As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 20, 2018

Registration No. 333-218596

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-2

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
o Pre-Effective Amendment No.
x Post-Effective Amendment No. 3

 

KCAP FINANCIAL, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

295 Madison Avenue, 6^th Floor
New York, New York 10017
(212) 455-8300

(Address and Telephone Number of Principal Executive Offices)

Dayl W. Pearson
President and Chief Executive Officer
KCAP Financial, Inc.
295 Madison Avenue, 6^th Floor
New York, New York 10017

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

Copy to:

Harry S. Pangas, Esq.
Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP
700 Sixth Street, N.W., Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001-3980
Telephone: (202) 383-0100
Facsimile: (202) 637-3593

 

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

If any securities being registered on this form will be offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan, check the following box. þ

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)

x  when declared effective pursuant to Section 8(c)

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Title of Securities Being Registered		Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)				Amount of Registration Fee(7)
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share(2)(3)
Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share(2)
Warrants(4)
Debt Securities(5)
Total		$	250,000,000	(6)		$	28,975

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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED April 20, 2018

Prospectus

$250,000,000

Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Warrants
Debt Securities

 

We are an internally managed, non-diversified closed-end investment company that is regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). We have three principal areas of investment.

First, we originate, structure, and invest in senior secured term loans and mezzanine debt primarily in privately-held middle market companies (the “Debt Securities Portfolio”). In addition, from time-to-time, we may invest in the equity securities of privately held middle market companies.

Second, we have invested in our wholly owned asset management companies, including Katonah Debt Advisors (“Katonah Debt Advisors”) and Trimaran Advisors L.L.C. (“Trimaran Advisors”), which manage collateralized loan obligation funds (“CLO Funds”).

Third, we invest in debt and subordinated securities issued by CLOs (“CLO Fund Securities”). These CLO Fund Securities are primarily managed by Katonah Debt Advisors and Trimaran Advisors, as well as affiliated management companies Katonah 2007-1 Management, L.L.C., Trimaran Advisors Management, L.L.C. and KCAP Management, LLC (collectively, the “Asset Manager Affiliates”), but from time-to-time we make investments in CLO Fund Securities managed by other asset managers. The CLO Funds typically invest in broadly syndicated loans, high-yield bonds and other credit instruments.

We may also invest in other investments such as loans to publicly-traded companies, high-yield bonds, joint venture and distressed debt securities. We may also receive warrants or options to purchase common stock in connection with our debt investments.

In our Debt Securities Portfolio, our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation from the investments in senior secured term loans, mezzanine debt and selected equity investments in privately-held middle market companies. We define the middle market as comprising companies with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) of $10 million to $50 million and/or total debt of $25 million to $150 million. We primarily invest in first and second lien term loans which, because of their priority in a company’s capital structure, we expect will have lower default rates and higher rates of recovery of principal if there is a default and which we expect will create a stable stream of interest income. The investments in our Debt Securities Portfolio are all or predominantly below investment grade, and have speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. While our primary investment focus is on making loans to, and selected equity investments in, privately-held middle market companies, we may also invest in other investments such as loans to smaller private companies or publicly-traded companies, high-yield bonds and distressed debt securities. We may also receive warrants or options to purchase common stock in connection with our debt investments.

From our Asset Manager Affiliates investment, we expect to receive recurring cash distributions and generate capital appreciation through the addition of new CLO Funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates. We may also seek to monetize our investment in the Asset Manager Affiliates if and when business conditions warrant. The Asset Manager Affiliates manage CLO Funds that invest in broadly syndicated loans, high-yield bonds and other credit instruments. Katonah Debt Advisors and Trimaran Advisors are registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and are each managed independently from us by a separate management team. Certain of the Company’s executive officers also act in similar capacities for one or more of the Asset Manager Affiliates.

In addition, our investments in CLO Fund Securities, which are primarily made up of minority investments in the subordinated securities or preferred stock of CLO Funds raised and managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates, are anticipated to provide the Company with recurring cash distributions and complement our investment in the Asset Manager Affiliates.

We may offer, from time to time in one or more offerings, up to $250,000,000 of shares of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities or warrants representing rights to purchase shares of our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, which we refer to collectively as the “securities.” Our securities may be offered at prices and on terms to be disclosed in one or more supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in our securities.

Our securities may be offered directly to one or more purchasers through agents designated from time to time by us, or to or through underwriters or dealers. The prospectus supplement relating to the offering will identify any agents or underwriters involved in the sale of our securities, and will disclose any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between us and our agents or underwriters or among our underwriters or the basis upon which such amount may be calculated. See “Plan of Distribution.” We may not sell any of our securities through agents, underwriters or dealers without delivery of this prospectus and a prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.

Our common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “KCAP.” On April 18, 2018, the last reported sale price of a share of our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market was $3.15. Our 7.375% notes due 2019 (“7.375% Notes Due 2019”) are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “KAP.” On April 18, 2018, the last reported price of our 7.375% Notes Due 2019, which have a par value of $25.00, was $25.40. In addition, our 6.125% notes due 2022 (“6.125% Notes Due 2022”) are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “KCAPL.” On April 18, 2018, the last reported price of our 6.125% Notes Due 2022, which have a par value of $25.00, was $25.26. We are required to determine net asset value per share of our common stock on a quarterly basis. The net asset value per share of our common stock at December 31, 2017 was $4.87.

Please read this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement before investing and keep it for future reference. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement contain important information about us that a prospective investor should know before investing in our securities. We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information about us with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This information is available free of charge by contacting us at 295 Madison Avenue, 6^th Floor, New York, New York 10017, by telephone at (212) 455-8300, or on our website at http://www.kcapinc.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus. The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains such information.

Shares of closed-end investment companies such as ours frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value. This risk is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share may decline. We cannot predict whether our common stock will trade above, at or below net asset value. The offering price per share of our common stock, less any underwriting commissions or discounts, will not be less than the net asset value per share of our common stock at the time of the offering, except (i) with the requisite approval of our common stockholders or (ii) under such other circumstances as the Securities and Exchange Commission may permit. We did not seek stockholder authorization to issue common stock at a price below net asset value per share at our 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, but we may seek such authorization at future Annual Meetings or Special Meetings of Stockholders. Sales of common stock at prices below net asset value per share dilute the interests of existing stockholders, have the effect of reducing our net asset value per share and may reduce our market price per share. See “Sales of Common Stock Below Net Asset Value” in this prospectus.

Investing in our securities is speculative and involves numerous risks, including the risks associated with the use of leverage. For more information regarding these risks, please see “Risk Factors” beginning on page 15 of this prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if either this prospectus or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

The date of this prospectus is        , 2018.

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, using the “shelf” registration process. Under the shelf registration process, we may offer, from time to time, up to $250,000,000 of our securities on terms to be determined at the time of the offering. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that we may offer. Each time we use this prospectus to offer securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Please carefully read this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under “Risk Factors” and “Available Information” before you make an investment decision.

No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information or to represent anything not contained in this prospectus or any accompanying supplement to this prospectus. You must not rely on any unauthorized information or representations not contained in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement as if we had authorized it. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any security other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do they constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. The information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement is accurate as of the dates on their respective covers. Our financial condition, results of operations and prospects may change subsequent to such dates. To the extent required by law, we will amend or supplement the information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement to reflect any material changes to such information subsequent to the date of this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement and prior to the completion of any offering pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY			1
THE OFFERING			10
FEES AND EXPENSES			12
SELECTED FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA			14
RISK FACTORS			15
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS			41
USE OF PROCEEDS			42
PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK AND DISTRIBUTIONS			43
RATIOS OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES			45
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS			46
SENIOR SECURITIES TABLE			68
BUSINESS			69
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE			77
PORTFOLIO COMPANIES			79
MANAGEMENT			86
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION			93
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS			109
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS			109
SALES OF COMMON STOCK BELOW NET ASSET VALUE			111
DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN			116
REGULATION			117
CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS			121
DESCRIPTION OF OUR COMMON STOCK			131
DESCRIPTION OF OUR PREFERRED STOCK			135
DESCRIPTION OF OUR WARRANTS			136
DESCRIPTION OF OUR DEBT SECURITIES			138
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION			151
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES			153
CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AND DIVIDEND PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR			153
LEGAL MATTERS			153
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM			153
AVAILABLE INFORMATION			153
PRIVACY NOTICE			154
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS			F-1

KCAP Financial, Inc., our logo and other trademarks of KCAP Financial, Inc., mentioned in this prospectus are the property of KCAP Financial, Inc. All other trademarks or trade names referred to in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners.

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary highlights some of the information in this prospectus and may not contain all of the information that is important to you. You should read carefully the more detailed information set forth under “Risk Factors” and the other information included in this prospectus. In this prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms the “Company,” “KCAP Financial,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to KCAP Financial, Inc., in each case together with our wholly-owned portfolio companies Katonah Debt Advisors, L.L.C., Trimaran Advisors, L.L.C. and Trimaran Advisors Management, L.L.C. “Katonah Debt Advisors” refers to Katonah Debt Advisors, L.L.C. and related affiliates controlled by us. “Trimaran Advisors” refers to Trimaran Advisors, L.L.C. and related affiliates controlled by us. “Trimaran Advisors Management” refers to Trimaran Advisors Management, L.L.C.

Overview

We are an internally managed, non-diversified closed-end investment company that is regulated as a Business Development Company, or “BDC”, under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). We have three principal areas of investments:

First, we originate, structure, and invest in senior secured term loans and mezzanine debt primarily in privately-held middle market companies (the “Debt Securities Portfolio”). In addition, from time-to-time, we may invest in the equity securities of privately held middle market companies.

Second, we have invested in our wholly owned asset management companies, including Katonah Debt Advisors (“Katonah Debt Advisors”) and Trimaran Advisors L.L.C. (“Trimaran Advisors”), which manage collateralized loan obligation funds (“CLO Funds”).

Third, we invest in debt and subordinated securities issued by CLOs (“CLO Fund Securities”). These CLO Fund Securities are primarily managed by Katonah Debt Advisors and Trimaran Advisors, as well as affiliated management companies Katonah 2007-1 Management, L.L.C., Trimaran Advisors Management, L.L.C. and KCAP Management, LLC (collectively, the “Asset Manager Affiliates”), but from time-to-time we make investments in CLO Fund Securities managed by other asset managers. The CLO Funds typically invest in broadly syndicated loans, high-yield bonds and other credit instruments.

We may also invest in other investments such as loans to publicly-traded companies, high-yield bonds, joint venture and distressed debt securities. We may also receive warrants or options to purchase common stock in connection with our debt investments.

The structure of CLO Funds, which are highly levered, is extremely complicated. Since we primarily invest in securities representing the residual interests of CLO Funds, our investments are much riskier than the risk profile of the loans by which such CLO Funds are collateralized. Our investments in CLO Funds may be riskier and less transparent to us and our stockholders than direct investments in the underlying loans. The CLO Funds in which we invest have debt that ranks senior to our investment. For a more detailed discussion of the risks related to our investments in CLO Funds, please see “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Investments — Our investments may be risky, and you could lose all or part of your investment.”

In our Debt Securities Portfolio, our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation from the investments in senior secured term loans, mezzanine debt and selected equity investments in privately-held middle market companies. We define the middle market as comprising companies with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) of $10 million to $50 million and/or total debt of $25 million to $150 million. We primarily invest in first and second lien term loans which, because of their priority in a company’s capital structure, we expect will have lower default rates and higher rates of recovery of principal if there is a default and which we expect will create a stable stream of interest income. The investments in our Debt Securities Portfolio are all or predominantly below investment grade, and have speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. While our primary investment focus is on making loans to, and selected equity investments in, privately-held middle market companies, we may also invest in other investments such as loans to smaller private companies or publicly-traded companies, high-yield bonds and distressed debt securities. We may also receive warrants or options to purchase common stock in connection with our debt investments.

