the senior lender has procured covenants from the portfolio company prohibiting the incurrence of additional secured debt without the senior lender’s consent. Prior to and as a condition of permitting the portfolio company to borrow money from us secured by the same collateral pledged to the senior lender, the senior lender will require assurances that it will control the disposition of any collateral in the event of bankruptcy or other default. In many such cases, the senior lender will require us to enter into an intercreditor agreement prior to permitting the portfolio company to borrow from us. Typically the intercreditor agreements we will be requested to execute will expressly subordinate our debt instruments to those held by the senior lender and further provide that the senior lender shall control: (1) the commencement of foreclosure or other proceedings to liquidate and collect on the collateral; (2) the nature, timing, and conduct of foreclosure or other collection proceedings; (3) the amendment of any collateral document; (4) the release of the security interests in respect of any collateral; and (5) the waiver of defaults under any security agreement. Because of the control we may cede to senior lenders under intercreditor agreements we may enter, we may be unable to realize the proceeds of any collateral securing some of our loans.
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An economic recession could impair our portfolio companies and harm our operating results.
Certain of our portfolio companies may be susceptible to an economic recession and may be unable to repay our loans during such a period of economic instability. Therefore, assets may become non-performing and the value of our portfolio may decrease during such a period. Adverse economic conditions also may decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and the value of our equity investments. An economic recession could lead to financial losses in our portfolio and a decrease in revenue, net income and the value of our assets.
A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, to termination of its loans and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize our portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt securities that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company. Any extension or restructuring of our loans could adversely affect our cash flow. In addition, if one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, even though we may have structured our interest as senior debt, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we actually provided managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might re-characterize our debt holding and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to those of other creditors.
The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.
We typically will invest in companies whose securities are not publicly traded, and whose securities will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than publicly traded securities. There is no established trading market for the securities in which we invest. The illiquidity of these investments may make it difficult for us to sell these investments when desired. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we had previously recorded these investments. As a result, we do not expect to achieve liquidity in our investments in the near-term. Our investments will usually be subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale or are otherwise illiquid because there is no established trading market for such investments. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to dispose of them at a favorable price, and we may suffer losses as a result.
We have not yet identified all of the portfolio companies we will invest in using the proceeds of the Private Offering.
We have not yet identified all of the potential investments for our portfolio that we will acquire with the proceeds of the Private Offering. As a result, you will be unable to evaluate any future portfolio company investments prior to purchasing our shares. Additionally, GSVGC will select our investments subsequent to the Initial Closing Date, and our stockholders will have no input with respect to such investment decisions. These factors increase the uncertainty, and thus the risk, of investing in our common stock.
Our failure to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies could impair the value of our portfolio.
Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, we may make additional investments in that portfolio company as “follow-on” investments, in order to: (1) increase or maintain in whole or in part our equity ownership percentage; (2) exercise warrants, options, or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or a subsequent financing; or (3) attempt to preserve or enhance the value of our investment. However, we may elect not to make follow-on investments or lack sufficient funds to make those investments. We will have the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. The failure to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and our initial investment or may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we do not want to increase our concentration of risk, we prefer other opportunities, we are subject to BDC requirements that would prevent such follow-on investments, or the follow-on investment would affect our qualification as a RIC.
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Our portfolio will lack diversification among portfolio companies, which will subject us to a risk of significant loss if one or more of these companies default on their obligations under any of their debt instruments.
Our portfolio may hold a limited number of portfolio companies. Beyond the asset diversification requirements associated with our qualification as a RIC, we will not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and our investments may be concentrated in relatively few companies. As our portfolio is less diversified than the portfolios of some larger funds, we are more susceptible to failure if a single loan fails. Similarly, the aggregate returns we realize may be significantly adversely affected if a small number of investments perform poorly or if we need to write down the value of any one investment.
Our portfolio may be concentrated in a limited number of industries, which will subject us to a risk of significant loss if there is a downturn in a particular industry in which a number of our investments are concentrated.
Our portfolio may be concentrated in a limited number of industries. We expect to invest primarily in companies focused in technology, life sciences, business services, industrial companies and other high growth industries. A downturn in any particular industry in which we are invested could significantly impact the aggregate returns we realize.
We intend to invest in sectors including life sciences, technology and other high-growth industries, which are subject to specific risks related to each.
We expect to invest the largest portions of our portfolio in life sciences, technology and other high-growth industries. Our life sciences portfolio will consist primarily of companies that commercialize and integrate products in life sciences-related industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical devices. There are risks in investing in companies that target life sciences-related industries, including, but not limited to, the uncertainty of timing and results of clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of products; failure to obtain any required regulatory approval of products; failure to develop manufacturing processes that meet regulatory standards; competition, in particular from companies that develop rival products; and the ability to protect proprietary technology. Adverse developments in any of these areas may adversely affect the value of our life sciences portfolio.
This life sciences industry is dominated by large multinational corporations with substantial greater financial and technical resources than generally will be available to our portfolio companies. Such large corporations may be better able to adapt to the challenges presented by continuing rapid and major scientific, regulatory and technological changes as well as related changes in governmental and third-party reimbursement policies.
Within the life sciences industry, the development of products generally is a costly and time-consuming process. Many highly promising products ultimately fail to prove to be safe and effective. There can be no assurance that the research or product development efforts of our portfolio companies or those of their collaborative partners will be successfully completed, that specific products can be manufactured in adequate quantities at an acceptable cost and with appropriate quality, or that such products can be successfully marketed or achieve customer acceptance. There can be no assurance that a product will be relevant and/or be competitive with products from other companies following the costly, time-consuming process of its development.
The research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of products developed by some life sciences companies are subject to extensive regulation by numerous government authorities in the United States and other countries. There can be no assurance that products developed by the portfolio companies will ever be approved by such governmental authorities.
Many life sciences portfolio companies will depend heavily upon intellectual property for their competitive position. There can be no assurance that the portfolio companies will be able to obtain patents for key inventions. Moreover, within the life sciences industry, patent challenges are frequent. Even if patents held by the portfolio companies are upheld, any challenges thereto may be costly and distracting to the portfolio companies’ management.
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Some of the life sciences portfolio companies will be at least partially dependent for their success upon governmental and third-party reimbursement policies that are under constant review and are subject to change at any time. Any such change could adversely affect the viability of one or more portfolio companies.
We also expect to invest in technology-related companies. Our portfolio companies may address needs in technology-related industries and markets. Our technology portfolio will likely consist of companies that commercialize and integrate products targeted at technology-related markets. There are risks in investing in companies that target technology-related markets, including rapid and sometimes dramatic price erosion of products, the reliance on capital and debt markets to finance large capital outlays, including fabrication facilities, the reliance on partners outside of the United States, particularly in Asia, and inherent cyclicality of the technology market in general. Additionally, technology-related companies are currently out of favor with many venture capital firms. Therefore, access to capital may be difficult or impossible for companies in our portfolio that are pursuing these markets.
Technology-related sectors in which we intend to invest are subject to many risks, including volatility, intense competition, decreasing life cycles, product obsolescence, changing consumer preferences and periodic downturns.
Given the experience of GSVGC’s senior investment professionals within the technology space, we expect that a number of the companies with respect to which we invest will operate in technology-related sectors. The revenue, income (or losses) and valuations of technology-related companies can and often do fluctuate suddenly and dramatically. In addition, because of rapid technological change, the average selling prices of products and some services provided by technology-related sectors have historically decreased over their productive lives. As a result, the average selling prices of products and services offered by our portfolio companies that operated in technology-related sectors may decrease over time, which could adversely affect their operating results and, correspondingly, the value of any securities that we may hold. This could, in turn, materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The main industry sectors around which we intend to develop our investments are all capital intensive.
The industry sectors in which we intend to make investments, life science, technology, business services and industrial, are each capital intensive. Currently, financing for capital-intensive companies remains difficult. In some successful companies, we believe we may need to invest more than we currently have planned to invest in these companies. There can be no assurance that we will have the capital necessary to make such investments. In addition, investing greater than planned amounts in our portfolio companies could limit our ability to pursue new investments and fund follow-on investments. Both of these situations could cause us to miss investment opportunities or limit our ability to protect existing investments from dilution or other actions or events that would decrease the value and potential return from these investments.
Because we generally will not hold controlling equity interests in our portfolio companies, we may not be in a position to exercise control over our portfolio companies or to prevent decisions by management of our portfolio companies that could decrease the value of our investments.
Although we may do so in the future, we do not expect to hold controlling equity positions in our portfolio companies. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company may make business decisions with which we disagree, and that the management and/or stockholders of a portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that are adverse to our interests. Due to the lack of liquidity of the debt and equity investments that we will typically hold in our portfolio companies, we may not be able to dispose of our investments in the event we disagree with the actions of a portfolio company and may therefore suffer a decrease in the value of our investments.
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Defaults by our portfolio companies will harm our operating results.
A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its loans 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 securities that we hold. We 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. These expenses could materially and adversely affect our operating results and cash flow.
If our portfolio companies are unable to commercialize their technologies, products, business concepts or services, the returns on our investments could be adversely affected.
The value of our investments in our portfolio companies may decline if they are not able to commercialize their technology, products, business concepts or services. Additionally, although some of our portfolio companies may already have a commercially successful product or product line at the time of our investment, information technology, e-commerce, life science, and energy technology-related products and services often have a more limited market or life span than products in other industries. Thus, the ultimate success of these companies often depends on their ability to continually innovate in increasingly competitive markets. If they are unable to do so, our investment returns could be adversely affected and their ability to service their debt obligations to us over the term of the loan could be impaired. Our portfolio companies may be unable to successfully acquire or develop any new products, and the intellectual property they currently hold may not remain viable. Even if our portfolio companies are able to develop commercially viable products, the market for new products and services is highly competitive and rapidly changing. Neither our portfolio companies nor we will have any control over the pace of technology development. Commercial success is difficult to predict, and the marketing efforts of our portfolio companies may not be successful.
If our portfolio companies are unable to protect their intellectual property rights, our business and prospects could be harmed, and if portfolio companies are required to devote significant resources to protecting their intellectual property rights, the value of our investment could be reduced.
Our future success and competitive position will depend in part upon the ability of our portfolio companies to obtain, maintain and protect proprietary technology used in their products and services. The intellectual property held by our portfolio companies often represents a substantial portion of the collateral securing our investments and/or constitutes a significant portion of the portfolio companies’ value and may be available in a downside scenario to repay our loans. Our portfolio companies will rely, in part, on patent, trade secret, and trademark law to protect that technology, but competitors may misappropriate their intellectual property, and disputes as to ownership of intellectual property may arise. Portfolio companies may, from time to time, be required to institute litigation to enforce their patents, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights; protect their trade secrets; determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others; or defend against claims of infringement. Such litigation could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources. Similarly, if a portfolio company is found to infringe or misappropriate a third-party’s patent or other proprietary rights, it could be required to pay damages to the third party, alter its products or processes, obtain a license from the third-party, and/or cease activities utilizing the proprietary rights, including making or selling products utilizing the proprietary rights. Any of the foregoing events could negatively affect both the portfolio company’s ability to service our debt investment and the value of any related debt and equity securities that we own, as well as any collateral securing our investment.
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Any unrealized losses we experience on our loan portfolio may be an indication of future realized losses, which could reduce our income available for distribution.
As a BDC, we will be required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at the fair value as determined in good faith by our Board of Directors. Decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments will be recorded as unrealized depreciation. Any unrealized losses in our loan portfolio could be an indication of a portfolio company’s inability to meet its repayment obligations to us with respect to the affected loans. This could result in realized losses in the future and ultimately in reductions of our income available for distribution in future periods.
Prepayments of our debt investments by our portfolio companies could adversely impact our results of operations and reduce our return on equity.
We will be subject to the risk that the investments we make in our portfolio companies may be repaid prior to maturity. When this occurs, we will generally reinvest these proceeds in temporary investments, pending future investment in new portfolio companies. These temporary investments will typically have substantially lower yields than the debt being prepaid and we 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, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our portfolio companies elect to prepay amounts owed to us. Additionally, prepayments could negatively impact our return on equity.
To the extent we use debt to finance our investments, changes in interest rates will affect our cost of capital and net investment income.
To the extent we use debt to finance our investments, our net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest those funds. As a result, we can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income in the event we use debt to finance our investments. In periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds would increase, which could reduce our net investment income. We expect that our long-term fixed-rate investments will be financed primarily with equity and long-term debt. We may use interest rate risk management techniques in an effort to limit our exposure to interest rate fluctuations. Such techniques may include various interest rate hedging activities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. GSVGC does not have significant experience with utilizing these techniques. If we do not implement these techniques properly, we could experience losses on our hedging positions, which could be material.
You should also be aware that a rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle rate and may result in a substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to GSVGC with respect to our pre-incentive fee net investment income.
Our investments in leveraged portfolio companies may be risky, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Investment in leveraged companies involves a number of significant risks. Leveraged companies in which we invest may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their loans and debt securities that we hold. Such developments may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of our realizing any guarantees that we may have obtained in connection with our investment. Smaller leveraged companies also may have less predictable operating results and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance their expansion or maintain their competitive position.
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We may not realize gains from our equity investments.
Certain investments that we may make in the future include warrants or other equity securities. Investments in equity securities involve a number of significant risks, including the risk of further dilution as a result of additional issuances, inability to access additional capital and failure to pay current distributions. Investments in preferred securities involve special risks, such as the risk of deferred distributions, credit risk, illiquidity and limited voting rights. In addition, we may from time to time make non-control, equity investments in portfolio companies. Our goal is ultimately to realize gains upon our disposition of such equity interests. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience. We also may be unable to realize any value if a portfolio company does not have a liquidity event, such as a sale of the business, recapitalization or public offering, which would allow us to sell the underlying equity interests. We will sometimes seek puts or similar rights to give us the right to sell our equity securities back to the portfolio company issuer. We may be unable to exercise these put rights for the consideration provided in our investment documents if the issuer is in financial distress.