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From our Asset Manager Affiliates investment, we expect to receive recurring cash distributions and generate capital appreciation through the addition of new CLO Funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates. We may also seek to monetize our investment in the Asset Manager Affiliates if and when business conditions warrant. The Asset Manager Affiliates manage CLO Funds that invest in broadly syndicated loans, high-yield bonds and other credit instruments. Katonah Debt Advisors and Trimaran Advisors are registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and are each managed independently from us by a separate management team. Certain of the Company’s executive officers also act in similar capacities for one or more of the Asset Manager Affiliates.

In addition, our investments in CLO Fund Securities, which are primarily made up of minority investments in the subordinated securities or preferred stock of CLO Funds raised and managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates, are anticipated to provide the Company with recurring cash distributions and complement our investment in the Asset Manager Affiliates.

Because we are internally managed by our executive officers under the supervision of our Board of Directors and do not depend on a third party investment adviser, we do not pay investment advisory fees, but instead incur the operating costs associated with employing investment and portfolio management professionals.

As a BDC, we are required to comply with regulatory requirements, including limitations on our use of debt. We are permitted to, and expect to continue to, finance our investments through borrowings. However, as a BDC, we are only generally allowed to borrow amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% after such borrowing. The 1940 Act also generally prohibits us from declaring any cash dividend or distribution on any class of our capital stock if our asset coverage is below 200% at the time of the declaration of the dividend or distribution.

Subject to market conditions, we intend to grow our portfolio of assets by raising additional capital, including through the prudent use of leverage available to us. Because we also recognize the need to have funds available for operating our business and to make investments, we seek to have adequate liquidity at all times to cover normal cyclical swings in funding availability and to allow us to meet abnormal and unexpected funding requirements. As a result, we may hold varying amounts of cash and other short-term investments from time-to-time for liquidity purposes.

We have elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and intend to operate in a manner to maintain our RIC tax treatment. Accordingly, we generally will not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any net ordinary tax-basis taxable income or capital gains that we timely distribute to our shareholders as dividends. To maintain our RIC tax treatment, we must meet the specified source-of-income and asset diversification requirements and distribute to our stockholders annually at least 90% of our net ordinary tax-basis taxable income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any, for each year.

We were formed in August 2006, as Kohlberg Capital Corporation. In December 2006, we completed our initial public offering (“IPO”), which raised net proceeds of approximately $200 million after the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. In connection with our IPO, we issued an additional 3,484,333 shares of our common stock in exchange for the ownership interests of Katonah Debt Advisors, L.L.C. and certain CLO Fund Securities.

In April 2008, the Company completed a rights offering that resulted in the issuance of 3.1 million shares of our common stock, and net proceeds of $27 million.

On February 29, 2012, the Company purchased Trimaran Advisors, L.L.C. (“Trimaran Advisors”), an asset manager similar to Katonah Debt Advisors, L.L.C. (“Katonah Debt Advisors”), for total consideration of $13.0 million in cash and 3,600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. Contemporaneous with the acquisition of Trimaran Advisors, the Company acquired from Trimaran Advisors equity interests in certain CLO Funds managed by Trimaran Advisors for an aggregate purchase price of $12.0 million in cash. As of March 31, 2017, the Asset Manager Affiliates had approximately $2.8 billion of par value assets under management.

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On July 11, 2012, we changed our name from Kohlberg Capital Corporation to KCAP Financial, Inc.

On February 14, 2013, the Company completed a public offering of 5,232,500 shares of common stock, which included the underwriters’ full exercise of their option to purchase up to 682,500 shares of common stock, at a price of $9.75 per share, raising approximately $51.0 million in gross proceeds. In conjunction with this offering, the Company also sold 200,000 shares of common stock to a member of its Board of Directors, at a price of $9.31125 per share, raising approximately $1.9 million in gross proceeds.

On October 6, 2014, the Company priced a follow-on public offering of 3.0 million shares of its common stock at a price of $8.02 per share. The offering raised net proceeds of approximately $23.8 million, net of underwriting discounts and offering expenses.

Including employees of our Asset Manager Affiliates, we employ an experienced team of 15 investment professionals and 26 total staff members. Dayl W. Pearson, our President and Chief Executive Officer, and one of our directors, has been in the financial services industry for nearly 40 years. During the past 26 years, Mr. Pearson has focused almost exclusively on the middle market and has originated, structured and underwritten over $7 billion of debt and equity securities. R. Jon Corless, our Chief Investment Officer with primary responsibility for the Debt Securities Portfolio, has managed investment portfolios in excess of $4 billion at several institutions and has been responsible for managing portfolios of leveraged loans, high-yield bonds, mezzanine securities and middle market loans. Dominick J. Mazzitelli is the President and portfolio manager of the Asset Manager Affiliates. He has over 20 years of experience within the credit markets, with most of his career focused on the leveraged finance markets. Edward U. Gilpin, our Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer, has been in financial services for over 30 years, with significant experience in overseeing the financial operations and reporting for asset management businesses, including the fair value accounting of CLO securities owned by them.

Under the investment company rules and regulations pursuant to Article 6 of Regulation S-X and the Financial Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 946, Financial Services — Investment Companies (ASC 946), we are precluded from consolidating portfolio company investments, including those in which we have a controlling interest, unless the portfolio company is another investment company. An exception to this general principle in ASC 946 occurs if we own a controlled operating company that provides all or substantially all of its services directly to us, or to an investment company of ours. Other than KCAP Funding I, LLC, Kohlberg Capital Funding I LLC, KCAP Senior Funding I Holdings LLC and KCAP Senior Funding I LLC, none of the investments made by us qualify for this exception. Therefore, our portfolio investments, including our investments in the Asset Manager Affiliates, and KCAP Freedom 3 LLC (the “Joint Venture”) are carried on the balance sheet at fair value with any adjustments to fair value recognized as “Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)” in our statement of operations until the investment is exited, at which point any gain or loss on exit is reclassified and recognized as a “Net Realized Gain (Loss) from Investments.”

Our common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “KCAP.” On April 18, 2018, the last reported sale price of a share of our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market was $3.15. Our 7.375% notes due 2019 (“7.375% Notes Due 2019”) are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “KAP.” On April 18, 2018, the last reported price of our 7.375% Notes Due 2019, which have a par value of $25.00, was $25.40. In addition, our 6.125% notes due 2022 (“6.125% Notes Due 2022”) are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “KCAPL.” On April 18, 2018, the last reported price of our 6.125% Notes Due 2022, which have a par value of $25.00, was $25.26. We are required to determine net asset value per share of our common stock on a quarterly basis. The net asset value per share of our common stock at December 31, 2017 was $4.87.

Investment Portfolio

Our investment portfolio generates investment income, which is generally used to pay principal and interest on our borrowings, operating expenses, and to fund our distributions to our stockholders. Our investment portfolio consists of three primary components: the Debt Securities Portfolio, the CLO Fund Securities and our investment in our wholly owned Asset Manager Affiliates.

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Debt Securities Portfolio.  We target privately-held middle market companies that have strong historical cash flows, experienced management teams and identifiable and defendable market positions in industries with positive dynamics. We generally target companies that generate positive cash flows because we look to cash flows as the primary source for servicing debt.

We employ a disciplined approach in the selection and monitoring of our investments. Generally, we target investments that will generate a current return through interest income to provide for stability in our shareholder distributions and place less reliance on realized capital gains from our investments. Our investment philosophy is focused on preserving capital with an appropriate return profile relative to risk. Our investment due diligence and selection generally focuses on an underlying issuer’s net cash flow after capital expenditures to service its debt rather than on multiples of net income, valuations or other broad benchmarks which frequently miss the nuances of an issuer’s business and prospective financial performance. We also generally avoid concentrations in any one industry or issuer. We manage risk by following our internal credit policies and procedures.

When we extend senior and junior secured term loans, we will generally take a security interest in the available assets of the portfolio company, including the equity interests of its subsidiaries, which we expect to help mitigate the risk that we will not be repaid. Nonetheless, there is a possibility that our lien could be subordinated to claims of other creditors. Structurally, mezzanine debt ranks subordinate in priority of payment to senior term loans and is often unsecured. Relative to equity, mezzanine debt ranks senior to common and preferred equity in a borrower’s capital structure. Typically, mezzanine debt has elements of both debt and equity instruments, offering the fixed returns in the form of interest payments associated with a loan, while providing an opportunity to participate in the capital appreciation of a borrower, if any, through an equity interest that is typically in the form of equity purchased at the time the mezzanine loan is originated or warrants to purchase equity at a future date at a fixed cost. Mezzanine debt generally earns a higher return than senior secured debt due to its higher risk profile and usually less restrictive covenants. The warrants associated with mezzanine debt are typically detachable, which allows lenders to receive repayment of their principal on an agreed amortization schedule while retaining an equity interest in the borrower. Mezzanine debt also may include a “put” feature, which permits the holder to sell its equity interest back to the borrower at a price determined through an agreed formula.

Below are summary attributes for our Debt Securities Portfolio as of and for the period ended December 31, 2017:

Our investments generally average between $1 million to $20 million, although particular investments may be larger or smaller. The size of individual investments will vary according to their priority in a company’s capital structure, with larger investments in more secure positions in an effort to maximize capital preservation. The size of our investments and maturity dates may vary as follows:

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Asset Manager Affiliates.  We expect to receive recurring cash distributions and seek to generate capital appreciation from our investment in our Asset Manager Affiliates. We may also seek to monetize our investment in the Asset Manager Affiliates if and when business conditions warrant. As a manager of CLO Funds, our Asset Manager Affiliates receive contractual and recurring management fees from the CLO Funds for their management and advisory services. In addition, our Asset Manager Affiliates may also earn income related to net interest on assets accumulated for future CLO issuances on which they have provided a first loss guaranty in connection with loan warehouse arrangements for their future CLO Funds.

The periodic management fees that our Asset Manager Affiliates receive are generally based on a fixed percentage of the par value of assets under management and are recurring in nature for the term of the CLO Fund, so long as the Asset Manager Affiliate manages the fund. As a result, the management fees earned by our Asset Manager Affiliates are not subject to market value fluctuations in the underlying collateral. The management fees that our Asset Manager Affiliates receive generally have three contractual components: a senior management fee, a subordinated management fee and the possibility of an incentive management fee if certain conditions are met. Currently, all CLO Funds managed by the Asset Manager Affiliates are paying both their senior and subordinated management fees on a current basis. During 2017, our Asset Manager Affiliates recognized $3.0 million in incentive fees from one CLO Fund. As of December 31, 2017, none of the CLO Funds managed by the Asset Manager Affiliates were paying incentive fees.

Subject to the conditions of the capital markets, we expect to continue to make investments in CLO Funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates, which we believe will provide us with a current cash investment return. We believe that these investments will provide our Asset Manager Affiliates with greater opportunities to access new sources of capital, which will ultimately increase our Asset Manager Affiliates’ assets under management and resulting management fee income. See “Risk Factors” for a discussion of the risks relating to our ability to access the capital markets and the impact of certain risk retention rules which require that we or our Asset Manager Affiliates make and maintain certain minimum investments in CLO Funds managed by the Asset Manager Affiliates.

The after-tax net free cash flow that our Asset Manager Affiliates generate through the fees they receive for managing CLO Funds and after paying their expenses pursuant to an overhead allocation agreement with the Company associated with their operations, including compensation of their employees, may be distributed to us. Distributions from our Asset Manager Affiliates’ tax basis earnings and profits are recorded as “Dividends From Asset Manager Affiliates” in our financial statements when declared. From time to time our Asset Manager Affiliates may distribute cash in excess of tax basis earnings and profits. This excess is deemed a return of capital and is recorded in “unrealized gains (losses)” on the statement of operations.

Below are summary attributes for our Asset Manager Affiliates, as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017:

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CLO Fund Securities.  Subject to the conditions of the capital markets, we expect to continue to make investments in the CLO Funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates, which we believe will provide us with a current cash investment return. We believe that these investments will provide our Asset Manager Affiliates with greater opportunities to access new sources of capital which will ultimately increase our Asset Manager Affiliates’ assets under management and resulting management fee income.

Below are summary attributes for our CLO Fund Securities, as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017, unless otherwise specified:

RISK FACTORS

Investing in us involves significant risks. The following is a summary of certain risks that you should carefully consider before investing in us. For a further discussion of these risk factors, please see “Risk Factors” beginning on page 15.

Risks Related to Economic Conditions

Risks Related to Our Business and Structure

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Risks Associated with Our Information Technology Systems

Risks Related to Our Investments

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Risks Relating to an Offering of Our Securities

Our Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 295 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10017, and our telephone number is (212) 455-8300. We maintain a website on the Internet at http://www.kcapfinancial.com. The information contained in our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report. We make available on or through our website certain reports and amendments to those reports that we file with or furnish to the SEC in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). These include our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current reports on Form 8-K. We make this information available on our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the information with, or furnish it to, the SEC.

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THE OFFERING

We may offer, from time to time, up to $250,000,000 of our securities, on terms to be determined at the time of the offering. Our securities may be offered at prices and on terms to be disclosed in one or more prospectus supplements.

Our securities may be offered directly to one or more purchasers by us or through agents designated from time to time by us, or to or through underwriters or dealers. The prospectus supplement relating to any offering will disclose the terms of the offering, including the name or names of any agents or underwriters involved in the sale of our securities by us, the purchase price, and any fee, commission or discount arrangement between us and our agents or underwriters or among our underwriters or the basis upon which such amount may be calculated. See “Plan of Distribution.” We may not sell any of our securities directly or through agents, underwriters or dealers without delivery of this prospectus and a prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of our securities.

Set forth below is additional information regarding any offering of our securities:

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FEES AND EXPENSES

The following table is intended to assist you in understanding the costs and expenses that an investor in an offering will bear directly or indirectly. We caution you that some of the percentages indicated in the table below are estimates and may vary. Moreover, the information set forth below does not include any transaction costs and expenses that investors will incur in connection with an offering of our securities pursuant to this prospectus and the attached prospectus supplement for that offering. As a result, investors are urged to read the “Fees and Expenses” table contained in any corresponding prospectus supplement to fully understanding the actual transaction costs and expenses they will incur in connection with each such offering. Except where the context suggests otherwise, whenever this prospectus contains a reference to fees or expenses paid by “us” or that “we” will pay fees or expenses, stockholders will indirectly bear such fees or expenses as investors in the Company.

STOCKHOLDER TRANSACTION EXPENSES (as a percentage of the offering price)
Sales Load			—	%(1)
Offering Expenses			—	%(2)
Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees			—	(3)
Total Stockholder Transaction Expenses			—	%
ANNUAL EXPENSES (as a percentage of net assets attributable to common stock)
Operating Expenses			4.13	%(4)
Interest Payments on Borrowed Funds			4.21	%(5)
Other Expenses			1.14	%(6)
Total Annual Expenses			9.49	%(7)

Example

The following example demonstrates the projected dollar amount of total cumulative expenses that would be incurred over various periods with respect to a hypothetical investment in our common stock. In calculating the following expense amounts, we have assumed we would have no additional leverage and that our annual operating expenses would remain at the levels set forth in the table above. In the event that shares of our common stock to which this prospectus relates are sold to or through underwriters, a corresponding prospectus supplement will restate this example to reflect the applicable sales load.

		1 YEAR				3 YEARS				5 YEARS				10 YEARS
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming a 5% annual return		$	147			$	337			$	527			$	1.001

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The example and the expenses in the tables above should not be considered a representation of our future expenses, and actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown. Moreover, while the example assumes, as required by the applicable rules of the SEC, a 5% annual return, our performance will vary and may result in a return greater or less than 5%. In addition, while the example assumes reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value, participants in our dividend reinvestment plan may receive shares valued at the market price in effect at that time. This price may be at, above or below net asset value. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” for additional information regarding our dividend reinvestment plan.

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SELECTED FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA

The following selected financial and other data for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013 is derived from our audited financial statements. The data should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and notes thereto and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” which are included in this prospectus. The historical data is not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for any future period.

		Year Ended December 31, 2017				Year Ended December 31, 2016				Year Ended December 31, 2015(1)				Year Ended December 31, 2014(1)				Year Ended December 31, 2013(1)
Income Statement Data:
Interest and related portfolio income:
Interest and Dividends		$	26,363,383			$	34,131,571			$	39,811,558			$	34,802,690			$	33,144,195
Fees and other income			491,279				668,527				366,859				934,871				305,376
Dividends from Asset Manager Affiliates			460,000				1,400,000				5,348,554				5,467,914				5,735,045
Investment income — joint venture			949,037				—				—				—				—
Total interest and related portfolio income			28,263,699				36,200,098				45,526,971				41,205,475				39,184,616
Expenses:
Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs			7,661,407				9,110,603				11,727,880				11,538,179				10,116,271
Compensation			4,571,309				4,103,558				3,843,799				4,951,745				4,630,481
Other			5,011,852				4,495,942				5,772,502				4,594,983				4,563,749
Total operating expenses			17,244,568				17,710,103				21,344,181				21,084,907				19,310,501
Net Investment Income			11,019,131				18,489,995				24,182,790				20,120,568				19,874,115
Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments:
Net realized gains (losses)			(11,021,042	)			(6,341,678	)			(6,647,478	)			(11,132,491	)			(12,627,314	)
Net change in unrealized gains (losses)			3,389,993				(13,188,048	)			(36,169,870	)			6,045,517				9,976,171
Total net gains (losses)			(7,631,049	)			(19,529,726	)			(42,817,348	)			(5,086,974	)			(2,651,143	)
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations		$	3,388,082			$	(1,039,731	)		$	(18,634,558	)		$	15,033,594			$	17,222,972
Per Share:
Earnings per common share — basic		$	0.09			$	(0.03	)		$	(0.50	)		$	0.44			$	0.53
Earnings per common share — diluted		$	0.09			$	(0.03	)		$	(0.50	)		$	0.43			$	0.53
Net investment income per share — basic		$	0.30			$	0.50			$	0.65			$	0.59			$	0.62
Net investment income per share — diluted		$	0.30			$	0.50			$	0.65			$	0.58			$	0.62
Distributions declared per common share		$	0.46			$	0.57			$	0.78			$	1.00			$	1.06
Taxable Distributable Income per basic share		$	0.16			$	0.40			$	0.63			$	0.78			$	0.70
Balance Sheet Data:
Investment assets at fair value		$	311,956,156			$	366,471,304			$	409,570,495			$	479,706,494			$	440,549,994
Total assets		$	319,808,974			$	381,371,983			$	421,204,697			$	505,180,218			$	453,340,638
Total debt outstanding(1)		$	101,413,317			$	175,584,570			$	201,103,761			$	218,618,014			$	186,760,623
Stockholders' equity		$	181,804,756			$	194,924,925			$	216,100,470			$	255,316,701			$	250,369,693
Net asset value per common share		$	4.87			$	5.24			$	5.82			$	6.94			$	7.51
Common shares outstanding at end of period			37,339,224				37,178,294				37,100,005				36,775,127				33,332,123
Other Data:
Investments funded		$	227,722,823			$	75,724,590			$	130,954,741			$	235,905,130			$	243,966,586
Principal collections related to investment repayments or sales		$	323,531,633			$	129,191,854			$	129,793,338			$	193,554,964			$	94,197,886
Number of portfolio investments at period end			77				125				130				141				126
Weighted average interest rate on income producing debt investments(2)			10.1	%			7.0	%			7.4	%			7.3	%			7.3	%
Total net asset value return(3)			2.0	%			0.2	%			(7.2	)%			5.7	%			9.1	%
Total market return(4)			(2.3	)%			12.3	%			(31.2	)%			(3.1	)%			(0.7	)%

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before you invest in our securities, you should be aware of various significant risks, including those described below. You should carefully consider these risks, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, before you decide whether to make an investment in our securities. The risks set forth below are not the only risks we face. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition and results of our operations could be materially adversely affected. In such case, you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Economic Conditions

Economic recessions or downturns may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, and could impair the ability of our portfolio companies to repay loans.

Economic recessions or downturns may result in a prolonged period of market illiquidity which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Unfavorable economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. These events could limit our investment originations, limit our ability to grow and negatively impact our operating results.

In the event of economic recessions and downturns, the financial results of middle-market companies, like those in which we invest, will likely experience deterioration, which could ultimately lead to difficulty in meeting debt service requirements and an increase in defaults. Additionally, the end markets for certain of our portfolio companies’ products and services would likely experience negative financial trends. The performances of certain of our portfolio companies have been, and may continue to be, negatively impacted by these economic or other conditions, which may ultimately result in our receipt of a reduced level of interest income from our portfolio companies and/or losses or charge offs related to our investments, and, in turn, may adversely affect distributable income. Further, adverse economic conditions may decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and the value of our equity investments. As a result, we may need to modify the payment terms of our investments, including changes in payment-in-kind interest provisions and/or cash interest rates. These factors may result in our receipt of a reduced level of interest income from our portfolio companies and/or losses or charge offs related to our investments, and, in turn, may adversely affect distributable income and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Capital markets may experience periods of disruption and instability and we cannot predict when these conditions will occur. Such market conditions could materially and adversely affect debt and equity capital markets in the United States and abroad, which could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The U.S. and global capital markets experienced extreme volatility and disruption during the economic downturn that began in mid-2007, and the U.S. economy was in a recession for several consecutive calendar quarters during the same period. In 2010, a financial crisis emerged in Europe, triggered by high budget deficits and rising direct and contingent sovereign debt, which created concerns about the ability of certain nations to continue to service their sovereign debt obligations. Risks resulting from such debt crisis and any future debt crisis in Europe or any similar crisis elsewhere could have a detrimental impact on the global economic recovery, sovereign and non-sovereign debt in certain countries and the financial condition of financial institutions generally. In July and August 2015, Greece reached agreements with its creditors for bailouts that provide aid in exchange for certain austerity measures. These and similar austerity measures may adversely affect world economic conditions and have an adverse impact on our business and that of our portfolio companies. In the second quarter of 2015, stock prices in China experienced a significant drop, resulting primarily from continued sell-off of shares trading in Chinese markets. In August 2015, Chinese authorities sharply devalued China’s currency. These market and economic disruptions adversely affected, and these and other similar market and economic disruptions may in the future affect, the U.S. capital markets, which could adversely affect our business and that of our portfolio companies. These market disruptions materially and adversely affected, and may in the future affect, the broader financial and credit markets and has reduced the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole and to financial firms, in

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particular. Additionally, throughout 2017, the Federal Reserve continued to raise its federal funds target rate. However, if key economic indicators, such as the unemployment rate or inflation, do not progress at a rate consistent with the Federal Reserve’s objectives, the target range for the federal funds rate may further increase and cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms and may also increase the costs of our borrowers, hampering their ability to repay us.

At various times, these disruptions resulted in, and may in the future result, a lack of liquidity in parts of the debt capital markets, significant write-offs in the financial services sector and the repricing of credit risk. These conditions may reoccur for a prolonged period of time again or materially worsen in the future, including as a result of further downgrades to the U.S. government’s sovereign credit rating or the perceived credit worthiness of the United States or other large global economies. Unfavorable economic conditions, including future recessions, also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. We may in the future have difficulty accessing debt and equity capital on attractive terms, or at all, and a severe disruption and instability in the global financial markets or deteriorations in credit and financing conditions may cause us to reduce the volume of loans we originate and/or fund, adversely affect the value of our portfolio investments or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The United Kingdom referendum decision to leave the European Union may create significant risks and uncertainty for global markets and our investments.

The 2016 decision made in the United Kingdom referendum to leave the European Union has led to volatility in global financial markets, and in particular in the markets of the United Kingdom and across Europe, and may also lead to weakening in consumer, corporate and financial confidence in the United Kingdom and Europe. The extent and process by which the United Kingdom will exit the European Union, and the longer term economic, legal, political and social framework to be put in place between the United Kingdom and the European Union are unclear at this stage and are likely to lead to ongoing political and economic uncertainty and periods of exacerbated volatility in both the United Kingdom and in wider European markets for some time. In particular, the decision made in the United Kingdom referendum may lead to a call for similar referenda in other European jurisdictions which may cause increased economic volatility and uncertainty in the European and global markets. This volatility and uncertainty may have an adverse effect on the economy generally and on our ability and the ability of our portfolio companies to execute our respective strategies and to receive attractive returns.