We may enter into collateralized loan obligations, which may subject us to certain structured financing risks.
To finance investments, the Company may securitize certain of its investments, including through the formation of one or more collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), while retaining all or most of the exposure to and risks of 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 on a non-recourse or limited-recourse basis to purchasers. We would likely retain only the equity or residual interest of any CLO or other securitization vehicle we make. Any interest in any such CLO held by us, would be considered a “non-qualifying asset” for purposes of Section 55 of the 1940 Act.
If we create a CLO, we would depend on distributions from the CLO’s assets out of its earnings and cash flows to enable it to make distributions to its stockholders. The ability of a CLO to make distributions or pay dividends will be subject to various limitations, including the terms and covenants of the debt it issues. For example, tests (based on interest coverage or other financial ratios or other criteria) may restrict our ability, as holder of a CLO’s equity interests, to receive cash flow from these investments. There is no assurance any such performance tests will be satisfied. Also, a CLO may take actions that delay distributions in order to preserve ratings and to keep the cost of present and future financings lower or the CLO may be obligated to retain cash or other assets to satisfy over-collateralization requirements commonly provided for holders of the CLO’s debt. As a result, there may be a lag, which could be significant, between the repayment or other realization on a loan or other assets in, and the distribution of cash out of, a CLO, or cash flow may be completely restricted for the life of the CLO.
In addition, a decline in the credit quality of loans in a CLO due to poor operating results of the relevant borrower, declines in the value of loan collateral or increases in defaults, among other things, may force a CLO to sell certain assets at a loss, reducing their earnings and, in turn, cash potentially available for distribution to us for distribution to its stockholders.
To the extent that any losses are incurred by the CLO in respect of any collateral, such losses, as well as all fees and expenses, will be borne first by us as owner of equity interests. Finally, any equity interests that we retain in a CLO will not be secured by the assets of the CLO, and we will rank behind all creditors of the CLO.
We may expose ourselves to risks if we engage in hedging transactions.
If we engage in hedging transactions, we may expose ourselves to risks associated with such transactions. We may utilize instruments such as forward contracts, currency options and interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates. Hedging against a decline in the values of our 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 increase. It may not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that is so generally anticipated that we are not able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended hedge and expose us to risk of loss. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge fully or perfectly against 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.
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Discussion of the Company’s Expected Operating Plans
Overview
We are an externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that intends to elect to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. We also intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code for U.S. federal income tax purposes. While we intend to elect to be treated as a RIC as soon as practicable, we anticipate that we may have difficulty satisfying the asset diversification requirements as we deploy initial capital and build our portfolio. To the extent that we have net taxable income prior to our qualification as RIC, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on such income. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” for more information. We were formed to invest in loans of fast-growing, private companies. We will be the primary vehicle through which GSVGC invests in these assets.
As a BDC, we will be required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. For instance, we will generally have to invest at least 70% of our total assets in “qualifying assets,” including “eligible portfolio companies,” cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and high-quality debt instruments maturing in one year or less from the time of investment. In addition, we will be subject to borrowing restrictions such that, with certain limited exceptions, our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, will be required to equal at least 200% after each borrowing. The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on GSVGC’s and our Board of Directors’ assessment of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Regulation as a Business Development Company.”
As an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards.
Income
Our investment objective is to maximize our total return to our stockholders primarily through current income on our loan portfolio, and secondarily through capital appreciation on our warrants and other equity positions. We intend to achieve our investment objective by investing in high growth-potential, private companies. We will typically invest in senior secured and second lien secured loans that generally fall into two strategies: Sponsored Growth Lending and Non-Sponsored Growth Lending. Through our Sponsored Growth Lending and Non-Sponsored Growth Lending strategies, we will invest in senior secured loans and second lien loans. Our Sponsored Growth Lending will also typically include the receipt of warrants and/or other equity from venture-backed companies. We expect our investments in loans will generally range from between $3 million to $15 million and the upper end of this range may increase as we raise additional capital.
We plan to generate revenue in the form of interest on the debt securities that we hold and distributions and capital gains on other interests that we acquire in our portfolio companies. We expect that the debt we invest in will generally have stated terms of 36 to 60 months. Interest on debt securities is generally payable quarterly or semiannually. In some cases, some of our investments may provide for deferred interest payments or PIK interest. The principal amount of the debt securities and any accrued but unpaid interest generally will become due at the maturity date. In addition, we may generate revenue in the form of commitment and other fees in connection with transactions. Original issue discounts and market discounts or premiums will be capitalized, and we will accrete or amortize such amounts as interest income. We will record prepayment premiums on loans and debt securities as interest income. Dividend income, if any, will be recognized on an accrual basis to the extent that we expect to collect such amounts.
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Expenses
Our primary operating expenses will include the payment of fees to GSVGC under the Advisory Agreement, our allocable portion of overhead expenses under the Administration Agreement and other operating costs described below. We will bear all other out-of-pocket costs and expenses of our operations and transactions, including those relating to:
| ● | organization and offering (in an amount up to the greater of either $500,000 or 0.5% of the aggregate amount of capital committed to us by investors as of the end of the most recently completed calendar quarter, provided that, the amount of initial organizational and offering expenses in excess of $500,000 or 0.5% of the aggregate amount of capital committed to us by investors as of the end of the most recently completed calendar quarter, as applicable, will be paid by GSVGC); |
| ● | our pro-rata portion of fees and expenses related to a Spin-Off transaction; |
| ● | calculating our net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firm); |
| ● | fees and expenses payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisers, in connection with monitoring financial and legal affairs for us and in providing administrative services, monitoring our investments and performing due diligence on our prospective portfolio companies or otherwise relating to, or associated with, evaluating and making investments; |
| ● | interest payable on debt, if any, incurred to finance our investments; |
| ● | sales and purchases of our common stock and other securities; |
| ● | investment advisory and management fees; |
| ● | administration fees, if any, payable under the Administration Agreement; |
| ● | transfer agent and custodial fees; |
| ● | federal and state registration fees; |
| ● | all costs of registration and listing our securities on any securities exchange; |
| ● | U.S. federal, state and local taxes; |
| ● | independent directors’ fees and expenses; |
| ● | costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents required by the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or other regulators; |
| ● | costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to stockholders, including printing costs; |
| ● | our allocable portion of any fidelity bond, directors’ and officers’ errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; |
| ● | direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, copying, secretarial and other staff, independent auditors and outside legal costs; and |
| ● | all other expenses incurred by us, our Administrator or GSVGC in connection with administering our business, including payments under the Administration Agreement based on our allocable portion of our Administrator’s overhead in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and the allocable portion of the cost of our Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Financial Officer and their respective staffs. |
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Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources
We expect to generate cash primarily from (i) the net proceeds of the Private Offering, (ii) cash flows from our operations, (iii) any financing arrangements we may enter into in the future and (iv) any future offerings of our equity or debt securities. We may fund a portion of our investments through borrowings from banks and issuances of senior securities.
Our primary use of funds from a credit facility will be investments in portfolio companies, cash distributions to holders of our common stock and the payment of operating expenses.
In the future, we may also securitize a portion of our investments. If we undertake a securitization transaction, we will consolidate our allocable portion of the debt of any securitization subsidiary on our financial statements, and include such debt in our calculation of the asset coverage test, if and to the extent required pursuant to the guidance of the staff of the SEC. An investment in a securitization vehicle, even one sponsored by us, would be considered a “non-qualifying asset” for purposes of Section 55 of the 1940 Act.
Our primary use of funds will be to make investments in eligible portfolio companies, pay our operating expenses and make distributions to holders of our common stock.
Critical Accounting Policies
This discussion of our expected operating plans is based upon our expected financial statements, which will be prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements will require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses. Changes in the economic environment, financial markets and any other parameters used in determining such estimates could cause actual results to differ. In addition to the discussion below, we will describe our critical accounting policies in the notes to our future financial statements.
Valuation of Investments
We measure the value of our investments in at fair value accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosure, or “ASC Topic 820,” issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or “FASB.” Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.
Our audit committee is also responsible for assisting our Board of Directors in valuing investments that are not publicly traded or for which current market values are not readily available. Investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued using market quotations, which are generally obtained from independent pricing services, broker-dealers or market makers. With respect to portfolio investments for which market quotations are not readily available, our Board of Directors, with the assistance of GSVGC and its senior investment team and independent valuation agents, is responsible for determining in good faith the fair value in accordance with the valuation policy approved by our Board of Directors. If more than one valuation method is used to measure fair value, the results are evaluated and weighted, as appropriate, considering the reasonableness of the range indicated by those results. We consider a range of fair values based upon the valuation techniques utilized and select the value within that range that was most representative of fair value based on current market conditions as well as other factors GSVGC’s senior investment team considers relevant.
Our Board of Directors will make this fair value determination on a quarterly basis and any other time when a decision regarding the fair value of the portfolio investments is required. A determination of fair value involves subjective judgments and estimates and depends on the facts and circumstances. Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of portfolio investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of the investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a readily available market value existed for such investments, and the differences could be material.
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ASC Topic 820 specifies a hierarchy of valuation techniques based on whether the inputs to those valuation techniques are observable or unobservable. ASC Topic 820 also provides guidance regarding a fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes information used to measure fair value and the effect of fair value measurements on earnings and provides for enhanced disclosures determined by the level within the hierarchy of information used in the valuation. In accordance with ASC Topic 820, these inputs are summarized in the three levels listed below:
| ● | Level 1—Valuations are based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that are accessible at the measurement date. |
| ● | Level 2—Valuations are based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant inputs are observable. |
| ● | Level 3—Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. Level 3 assets and liabilities include financial instruments whose value is determined using pricing models incorporating significant unobservable inputs, such as discounted cash flow models and other similar valuations techniques. The valuation of Level 3 assets and liabilities generally requires significant management judgment due to the inability to observe inputs to valuation. |
In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of observable input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the investment.
Under ASC Topic 820, the fair value measurement also assumes that the transaction to sell an asset occurs in the principal market for the asset or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market for the asset, which may be a hypothetical market, and excludes transaction costs. The principal market for any asset is the market with the greatest volume and level of activity for such asset in which the reporting entity would or could sell or transfer the asset. In determining the principal market for an asset or liability under ASC Topic 820, it is assumed that the reporting entity has access to such market as of the measurement date. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market that are independent, knowledgeable and willing and able to transact.
With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, our Board of Directors will undertake a multi-step valuation process each quarter, as described below:
| ● | Our quarterly valuation process will begin with each portfolio company or investment being initially valued by GSVGC’s professionals that are responsible for the portfolio investment; |
| ● | Preliminary valuation conclusions will then be documented and discussed with GSVGC’s senior investment team; |
| ● | Our audit committee will then review these preliminary valuations; |
| ● | At least once annually, the valuation for each portfolio investment will be reviewed by an independent valuation firm. Certain investments, however, will not be evaluated by an independent valuation firm unless the net asset value and other aspects of such investments in the aggregate exceed certain thresholds; and |
| ● | Our Board of Directors will then discuss valuations and determine the fair value of each investment in our portfolio in good faith, based on the input of GSVGC, the respective independent valuation firms and our audit committee. |
Our investments will be primarily loans made to small, fast-growing companies focused in technology, life sciences, business services, industrial companies and other high growth industries. These investments are considered Level 3 assets under ASC Topic 820 because there is no known or accessible market or market indices for these types of debt instruments and, thus, GSVGC’s senior investment team must estimate the fair value of these investment securities based on models utilizing unobservable inputs.
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Investment Valuation Techniques
Debt Investments. To estimate the fair value of our debt investments, we compare the cost basis of the debt investment, which includes original issue discount, to the resulting fair value determined using a discounted cash flow model, unless another model is more appropriate based on the circumstances at the measurement date. The discounted cash flow approach entails analyzing the interest rate spreads for recently completed financing transactions which are similar in nature to our investments, in order to determine a comparable range of effective market interest rates for our investments. The range of interest rate spreads utilized is based on borrowers with similar credit profiles. All remaining expected cash flows of the investment are discounted using this range of interest rates to determine a range of fair values for the debt investment.
This valuation process includes, among other things, evaluating the underlying investment performance, the portfolio company’s current financial condition and ability to raise additional capital, as well as macro-economic events that may impact valuations. These events include, but are not limited to, current market yields and interest rate spreads of similar securities as of the measurement date. Significant increases (decreases) in these unobservable inputs would result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement.
Under certain circumstances, we may use an alternative technique to value the debt investments to be acquired by us that better reflects the fair value of the investment, such as the price paid or realized in a recently completed transaction or a binding offer received in an arms-length transaction, the use of multiple probability weighted cash flow models when the expected future cash flows contain elements of variability or estimates of proceeds that would be received in a liquidation scenario.