Risks Related to Our Business and Structure

We are dependent upon our senior management for our future success, and if we are unable to hire and retain qualified personnel or if we lose any member of our senior management team, our ability to achieve our investment objectives could be significantly harmed.

We depend on the members of our senior management as well as other key personnel for the identification, final selection, structuring, closing and monitoring of our investments. These employees have critical industry experience and relationships that we rely on to implement our business plan. Our future success depends on the continued service of our senior management team. The departure of any of the members of our senior management or a significant number of our senior personnel could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective. As a result, we may not be able to operate our business as we expect, and our ability to compete could be harmed, which could cause our operating results to suffer.

Additionally, the management agreements governing some of the CLO funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates have “key person” provisions that provide certain CLO investors with rights upon the departure of a “key person”, as defined in each agreement. As a result, the departure of a “key person” could trigger a material change in the Asset Manager Affiliate’s role in managing the CLO Funds, and therefore KCAP’s financial benefits from its investments in the Asset Manager Affiliates.

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We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.

A large number of entities compete with us to make the types of investments that we make. We compete with other BDCs, as well as a number of investment funds, investment banks and other sources of financing, including traditional financial services companies, such as commercial banks and finance companies. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, marketing and other resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us. This may enable some of our competitors to make commercial loans with interest rates that are lower than the rates we typically offer. We may lose prospective portfolio investments if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. If we do match our competitors’ pricing, terms or structure, we may experience decreased net interest income. 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, establish more relationships and build their market shares. Furthermore, many of our potential competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC. As a result of this competition, there can be no assurance that we will be able to identify and take advantage of attractive investment opportunities or that we will be able to fully invest our available capital. If we are not able to compete effectively, our business and financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.

If we are unable to source investments effectively, we may be unable to achieve our investment objectives and provide returns to stockholders.

Our ability to achieve our investment objective depends on our senior management team’s ability to identify, evaluate and invest in suitable companies that meet our investment criteria. Accomplishing this result on a cost-effective basis is largely a function of our marketing capabilities, our management of the investment process, our ability to provide efficient services and our access to financing sources on acceptable terms. In addition to monitoring the performance of our existing investments, members of our management team may also be called upon to focus their attention on other aspects of our business, including strategic opportunities available to us and/or the Asset Manager Affiliates from time to time. These demands on their time may distract them or slow the rate of investment. To grow, we need to continue to hire, train, supervise and manage new employees and to implement computer and other systems capable of effectively accommodating our growth. However, we cannot provide assurance that any such employees will contribute to the success of our business or that we will implement such systems effectively. Failure to source investments effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business model depends to a significant extent upon strong referral relationships, and our inability to maintain or develop these relationships, as well as the failure of these relationships to generate investment opportunities, could adversely affect our business.

We expect that members of our senior management team will maintain their relationships with intermediaries, financial institutions, investment bankers, commercial bankers, financial advisors, attorneys, accountants, consultants and other individuals within their networks, and we will rely to a significant extent upon these relationships to provide us with potential investment opportunities. If our senior management team fails to maintain its existing relationships or develop new relationships with sources of investment opportunities, we will not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom members of our senior management team have relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and, therefore, there is no assurance that such relationships will generate investment opportunities for us.

We may have difficulty paying distributions required to maintain our RIC status if we recognize income before or without receiving cash equal to such income.

In accordance with the Code, we include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as contracted non-cash PIK interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. The increases in loan balances as a result of contracted non-cash PIK arrangements are included in income for the period in which such non-cash PIK interest was received, which is often in advance of receiving cash payment, and are separately identified on our statements of cash flows.

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We also may be required to include in income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash. Any warrants that we receive in connection with our debt investments generally are valued as part of the negotiation process with the particular portfolio company. As a result, a portion of the aggregate purchase price for the debt investments and warrants is allocated to the warrants that we receive. This generally results in the associated debt investment having “original issue discount” for tax purposes, which we must recognize as ordinary income as it accrues. This increases the amounts we are required to distribute to maintain our qualification for tax treatment as a RIC. Because such original issue discount income might exceed the amount of cash received in a given year with respect to such investment, we might need to obtain cash from other sources to satisfy such distribution requirements. Other features of the debt instruments that we hold may also cause such instruments to generate original issue discount.

Since, in certain cases, we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the annual distribution requirement necessary to maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code. Accordingly, 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 for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax. For additional discussion regarding the tax implications of a RIC, see “Business — Regulation — Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company.”

Our Asset Manager Affiliates may incur losses as a result of “first loss” agreements that they may enter into from time-to-time in connection with warehousing credit arrangements which may be put in place prior to raising a CLO Fund and pursuant to which they would typically agree to reimburse credit providers for a portion of losses (if any) on warehouse investments.

Our Asset Manager Affiliates enter into “first loss” agreements in connection with warehouse credit lines established to fund the initial accumulation of loan investments for future CLO Funds that our Asset Manager Affiliates will manage. Under such agreements, our Asset Manager Affiliates generally make a junior investment in a warehouse facility, which serves as a loss buffer for the senior capital provider. Such junior investment may be subject to losses (either in whole or in part) that stem from factors including (i) losses as a result of individual loan or other investments being ineligible for purchase by the CLO Fund (typically due to a payment default on such loan or other investments) when such fund formation is completed or (ii) if the CLO Fund has not been completed before the expiration of the warehouse credit line, the loss (if any, and net of any accumulated interest income) on the resale of such loans funded by the warehouse credit line, or (iii) realized losses from trading activity within the warehouse facility. As a result, our Asset Manager Affiliates may incur losses if loans and debt obligations that had been purchased in the warehouse facility become ineligible for inclusion in the CLO Fund or if a planned CLO Fund does not close.

Any unrealized losses we experience on our loan portfolio may be an indication of future realized losses, which could reduce our resources available to make distributions.

As a BDC, we are 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 pursuant to a valuation methodology approved by our Board of Directors. Decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments will be recorded as unrealized losses. An unrealized loss in our loan portfolio could be an indication of a portfolio company’s inability to meet its repayment obligations with respect to the affected loans. This could result in realized losses in the future and ultimately in reductions of our resources available to pay dividends or interest and principal on our securities and could cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly and annual operating results and credit spreads.

We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly and annual operating results due to a number of factors, some of which are beyond our control, including our ability to make investments in companies that meet our investment criteria, the interest rate payable on the debt securities we acquire (which could stem from the general level of interest rates, credit spreads, or both), the default rate on such securities, prepayment upon the triggering of covenants in our middle market loans as well as our CLO Funds, our level of expenses,

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variations in and 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.

We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates and spreads.

Changes in interest rates may have a substantial negative impact on our investments, the value of our securities and our rate of return on invested capital. A reduction in the interest spreads on new investments could also have an adverse impact on our net interest income. An increase in interest rates could decrease the value of any investments we hold which earn fixed interest rates, including mezzanine securities and high-yield bonds, and also could increase our interest expense, thereby decreasing our net income. An increase in interest rates due to an increase in credit spreads, regardless of general interest rate fluctuations, could also negatively impact the value of any investments we hold in our portfolio.

In addition, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make an investment in our securities less attractive than alternative investments, a situation which could reduce the value of our securities. Conversely, a decrease in interest rates may have an adverse impact on our returns by requiring us to seek lower yields on our debt investments and by increasing the risk that our portfolio companies will prepay our debt investments, resulting in the need to redeploy capital at potentially lower rates. A decrease in market interest rates may also adversely impact our returns on idle funds, which would reduce our net investment income.

The interest rates of our term loans to our portfolio companies that extend beyond 2021 might be subject to change based on recent regulatory changes.

LIBOR, the London interbank offered rate, is the basic rate of interest used in lending between banks on the London interbank market and is widely used as a reference for setting the interest rate on loans globally. We typically use LIBOR as a reference rate in term loans we extend to portfolio companies such that the interest due to us pursuant to a term loan extended to a partner company is calculated using LIBOR. Some of our term loan agreements with partner companies contain a stated minimum value for LIBOR.

On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it intends to phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. It is unclear if at that time whether or not LIBOR will cease to exist or if new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after 2021. The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of large US financial institutions, is considering replacing U.S. dollar LIBOR with a new index calculated by short term repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities. The future of LIBOR at this time is uncertain. Uncertainty as to a LIBOR replacement, or the treatment of securities currently benchmarked to LIBOR, may adversely affect the market for LIBOR-based securities, including our portfolio of LIBOR-indexed, floating-rate debt securities.

We borrow money, which magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and may increase the risk of investing in us.

Borrowings, also known as leverage, magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and, therefore, increase the risks associated with investing in us. We have issued senior securities, and in the future may borrow from, or issue additional senior securities (such as preferred or convertible securities or debt securities) to, banks and other lenders and investors. Subject to prevailing market conditions, we intend to grow our portfolio of assets by raising additional capital, including through the prudent use of leverage available to us. Lenders and holders of such senior securities would have fixed dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique. Any increase in our income in excess of interest payable on our outstanding indebtedness would cause our net income to increase more than it would have had we not incurred leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not incurred leverage. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders and service our debt obligations. In addition, our common stockholders will bear the burden of any increase in our expenses as a result of leverage. There can be no assurance that our leveraging strategy will be successful.

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Our outstanding indebtedness imposes, and additional debt we may incur in the future will 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 status as a RIC. A failure to add new debt facilities or issue additional debt securities or other evidences of indebtedness in lieu of or in addition to existing indebtedness could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Illustration.  The following table illustrates the effect of leverage on returns from an investment in our common stock assuming various annual returns, net of expenses. The calculations in the table below are hypothetical and actual results may be higher or lower than those appearing below.

Assumed Return on Our Portfolio⁽¹⁾
(net of expenses)

		(10.0)%				(5.0)%				0.0%				5.0%				10.0%
Corresponding net return to common stockholder			(38.71	)%			(22.72	)%			(6.73	)%			9.26	%			25.25	%

In addition, our debt facilities may impose financial and operating covenants that restrict our business activities, including limitations that hinder our ability to finance additional loans and investments or to make the distributions required to maintain our qualification as a RIC under the Code.

Our indebtedness could adversely affect our financial health and our ability to respond to changes in our business.

With certain limited exceptions, we are only allowed to borrow amounts or issue senior securities such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least 200% (or 150% if certain requirements are met) immediately after such borrowing or issuance. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Structure — Recent legislation may allow us to incur additional leverage.”

The amount of leverage that we employ in the future will depend on our management’s and our Board of Directors’ assessment of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. There is no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be successful. As a result of the level of our leverage:

We cannot be sure that our leverage will not have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, we cannot be sure that additional financing will be available when required or, if available, will be on terms satisfactory to us. Further, even if we are able to obtain additional financing, we may be required to use some or all of the proceeds thereof to repay our outstanding indebtedness.

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Because we intend to continue to distribute substantially all of our income and net realized capital gains to our stockholders, we will need additional capital to finance our growth.

In order to continue to qualify as a RIC, to avoid payment of excise taxes and to minimize or avoid payment of U.S. federal income taxes, we intend to continue to distribute to our stockholders substantially all of our net ordinary income and realized net capital gains except for certain net long-term capital gains (which we may retain, pay applicable U.S. federal income taxes with respect thereto, and elect to treat as deemed distributions to our stockholders). As a BDC, in order to incur new debt, we are generally required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities, which includes all of our borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future, of at least 200%, as measured immediately after issuance of such security. This requirement limits the amount that we may borrow. Because we will continue to need capital to grow our loan and investment portfolio, this limitation may prevent us from incurring debt and require us to issue additional equity at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. We cannot assure you that debt and equity financing will be available to us on favorable terms, or at all, and debt financings may be restricted by the terms of such borrowings. Also, as a business development company, we generally are not permitted to issue equity securities priced below net asset value without stockholder approval. If additional funds are not available to us, we could be forced to curtail or cease new lending and investment activities.

Legislative or other actions relating to taxes could have a negative effect on us.

Legislative or other actions relating to taxes could have a negative effect on the Company. The rules dealing with U.S. federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department. On December 20, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate each voted to approve H.R. 1 (the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act”) and, on December 22, 2017, President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act makes many changes to the Code, including, among other things, significant changes to the taxation of business entities, the deductibility of interest expense, and the tax treatment of capital investment. We cannot predict with certainty how any changes in the tax laws might affect the Company, investors, or the Company’s portfolio investments. New legislation and any U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions interpreting such legislation could significantly and negatively affect the Company’s ability to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC or the U.S. federal income tax consequences to the Company and its investors of such qualification, or could have other adverse consequences. Investors are urged to consult with their tax advisor regarding tax legislative, regulatory, or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in the Company’s securities.

We may from time to time expand our business through acquisitions, which could disrupt our business and harm our financial condition.

We may pursue potential acquisitions of, and investments in, businesses complementary to our business and from time to time engage in discussions regarding such possible acquisitions. For example, in February 2012, we completed the acquisition of Trimaran Advisors. Such acquisition and any other acquisitions we may undertake involve a number of risks, including:

If we fail to properly evaluate acquisitions or investments, we may not achieve the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions, we may incur costs in excess of what we anticipate, and management resources and attention may be diverted from other necessary or valuable activities. Any acquisition, including the Trimaran

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Advisors acquisition, may not result in short-term or long-term benefits to us. If we are unable to integrate or successfully manage any business that we acquire, we may not realize anticipated cost savings, improved efficiencies or revenue growth, which may result in reduced profitability or operating losses.

We may invest through joint ventures, partnerships or other special purpose vehicles and our investments through these vehicles may entail greater risks, or risks that we otherwise would not incur, if we otherwise made such investments directly.

We may make indirect investments in portfolio companies through joint ventures, partnerships or other special purpose vehicles (“Investment Vehicles”). In general, the risks associated with indirect investments in portfolio companies through a joint venture, partnership or other special purpose vehicle are similar to those associated with a direct investment in a portfolio company. While we intend to analyze the credit and business of a potential portfolio company in determining whether or not to make an investment in an Investment Vehicle, we will nonetheless be exposed to the creditworthiness of the Investment Vehicle. In the event of a bankruptcy proceeding against the portfolio company, the assets of the portfolio company may be used to satisfy its obligations prior to the satisfaction of our investment in the Investment Vehicle (i.e., our investment in the Investment Vehicle could be structurally subordinated to the other obligations of the portfolio company). In addition, if we are to invest in an Investment Vehicle, we may be required to rely on our partners in the Investment Vehicle when making decisions regarding the such Investment Vehicle’s investments, accordingly, the value of the investment could be adversely affected if our interests diverge from those of our partners in the Investment Vehicle.

Our Board of Directors may change our investment objective, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval.

Our Board of Directors has the authority to modify or waive certain of our operating policies and strategies without prior notice 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 and strategies would have on our business and operating results. Nevertheless, the effects may adversely affect our business and they could negatively impact our ability to pay you dividends and could cause you to lose all or part of your investment in our securities.

Recent legislation may allow us to incur additional leverage.

The 1940 Act generally prohibits us from incurring indebtedness unless immediately after such borrowing we have an asset coverage for total borrowings of at least 200% (i.e., the amount of debt may not exceed 50% of the value of our assets). However, recent legislation has modified the 1940 Act by allowing a BDC to increase the maximum amount of leverage it may incur from an asset coverage ratio of 200% to an asset coverage ratio of 150%, if certain requirements are met. Under the legislation, we are allowed to increase our leverage capacity if shareholders representing at least a majority of the votes cast, when quorum is met, approve a proposal to do so. If we receive shareholder approval, we would be allowed to increase our leverage capacity on the first day after such approval. Alternatively, the legislation allows the “required majority” of our independent directors, as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act, to approve an increase in our leverage capacity, and such approval would become effective after one year. In either case, we would be required to make certain disclosures on our website and in SEC filings regarding, among other things, the receipt of approval to increase our leverage, our leverage capacity and usage, and risks related to leverage. In accordance with the legislation, on March 29, 2018, our Board of Directors, including a “required majority,” approved the modified asset coverage requirements set forth in Section 61(a)(2) of the 1940 Act. As a result, our asset coverage requirements for senior securities will be changed from 200% to 150%, effective as of March 29, 2019.

As a result of this legislation, we may be able to increase our leverage up to an amount that reduces our asset coverage ratio from 200% to 150%. Leverage magnifies the potential for loss on investments in our indebtedness and on invested equity capital. As we use leverage to partially finance our investments, you will experience increased risks of investing in our securities. If the value of our assets increases, then leveraging would cause the net asset value attributable to our common stock to increase more sharply than it would have

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had we not leveraged. Conversely, 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 our business. Similarly, any increase in our income in excess of interest payable on the borrowed funds would cause our net investment income to increase more than it would without the leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net investment income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to pay common stock dividends, scheduled debt payments or other payments related to our securities. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Structure — We borrow money, which magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and may increase the risk of investing in us.”

Our businesses may be adversely affected by litigation and regulatory proceedings.

From time to time, we may be subject to legal actions as well as various regulatory, governmental and law enforcement inquiries, investigations and subpoenas. In any such claims or actions, demands for substantial monetary damages may be asserted against us and may result in financial liability or an adverse effect on our reputation among investors. We may be unable to accurately estimate our exposure to litigation risk when we record balance sheet reserves for probable loss contingencies. As a result, any reserves we establish to cover any settlements or judgments may not be sufficient to cover our actual financial exposure, which may have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition. In regulatory enforcement matters, claims for disgorgement, the imposition of penalties and the imposition of other remedial sanctions are possible.

Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital.

Our business requires a substantial amount of additional capital. We may acquire additional capital from the issuance of senior securities or other indebtedness, the issuance of additional shares of our common stock or from securitization transactions. However, we may not be able to raise additional capital in the future on favorable terms or at all. We may issue debt securities or preferred securities, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” and we may borrow money from banks or other financial institutions, up to the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act permits us to issue senior securities or incur indebtedness only in amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% immediately after such issuance or incurrence. With respect to certain types of senior securities, we must make provisions to prohibit any dividend distribution to our stockholders or the repurchase of certain of our securities, unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the dividend distribution or repurchase. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy the asset coverage test. Furthermore, any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness would not be available for distributions to our common stockholders.

All of the costs of offering and servicing such debt or preferred stock (if issued by us in the future), including interest or preferential dividend payments thereon, will be borne by our common stockholders. The interests of the holders of any debt or preferred stock we may issue will not necessarily be aligned with the interests of our common stockholders. In particular, the rights of holders of our debt or preferred stock to receive interest, dividends or principal repayment will be senior to those of our common stockholders. Also, in the event we issue preferred stock, the holders of such preferred stock will have the ability to elect two members of our board of directors. In addition, we may grant a lender a security interest in a significant portion or all of our assets, even if the total amount we may borrow from such lender is less than the amount of such lender’s security interest in our assets.

We are not generally able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. We may, however, sell 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 the best interests of KCAP and its stockholders, and our stockholders approve, giving us the authority to do so. Although we currently do not have such authorization, we previously sought and received such authorization from our stockholders in the past and may seek such authorization in the future. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price which, in the determination of our board of directors, closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). We are also generally prohibited under the 1940 Act from issuing securities convertible into voting securities without

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obtaining the approval of our existing stockholders. Sales of common stock at prices below net asset value per share dilute the interests of existing stockholders, have the effect of reducing our net asset value per share and may reduce our market price per share. In addition to issuing securities to raise capital as described above, we may securitize a portion of the loans generate cash for funding new investments. If we are unable to successfully securitize our loan portfolio our ability to grow our business and fully execute our business strategy and our earnings (if any) may be adversely affected. Moreover, even successful securitization of our loan portfolio might expose us to losses, as the residual loans in which we do not sell interests tend to be those that are riskier and more apt to generate losses.

Changes in the laws or regulations governing our business and the business of our Asset Manager Affiliates, or changes in the interpretations thereof, and any failure by us or our Asset Manager Affiliates to comply with these laws or regulations, could negatively affect the profitability of our operations.

Changes in the laws or regulations or the interpretations of the laws and regulations that govern BDCs, Registered Investment Advisers (such as our Asset Manager Affiliates), RICs or non-depository commercial lenders could significantly affect our operations and our cost of doing business. We are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations as well as the rules of the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, and are subject to judicial and administrative decisions that affect our operations, including our loan originations, maximum interest rates, fees and other charges, disclosures to portfolio companies, the terms of secured transactions, collection and foreclosure procedures and other trade practices. The various regulatory bodies, including the SEC and the NASDAQ Global Select Market, that administer these laws and regulations have issued a significant number of new and increasingly complex requirements and regulations over the course of the last several years and continue to develop additional regulations.

In addition, as registered investment advisers, the Asset Manager Affiliates are subject to new and existing regulations, regulatory risks, costs and expenses associated with operating as registered investment advisers that may limit their ability to operate, structure or expand their businesses in the future. If these laws, regulations or decisions change, or if we expand our business into jurisdictions that have adopted more stringent requirements than those in which we currently conduct business, we may have to incur significant expenses in order to comply or we might have to restrict our operations. In addition, if we do not comply with applicable laws, regulations and decisions, we may lose licenses needed for the conduct of our business and be subject to civil fines and criminal penalties, any of which could have a material adverse effect upon our business, results of operations or financial condition.

Moreover, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) has increased and may significantly increase the regulation of the financial services industry. The Dodd-Frank Act contains a broad set of provisions designed to govern the practices and oversight of financial institutions and other participants in the financial markets. One such provision, Section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act, commonly referred to as the Volcker Rule, contains certain prohibitions and restrictions on the ability of a “banking entity” — which includes insured depository institutions, bank holding companies, foreign banking entities regulated by the Federal Reserve Board and their respective affiliates — and nonbank financial company supervised by the Federal Reserve to engage in proprietary trading and have certain interests in, or relationships with certain private funds (“covered funds”). Under the final regulations implementing the Volcker Rule, which were adopted in December 2013, many CLOs will be covered funds if they invest, or are permitted to invest, in assets other than loans, certain cash equivalents and interest rate or currency hedges. As a result, many banking entities, including many U.S. and non-U.S. broker-dealers with affiliated banks, may be unable to invest in, or in some cases to make a market in, the securities of CLOs in which we have invested, which may reduce liquidity in these securities and have a material adverse effect on their valuation. Moreover, the Volcker Rule regulations may affect the market for CLOs such that our Asset Manager Affiliates may be unable to establish, or to obtain warehouse funding for, new CLOs that would be covered funds. If our Asset Manager Affiliates establish CLOs that are structured not to be covered funds and thus do not permit investments in customary assets such as corporate bonds, asset-backed securities or synthetic investments, and we invest in such CLOs, the ability of our Asset Manager Affiliates to manage such CLOs will be constrained by those limitations, which could materially adversely affect any investments we make in such CLOs.

In October 2014, the SEC, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve and certain other prudential banking regulators adopted final rules mandating risk retention for securitizations, including CLOs, which became effective on

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December 24, 2016. Under the final risk-retentions rules, our Asset Manager Affiliates (or a majority-owned affiliate of such entities, including the Company) will be required to hold interests equal to 5% of the fair value of any CLO they sponsor (unless the CLO invests only in certain qualifying loans, which we do not expect to be the case) and would be prohibited from selling or hedging those interests in accordance with the limitations on such sales or hedges set forth in the final rule. Our Asset Manager Affiliates (or a majority-owned affiliate of such entities, including the Company) will need to have the requisite capital to hold such interests as a condition to their ability to sponsor new CLOs, and the restrictions on hedging such interests may create greater risk with respect to those interests.

Our Asset Manager Affiliates’ (or a majority owned affiliate’s) investments in such CLOs, or their inability to invest in such CLOs (and thus inability to sponsor them) could each have a material adverse effect upon our business, results of operations or financial condition.