Warrants. Fair value of the warrants will be primarily estimated using a Black Scholes option pricing model. Privately held warrant and equity-related securities are valued based on an analysis of various factors including, but not limited to, the following:
| ● | Underlying enterprise value of the issuer is estimated based on information available, including any information regarding the most recent rounds of issuer funding. Valuation techniques to determine enterprise value include market multiple approaches, income approaches or approaches that utilize recent rounds of financing and the portfolio company’s capital structure to determine enterprise value. Valuation techniques are also utilized to allocate the enterprise fair value of a portfolio company to the specific class of common or preferred stock exercisable in the warrant. Such techniques take into account the rights and preferences of the portfolio company’s securities, expected exit scenarios, and volatility associated with such outcomes to allocate the fair value to the specific class of stock held in the portfolio. Such techniques include Option Pricing Models, or “OPM,” including back solve techniques, Probability Weighted Expected Return Models, or “PWERM,” and other techniques as determined to be appropriate. |
| ● | Volatility, or the amount of uncertainty or risk about the size of the changes in the warrant price, is based on comparable publicly traded companies within indices similar in nature to the underlying company issuing the warrant. Significant increases (decreases) in this unobservable input will result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value. |
| ● | The risk-free interest rates are derived from the U.S. Treasury yield curve. The risk-free interest rates are calculated based on a weighted average of the risk-free interest rates that correspond closest to the expected remaining life of the warrant. Significant increases (decreases) in this unobservable input will result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value. |
| ● | Other adjustments, including a marketability discount on private company warrants, are estimated based on our judgment about the general industry environment. Significant increases (decreases) in this unobservable input will result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value. |
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| ● | Historical portfolio experience on cancellations and exercises of warrants are utilized as the basis for determining the estimated life of the warrants in each financial reporting period. Warrants may be exercised in the event of acquisitions, mergers or IPOs, and cancelled due to events such as bankruptcies, restructuring activities or additional financings. These events cause the expected remaining life assumption to be shorter than the contractual term of the warrants. Significant increases (decreases) in this unobservable input will result in a significantly higher (lower) fair value. |
Under certain circumstances we may use an alternative technique to value warrants that better reflects the warrants’ fair values, such as an expected settlement of a warrant in the near term, a model that incorporates a put feature associated with the warrant, or the price paid or realized in a recently completed transaction or binding offer received in an arms-length transaction. The fair value may be determined based on the expected proceeds to be received from such settlement or based on the net present value of the expected proceeds from the put option.
These valuation methodologies involve a significant degree of judgment. There is no single standard for determining the estimated fair value of investments which do not have an active public market. Valuations of privately held investments are inherently uncertain, as they are based on estimates, and their values may fluctuate over time. The determination of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if an active market for these investments existed. In some cases, the fair value of such investments is best expressed as a range of values derived utilizing different methodologies from which a single estimate may then be determined.
Equity Investments. The fair value of an equity investment in a privately held company is initially the face value of the amount invested. We adjust the fair value of equity investments in private companies upon the completion of a new third-party round of equity financing subsequent to our investment. We may make adjustments to fair value, absent a new equity financing event, based upon positive or negative changes in a portfolio company’s financial or operational performance. We may also reference comparable transactions and/or secondary market transactions to estimate fair value. The fair value of an equity investment in a publicly traded company is based upon the closing public share price on the date of measurement. These assets are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. These valuation methodologies involve a significant degree of judgment. There is no single standard for determining the estimated fair value of investments which do not have an active public market. Valuations of privately held investments are inherently uncertain, as they are based on estimates, and their values may fluctuate over time. The determination of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if an active market for these investments existed. In some cases, the fair value of such investments is best expressed as a range of values derived utilizing different methodologies from which a single estimate may then be determined.
Security Transactions, Realized/Unrealized Gains or Losses, and Income Recognition
Security transactions are recorded on a trade-date basis. We measure realized gains or losses from the repayment or sale of investments using the specific identification method. The amortized cost basis of investments represents the original cost adjusted for the accretion/amortization of discounts and premiums and upfront loan origination fees. We report changes in fair value of investments that are measured at fair value as a component of net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments in the consolidated statement of operations.
Interest income, adjusted for amortization of market premium and accretion of market discount, is recorded on an accrual basis to the extent that we expect to collect such amounts. Original issue discount, principally representing the estimated fair value of detachable equity or warrants obtained in conjunction with our debt investments, and market discount or premium are capitalized and accreted or amortized into interest income over the life of the respective security using the effective interest method. Loan origination fees received in connection with the closing of investments are reported as unearned income which is included as amortized cost of the investment; the unearned income from such fees is accreted over the contractual life of the loan based on the effective interest method. Upon prepayment of a loan or debt security, any prepayment penalties, unamortized loan origination fees, and unamortized market discounts are recorded as interest income.
Management Fees
We accrue for the base management fee and incentive fee. The accrual for incentive fee includes the recognition of incentive fee on unrealized capital gains, even though such incentive fee is neither earned nor payable to GSVGC until the gains are both realized and in excess of unrealized depreciation on investments.
Organization and Offering Costs
Upon receipt of a formal commitment of external capital, we will bear the initial organization and offering costs up to a maximum amount of the greater of either $500,000 or 0.5% of the aggregate amount of capital committed to us by investors as of the end of the most recently completed calendar quarter. Any initial organization and offering costs in excess of $500,000 or 0.5% of the aggregate amount of capital committed to us by investors as of the end of the most recently completed calendar quarter, as applicable, will be borne by GSVGC. In the event receipt of a formal commitment of external capital does not occur, initial organization and offering costs incurred will be borne by GSVGC. There has been no formal commitment of external capital as of the date of this registration statement.
Organization costs include, among other things, the cost of organizing as a Maryland corporation, including the cost of legal services, directors’ fees and other fees, including travel-related expenses, pertaining to our organization, all of which are expensed as incurred. Offering costs include, among other things, legal fees and other costs pertaining to the preparation of our private placement memorandum and other offering documents. As of March 31, 2016, the estimated amount of organization and offering costs was approximately $650,000.
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Federal Income Taxes
We intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code as soon as practicable. Generally, a RIC is not subject to federal income taxes on distributed income and gains if it distributes at least 90% of its net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of its net long-term capital losses, if any, to its stockholders. We intend to distribute sufficient dividends to maintain our RIC status each year and we do not anticipate paying any material federal income taxes in the future.
Other Contractual Obligations
We have entered into certain contracts under which we have material future commitments. We have entered into the Advisory Agreement with GSVGC in accordance with the 1940 Act. Under the Advisory Agreement, GSVGC will be responsible for sourcing, reviewing and structuring investment opportunities for us, underwriting and conducting diligence on our investments and monitoring our investment portfolio on an ongoing basis. For these services, we will pay (i) a base management fee equal to a percentage of aggregate amount of capital committed to us by investors and (ii) an incentive fee based on our performance. GSVGC, however, has agreed to permanently waive all or such portion of the base management fee that it would otherwise be entitled to receive under the Advisory Agreement through June 30, 2016. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Investment Advisory Agreement.”
We have also entered into the Administration Agreement with our Administrator. Under the Administration Agreement, our Administrator will be responsible for furnishing us with office facilities and equipment and will provide us with clerical, bookkeeping, recordkeeping and other administrative services at such facilities. We will reimburse our Administrator an amount equal to our allocable portion (subject to the review of our Board of Directors) of its overhead resulting from its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and the allocable portion of the cost of our Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Financial Officer and their respective staffs. Stockholder approval is not required to amend the Administration Agreement. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Administration Agreement.”
If any of the contractual obligations discussed above are terminated, our costs under any new agreements that we enter into may increase. In addition, we would likely incur significant time and expense in locating alternative parties to provide the services we expect to receive under the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement. Any new investment advisory agreement would also be subject to approval by our stockholders.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Other than contractual commitments and other legal contingencies incurred in the normal course of our business, we do not expect to have any off-balance sheet financings or liabilities.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We will be subject to financial market risks, including changes in interest rates. To the extent that we borrow money to make investments, our net investment income will be dependent upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest these funds. In periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds would increase, which may reduce our net investment income. As a result, there can be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income.
In addition, any investments we make that are denominated in a foreign currency will be subject to risks associated with changes in currency exchange rates. These risks include the possibility of significant fluctuations in the foreign currency markets, the imposition or modification of foreign exchange controls and potential illiquidity in the secondary market. These risks will vary depending upon the currency or currencies involved.
We may hedge against interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations by using standard hedging instruments such as futures, options and forward contracts subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. While hedging activities may insulate us against adverse changes in interest rates, they may also limit our ability to participate in benefits of lower interest rates with respect to our portfolio of investments with fixed interest rates.
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Distribution Policy
To the extent that we have funds available, we intend to make quarterly distributions to our stockholders. Our stockholder distributions, if any, will be determined by our Board of Directors. Any distribution to our stockholders will be declared out of assets legally available for distribution. We anticipate that distributions will be paid from income primarily generated by interest and dividend income earned on investments we make subsequent to the Initial Closing Date. We will not be able to determine whether any specific distribution will be treated as made out of our taxable earnings or as a return of capital until after the end of our taxable year. The amount treated as a tax-free return of capital will reduce a stockholder’s adjusted basis in his or her common stock, thereby increasing his or her potential gain or reducing his or her potential loss on the subsequent sale or other disposition of his or her common stock.
We intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. While we intend to elect to be treated as a RIC as soon as practicable, we anticipate that we may have difficulty satisfying the asset diversification requirements as we deploy initial capital and build our portfolio. To the extent that we have net taxable income prior to our qualification as RIC, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on such income. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” for more information. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment, we must distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and net realized short-term capital gains in excess of our net realized long-term capital losses, if any, to our stockholders. In order to avoid certain excise taxes imposed on RICs, we currently intend to distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of: (a) 98% of our ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for such calendar year; (b) 98.2% of the amount by which our capital gains exceed our capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for a one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year; and (c) certain undistributed amounts from previous years on which we paid no U.S. federal income tax.
We currently intend to distribute net long-term capital gains if any, at least annually out of the assets legally available for such distributions. However, we may in the future decide to retain some or all of our long-term capital gains but designate the retained amount as a “deemed distribution.” In that case, among other consequences, we will pay tax on the retained amount, each U.S. stockholder will be required to include their share of the deemed distribution in income as if it had been distributed to the U.S. stockholder, and the U.S. stockholder will be entitled to claim a credit equal to their allocable share of the tax paid on the deemed distribution by us. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” The amount of the deemed distribution net of such tax will be added to such stockholder’s tax basis in such stockholder’s common stock. Since we expect to pay tax on any retained capital gains at our regular corporate tax rate, and since that rate is in excess of the maximum rate currently payable by individuals on long-term capital gains, the amount of tax that individual stockholders will be treated as having paid and for which they will receive a credit will exceed the tax they owe on the retained net capital gain. Such excess generally may be claimed as a credit against such individual stockholder’s other U.S. federal income tax obligations or may be refunded to the extent it exceeds such individual stockholder’s liability for U.S. federal income tax. We cannot assure any stockholder that we will achieve results that will permit us to pay any cash distributions, and if we issue senior securities, we may be prohibited from making distributions if doing so would cause us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if such distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.
Unless a stockholder elects to receive distributions in cash, we intend to make such distributions in additional shares of our common stock under our dividend reinvestment plan. Although distributions paid in the form of additional shares of our common stock will generally be subject to U.S. federal, state and local taxes in the same manner as cash distributions, stockholders participating in our dividend reinvestment plan will not receive any corresponding cash distributions with which to pay any such applicable taxes. If a stockholder holds shares of our common stock in the name of a broker or financial intermediary, such stockholder should contact such broker or financial intermediary regarding the election to receive distributions in cash in lieu of shares of our common stock. Any distributions reinvested through the issuance of shares through our dividend reinvestment plan will increase our assets on which the incentive fee is determined and paid to GSVGC. See “Item 9. Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters — Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”
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Related Parties
See “Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence” for a description of certain transactions and relationships with related parties.
Our corporate headquarters are located at The Pioneer Building, 2925 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062 and are provided by GSV Credit Service Company, LLC in accordance with the terms of our Administration Agreement. We believe that our office facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as it is contemplated to be conducted.
ITEM 4. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
In conjunction with our formation, we issued and sold 1,667 shares of our common stock to David Spreng, our President and Chief Executive Officer, for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. We expect that Mr. Spreng will be our sole stockholder until the Initial Drawdown and the issuance of shares in connection therewith has been completed.
ITEM 5. DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors is divided into three classes of directors serving staggered three-year terms and consists of three members, two of whom are not “interested persons,” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act, of us, GSVGC or our respective affiliates. We refer to these individuals, each of whom also qualifies as an “independent director” within the definition set forth in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, as our “independent directors.” Our Board of Directors elects our officers, who serve at the discretion of our Board of Directors. The responsibilities of our Board of Directors include quarterly valuation of our assets, corporate governance activities, oversight of our financing arrangements and oversight of our investment activities.
Board of Directors and Executive Officers
Directors
Under our charter and bylaws, our directors are divided into three classes. At each annual meeting, directors are elected for staggered terms of three years (other than the initial terms, which extend for up to three years), with the term of office of only one of these three classes of directors expiring each year. Each director will hold office for the term to which he or she is elected and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies. Information regarding our Board of Directors is as follows:
| Name | Age | Position | Director Since |
Expiration of Term | ||||
| Interested Directors | ||||||||
| R. David Spreng | 54 | President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | 2015 | 2019 | ||||
| Independent Directors | ||||||||
| Robert Greifeld | 58 | Director | 2016 | 2018 | ||||
| Gary Kovacs | 52 | Director | 2016 | 2017 |
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The address for each of our directors is c/o GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc., 2925 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062.
Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors
| Name | Age | Position | ||
| Thomas B. Raterman | 56 | Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary | ||
| Carl M. Rizzo | 64 | Chief Compliance Officer |
Biographical Information
Directors
Our directors have been divided into two groups — interested directors and independent directors. An interested director is an “interested person” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
Interested Directors
David Spreng is our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors and is the founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of GSVGC. Mr. Spreng has over 25 years of experience as a venture capitalist and five years as a growth-debt lender. He has been active in the formation and development of nearly 50 technology companies with 18 IPOs and 14 trade-sales. He was ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the top 10 venture capitalists on their annual Midas List in 2005. Mr. Spreng also currently serves as a Partner of Decathlon Capital Partners, which he co-founded in 2010 as a provider of growth capital for established companies. He also currently serves as Managing Partner of Crescendo Ventures, which he co-founded in 1998 as a venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in the technology, digital media and technology-enabled service markets. He founded IAI Ventures in 1994, before which he served as Vice President and then Senior Vice President of Investment Advisers Inc., a $20 billion diversified asset management firm from 1989 to 1994. Mr. Spreng served on the board and as chairman of the Government Affairs Committee of the National Venture Capital Association from 2005 to 2009. He served as an advisory board member of the Silicon Valley Executive Network from 2007 to 2012 and as a member of the Silicon Valley Executive Network from 2007 to 2015. Mr. Spreng is also an active member of the World Economic Forum community, including as a frequent panelist in Davos, as a member of the Technology Pioneers Selection Committee, the Steering Committee for Entrepreneurship and Successful Growth Strategies, and as an adviser to the Alternative Investments 2020 and Mainstreaming Impact Investing initiatives. Mr. Spreng currently serves on the board of directors of a number of private technology-focused companies. In addition, Mr. Spreng has served on the board of directors for Envivio, Inc., a provider of software-based IP video processing and distribution solutions, since 2004 and previously served on the board of directors of Compellent Technologies, a publicly-traded provider of enterprise-class network solutions, from 2006 to 2011, prior to its acquisition by Dell. Mr. Spreng has previously been named as a defendant in several cases arising out of his service as a member of the board of directors of three public companies. Mr. Spreng is a graduate, with distinction, of the University of Minnesota. Our Board of Directors has concluded that Mr. Spreng’s experience in managerial positions in investment management, venture capital and direct growth-debt lending provides our Board of Directors valuable industry-specific knowledge and expertise on these and other matters, thus qualifying him to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.
Independent Directors
Robert Greifeld is a member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Greifeld has been the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors for the NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc., a leading provider of trading, clearing, exchange technology, regulatory, securities listing, information and other public company services, since 2003. Prior to joining NASDAQ, he was Executive Vice President at SunGard Data Systems, Inc., a global provider of integrated software and processing solutions for financial services and a provider of information availability services. Mr. Greifeld joined SunGard in 1999 through SunGard’s acquisition of Automated Securities Clearance, Inc., where from 1991–1999, he was the President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Greifeld holds an MBA from the New York University Stern School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in English from Iona College. Our Board of Directors has concluded that Mr. Greifeld’s extensive leadership of a highly complex global financial services company in a regulated industry and background in technology leadership and international public company governance qualifies him to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.
Gary Kovacs is a member of our Board of Directors. Mr. Kovacs has served as a managing director of AVG Technologies N.V.’s management board and as Chief Executive Officer of AVG since 2013. Prior to joining AVG, Mr. Kovacs served as Chief Executive Officer of Mozilla Corporation from 2010 to 2013. Prior to joining Mozilla, Mr. Kovacs held senior leadership roles as Senior Vice President of Markets, Solutions & Products at Sybase through to the acquisition by SAP, and as General Manager and Vice President of Mobile & Devices at Adobe. Previously, he led Zi Corporation, a company specializing in embedded software and services for mobile and consumer devices. Before founding Zi Corporation, Mr. Kovacs spent 10 years at IBM in leadership positions in product management, sales, marketing and operations within the global software division. Mr. Kovacs graduated from the University of Calgary, in Canada, with his Bachelor of Commerce and an MBA with distinction. Mr. Kovacs serves as a board member of ePhox Corporation, Sensory, Inc. and Make-a-Wish Foundation (Bay Area Chapter). He is also a member of the University of Calgary Management Advisory Council. Our Board of Directors has concluded that Mr. Kovacs’ extensive leadership experience in the technology industry qualifies him to serve as a member of our Board of Directors.
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Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors
Thomas B. Raterman serves as our Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary, and as the Chief Financial Officer of GSVGC. Mr. Raterman is also the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of GSV Financial Group. Mr. Raterman has more than 30 years of corporate finance, investment banking, private equity and financial executive management experience with rapidly growing entrepreneurial companies. Mr. Raterman has been the President of Burling Street Capital LLC, a boutique financial advisory and private equity firm, since 2001. Mr. Raterman also served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a boutique financial advisory firm, InterOcean Financial Group LLC, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries from March 2006 to August 2009, where he led the day-to-day operations of InterOcean Financial Group’s merchant banking and private equity business. In addition, he served as Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President and Central Region Manager of LKQ Corporation from February 1998 to February 2001. During his tenure, LKQ completed 31 acquisitions and grew to $225 million in revenue. Today LKQ Corporation is publicly traded (NASDAQ: LKQX). Mr. Raterman also served as a Vice President of Flynn Enterprises, Inc., a family office and venture capital and consulting firm, from June 1995 to February 2001. Earlier in his career, Mr. Raterman worked at several leading commercial lending firms including GE Capital, Continental Illinois National Bank and Security Pacific Bank. Mr. Raterman is a registered representative with Harbor Light Securities, which is not presently acting in any capacity on our behalf in connection with the Private Offering. Harbor Light Securities, however, may form a private fund available to its clients that are accredited investors that will invest in the Private Offering. Mr. Raterman earned a Masters of Management with a concentration in Finance from Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Carl M. Rizzo serves as our Chief Compliance Officer. Mr. Rizzo has served as a Director at Alaric Compliance Services LLC since April 2011 and performs his functions as our Chief Compliance Officer under the terms of an agreement between the Company and Alaric Compliance Services LLC. Mr. Rizzo has also served as the Chief Compliance Officer for TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. since it commenced operations in 2014, and served as Chief Compliance Officer for Clearlake Capital Group LP from January 2014 to February 2015. At Alaric Compliance Services LLC, Mr. Rizzo served from May 2011 to November 2011 as interim Chief Compliance Officer for AEGON USA Investment Management, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser then with assets under management of approximately $110 billion. From 2006 to 2009, Mr. Rizzo served as Senior Principal Consultant with ACA Compliance Group, a regulatory compliance consulting firm. From 1994 to 2005, he served as principal in-house regulatory compliance attorney for the investment management units of several firms in the bank and insurance channels of the U.S. asset management industry, most recently (from 2001 to 2005) as Assistant General Counsel at Bank of America Corporation in Charlotte, NC. Mr. Rizzo received a Masters of Law degree in federal securities regulation from Georgetown University. Mr. Rizzo received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Davidson College and received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Richmond’s T.C. Williams School of Law.
Board Leadership Structure
Our Board of Directors monitors and performs an oversight role with respect to our business and affairs, including with respect to investment practices and performance, compliance with regulatory requirements and the services, expenses and performance of service providers to us. Among other things, our Board of Directors approves the appointment of our investment adviser and officers, reviews and monitors the services and activities performed by our investment adviser and executive officers and approves the engagement, and reviews the performance of, our independent public accounting firm.
Under our bylaws, our Board of Directors may designate a Chairman to preside over the meetings of the Board of Directors and meetings of the stockholders and to perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Board. We do not have a fixed policy as to whether the Chairman of the Board should be an independent director and believe that we should maintain the flexibility to select the Chairman and reorganize the leadership structure, from time to time, based on the criteria that is in the Company’s and our stockholders’ best interests at such times.
Presently, Mr. Spreng serves as the Chairman of our Board of Directors. Mr. Spreng is an “interested person” of the Company as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act because he is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer for GSVGC. Mr. Spreng’s familiarity with GSVGC’s investment platform and extensive knowledge of the financial services industry and the investment valuation process in particular qualify him to serve as the Chairman of our Board of Directors. Our view is that we are best served through this existing leadership structure, as Mr. Spreng’s relationship with GSVGC provides an effective bridge and encourages an open dialogue between management and the Board of Directors, ensuring that both groups act with a common purpose.
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Our Board of Directors does not currently have a designated lead independent director. We are aware of the potential conflicts that may arise when a non-independent director is Chairman of the Board, but believe these potential conflicts are offset by our strong corporate governance policies. Our corporate governance policies include regular meetings of the independent directors in executive session without the presence of interested directors and management, the establishment of an audit committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee, each of which is comprised solely of independent directors, and the appointment of a Chief Compliance Officer, with whom the independent directors meet regularly without the presence of interested directors and other members of management, for administering our compliance policies and procedures.
We recognize that different Board leadership structures are appropriate for companies in different situations. We intend to re-examine our corporate governance policies on an ongoing basis to ensure that they continue to meet our needs.
Board’s Role In Risk Oversight
Our Board of Directors performs its risk oversight function primarily through (a) its two standing committees, which report to the entire Board of Directors and are comprised solely of independent directors, and (b) active monitoring of our Chief Compliance Officer and our compliance policies and procedures.
As described below in more detail under ‘‘— Committees of the Board of Directors,’’ the audit committee and nominating and corporate governance committee assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its risk oversight responsibilities. The audit committee’s risk oversight responsibilities include overseeing the Company’s accounting and financial reporting processes, systems of internal controls regarding finance and accounting, audits of the Company’s financial statements and establishing guidelines and making recommendations to our Board of Directors regarding the valuation of our investments. The nominating and corporate governance committee’s risk oversight responsibilities include selecting, researching and nominating directors for election by our stockholders, developing and recommending to the Board a set of corporate governance principles and overseeing the evaluation of the Board and our management.
Our Board of Directors also performs its risk oversight responsibilities with the assistance of the Chief Compliance Officer. The Board of Directors will annually review a written report from the Chief Compliance Officer discussing the adequacy and effectiveness of the compliance policies and procedures of the Company and its service providers. The Chief Compliance Officer’s annual report will address, at a minimum, (a) the operation of the compliance policies and procedures of the Company and its service providers since the last report; (b) any material changes to such policies and procedures since the last report; (c) any recommendations for material changes to such policies and procedures as a result of the Chief Compliance Officer’s annual review; and (d) any compliance matter that has occurred since the date of the last report about which the Board of Directors would reasonably need to know to oversee our compliance activities and risks. In addition, the Chief Compliance Officer will meet separately in executive session with the independent directors at least once each year.
Our Board of Director’s role in risk oversight is effective, and appropriate given the extensive regulation to which we are already subject as a BDC. As a BDC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements that control the levels of risk in our business and operations. For example, our ability to incur indebtedness is limited such that our asset coverage must equal at least 200% immediately after each time we incur indebtedness, we generally have to invest at least 70% of our gross assets in “qualifying assets” and we are not generally permitted to invest in any portfolio company in which one of our affiliates currently has an investment.
We recognize that different Board of Directors roles in risk oversight are appropriate for companies in different situations. We intend to re-examine the manners in which the Board of Directors administers its oversight function on an ongoing basis to ensure that they continue to meet our needs.
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Committees of the Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors has established an audit committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee and may establish additional committees in the future. All directors are expected to attend least 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of our Board of Directors and of the respective committees on which they serve. We require each director to make a diligent effort to attend all Board of Directors and committee meetings, as well as each annual meeting of stockholders.
Audit Committee
The members of our audit committee are Messrs. Greifeld and Kovacs, each of whom is not considered an “interested person” of the Company as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Mr. Greifeld serves as Chair of the audit committee. Our Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Greifeld is an “audit committee financial expert” as that term is defined under Item 407 of Regulation S-K, as promulgated under the Exchange Act. Messrs. Greifeld and Kovacs meet the current independence and experience requirements of Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. The audit committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our Board of Directors, which sets forth the responsibilities of the audit committee. The audit committee’s responsibilities include establishing guidelines and making recommendations to our Board of Directors regarding the valuation of our loans and investments, selecting our independent registered public accounting firm, reviewing with such independent registered public accounting firm the planning, scope and results of their audit of our financial statements, pre-approving the fees for services performed, reviewing with the independent registered public accounting firm the adequacy of internal control systems, reviewing our annual financial statements, overseeing internal audit staff and periodic filings and receiving our audit reports and financial statements.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The nominating and corporate governance committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our Board of Directors. The members of the nominating and corporate governance committee are Messrs. Greifeld and Kovacs, each of whom is considered independent under the rules of the Nasdaq Global Select Market and is not an “interested person” of the Company as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Mr. Kovacs serves as Chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee. The nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for selecting, researching and nominating directors for election by our stockholders, selecting nominees to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors or a committee thereof, developing and recommending to the Board of Directors a set of corporate governance principles and overseeing the evaluation of the Board of Directors and our management. Our nominating and corporate governance committee may consider nominating an individual recommended by a stockholder for election as a director if such stockholder complies with the advance notice provisions of our bylaws.
The nominating and corporate governance committee seeks candidates who possess the background, skills and expertise to make a significant contribution to the Board of Directors, the Company and its stockholders. In considering possible candidates for election as a director, the nominating and corporate governance committee takes into account, in addition to such other factors as it deems relevant, the desirability of selecting directors who:
| • | are of high character and integrity; |
| • | are accomplished in their respective fields, with superior credentials and recognition; |
| • | have relevant expertise and experience upon which to be able to offer advice and guidance to management; |
| • | have sufficient time available to devote to our affairs; |
| • | are able to work with the other members of our Board of Directors and contribute to our success; |
| • | can represent the long-term interests of our stockholders as a whole; and |
| • | are selected such that our Board of Directors represents a range of backgrounds and experience. |
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The nominating and corporate governance committee has not adopted a formal policy with regard to the consideration of diversity in identifying director nominees. In determining whether to recommend a director nominee, the nominating and corporate governance committee considers and discusses diversity, among other factors, with a view toward the needs of the Board of Directors as a whole. The nominating and corporate governance committee generally conceptualizes diversity expansively to include, without limitation, concepts such as race, gender, national origin, differences of viewpoint, professional experience, education, skill and other qualities that contribute to the Board of Directors, when identifying and recommending director nominees. The nominating and corporate governance committee believes that the inclusion of diversity as one of many factors considered in selecting director nominees is consistent with the nominating and corporate governance committee’s goal of creating a Board of Directors that best serves our needs and the interests of our stockholders. In addition, as part of our Board of Directors’ annual-self assessment, the members of our nominating and corporate governance committee will evaluate the membership of our Board of Directors and whether our Board of Directors maintains satisfactory policies regarding membership selection.