On February 9, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (the “DC Circuit Court”) ruled in favor of an appeal brought by the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (the “LSTA”) from a district court (“District Court”) ruling granting summary judgment to the SEC and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. As part of its ruling, the DC Circuit Court remanded the case to the district court with instructions to grant summary judgment to the LSTA on whether application of the risk retention rules to CLO managers is valid under Section 941 of the Dodd-Frank Act. If the decision stands, CLO managers of “open-market CLOs” (described in the ruling as CLOs where assets are acquired from “arms-length negotiations and trading on an open market”) will no longer be required to comply with the risk retention rules, and no party to such “open-market CLOs” would be required to acquire and retain an economic interest in the credit risk of the securitized assets. However, the DC Circuit Court’s decision remains subject to further appeal for a period of time. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Investments — If our Asset Manager Affiliates do not meet certain risk retention requirements, they may not be able to sponsor and manage new CLOs, which would negatively impact our results of operations and financial conditions.”

In April 2010, the SEC proposed revised rules for asset-backed securities offerings (“Regulation AB II”) that, if adopted, would substantially change the disclosure, reporting and offering process for public and private offerings of asset-backed securities, including CLOs. The proposed rules, if adopted, would have required significant additional disclosures and would have altered the safe-harbor standards for the private placement of asset-backed securities to impose informational requirements similar to those that would apply to registered public offerings of such securities. The application of such informational requirements to CLOs, which have not historically been publicly registered, was unclear. On August 27, 2014, the SEC adopted a set of Regulation AB II final rules that was limited to asset-backed securities that were publicly registered. These rules impose changes to the offering process for publicly registered asset-backed securities and require disclosure of loan-level data for a subset of classes addressed in the proposed rules, but do not at this time extend to privately offered CLOs. However, the SEC has indicated that many aspects of the rule proposals, including the expansion of loan-level or grouped data disclosure requirements to additional asset classes and the possible application of the rules to private offerings of securities, remain under active consideration. The timing of the adoption of any additional final rules, their application to privately offered securities in general and to CLOs in particular, the cost of compliance with such rules, and whether compliance would compromise proprietary methods or strategies of our Asset Manager Affiliates, is currently unclear.

Other financial reform regulations, including regulations requiring clearing and margining of swap transactions, which may affect our ability to enter into hedging transactions; changes in the definition and regulation of commodity pool operators and commodity trading advisors, which could subject our Asset Manager Affiliates to additional regulations; leveraged lending guidance that may affect the ways in which banking institutions originate the loans in which we and our affiliates invest; heightened regulatory capital and liquidity requirements for banks that may affect our ability to borrow on reasonable terms; and non-US regulations of financial market participants that may overlap, expand upon or be inconsistent with US regulations may all have material adverse effects on our business.

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If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in Qualifying Assets, we could be precluded from investing according to our current business strategy.

As a BDC, we may not acquire any assets other than Qualifying Assets for purposes of the 1940 Act unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of our total assets are “qualifying assets”. See “Business — Regulation”.

We believe that most of the senior loans and mezzanine investments that we acquire constitute “qualifying assets.” However, investments in the securities of CLO Funds generally do not constitute “qualifying assets,” and we may invest in other assets that are not “qualifying assets.” If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in “qualifying assets,” we may be precluded from investing in what we believe are attractive investments, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. These restrictions could also prevent us from making investments in the equity securities of CLO Funds, which could limit our Asset Manager Affiliates’ ability to organize new CLO Funds. Similarly, these rules could prevent us from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of our position).

Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.

We are prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with certain of our affiliates without the prior approval of the members of our independent directors and, in some cases, the SEC. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of our outstanding voting securities is our affiliate for purposes of the 1940 Act and we are generally prohibited from buying or selling any securities (other than our securities) from or to such affiliate, absent the prior approval of our independent directors. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of our affiliates, which could include investments in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or different times), without prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, the SEC. If a person acquires more than 25% of our voting securities, we will be prohibited from buying or selling any security (other than any security of which we are the issuer) from or to such person or certain of that person’s affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such person, absent the prior approval of the SEC. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates.

A failure on our part to maintain our status as a BDC would significantly reduce our operating flexibility.

If we fail to maintain our status as a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company that is required to register under the 1940 Act, which would subject us to additional regulatory restrictions and significantly decrease our operating flexibility. In addition, any such failure could cause an event of default under our outstanding indebtedness, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our business and operations could be negatively affected if we become subject to any securities litigation or stockholder activism, which could cause us to incur significant expense, hinder execution of investment strategy and impact our stock price.

In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class-action litigation has often been brought against that company. Stockholder activism, which could take many forms or arise in a variety of situations, has been increasing in the BDC space recently. While we are currently not subject to any securities litigation or stockholder activism, we may in the future become the target of securities litigation or stockholder activism. Securities litigation and stockholder activism, including potential proxy contests, could result in substantial costs and divert management’s and our board of directors’ attention and resources from our business. Additionally, such securities litigation and stockholder activism could give rise to perceived uncertainties as to our future, adversely affect our relationships with service providers and make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel. Also, we may be required to incur significant legal fees and other expenses related to any securities litigation and activist stockholder matters. Further, our stock price could be subject to significant fluctuation or otherwise be adversely affected by the events, risks and uncertainties of any securities litigation and stockholder activism.

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We will be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes if we are unable to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.

To maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code, we must meet the following annual distribution, income source and asset diversification requirements:

Failure to meet these requirements may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of our investments will be in private companies, and therefore will be illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses. Moreover, if we fail to maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes, the resulting taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on us and on our stockholders.

Our investments in CLO vehicles may be subject to special anti-deferral provisions that could result in us incurring tax or recognizing income prior to receiving cash distributions related to such income.

Our investments in CLO vehicles may be subject to special anti-deferral provisions that could result in us incurring tax or recognizing income prior to receiving cash distributions related to such income. Specifically, we anticipate that the CLO vehicles in which we invest generally will constitute “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”). Because we acquire investments in PFICs (including equity tranche investments in CLO vehicles that are PFICs), we may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such investments even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by us to our stockholders. Certain elections may be available to mitigate or eliminate such tax on excess distributions, but such elections (if available) will generally require us to recognize our share of the PFIC’s income for each year regardless of whether we receive any distributions from such PFIC. We must nonetheless distribute such income to maintain our status as a RIC.

If we hold more than 10% of the shares in a foreign corporation that is treated as a controlled foreign corporation (“CFC”) (including equity tranche investments in a CLO vehicle treated as a CFC), we may be treated as receiving a deemed distribution (taxable as ordinary income) each year from such foreign corporation in an amount equal to our pro rata share of the corporation’s income for the tax year (including both ordinary earnings and capital gains). If we are required to include such deemed distributions from a CFC

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in our income, we will be required to distribute such income to maintain our RIC status regardless of whether or not the CFC makes an actual distribution during such year.

If we are required to include amounts in income prior to receiving distributions representing such income, 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 for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax. For additional discussion regarding the tax implications of a RIC, see “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Taxation as a RIC.”

Proposed regulations may impact our ability to qualify as a RIC if we do not receive timely distributions from our CLO investments.

We may be required to include in our income our proportionate share of the income of certain CLO investments to the extent that such CLOs are PFICs for which we have made a qualifying electing fund (“QEF”) election or are CFCs. To qualify as a RIC, we must, among other thing, derive in each taxable year at least 90% of our gross income from certain sources specified in the Code (the “90% Income Test”). Although the Code generally provides that the income inclusions from a QEF or a CFC will be “good income” for purposes of this 90% Income Test to the extent that the QEF or the CFC distribute such income to us in the same taxable year to which the income is included in our income, the Code does not specifically provide whether these income inclusions would be “good income” for this 90% Income Test if we do not receive distributions from the QEF or CFC during such taxable year. The IRS has issued a series of private rulings in which it has concluded that all income inclusions from a QEF or a CFC included in a RIC’s gross income would constitute “good income” for purposes of the 90% Income Test. Such rulings are not binding on the IRS except with respect to the taxpayers to whom such rulings were issued. Nonetheless, under current law, we believe that the income inclusions from a CLO that is a QEF or a CFC would be “good income” for purposes of the 90% Income Test. Recently, the IRS and U.S. Treasury Department issued proposed regulations that provide that the income inclusions from a QEF or a CFC would not be good income for purposes of the 90% Income Test unless we receive a cash distribution from such entity in the same year attributable to the included income. If such income were not considered “good income” for purposes of the 90% Income Test, we may fail to qualify as a RIC.

If a CLO vehicle in which we invest fails to comply with certain U.S. tax disclosure requirements, such CLO may be subject to withholding requirements that could materially and adversely affect our operating results and cash flows.

Legislation commonly referred to as the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act,” or “FATCA,” imposes a withholding tax of 30% on payments of U.S. source interest and dividends, or gross proceeds from the disposition of an instrument that produces U.S. source interest or dividends paid after December 31, 2018, to certain non-U.S. entities, including certain non-U.S. financial institutions and investment funds, unless such non-U.S. entity complies with certain reporting requirements regarding its United States account holders and its United States owners. Most CLO vehicles in which we invest will be treated as non-U.S. financial entities for this purpose, and therefore will be required to comply with these reporting requirements to avoid the 30% withholding. If a CLO vehicle in which we invest fails to properly comply with these reporting requirements, it could reduce the amounts available to distribute to equity and junior debt holders in such CLO vehicle, which could materially and adversely affect our operating results and cash flows.

Ineffective internal controls could impact our business and operating results.

Our internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements because of its inherent limitations, including the possibility of human error, the circumvention or overriding of controls, or fraud. Even effective internal controls can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements. If we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, including any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or if we experience difficulties in their implementation, our business and operating results could be harmed and we could fail to meet our financial reporting obligations.

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Risks Associated with Our Information Technology Systems

We rely on various information technology systems to manage our operations. Information technology systems are subject to numerous risks including unanticipated operating problems, system failures, rapid technological change, failure of the systems that operate as anticipated, reliance on third party computer hardware, software and IT service providers, computer viruses, telecommunication failures, data breaches, denial of service attacks, spamming, phishing attacks, computer hackers and other similar disruptions, any of which could materially adversely impact our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. Additional risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

Disruptions in current systems or difficulties in integrating new systems.

We regularly maintain, upgrade, enhance or replace our information technology systems to support our business strategies and provide business continuity. Replacing legacy systems with successor systems, making changes to existing systems or acquiring new systems with new functionality have inherent risks including disruptions, delays, or difficulties that may impair the effectiveness of our information technology systems.

Internal and external cyber threats, as well as other disasters, could impair our ability to conduct business effectively.

The occurrence of a disaster, such as a cyber-attack against us or against a third-party that has access to our data or networks, a natural catastrophe, an industrial accident, failure of our disaster recovery systems, or consequential employee error, could have an adverse effect on our ability to communicate or conduct business, negatively impacting our operations and financial condition. This adverse effect can become particularly acute if those events affect our electronic data processing, transmission, storage, and retrieval systems, or impact the availability, integrity, or confidentiality of our data.

We depend heavily upon computer systems to perform necessary business functions. Despite our implementation of a variety of security measures, our computer systems, networks, and data, like those of other companies, could be subject to cyber-attacks and unauthorized access, use, alteration, or destruction, such as from physical and electronic break-ins or unauthorized tampering. If one or more of these events occurs, it could potentially jeopardize the confidential, proprietary, and other information processed, stored in, and transmitted through our computer systems and networks. Such an attack could cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations, which could result in financial losses, litigation, regulatory penalties, client dissatisfaction or loss, reputational damage, and increased costs associated with mitigation of damages and remediation.

Third parties with which we do business may also be sources of cybersecurity or other technological risk. We outsource certain functions and these relationships allow for the storage and processing of our information, as well as client, counterparty, employee, and borrower information. While we engage in actions to reduce our exposure resulting from outsourcing, ongoing threats may result in unauthorized access, loss, exposure, destruction, or other cybersecurity incident that affects our data, resulting in increased costs and other consequences as described above.

Risks Related to Our Investments

Our investments may be risky, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

We invest primarily in senior secured term loans, mezzanine debt, selected equity investments issued by middle market companies, CLO Funds and our Asset Manager Affiliates. The investments in our Debt Securities Portfolio are all or predominantly below investment grade, may be highly leveraged, and therefore have speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. Defaults by portfolio companies may harm our operating results.

Secured Loans.  When we extend secured term loans, we generally take a security interest (either as a first lien position or as a second lien position) in the available assets of these portfolio companies, including the equity interests of their subsidiaries, which we expect to assist in mitigating the risk that we will not be repaid. However, 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

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success of the business and market conditions, including as a result of the inability of the portfolio company to raise additional capital, and, in some circumstances, our lien 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 forced to exercise our remedies.

Mezzanine Debt.  Our mezzanine debt investments generally are subordinated to senior loans and generally are unsecured. This may result in an above average amount of risk and volatility or loss of principal.

These investments may entail additional risks that could adversely affect our investment returns. To the extent interest payments associated with such debt are deferred, such debt is subject to greater fluctuations in value based on changes in interest rates and such debt could subject us to phantom income. Since we generally do not receive any cash prior to maturity of the debt, the investment is of greater risk.

Equity Investments.  We have made and expect to make selected equity investments in the middle market companies. In addition, when we invest in senior secured loans or mezzanine debt, we may acquire warrants in the equity of the portfolio company. Our goal is ultimately to dispose of such equity interests and realize gains upon our disposition of such 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.

Risks Associated with Middle Market Companies.  Investments in middle market companies also involve a number of significant risks, including:

CLO Fund Investments.  Investments in CLO Funds also involve a number of significant risks, including:

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Asset Manager Affiliates.  We may not receive all or a portion of the cash distributions we expect to continue to receive from our Asset Manager Affiliates, including from their receipt of incentive fees.

We expect to receive cash distributions from our Asset Manager Affiliates. However, the existing asset management agreements pursuant to which our Asset Manager Affiliates receive fee income from the CLO Funds for which they serve as managers may be terminated for “cause” by the holders of a majority of the most senior class of securities issued by such CLO Funds and the holders of a majority of the subordinated securities issued by such CLO Funds. “Cause” is defined in the asset management agreements to include a material breach by our Asset Manager Affiliates of the indenture governing the applicable CLO Fund, breaches by our Asset Manager Affiliates of certain specified provisions of the indenture (including, in some cases, a “key person” provision), material breaches of representations or warranties made by our Asset Manager Affiliates, bankruptcy or insolvency of our Asset Manager Affiliates, fraud or criminal activity on the part of our Asset Manager Affiliates or an event of default under the indenture governing the CLO Funds. We expect that future asset management agreements will contain comparable provisions.

Further, a significant portion of the asset management fees payable to our Asset Manager Affiliates under the asset management agreements are subordinated to the prior payments of interest on the senior securities issued by the CLO Funds. If the asset management agreements are terminated, or the CLO Funds do not generate enough income (due to run-off of existing funds and de-leveraging), or otherwise have insufficient residual cash flow due to diversion of cash as a result of the failure by the CLO Funds to satisfy certain restrictive covenants contained in their indenture agreements to pay the subordinated management fees, the Asset Manager Affiliates will not receive the fee income that they expect to continue to receive which would reduce cash distributions available to us, and in turn reduce our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

Our portfolio investments for which there is no readily available market, including our investment in our Asset Manager Affiliates, our Joint Venture and our investments in CLO Funds, are recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by our Board of Directors. As a result, there is uncertainty as to the value of these investments.

Our investments consist primarily of securities issued by privately-held companies, the fair value of which is not readily determinable. In addition, we are not permitted to maintain a general reserve for anticipated loan losses. Instead, we are required by the 1940 Act to specifically value each investment and record an unrealized gain or loss for any asset that we believe has increased or decreased in value. We value these securities at fair value as determined in good faith by our Board of Directors pursuant to a valuation methodology approved by our Board of Directors. These valuations are initially prepared by our management and reviewed by our Valuation Committee, which uses its best judgment in arriving at the fair value of these securities. However, the Board of Directors retains ultimate authority to determine the appropriate valuation for each investment.

The Company has engaged an independent valuation firm to provide third party valuation consulting services to the Company’s Board of Directors. Each quarter, the independent valuation firm performs third party valuations on the Company’s material investments in illiquid securities, such that they are reviewed at least once during a trailing 12 month period. These third party valuation estimates are one of the relevant data

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points in the Board of Director’s determination of fair value. The Board of Directors intends to continue to engage an independent valuation firm in the future to provide certain valuation services, including the review of certain portfolio assets, as part of the quarterly and annual year-end valuation process. In addition to such third-party input, the types of factors that may be considered in valuing our investments include the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to publicly-traded companies, discounted cash flow and other relevant factors. Our investment in our Asset Manager Affiliates is carried at fair value, which is determined after taking into consideration a percentage of assets under management and a discounted cash flow model incorporating different levels of discount rates depending on the hierarchy of fees earned (including the likelihood of realization of senior, subordinate and incentive fees) and prospective modeled performance. Such valuation includes an analysis of comparable asset management companies. In addition, our investment in our Joint Venture is carried at fair value, which is determined based on the fair value of the investments held by the Joint Venture. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private investments and private companies, are inherently uncertain and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would be assessed if a ready market for these securities existed. Our net asset value could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of our illiquid investments were materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such securities.

We are a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and therefore we may invest a significant portion of our assets in a relatively small number of issuers, which subjects us to a risk of significant loss if any of these issuers defaults on its obligations under any of its debt instruments or as a result of a downturn in the particular industry.

We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and therefore we may invest a significant portion of our assets in a relatively small number of issuers in a limited number of industries. As of December 31, 2017, our largest investment, our 100% equity interest in our Asset Manager Affiliates, equaled approximately 12% of the fair value of our total investments. Beyond the asset diversification requirements associated with our qualification as a RIC, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and while we are not targeting any specific industries, relatively few industries may become significantly represented among our investments. To the extent that we assume large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, our net asset value may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the market’s assessment of the issuer, changes in fair value over time or a downturn in any particular industry. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company.

Defaults by our portfolio companies could harm our operating results.

A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other debt holders could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due and foreclosure on its secured assets. Such events could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize a portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt that we hold and the value of any equity securities we own. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company.

When we are a debt or minority equity investor in a portfolio company, which generally is the case, we may not be in a position to control the entity, and its management may make decisions that could decrease the value of our investment.

Most of our investments are either debt or minority equity investments in our portfolio companies. Therefore, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company may make business decisions with which we disagree, and the stockholders and management of such company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests. As a result, a portfolio company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our portfolio holdings. In addition, we generally are not in a position to control any portfolio company by investing in its debt securities.

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We may have limited access to information about privately held companies in which we invest.

We invest primarily in privately-held companies. Generally, little public information exists about these companies, and we are required to rely on the ability of our investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. These companies and their financial information are not subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and other rules that govern public 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 investment.

Prepayments of our debt investments by our portfolio companies could negatively impact our operating results.

We are subject to the risk that the investments we make in our portfolio companies may be repaid prior to maturity. When this occurs, we generally reinvest these proceeds in temporary investments, pending their future investment in new portfolio companies. These temporary investments 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. Consequently, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our portfolio companies elects to prepay amounts owed to us. Additionally, prepayments could negatively impact our return on equity, which could result in a decline in the market price of our common stock.

We may be unable to invest the net proceeds raised from offerings and repayments from investments on acceptable terms, which would harm our financial condition and operating results.

Until we identify new investment opportunities, we intend to either invest the net proceeds of future offerings and repayments from investments in interest-bearing deposits or other short-term instruments or use the net proceeds from such offerings to reduce then-outstanding debt obligations. We cannot assure you that we will be able to find enough appropriate investments that meet our investment criteria or that any investment we complete using the proceeds from an offering will produce a sufficient return.

Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equal with, or senior to, our investments in such companies.

We invest primarily in debt securities issued by our portfolio companies. In some cases portfolio companies are permitted to have other debt that ranks equal with, or senior to, the debt securities in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may provide that the holders thereof are entitled to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments in respect of the debt securities 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 in respect of our investment. 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 equal with debt securities 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 a portfolio company.

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 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 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

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“intercreditor agreement” prior to permitting the portfolio company to borrow from us. Typically, the intercreditor agreements we are requested to execute 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.

There may be circumstances where our debt investments could be subordinated to claims of other creditors or we could be subject to lender liability claims.

Even though we may have structured certain of our investments as senior loans, if one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the size of our investment and the extent to which we actually provided managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might recharacterize our debt investment and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors. In addition, lenders can be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by them where they become too involved in the borrower’s business or 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.

Our investments in equity securities involve a substantial degree of risk.

We purchase common stock and other equity securities, including warrants. Although equity securities have historically generated higher average total returns than fixed-income securities over the long term, equity securities have also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns. The equity securities we acquire may fail to appreciate and may decline in value or become worthless, and our ability to recover our investment depends on our portfolio company’s success. 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.

The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.

We may invest in securities issued by private companies. These securities may be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or otherwise be less liquid than publicly-traded securities. 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. Our investments are usually subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale or are otherwise illiquid because there is usually no established trading market for such investments. The illiquidity of most of our investments may make it difficult for us to dispose of them at a favorable price, and, as a result, we may suffer losses.

Our investments in foreign securities may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.

Our investment strategy contemplates that a portion of our investments may be in securities of foreign companies. Investing in foreign companies may expose us to additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These risks include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of foreign taxes, less liquid markets and less available information than is generally the case in the United States, higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility.

Although it is anticipated that most of our investments will be denominated in U.S. dollars, our investments that are denominated in a foreign currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency may change in relation to the U.S. dollar. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation and political developments.

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The disposition of our investments may result in contingent liabilities.

We currently expect that a significant portion of our investments will involve lending directly to private companies. In connection with the disposition of an investment in private securities, we may be required to make representations about the business and financial affairs of the portfolio company typical of those made in connection with the sale of a business. We may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment to the extent that any such representations turn out to be inaccurate or with respect to certain potential liabilities. These arrangements may result in contingent liabilities that ultimately yield funding obligations that must be satisfied through our return of certain distributions previously made to us.

We may not receive any return on our investment in the CLO Funds in which we have invested and the Asset Manager Affiliates may be unable to raise additional CLO Funds.

As of December 31, 2017, we had $51.7 million at fair value invested in the subordinated securities, preferred shares, or other securities issued by the CLO Funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates and certain other third party asset managers, and through the Joint Venture. Subject to market conditions and legal requirements applicable to us under the 1940 Act, we expect to continue to acquire subordinated securities in the future in CLO Funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates and/or third party managers. Subordinated securities are the most junior class of securities issued by the CLO Funds and are subordinated in priority of payment to every other class of securities issued by these CLO Funds. Therefore, they only receive cash distributions if the CLO Funds have made all cash interest payments to all other debt securities issued by the CLO Fund. The subordinated securities are also unsecured and rank behind all of the secured creditors, known or unknown, of the CLO Fund, including the holders of the senior securities issued by the CLO Fund. Consequently, to the extent that the value of a CLO Fund’s loan investments has been reduced as a result of conditions in the credit markets, or as a result of defaulted loans or individual fund assets, the value of the subordinated securities at their redemption could be reduced. Additionally, the Asset Manager Affiliates may not be able to continue to raise new CLO Funds due to prevailing CLO market conditions, regulatory requirements or other factors.

If our Asset Manager Affiliates do not meet certain risk retention requirements, they may not be able to sponsor and manage new CLOs, which would negatively impact our results of operations and financial conditions.