Indemnification Agreements
We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers. The indemnification agreements are intended to provide our directors and executive officers the maximum indemnification permitted under Maryland law and the 1940 Act. Each indemnification agreement provides that we shall indemnify the director or executive officer who is a party to the agreement, or an “Indemnitee,” including the advancement of legal expenses, if, by reason of his or her corporate status, the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be, made a party to or a witness in any threatened, pending, or completed proceeding, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and the 1940 Act.
ITEM 6. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Compensation of Executive Officers
We do not currently have any employees and do not expect to have any employees. Services necessary for our business will be provided by individuals who are employees of GSVGC, the Administrator or their affiliates, pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement, as applicable. Our day-to-day investment and administrative operations will be managed by GSVGC and the Administrator. Most of the services necessary for the origination and administration of our investment portfolio will be provided by investment professionals employed by GSVGC, the Administrator or their affiliates.
None of our executive officers will receive direct compensation from us. We will reimburse the Administrator the allocable portion of the compensation paid by the Administrator (or its affiliates) to our chief compliance officer and chief financial officer (based on the percentage of time such individuals devote, on an estimated basis, to our business and affairs). Certain of our executive officers and other members of GSVGC’s Investment Committee, including David Spreng, through their ownership interest in or management positions with GSVGC, may be entitled to a portion of any profits earned by GSVGC, which includes any fees payable to GSVGC under the terms of our Advisory Agreement, less expenses incurred by GSVGC in performing its services under the Advisory Agreement. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Investment Advisory Agreement” and “Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.”
Compensation of Directors
No compensation is expected to be paid to our directors who are “interested persons,” as such term is defined in Section 2(a) (19) of the 1940 Act. The independent directors will receive an annual fee of $50,000. They will also receive $2,500 plus reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending in-person each regular meeting of the Board of Directors and $1,500 for attending any regular Board of Directors meeting telephonically. They also will receive $1,000 plus reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with each committee meeting attended in-person and $500 for attending any committee meeting telephonically. In addition, they will receive $500 plus reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending each special Board of Directors meeting. The Chair of our audit committee will receive an annual fee of $5,000. We have obtained directors’ and officers’ liability insurance on behalf of our directors and officers. Independent directors will have the option of having their directors’ fees paid in shares of our common stock issued at a price per share equal to the per share net asset value of our common stock.
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ITEM 7. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Policies and Procedures for Managing Conflicts; Co-investment Opportunities
Certain members of GSVGC’s senior investment team and Investment Committee serve, or may serve, as officers, directors, members or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do, or of investment vehicles managed by GSVGC with similar investment objectives. Similarly, GSVGC may have other clients with similar, different or competing investment objectives. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Structure — There are significant potential conflicts of interest which could negatively affect our investment returns.”
Our investment strategy includes investments in secured loans, together with, in many cases, attached equity “kickers” in the form of warrants, and direct equity investments. As a result, members of GSVGC’s senior investment team and Investment Committee, in their roles at GSVGC, may face conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities among us and other investment vehicles managed by GSVGC with similar or overlapping investment objectives in a manner that is fair and equitable over time and consistent with GSVGC’s allocation policy. Generally, when a particular investment would be appropriate for us as well as one or more other investment funds, accounts or vehicles managed by GSVGC’s senior investment team, such investment will be apportioned by GSVGC’s senior investment team in accordance with (1) GSVGC’s internal conflict of interest and allocation policies, (2) the requirements of the Advisers Act and (3) certain restrictions under the 1940 Act regarding co-investments with affiliates. Such apportionment may not be strictly pro rata, depending on the good-faith determination of all relevant factors, including differing investment objectives, diversification considerations and the terms of our or the respective governing documents of such investment funds, accounts or investment vehicles. These procedures could, in certain circumstances, limit whether or not a co-investment opportunity is available to us, the timing of acquisitions and dispositions of investments, the price paid or received by us for investments or the size of the investment purchased or sold by us. GSVGC believes this allocation system is fair and equitable, and consistent with its fiduciary duty to us. In particular, we have disclosed to investors how allocation determinations are made among any investment vehicles managed by GSVGC.
In the future, we may co-invest with investment funds, accounts and vehicles managed by GSVGC, where doing so is consistent with our investment strategy as well as applicable law and SEC staff interpretations. We generally will only be permitted to co-invest with such investment funds, accounts and vehicles where the only term that is negotiated is price. However, we and GSVGC intend to file an exemptive application with the SEC to permit greater flexibility to negotiate the terms of co-investments with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by GSVGC in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. Even when we file this exemptive application, there can be no assurance that we will receive exemptive relief from the SEC to permit us to co-invest with investment funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by GSVGC where terms other than price are negotiated.
Advisory Agreement
We have entered into the Advisory Agreement with GSVGC. Mr. Spreng, our President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors, and a member of GSVGC’s Investment Committee, has a direct pecuniary interest in GSVGC. Both Mr. Raterman, our Chief Financial Officer, and Mr. Aschebrook, each of whom is a member of GSVGC’s Investment Committee, have a direct pecuniary interest in GSVGC and an indirect pecuniary interest in GSVGC through their ownership interests in GSV Financial Group, which has an ownership interest in GSVGC. Mr. Moe, a member of GSVGC’s Investment Committee, also has an indirect pecuniary interest in GSVGC through his ownership interest in GSV Asset Management, which has an ownership interest in GSVGC. Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, we will pay GSVGC a base management fee and an incentive fee for its services. GSVGC, however, has agreed to permanently waive all or such portion of the base management fee that it would otherwise be entitled to receive under the Advisory Agreement through June 30, 2016. GSVGC will be responsible for sourcing, reviewing and structuring investment opportunities for us, underwriting and conducting diligence on our investments and monitoring our investment portfolio on an ongoing basis. GSVGC’s incentive fee is based on the value of our investments and, therefore, there may be a conflict of interest when personnel of GSVGC are involved in the valuation process for our portfolio investments. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Business and Structure — There are significant potential conflicts of interest which could negatively affect our investment returns; —Our incentive fee may induce GSVGC to pursue speculative investments and to use leverage when it may be unwise to do so; —The compensation we will pay to GSVGC and our Administrator was not determined on an arm’s-length basis. Thus, these terms may be less advantageous to us than if such terms had been the subject of arm’s-length negotiations; —We may borrow money, which would magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and may increase the risk of investing in us.”
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Administration Agreement
We have entered into the Administration Agreement with our Administrator, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GSVGC, pursuant to which our Administrator will be responsible for furnishing us with office facilities and equipment and will provide us with clerical, bookkeeping, recordkeeping and other administrative services at such facilities. Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, we will pay our Administrator an amount equal to our allocable portion (subject to the review of our Board of Directors) of our Administrator’s overhead resulting from its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and the allocable portion of the cost of our Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Financial Officer and their respective staffs associated with performing compliance functions. Pursuant to the terms of the Administration Agreement, the amounts payable to the Administrator from us in any fiscal year shall not exceed the greater of (i) 1.00% of aggregate amount of capital committed to us by investors as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year and (ii) $1 million. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Administration Agreement” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Business and Structure — There are significant potential conflicts of interest which could impact our investment returns.”
For information regarding the independence of our directors, see “Item 5. Directors and Executive Officers.”
We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against us. From time to time, we may be a party to certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings relating to the enforcement of our rights under contracts with our portfolio companies. Our business is also subject to extensive regulation, which may result in regulatory proceedings against us. While the outcome of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect that these proceedings will have a material effect upon our financial condition or results of operations.
ITEM 9. MARKET PRICE OF AND DIVIDENDS ON THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Market Information
Until the completion of a Spin-Off transaction, if any, our outstanding common stock will be offered and sold in transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act under Section 4(2) and Regulation D. See “Item 10. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities” for more information. There is no public market for our common stock currently, nor can we give any assurance that one will develop.
Because shares of our common stock are being acquired by investors in one or more transactions “not involving a public offering,” they are “restricted securities” and may be required to be held indefinitely. Our common shares may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise disposed of unless (i) our consent is granted, and (ii) the common shares are registered under applicable securities laws or specifically exempted from registration (in which case the stockholder may, at our option, be required to provide us with a legal opinion, in form and substance satisfactory to us, that registration is not required). Accordingly, an investor must be willing to bear the economic risk of investment in the common shares until we are liquidated. No sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or other disposition, whether voluntary or involuntary, of the common shares may be made except by registration of the transfer on our books. Each transferee will be required to execute an instrument agreeing to be bound by these restrictions and the other restrictions imposed on the common shares and to execute such other instruments or certifications as are reasonably required by us.
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Holders
Please see “Item 4. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” for disclosure regarding the holders of our common stock.
Distribution Policy
To the extent that we have funds available, we intend to make quarterly distributions to our stockholders. Our stockholder distributions, if any, will be determined by our Board of Directors. Any distribution to our stockholders will be declared out of assets legally available for distribution. We anticipate that distributions will be paid from income primarily generated by interest and dividend income earned on investments we make subsequent to the Initial Closing Date. We will not be able to determine whether any specific distribution will be treated as made out of our taxable earnings or as a return of capital until after the end of our taxable year. The amount treated as a tax-free return of capital will reduce a stockholder’s adjusted basis in his or her common stock, thereby increasing his or her potential gain or reducing his or her potential loss on the subsequent sale or other disposition of his or her common stock.
We intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. While we intend to elect to be treated as a RIC as soon as practicable, we anticipate that we may have difficulty satisfying the asset diversification requirements as we deploy initial capital and build our portfolio. To the extent that we have net taxable income prior to our qualification as RIC, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on such income. See “Item 1(c). Description of Business — Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” for more information. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment, we must distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and net realized short-term capital gains in excess of our net realized long-term capital losses, if any, to our stockholders. In order to avoid certain excise taxes imposed on RICs, we currently intend to distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of: (a) 98% of our ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gains or losses) for such calendar year; (b) 98.2% of the amount by which our capital gains exceed our capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for a one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year; and (c) certain undistributed amounts from previous years on which we paid no U.S. federal income tax.
We currently intend to distribute net long-term capital gains if any, at least annually out of the assets legally available for such distributions. However, we may in the future decide to retain some or all of our long-term capital gains but designate the retained amount as a “deemed distribution.” In that case, among other consequences, we will pay tax on the retained amount, each U.S. stockholder will be required to include their share of the deemed distribution in income as if it had been distributed to the U.S. stockholder, and the U.S. stockholder will be entitled to claim a credit equal to their allocable share of the tax paid on the deemed distribution by us. The amount of the deemed distribution net of such tax will be added to such stockholder’s tax basis in such stockholder’s common stock. Since we expect to pay tax on any retained capital gains at our regular corporate tax rate, and since that rate is in excess of the maximum rate currently payable by individuals on long-term capital gains, the amount of tax that individual stockholders will be treated as having paid and for which they will receive a credit will exceed the tax they owe on the retained net capital gain. Such excess generally may be claimed as a credit against such individual stockholder’s other U.S. federal income tax obligations or may be refunded to the extent it exceeds such individual stockholder’s liability for U.S. federal income tax. We cannot assure any stockholder that we will achieve results that will permit us to pay any cash distributions, and if we issue senior securities, we may be prohibited from making distributions if doing so would cause us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if such distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.
Unless a stockholder elects to receive distributions in cash, we intend to make such distributions in additional shares of our common stock under our dividend reinvestment plan. Although distributions paid in the form of additional shares of our common stock will generally be subject to U.S. federal, state and local taxes in the same manner as cash distributions, stockholders participating in our dividend reinvestment plan will not receive any corresponding cash distributions with which to pay any such applicable taxes. If a stockholder holds shares of our common stock in the name of a broker or financial intermediary, such stockholder should contact such broker or financial intermediary regarding the election to receive distributions in cash in lieu of shares of our common stock. Any distributions reinvested through the issuance of shares through our dividend reinvestment plan will increase our assets on which the incentive fee is determined and paid to GSVGC. See “ — Dividend Reinvestment Plan” below.
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Dividend Reinvestment Plan
We have adopted a dividend reinvestment plan that provides for reinvestment of our dividends and other distributions on behalf of our stockholders, unless a stockholder elects to receive cash as provided below. As a result of adopting such a plan, if our Board of Directors authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend or distribution, our stockholders who have not opted out of our dividend reinvestment plan will have their cash dividends or distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, rather than receiving cash.
No action will be required on the part of a registered stockholder to have his or her cash dividends and distributions reinvested in shares of our common stock. A registered stockholder could instead elect to receive a dividend or distribution in cash by notifying GSVGC in writing, so that such notice is received by GSVGC no later than 10 days prior to the record date for distributions to the stockholders. GSVGC will set up an account for shares of our common stock acquired through the plan for each stockholder who does not elect to receive dividends and distributions in cash and hold such shares in non-certificated form. Those stockholders whose shares are held by a broker or other financial intermediary could receive dividends and distributions in cash by notifying their broker or other financial intermediary of their election.
Stockholders who receive dividends and distributions in the form of stock are generally subject to the same U.S. federal, state and local tax consequences as are stockholders who elect to receive their dividends and distributions in cash. However, since a participating stockholder’s cash dividends and distributions will be reinvested in our common stock, such stockholder will not receive cash with which to pay applicable taxes on reinvested dividends and distributions. A stockholder’s basis for determining gain or loss upon the sale of stock received in a dividend or distribution from us will generally be equal to the cash that would have been received if the stockholder had received the dividend or distribution in cash, unless we were to issue new shares that are trading at or above net asset value, in which case, the stockholder’s basis in the new shares will generally be equal to their fair market value. Any stock received in a dividend or distribution will have a new holding period for tax purposes commencing on the day following the day on which the shares are credited to the U.S. stockholder’s account.
The plan will be terminable by us upon notice in writing mailed to each stockholder of record at least 30 days prior to any record date for the payment of any distribution by us. All correspondence concerning the plan should be directed to GSVGC by mail at GSV Growth Credit LLC, 2925 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062.
ITEM 10. RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES
In conjunction with our formation, we issued and sold 1,667 shares of our common stock to David Spreng, our President and Chief Executive Officer, for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. These shares were issued and sold in reliance upon the available exemptions from registration requirements of Section 4(2) of the Securities Act.
ITEM 11. DESCRIPTION OF REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED
The following description is based on relevant portions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and on our charter and bylaws. This summary possesses the provisions deemed to be material, but is not necessarily complete.
Stock
Our authorized stock consists of 100,000,000 shares, par value $0.01 per share, all of which are initially designated as common stock. There are no outstanding options or warrants to purchase our stock. No stock has been authorized for issuance under any equity compensation plans. Under Maryland law, our stockholders generally are not personally liable for our debts or obligations.
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The following are our outstanding classes of securities as of April 18, 2016:
(1) Title of Class | (2) Amount Authorized | (3) Amount Held by Us or for Our Account | (4) Amount Outstanding Exclusive of Amounts Shown Under(3) | |||||||||
| Common stock | 100,000,000 | — | 1,667 | |||||||||
Under our charter our Board of Directors is authorized to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of stock into other classes or series of stock without obtaining stockholder approval. As permitted by the MGCL, our charter provides that the Board of Directors, without any action by our stockholders, may amend the charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue.
Common Stock
All shares of our common stock have equal rights as to earnings, assets, voting, and dividends and, when they are issued, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Distributions may be paid to the holders of our common stock if, as and when authorized by our Board of Directors and declared by us out of assets legally available therefor. Shares of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion or redemption rights and are freely transferable, except where their transfer is restricted by federal and state securities laws or by contract. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each share of our common stock would be entitled to share ratably in all of our assets that are legally available for distribution after we pay all debts and other liabilities and subject to any preferential rights of holders of our preferred stock, if any preferred stock is outstanding at such time. Each share of our common stock is entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, including the election of directors. Except as provided with respect to any other class or series of stock, the holders of our common stock will possess exclusive voting power. There is no cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means that holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock can elect all of our directors, and holders of less than a majority of such shares will be unable to elect any director.
Preferred Stock
Our charter authorizes our Board of Directors to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of stock into other classes or series of stock, including preferred stock. The cost of any such reclassification would be borne by our existing common stockholders. Prior to the issuance of shares of each class or series, the Board of Directors is required by Maryland law and by our charter to set the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each class or series. Thus, the Board of Directors could authorize the issuance of shares of preferred stock with terms and conditions which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interest. However, that issuance of preferred stock must comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act requires, among other things, that (1) immediately after issuance and before any dividend or other distribution is made with respect to our common stock and before any purchase of common stock is made, such preferred stock together with all other senior securities must not exceed an amount equal to 50% of our total assets after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution or purchase price, as the case may be, and (2) the holders of shares of preferred stock, if any are issued, must be 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 full years or more. Certain matters under the 1940 Act require the separate vote of the holders of any issued and outstanding preferred stock. For example, holders of preferred stock would vote separately from the holders of common stock on a proposal to cease operations as a BDC. We believe that the availability for issuance of preferred stock will provide us with increased flexibility in structuring future financings and acquisitions. However, we do not currently have any plans to issue preferred stock.
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Limitation on Liability of Directors and Officers; Indemnification and Advance of Expenses
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action. Our charter contains such a provision which eliminates directors’ and officers’ liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act.
Our charter authorizes us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while serving as our director or officer and at our request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner, trustee, member or manager from and against any claim or liability to which that person may become subject or which that person may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse their reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. Our bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while serving as our director or officer and at our request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner, trustee, member or manager and who is made, or threatened to be made, a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity from and against any claim or liability to which that person may become subject or which that person may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. The charter and bylaws also permit us to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of us in any of the capacities described above and any of our employees or agents or any employees or agents of our predecessor. In accordance with the 1940 Act, we will not indemnify any person for any liability to which such person would be subject by reason of such person’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (1) was committed in bad faith or (2) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. However, under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received unless, in either case a court orders indemnification, and then only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer in advance of final disposition of a proceeding upon the corporation’s receipt of (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good-faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (b) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers. The indemnification agreements provide our directors and executive officers the maximum indemnification permitted under Maryland law and the 1940 Act.
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Certain Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and Our Charter and Bylaws
The MGCL and our charter and bylaws contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a potential acquirer to acquire us by means of a tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise, the material ones of which are discussed below. These provisions are expected to discourage certain coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our Board of Directors. We expect the benefits of these provisions to outweigh the potential disadvantages of discouraging any such acquisition proposals because, among other things, the negotiation of such proposals may improve their terms.
Classified Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is divided into three classes of directors serving staggered three-year terms. The current terms of the first, second and third classes will expire in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively, and in each case, those directors will serve until their successors are elected and qualify. Upon expiration of their terms, directors of each class will be elected to serve for three-year terms and until their successors are duly elected and qualify, and each year one class of directors will be elected by the stockholders. A classified Board of Directors may render a change in control of us or removal of our incumbent management more difficult. We believe, however, that the longer time required to elect a majority of a classified Board of Directors will help to ensure the continuity and stability of our management and policies.
Election of Directors
Our bylaws, as authorized by our charter, provide that the affirmative vote of the holders of a plurality of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote in the election of directors cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called, and at which a quorum is present, will be required to elect a director. Pursuant to our charter our Board of Directors may amend the bylaws to alter the vote required to elect directors.
Number of Directors; Vacancies; Removal
Our charter provides that the number of directors will be set only by the Board of Directors in accordance with our bylaws. Our bylaws provide that a majority of our entire Board of Directors may at any time increase or decrease the number of directors. However, unless our bylaws are amended, the number of directors may never be less than one nor more than nine. Our charter provides that, at such time as we have at least three independent directors and our common stock is registered under the Exchange Act, as amended, we elect to be subject to the provision of Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL regarding the filling of vacancies on the Board of Directors. Accordingly, at such time, except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred stock, any and all vacancies on the Board of Directors may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any director elected to fill a vacancy will serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies, subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act.
Our charter provides that a director may be removed only for cause, as defined in our charter, and then only by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast in the election of directors.
Action by Stockholders
Under the MGCL, stockholder action can be taken only at an annual or special meeting of stockholders or (unless the charter provides for stockholder action by less than unanimous written consent, which our charter does not) by unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting. These provisions, combined with the requirements of our bylaws regarding the calling of a stockholder-requested special meeting of stockholders discussed below, may have the effect of delaying consideration of a stockholder proposal until the next annual meeting.
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Advance Notice Provisions for Stockholder Nominations and Stockholder Proposals
Our bylaws provide that with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of business to be considered by stockholders may be made only (1) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (2) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (3) by a stockholder of the Company who is a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in our bylaws and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the advance notice provisions of the bylaws. With respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business specified in our notice of the meeting may be brought before the meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors at a special meeting may be made only (1) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (2) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors will be elected at the meeting, by a stockholder of the Company who is a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in our bylaws and at the time of the special meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the advance notice provisions of the bylaws.
The purpose of requiring stockholders to give us advance notice of nominations and other business is to afford our Board of Directors a meaningful opportunity to consider the qualifications of the proposed nominees and the advisability of any other proposed business and, to the extent deemed necessary or desirable by our Board of Directors, to inform stockholders and make recommendations about such qualifications or business, as well as to provide a more orderly procedure for conducting meetings of stockholders. Although our bylaws do not give our Board of Directors any power to disapprove stockholder nominations for the election of directors or proposals recommending certain action, they may have the effect of precluding a contest for the election of directors or the consideration of stockholder proposals if proper procedures are not followed and of discouraging or deterring a third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or to approve its own proposal without regard to whether consideration of such nominees or proposals might be harmful or beneficial to us and our stockholders.
Calling of Special Meetings of Stockholders
Our bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders may be called by our Board of Directors and certain of our officers. Additionally, our bylaws provide that, subject to the satisfaction of certain procedural and informational requirements by the stockholders requesting the meeting, a special meeting of stockholders will be called by the secretary of the corporation upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.
Approval of Extraordinary Corporate Action; Amendment of Charter and Bylaws
Under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation generally cannot dissolve, amend its charter, merge, sell all or substantially all of its assets, engage in a share exchange or engage in similar transactions outside the ordinary course of business, unless approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. However, a Maryland corporation may provide in its charter for approval of these matters by a lesser percentage, but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our charter generally provides for approval of charter amendments and extraordinary transactions by the stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our charter also provides that certain charter amendments, any proposal for our conversion, whether by charter amendment, merger or otherwise, from a closed-end company to an open-end company and any proposal for our liquidation or dissolution requires the approval of the stockholders entitled to cast at least 80% of the votes entitled to be cast on such matter. However, if such amendment or proposal is approved by a majority of our continuing directors (in addition to approval by our Board of Directors), such amendment or proposal may be approved by a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on such a matter. The “continuing directors” are defined in our charter as (1) our current directors, (2) those directors whose nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of our current directors then on the Board of Directors or (3) any successor directors whose nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of continuing directors or the successor continuing directors then in office.
Our charter and bylaws provide that the Board of Directors will have the exclusive power to make, alter, amend or repeal any provision of our bylaws.
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No Appraisal Rights
Except with respect to appraisal rights arising in connection with the Control Share Act discussed below, as permitted by the MGCL, our charter provides that stockholders will not be entitled to exercise appraisal rights unless a majority of the Board of Directors shall determine such rights apply.
Control Share Acquisitions
The MGCL provides that control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter (the “Control Share Act”). Shares owned by the acquirer, by officers or by directors who are employees of the corporation are excluded from shares entitled to vote on the matter. Control shares are voting shares of stock which, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by the acquirer or in respect of which the acquirer is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquirer to exercise voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power:
| ● | one-tenth or more but less than one-third; |
| ● | one-third or more but less than a majority; or |
| ● | a majority or more of all voting power. |
The requisite stockholder approval must be obtained each time an acquirer crosses one of the thresholds of voting power set forth above. Control shares do not include shares the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval. A control share acquisition means the acquisition of control shares, subject to certain exceptions.
A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition may compel the Board of Directors of the corporation to call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. The right to compel the calling of a special meeting is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including an undertaking to pay the expenses of the meeting. If no request for a meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any stockholders meeting.
If voting rights are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an acquiring person statement as required by the statute, then the corporation may redeem for fair value any or all of the control shares, except those for which voting rights have previously been approved. The right of the corporation to redeem control shares is subject to certain conditions and limitations, including, as provided in our bylaws compliance with the 1940 Act. Fair value is determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of the last control share acquisition by the acquirer or of any meeting of stockholders at which the voting rights of the shares are considered and not approved. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a stockholders meeting and the acquirer becomes entitled to vote a majority of the shares entitled to vote, all other stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as determined for purposes of appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquirer in the control share acquisition.
The Control Share Act does not apply (a) to shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction or (b) to acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation. Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the Control Share Act any and all acquisitions by any person of our shares of stock. There can be no assurance that such provision will not be amended or eliminated at any time in the future. However, we will amend our bylaws to be subject to the Control Share Act only if the Board of Directors determines that it would be in our best interests and if the SEC staff does not object to our determination that our being subject to the Control Share Act does not conflict with the 1940 Act.
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Business Combinations
Under Maryland law, “business combinations” between a Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder or an affiliate of an interested stockholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder (the “Business Combination Act”). These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. An interested stockholder is defined as:
| ● | any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock; or |
| ● | an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding voting stock of the corporation. |
A person is not an interested stockholder under this statute if the Board of Directors approved in advance the transaction by which the stockholder otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. However, in approving a transaction, the Board of Directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by the Board of Directors.
After the five-year prohibition, any business combination between the Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder generally must be recommended by the Board of Directors of the corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:
| ● | 80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation; and |
| ● | two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation other than shares held by the interested stockholder with whom or with whose affiliate the business combination is to be effected or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder. |
These super-majority vote requirements do not apply if the corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price, as defined under Maryland law, for their shares in the form of cash or other consideration in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares.
The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by the Board of Directors before the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Our Board of Directors has adopted a resolution that any business combination between us and any other person is exempted from the provisions of the Business Combination Act, provided that the business combination is first approved by the Board of Directors, including a majority of the directors who are not “interested persons” as defined in the 1940 Act. This resolution may be altered or repealed in whole or in part at any time; however, our Board of Directors will adopt resolutions so as to make us subject to the provisions of the Business Combination Act only if the Board of Directors determines that it would be in our best interests and if the SEC staff does not object to our determination that our being subject to the Business Combination Act does not conflict with the 1940 Act. If this resolution is repealed, or the Board of Directors does not otherwise approve a business combination, the statute may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer.
Conflict with 1940 Act
Our bylaws provide that, if and to the extent that any provision of the MGCL, including the Control Share Act (if we amend our bylaws to be subject to such Act) and the Business Combination Act, or any provision of our charter or bylaws conflicts with any provision of the 1940 Act, the applicable provision of the 1940 Act will control.
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Exclusive Forum
Our charter and bylaws provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the MGCL, the charter or bylaws or the securities, antifraud, unfair trade practices or similar laws of any international, national, state, provincial, territorial, local or other governmental or regulatory authority, including, in each case, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be a federal or state court located in the state of Delaware, provided that to the extent the appropriate court located in the state of Delaware determines that it does not have jurisdiction over such action, then the sole and exclusive forum shall be any federal or state court located in the state of Maryland. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Company shall be deemed, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to have notice of and consented to these exclusive forum provisions and to have irrevocably submitted to, and waived any objection to, the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in connection with any such action or proceeding and consented to process being served in any such action or proceeding, without limitation, by United States mail addressed to the stockholder at the stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Company, with postage thereon prepaid.
Term
Prior to any initial Spin-Off transaction that may occur, if our Board of Directors determines that there has been a significant adverse change in our regulatory or tax treatment or that of our stockholders that, in our Board of Directors’ judgment makes it inadvisable for the Company to continue in its present form, then our Board of Directors will endeavor to restructure or change the form of the Company to preserve (insofar as possible) the overall benefits previously enjoyed by stockholders as a whole or, if our Board of Directors determines it appropriate (and subject to necessary stockholder approvals under our Articles of Amendment and Restatement and the 1940 Act, and any other applicable requirements of the 1940 Act), the Board may at any time after the third anniversary of the Final Closing, or if earlier, the date on which the undrawn capital commitment of each investor has been reduced to zero, (i) (a) wind down, (b) sell or exchange all or substantially all of the Company’s assets and/or (c) liquidate and dissolve the Company, or (ii) amend the Articles of Amendment and Restatement as necessary to preserve (insofar as possible) the overall benefits previously enjoyed by stockholders as a whole. To the extent required by the 1940 Act, Maryland law or the Company’s Articles of Amendment and Restatement, the Company will submit to a vote of its stockholders any proposed amendments to its Articles of Amendment and Restatement.
In the event of and upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, whether voluntary or involuntary, after payment or provision for payment of our debts and other liabilities and subject to the prior rights of any outstanding preferred shares, our remaining net assets will be distributed among holders of our common shares equally on a per share basis. For the purposes of this paragraph, a merger or consolidation of the Company with or into any other corporation or other entity, or a sale or conveyance of all or any part of our property or assets will not be deemed to be a dissolution, liquidation or winding up, voluntary or involuntary.
The terms of the Public Fund and the Liquidating Funds, if launched, will be more fully described at the time of the relevant Spin-Off transaction.
ITEM 12. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
See “Item 11. Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered — Limitation on Liability of Directors and Officers; Indemnification and Advance of Expenses.”
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ITEM 13. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Set forth below is an index to our financial statements attached to this Registration Statement.
Index to Balance Sheets
GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc.
ITEM 14. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
There are not and have not been any disagreements between the Company and its accountant on any matter of accounting principles, practices, or financial statement disclosure.
ITEM 15. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
(a) List separately all financial statements filed
The financial statements attached to this Registration Statement are listed under “Item 13. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
(b) Exhibits
| 3.1 | Form of Articles of Amendment and Restatement(3) | |
| 3.2 | Bylaws(1) | |
| 4.1 | Form of Subscription Agreement(3) | |
| 10.1 | Investment Advisory Agreement* | |
| 10.2 | Form of Advisory Fee Waiver Letter(3) | |
| 10.3 | Form of Administration Agreement(3) | |
| 10.4 | Dividend Reinvestment Plan(2) | |
| 10.5 | Form of Indemnification Agreement(2) | |
| 10.6 | Form of Custody Agreement by and between the Registrant and U.S. Bank, N.A.(2) | |
| 10.7 | Trademark License Agreement by and between the Registrant and GSV Asset Management, LLC(2) | |
| 21.1 | List of Subsidiaries—None | |
* — Filed herewith.
| (1) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 000-55544) filed with the SEC on December 9, 2015. | |
| (2) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 000-55544) filed with the SEC on February 12, 2016. | |
| (3) | Previously filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 000-55544) filed with the SEC on April 8, 2016. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc. | |||
| By: | /s/ R. David Spreng | ||
R. David Spreng President and Chief Executive Officer | |||
Date: April 19, 2016
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INDEX TO BALANCE SHEETS
GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc.
| F-1 |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors
GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc.
We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2015, and the related notes to the balance sheet (the financial statement). The financial statement is the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the financial statement based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statement referred to above presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc. as of December 31, 2015, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
/s/ RSM US LLP
Chicago, Illinois
February 8, 2016
| F-2 |
GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc.
(A Development Stage Company)
Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2015
| Assets | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 25,000 | ||
| Total Assets | 25,000 | |||
| Net Assets | ||||
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 3) | - | |||
| Net Assets | ||||
| Common shares, $0.01 par
value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 1,667 shares issued and outstanding | 17 | |||
| Additional paid-in capital | 24,983 | |||
| Total Net Assets | $ | 25,000 | ||
| Net Asset Value Per Share | $ | 14.997 | ||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of this Balance Sheet.
| F-3 |
GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2015
| (1) | Organization and Basis of Presentation |
Organization
GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc. (the “Company”) is a Maryland corporation formed on August 31, 2015. The Company was formed primarily to lend to, and selectively invest in, middle-market companies in the United States.
As of December 31, 2015, no operations other than the sale and issuance of 1,667 shares of common stock on October 8, 2015, at an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 ($14.9970 per share) to R. David Spreng, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, have occurred. The sale of common shares was approved by the unanimous consent of the Company’s sole director at the time.
The Company intends to be managed by GSV Growth Credit LLC (the “Adviser”). No management fees will be paid to the Adviser until commencement of commercial activities.
Development Stage Company
The Company is a development stage company as defined by ASC 915-10-05, “Development Stage Entity”. The Company is still devoting substantially all of its efforts to establishing the business and its planned principal operations have not commenced.
Basis of Presentation
The balance sheet has been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP).
Fiscal Year End
The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31.
| (2) | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Such estimates could differ from those estimates and such differences could be material.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents consist of demand deposits and highly liquid investments (e.g. money market funds, U.S. treasury notes) with original maturities of three months or less. Cash and cash equivalents are carried at cost which approximates fair value. The Company places its cash and cash equivalents with financial institutions.
Income Taxes
The Company intends to file an election to be regulated as a Business Development Company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company also intends to elect to be treated as a Regulated Investment Company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for the taxable year ending December 31, 2015. So long as the Company maintains its status as a RIC, it generally will not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its stockholders as dividends. Rather, any tax liability related to income earned by the Company represents obligations of the Company’s investors and will not be reflected in the financial statements of the Company.
| F-4 |
Management does not believe any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statement.
| (3) | Commitments and Contingencies |
Initial organization and offering costs will be borne by the Company up to a maximum amount of $500,000.00 upon receipt of a formal commitment of external capital. Any initial organization and offering costs in excess of $500,000.00 will be borne by the Adviser. In the event receipt of a formal commitment of external capital does not occur, initial organization and offering costs incurred will be borne by the Adviser. As there has been no formal commitment of external capital as of the date of issuance of this balance sheet, no such costs have been recorded by the Company.
| (4) | Net Assets |
In connection with its formation, the Company has the authority to issue 100,000,000 common shares at $0.01 per share par value.
| (5) | Subsequent Events |
There have been no subsequent events that require recognition or disclosure through February 8, 2016, the date that the financial statement was available to be issued.
| F-5 |
GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc.
(A Development Stage Company)
Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2016
(unaudited)
| Assets | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 25,000 | ||
| Total Assets | 25,000 | |||
| Net Assets | ||||
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 3) | - | |||
| Net Assets | ||||
| Common shares, $0.01 par
value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 1,667 shares issued and outstanding | 17 | |||
| Additional paid-in capital | 24,983 | |||
| Total Net Assets | $ | 25,000 | ||
| Net Asset Value Per Share | $ | 14.997 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of this Balance Sheet
| F-6 |
GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc.
(A Development Stage Company)
Notes to Unaudited Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2016
| (1) | Organization and Basis of Presentation |
Organization
GSV Growth Credit Fund Inc. (the “Company”) is a Maryland corporation formed on August 31, 2015. The Company was formed primarily to lend to, and selectively invest in, middle-market companies in the United States.
As of March 31, 2016, no operations other than the sale and issuance of 1,667 shares of common stock on October 8, 2015, at an aggregate purchase price of $25,000 ($14.9970 per share) to R. David Spreng, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, have occurred. The sale of common shares was approved by the unanimous consent of the Company’s sole director at the time.
The Company intends to be managed by GSV Growth Credit LLC (the “Adviser”). No management fees will be paid to the Adviser until commencement of commercial activities.
Development Stage Company
The Company is a development stage company as defined by ASC 915-10-05, “Development Stage Entity”. The Company is still devoting substantially all of its efforts to establishing the business and its planned principal operations have not commenced.
Basis of Presentation
The balance sheet has been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP).
Fiscal Year End
The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31.
| (2) | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Such estimates could differ from those estimates and such differences could be material.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents consist of demand deposits and highly liquid investments (e.g. money market funds, U.S. treasury notes) with original maturities of three months or less. Cash and cash equivalents are carried at cost which approximates fair value. The Company places its cash and cash equivalents with financial institutions.
Income Taxes
The Company intends to file an election to be treated as a Business Development Company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company also intends to elect to be treated as a Registered Investment Company (RIC) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for the taxable year ending December 31, 2015. So long as the Company maintains its status as a RIC, it generally will not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its stockholders as dividends. Rather, any tax liability related to income earned by the Company represents obligations of the Company’s investors and will not be reflected in the financial statements of the Company.
| F-7 |
Management does not believe any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statement.
| (3) | Commitments and Contingencies |
Initial organization and operating costs will be borne by the Company up to a maximum amount of the greater of $500,000.00 or 0.50% of total capital commitments received by the Company, and will be paid or reimbursed upon receipt of a formal commitment of external capital. Any initial organization and operating costs in excess of the greater of $500,000.00, or 0.50% of total capital commitments received by the Company, will be borne by the Adviser. In the event receipt of a formal commitment of external capital does not occur, initial organization and operating costs incurred will be borne by the Adviser. As there has been no formal commitment of external capital as of the date of issuance of this balance sheet, no such costs have been recorded by the Company.
| (4) | Net Assets |
In connection with its formation, the Company has the authority to issue 100,000,000 common shares at $0.01 per share par value.
| (5) | Subsequent Events |
There have been no subsequent events that require recognition or disclosure through April 8, 2016 the date that the financial statement was available to be issued.
| F-8 |
Exhibit 10.1
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
GSV GROWTH CREDIT FUND INC.
AND
GSV GROWTH CREDIT LLC
This Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made this [ ] day of [April], 2016, by and between GSV GROWTH CREDIT FUND INC., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and GSV GROWTH CREDIT LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Adviser”).
WHEREAS, the Company is a newly organized closed-end management investment fund that intends to elect to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”); and
WHEREAS, the Adviser is an investment adviser that will be registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”); and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to retain the Adviser to furnish investment advisory services to the Company on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, and the Adviser wishes to be retained to provide such services.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the parties hereby agree as follows:
| 1. | Duties of the Adviser. |
(a) The Company hereby retains the Adviser to act as the investment adviser to the Company and to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Company, subject to the supervision of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), for the period and upon the terms herein set forth, (i) in accordance with the investment objective, policies and restrictions that are set forth in the Company’s registration statement on Form 10 (File No. 000-55544) initially filed on February 12, 2016 (as the same shall be amended from time to time); (ii) in accordance with all other applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations, and the Company’s charter and bylaws as the same shall be amended from time to time; and (iii) in accordance with the Investment Company Act. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Adviser shall, during the term and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, (i) determine the composition of the portfolio of the Company, the nature and timing of the changes therein and the manner of implementing such changes; (ii) identify, evaluate and negotiate the structure of the investments made by the Company; (iii) execute, close and monitor the Company’s investments; (iv) determine the securities and other assets that the Company will purchase, retain, or sell; (v) perform due diligence on prospective portfolio companies; and (vi) provide the Company with such other investment advisory, research and related services as the Company may, from time to time, reasonably require for the investment of its funds. Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Adviser shall have the power and authority on behalf of the Company to effectuate its investment decisions for the Company, including the execution and delivery of all documents relating to the Company’s investments and the placing of orders for other purchase or sale transactions on behalf of the Company. In the event that the Company determines to acquire debt financing, the Adviser will arrange for such financing on the Company’s behalf, subject to the oversight and approval of the Board. If it is necessary for the Adviser to make investments on behalf of the Company through a special purpose vehicle, the Adviser shall have authority to create or arrange for the creation of such special purpose vehicle and to make such investments through such special purpose vehicle (in accordance with the Investment Company Act).
(b) The Adviser hereby accepts such employment and agrees during the term hereof to render the services described herein for the compensation provided herein.
(c) The Adviser shall for all purposes herein provided be deemed to be an independent contractor and, except as expressly provided or authorized herein, shall have no authority to act for or represent the Company in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Company.
(d) The Adviser shall keep and preserve for the period required by the Investment Company Act any books and records relevant to the provision of its investment advisory services to the Company and shall specifically maintain all books and records in accordance with Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, with respect to the Company’s portfolio transactions and shall render to the Board such periodic and special reports as the Board may reasonably request. The Adviser agrees that all records that it maintains for the Company are the property of the Company and will surrender promptly to the Company any such records upon the Company’s request, provided that the Adviser may retain a copy of such records.
| 2. | Company’s Responsibilities and Expenses Payable by the Company. |
All investment professionals of the Adviser and their respective staffs, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory and management services hereunder, and the compensation and routine overhead expenses of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Adviser and not by the Company. The Company will bear all other costs and expenses of its operations, administration and transactions, including (without limitation) those relating to: organization and offering (in an amount up to the greater of either $500,000 or 0.5% of Capital Commitments (as defined in Section 3(a) below), provided that, the amount of initial organizational and offering expenses in excess of the greater of $500,000 or 0.5% of Capital Commitments, as applicable, shall be paid by the Adviser); the Company’s pro-rata portion of fees and expenses related to a Spin-Off transaction (defined below in Section 3(b)(i)(C)); calculating the Company’s net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firm); expenses incurred by the Adviser payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisers, in monitoring financial and legal affairs for the Company and in providing administrative services, monitoring the Company’s investments and performing due diligence on its prospective portfolio companies; interest payable on debt, if any, incurred to finance the Company’s investments; sales and purchases of the Company’s common stock and other securities; investment advisory and management fees; administration fees, if any, payable under the administration agreement between the Company and the Company’s administrator, GSV Credit Service Company, LLC (the “Administrator”), dated as of [April __ ], 2016 (the “Administration Agreement”) (as the same shall be amended from time to time); fees payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisers, relating to, or associated with, evaluating and making investments; transfer agent and custodial fees; federal and state registration fees; all costs of registration and listing the Company’s securities on any securities exchange; federal, state and local taxes; fees and expenses of directors who are not parties to this Agreement or “interested persons” (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act) of any such party (the “Independent Directors”); costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or other regulators; costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to stockholders, including printing costs; the Company’s allocable portion of the fidelity bond, directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, copying, secretarial and other staff, independent auditors and outside legal costs; and all other expenses incurred by the Company or the Administrator in connection with administering the Company’s business, including payments under the Administration Agreement between the Company and the Administrator, based upon the Company’s allocable portion of the Administrator’s overhead in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and the allocable portion of the cost of the Company’s chief compliance officer and chief financial officer and their respective staffs.
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| 3. | Compensation of the Adviser. |
The Company agrees to pay, and the Adviser agrees to accept, as compensation for the services provided by the Adviser hereunder, a base management fee (“Base Management Fee”) and an incentive fee (“Incentive Fee”) as hereinafter set forth. The cost of both the Base Management Fee and the Incentive Fee will ultimately be borne by the Company’s common stockholders. The Company shall make any payments due hereunder to the Adviser or to the Adviser’s designee as the Adviser may otherwise direct.
(a) The Base Management Fee shall be payable at the beginning of each calendar quarter and calculated at an annual rate of 2.0% of the Capital Commitments as of the end of the most recently completed calendar quarter. For purposes of this Agreement, “Capital Commitments” shall mean the aggregate amount of capital committed to the Company by investors as of the end of the most recently completed calendar quarter. The Base Management Fee shall be appropriately prorated for any partial month or quarter.
(b) The Incentive Fee shall consist of two parts, as follows
| (i) | (A) The first part (the “Income Incentive Fee”) shall be calculated and payable quarterly in arrears based on the Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for the immediately preceding fiscal quarter. Payments based on Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income will be based on the Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income earned for the quarter. For this purpose, “Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income” means interest income, dividend income and any other income (including any other fees, such as commitment, origination, structuring, diligence, managerial and consulting fees or other fees that the Company receives from portfolio companies) accrued by the Company during the fiscal quarter, minus the Company’s operating expenses for the quarter (including the Base Management Fee, expenses payable under the Administration Agreement, and any interest expense and dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the Incentive Fee); provided however, that Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income shall be reduced by multiplying the Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income earned for the quarter by a fraction, the numerator of which is the Company’s total assets minus average daily borrowings for the immediately preceding fiscal quarter, and the denominator of which is the Company’s total assets for the immediately preceding fiscal quarter. Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with pay in kind interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income the Company has not yet received in cash; provided, however, that the portion of the Incentive Fee attributable to deferred interest features shall be paid, only if and to the extent received in cash, and any accrual thereof shall be reversed if and to the extent such interest is reversed in connection with any write off or similar treatment of the investment giving rise to any deferred interest accrual, applied in each case in the order such interest was accrued. Such subsequent payments in respect of previously accrued income shall not reduce the amounts payable for any quarter pursuant to this Section 3(b)(i)(A). Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income does not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. |
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(B) Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income, expressed as a rate of return on the value of the Company’s net assets (defined as total assets less liabilities) at the end of the immediately preceding fiscal quarter, will be compared to a “hurdle rate” of 2.0% per quarter (8.0% annualized). The Company shall pay the Adviser an Incentive Fee with respect to the Company’s Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in each calendar quarter as follows: (1) no Incentive Fee in any calendar quarter in which the Company’s Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income does not exceed the hurdle rate of 2.0%; (2) 100% of the Company’s Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income with respect to that portion of such Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 2.5% in any calendar quarter (10.0% annualized) (the portion of the Company’s Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income that exceeds the hurdle but is less than 2.5% is referred to as the “catch-up”; the “catch-up” is meant to provide the Adviser with 20.0% of the Company’s Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income as if a hurdle did not apply if the Company’s Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income exceeds 2.5% in any calendar quarter); and (3) 20.0% of the amount of the Company’s Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income, if any, that exceeds 2.5% in any calendar quarter (10.0% annualized) payable to the Adviser (once the hurdle is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 20.0% of all Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income thereafter is allocated to the Adviser). These calculations shall be appropriately pro-rated for any period of less than three months.
(C) The Income Incentive Fee will be payable in connection with a Spin-Off transaction. The Income Incentive Fee will be calculated as of the date of the completion of each Spin-Off transaction and will equal the amount of Income Incentive Fee that would be payable to the Adviser if (1) all of the Company’s investments were liquidated for their current value and any unamortized deferred portfolio investment-related fees would be deemed accelerated, (2) the proceeds from such liquidation were used to pay all of the Company’s outstanding liabilities, and (3) the remainder were distributed to the Company’s stockholders and paid as Incentive Fee in accordance with the Income Incentive Fee described in clauses (1) and (2) above for determining the amount of the Income Incentive Fee; provided, however, that in no event shall the Income Incentive Fee paid in connection with the completion of a Spin-Off transaction (a) include the portion of the Income Incentive Fee attributable to deferred interest features of a particular investment that is not transferred pursuant to a Spin-Off transaction until such time as the deferred interest is received in cash, or (b) exceed 20% of the Company’s Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income accrued by the Company for the fiscal quarter as of the date of the completion of the Spin-Off transaction. The Company will make the payment of the Income Incentive Fee paid in connection with the completion of a Spin-Off transaction in cash on or immediately following the date of the completion of a Spin-Off transaction. After a Spin-Off transaction, all calculations relating to the Incentive Fee payable will be made beginning on the day immediately following the completion of the Spin-Off transaction without taking into account the exchanged shares of the Company’s common stock (or contributions, distributions or proceeds relating thereto). For purposes of this Agreement, a “Spin-Off transaction” includes a transaction whereby the Company offers its stockholders the option to elect to either (i) retain their ownership of shares of the Company’s common stock; (ii) exchange their shares of the Company’s common stock for shares of common stock in a newly formed entity that will elect to be treated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act and a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and which may, among other things, seek to complete an initial public offering of shares of its common stock; or (iii) exchange their shares of the Company’s common stock for interests of one or more newly formed entities (“Liquidating Funds”) that will, among other things, seek to complete an orderly wind down and/or liquidation of such Liquidating Fund.
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| (ii) | (A) The second part of the Incentive Fee (the “Capital Gains Fee”) shall be determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of this Agreement as set forth below), commencing with the calendar year ending December 31, 2016, and will equal 20.0% of the Company’s aggregate cumulative realized capital gains, if any, from the date of the Company’s election to be regulated as a BDC through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all aggregate cumulative realized capital losses and aggregate cumulative unrealized capital depreciation, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gain Incentive Fees, with respect to each of the investments in the Company’s portfolio; provided that the Incentive Fee determined as of December 31, 2016 shall be calculated for a period of shorter than twelve calendar months to take into account any aggregate cumulative realized capital gains computed net of all aggregate cumulative realized capital losses and aggregate cumulative unrealized capital depreciation from the date of the Company’s election to be regulated as a BDC. For purposes of this Section 3(b)(ii), the Company’s “aggregate cumulative realized capital gains” will not include any unrealized appreciation. The Capital Gains Fee is not subject to any minimum return to stockholders. If such amount is negative, then no Capital Gains Fee will be payable for such year. In the event that this Agreement shall terminate as of a date that is not a calendar year end, the termination date shall be treated as though it were a calendar year end for purposes of calculating and paying a Capital Gains Fee. |
(B) The Capital Gains Fee will be payable in respect of the exchanged shares of the Company’s common stock in connection with a Spin-Off transaction and will be calculated as of the date of the completion of a Spin-Off transaction as if such date were a calendar year-end for purposes of calculating and paying the Capital Gains Fee as described in clause (ii)(A) above.
| 4. | Covenants of the Adviser. |
The Adviser covenants that it will remain registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act so long as the Company maintains its election to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act. The Adviser agrees that its activities will at all times be in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and state laws governing its operations and investments.
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| 5. | Limitations on the Employment of the Adviser. |
The services of the Adviser to the Company are not exclusive, and the Adviser may engage in any other business or render similar or different services to others including, without limitation, the direct or indirect sponsorship or management of other investment based accounts or commingled pools of capital, however structured, having investment objectives similar to those of the Company, so long as its services to the Company hereunder are not impaired thereby, and nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any manager, partner, officer or employee of the Adviser to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to any other business, whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, or to receive any fees or compensation in connection therewith (including fees for serving as a director of, or providing consulting services to, one or more of the Company’s portfolio companies, subject to applicable law). So long as this Agreement or any extension, renewal or amendment remains in effect, the Adviser shall be the only investment adviser for the Company, subject to the Adviser’s right to enter into sub-advisory agreements. The Adviser assumes no responsibility under this Agreement other than to render the services called for hereunder. It is understood that directors, officers, employees and stockholders of the Company are or may become interested in the Adviser and its affiliates, as directors, officers, employees, partners, stockholders, members, managers or otherwise, and that the Adviser and directors, officers, employees, partners, stockholders, members and managers of the Adviser and its affiliates are or may become similarly interested in the Company as stockholders or otherwise.
| 6. | Responsibility of Dual Directors, Officers and/or Employees. |
If any person who is a manager, partner, officer or employee of the Adviser or the Administrator is or becomes a director, officer and/or employee of the Company and acts as such in any business of the Company, then such manager, partner, officer and/or employee of the Adviser or the Administrator shall be deemed to be acting in such capacity solely for the Company, and not as a manager, partner, officer or employee of the Adviser or the Administrator or under the control or direction of the Adviser or the Administrator, even if paid by the Adviser or the Administrator.
| 7. | Limitation of Liability of the Adviser; Indemnification. |
The Adviser (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser, including without limitation its sole member) shall not be liable to the Company for any action taken or omitted to be taken by the Adviser in connection with the performance of any of its duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Company (except to the extent specified in Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act concerning loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty (as the same is finally determined by judicial proceedings) with respect to the receipt of compensation for services), and the Company shall indemnify, defend and protect the Adviser (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser, including without limitation its members and the Administrator, each of whom shall be deemed a third party beneficiary hereof) (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by the Indemnified Parties in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of the Company or its security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Adviser’s duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Company. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence of this Section 7 to the contrary, nothing contained herein shall protect or be deemed to protect the Indemnified Parties against or entitle or be deemed to entitle the Indemnified Parties to indemnification in respect of, any liability to the Company or its security holders to which the Indemnified Parties would otherwise be subject by reason of criminal conduct, willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser’s duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Adviser’s duties and obligations under this Agreement (as the same shall be determined in accordance with the Investment Company Act and any interpretations or guidance by the SEC or its staff thereunder).
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| 8. | Effectiveness, Duration and Termination of the Agreement. |
(a) This Agreement shall become effective as of the first date above written. The provisions of Section 7 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, and the Adviser shall remain entitled to the benefits thereof, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement. Further, notwithstanding the termination or expiration of this Agreement as set forth in this Section 8, the Adviser shall be entitled to any amounts owed under Section 3 through the date of termination or expiration and Section 7 shall continue in force and effect and apply to the Adviser and its representatives as and to the extent applicable.
(b) The Agreement shall continue in effect for two years from the date hereof and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (A) the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board, or by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company, and (B) the affirmative vote of a majority of the Company’s Independent Directors, in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act.
(c) This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, upon not more than 60 days’ written notice, by: (i) the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company, (ii) the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Directors, or (iii) the Adviser.
(d) This Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as such term is defined for purposes of Section 15(a)(4) of the Investment Company Act).
(e) The provisions of Section 7 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, and the Adviser shall remain entitled to the benefits thereof, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement. Further, notwithstanding the termination or expiration of this Agreement as aforesaid, the Adviser shall be entitled to any amounts owed under Section 3 through the date of termination or expiration and Section 7 shall continue in force and effect and apply to the Adviser and its representatives as and to the extent applicable.
| 9. | Notices. |
Any notice under this Agreement shall be given in writing, addressed and delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to the other party at its principal office.
| 10. | Amendments. |
This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of the Company must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the Investment Company Act.
| 11. | Entire Agreement; Governing Law. |
This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings and arrangements with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act. To the extent the applicable laws of the State of New York, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the provisions of the Investment Company Act, the latter shall control.
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| 12. | Miscellaneous. |
The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby. This Agreement shall be binding on, and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors.
| 13. | Counterparts. |
This Agreement may be executed in counterparts by the parties hereto, each of which shall constitute an original counterpart, and all of which, together, shall constitute one Agreement.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed on the date above written.
| GSV GROWTH CREDIT FUND INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: R. David Spreng | ||
| Title: President and Chief Executive Officer | ||
| GSV GROWTH CREDIT LLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: R. David Spreng | ||
| Title: Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer | ||
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