In October 2014, the SEC, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve and certain other prudential banking regulators finalized regulations that mandate risk retention for securitizations. The rules became effective for CLOs on December 24, 2016. Under the final rules, our Asset Manager Affiliates (directly or through any of their majority-controlled affiliates, including the Company) will be required to hold interests equal to 5% of the fair value of the assets of any CLO sponsored by our Asset Manager Affiliates (unless the CLO invests only in certain qualifying loans which we do not expect will be the case) and would be prohibited from selling or hedging those interests in accordance with the limitations on such sales or hedges set forth in the final rule. Thus, our Asset Manager Affiliates (or any of their majority-controlled affiliates, including the Company, permitted to retain risk on their behalf) will need to have the requisite capital to hold such interests as a condition to their ability to sponsor new CLOs, and the restrictions on selling or hedging such interests may create greater risk with respect to those interests, including, to the extent that we retain risk in the CLOs managed by the Asset Manager Affiliates on their behalf, our ability to sell CLO Fund Securities when advantageous for us to do so. These mandatory investments in such CLOs, or the inability to invest in such CLOs (and thus inability to sponsor them) could each have a material adverse effect upon our business, results of operations or financial condition of the Asset Manager Affiliates, which would, in turn, negatively impact the business results of operations and financial condition. In addition, the application of the risk retention rules to CLOs may have broader effects on the CLO and loan markets in general, potentially resulting in fewer or less desirable investment opportunities for the Company, our Asset Manager Affiliates, and any CLOs that our Asset Manager Affiliates sponsor or in which we otherwise invest.

On February 9, 2018, the DC Circuit Court ruled in favor of an appeal brought by the LSTA from a District Court ruling granting summary judgment to the SEC and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. As part of its ruling, the DC Circuit Court remanded the case to the district court with instructions to grant summary judgment to the LSTA on whether application of the U.S. Risk Retention Rules

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to CLO managers is valid under Section 941 of the Dodd-Frank Act. If the decision stands, CLO managers of “open-market CLOs” (described in the ruling as CLOs where assets are acquired from “arms-length negotiations and trading on an open market”) will no longer be required to comply with the risk retention rules, and no party to such “open-market CLOs” would be required to acquire and retain an economic interest in the credit risk of the securitized assets.

However, the implementation and effectiveness of the ruling could be delayed, modified or reversed. In particular, the applicable government authorities will have the right to (a) petition for en banc review of the decision by the entire court or (b) file a petition for certiorari requesting the case to be heard by the United States Supreme Court. The risk retention rules will remain in effect until a new judgment is entered in the District Court, which will not occur until the DC Circuit Court issues a mandate to the District Court to do so (which will occur within one week after the deadline for a petition for rehearing has passed). That will not occur if a petition for rehearing is filed; the deadline for a rehearing is 45 days from the issuance of the decision by the DC Circuit Court. If a petition for rehearing is filed, the DC Circuit Court will not issue a mandate to the District Court to issue such judgment during the consideration of the petition. If the petition for rehearing is denied, the mandate from the DC Circuit Court must be issued within a week from such denial unless a motion to stay the mandate is also filed pending a petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court. Although the granting of such a motion is not automatic, it is also not rare. If the motion to stay the mandate is granted and a petition for a writ of certiorari filed in the United States Supreme Court, the stay will remain in effect until the Supreme Court’s work on the matter (either through a denial of certiorari or a ruling on the merits) is complete.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

We may not be able to pay distributions to our stockholders, our distributions may not grow over time, and a portion of distributions paid to our stockholders may be a return of capital.

We intend to continue to make distributions on a quarterly basis to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We may not be able to achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. Our ability to pay distributions might be adversely affected by, among other things, the impact of one or more of the risk factors described herein. In addition, the inability to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC could limit our ability to pay distributions. In addition, due to the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC and the covenants that we agreed to in connection with the issuance of the 7.375% Notes Due 2019 and the 6.125% Notes Due 2022 (together, the “Notes”), we are limited in our ability to make distributions in certain circumstances. In this regard, we agreed in connection with our issuance of the Notes that for the period of time during which the Notes are outstanding, we will not violate (regardless of whether we are subject to) Section 18(a)(1)(B) as modified by Section 61(a)(1) of the 1940 Act. These provisions generally prohibit us from declaring any cash dividend or distribution upon our common stock, or purchasing any such common stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is below 200% at the time of the declaration of the dividend or distribution or the purchase and after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution or purchase. Further, if we invest a greater amount of assets in equity securities that do not pay current dividends, it could reduce the amount available for distribution.

All distributions will be paid at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on our earnings and those of the Asset Manager Affiliates, our financial condition, maintenance of our RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations and such other factors as our Board of Directors may deem relevant from time to time. We cannot assure you that we will pay distributions to our stockholders in the future.

When we make quarterly distributions, we will be required to determine the extent to which such distributions are paid out of current or accumulated earnings, recognized capital gains or capital. To the extent there is a return of capital, investors will be required to reduce their basis in our stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which may result in higher tax liability when the shares are sold, even if they have not increased in value or have lost value. Our distributions have over the last several years included a significant return of capital component. For more information about our distributions over the last several years that have included a return of capital component, see Note 7 — “Distributable Taxable Income” to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Registration Statement.

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Investing in shares of our common stock may involve an above average degree of risk.

The investments we make in accordance with our investment objective may result in a higher amount of risk, volatility or loss of principal than alternative investment options. Our investments in portfolio companies may be highly speculative, and therefore, an investment in our common stock may not be suitable for investors with lower risk tolerance.

Shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value, and we cannot assure you that the market price of our common stock will not decline below the net asset value of the stock.

We cannot predict the price at which our common stock will trade. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value and our stock may also be discounted in the market. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share may decline. We cannot predict whether shares of our common stock will trade above, at or below our net asset value. The risk of loss associated with this characteristic of closed-end investment companies may be greater for investors expecting to sell shares of common stock soon after the purchase of such shares of common stock. In addition, if our common stock trades below its net asset value, we will generally not be able to issue additional shares of our common stock at its market price without first obtaining the approval of our stockholders and our independent directors.

Our share price may be volatile and may fluctuate substantially.

The market price and liquidity of the market for shares of our common stock may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include:

Certain provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock.

The Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws contain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us. These anti-takeover provisions may inhibit a change in control in circumstances that could give the holders of our common stock the opportunity to realize a premium over the market price of our common stock.

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Stockholders may incur dilution if we sell shares of our common stock in one or more offerings at prices below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock.

The 1940 Act prohibits us from selling shares of our common stock at a price below the current net asset value per share of such stock, with certain exceptions. One such exception is prior stockholder approval of issuances below net asset value provided that our Board of Directors makes certain determinations. We are not seeking stockholder authorization to sell shares of our common stock below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock in connection with our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders, however, we previously sought and received such authorization from our stockholders in the past and may seek such authorization in the future.

If we were to sell shares of our common stock below net asset value per share, such sales would result in an immediate dilution to the net asset value per share. This dilution would occur as a result of the sale of shares at a price below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock and a proportionately greater decrease in a stockholder’s interest in our earnings and assets and voting interest in us than the increase in our assets resulting from such issuance.

Because the number of shares of common stock that could be so issued and the timing of any issuance is not currently known, the actual dilutive effect cannot be predicted; however, the example below illustrates the effect of dilution to existing stockholders resulting from the sale of common stock at prices below the net asset value of such shares. Please see “Sales of Common Stock Below Net Asset Value” for a more complete discussion of the potentially dilutive impacts of an offering at a price less than net asset value, or NAV, per share.

Illustration: Example of Dilutive Effect of the Issuance of Shares Below Net Asset Value.  Assume that Company XYZ has 1,000,000 total shares outstanding, $15,000,000 in total assets and $5,000,000 in total liabilities. The net asset value per share of the common stock of Company XYZ is $10.00. The following table illustrates the reduction to net asset value, or NAV, and the dilution experienced by Stockholder A following the sale of 40,000 shares of the common stock of Company XYZ at $9.50 per share, a price below its NAV per share.

		Prior to Sale Below NAV				Following Sale Below NAV				Percentage Change
Reduction to NAV
Total Shares Outstanding			1,000,000				1,040,000				4.0	%
NAV per share		$	10.00			$	9.98				(0.2	)%
Dilution to Existing Stockholder
Shares Held by Stockholder A			10,000				10,000	(1)			0.0	%
Percentage Held by Stockholder A			1.00	%			0.96	%			(3.8	)%
Total Interest of Stockholder A in NAV		$	100,000			$	99,808				(0.2	)%

Risks Relating to an Offering of Our Securities

We may be unable to invest a significant portion of the net proceeds raised from our offerings on acceptable terms, which would harm our financial condition and operating results.

Delays in investing the net proceeds raised in our offerings may cause our performance to be worse than that of other fully invested BDCs or other lenders or investors pursuing comparable investment strategies. We cannot assure you that we will be able to identify any investments that meet our investment objective or that any investment that we make will produce a positive return. We may be unable to invest the net proceeds from any offering on acceptable terms within the time period that we anticipate or at all, which could harm our financial condition and operating results. We anticipate that, depending on market conditions, it may take a substantial period of time to invest substantially all of the net proceeds of any offering in securities meeting our investment objective. During such a period, we will continue to invest the net proceeds of any offering primarily in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, repurchase agreements and high-quality debt

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instruments maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which may produce returns that are significantly lower than the returns which we expect to achieve when our portfolio is fully invested in securities meeting our investment objective, and given our expense ratio and the prevailing interest rate climate, there is a possible risk of losing money on the offering proceeds of certain securities, such as debt securities during this interval. As a result, any distributions that we pay during such period may be substantially lower than the distributions that we may be able to pay when our portfolio is fully invested in securities meeting our investment objective. In addition, until such time as the net proceeds of any offering are invested in securities meeting our investment objective, the market price for our securities may decline. Thus, the return on your investment may be lower than when, if ever, our portfolio is fully invested in securities meeting our investment objective.

There is a risk that you may not receive distributions or that our distributions may not grow over time and a portion of our distributions may be a return of capital.

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. Our ability to pay distributions might be adversely affected by the impact of one or more of the risk factors described in this prospectus. Due to the asset coverage test applicable to us under the 1940 Act as a BDC, we may be limited in our ability to make distributions.

When we make distributions, we will be required to determine the extent to which such distributions are paid out of current or accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a non-taxable return of capital to the extent of an investor’s basis in our stock and, assuming that an investor holds our stock as a capital asset, thereafter as a capital gain. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

We may allocate the net proceeds from an offering in ways with which you may not agree.

We will have significant flexibility in investing the net proceeds of an offering and may use the net proceeds from an offering in ways with which you may not agree or for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of the offering. In addition, we can provide you with no assurance that by increasing the size of our available equity capital our expense ratio or debt ratio will be lowered.

The trading market or market value of our debt securities or any convertible debt securities, if issued to the public, may be volatile.

Our debt securities or any convertible debt securities, if issued to the public, may or may not have an established trading market. We cannot assure investors that a trading market for our debt securities or any convertible debt securities, if issued to the public, would develop or be maintained if developed. In addition to our creditworthiness, many factors may materially adversely affect the trading market for, and market value of, our publicly issued debt securities or any convertible debt securities. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

There also may be a limited number of buyers for our debt securities. This too may materially adversely affect the market value of the debt securities or the trading market for the debt securities. Our debt securities may include convertible features that cause them to more closely bear risks associated with an investment in our common stock.

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Terms relating to redemption may materially adversely affect the return on any debt securities.

If we issue any debt securities or any convertible debt securities that are redeemable at our option, we may choose to redeem the debt securities at times when prevailing interest rates are lower than the interest rate paid on the debt securities. In addition, if the debt securities are subject to mandatory redemption, we may be required to redeem the debt securities at times when prevailing interest rates are lower than the interest rate paid on the debt securities. In this circumstance, a holder of our debt securities may not be able to reinvest the redemption proceeds in a comparable security at an effective interest rate as high as the debt securities being redeemed.

Future offerings of debt securities, which would be senior to our common stock upon liquidation, or equity securities, which could dilute our existing stockholders and may be senior to our common stock for the purposes of distributions, may harm the value of our common stock.

In the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by making offerings of debt or equity securities, including commercial paper, medium-term notes, senior or subordinated notes and classes of preferred stock or common stock, subject to the restrictions of the 1940 Act. Upon a liquidation of our company, holders of our debt securities and shares of preferred stock and lenders with respect to other borrowings would receive a distribution of our available assets prior to the holders of our common stock. Additional equity offerings by us may dilute the holdings of our existing stockholders or reduce the value of our common stock, or both. Any preferred stock we may issue would have a preference on distributions that could limit our ability to make distributions to the holders of our common stock. Because our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. Thus, our stockholders bear the risk of our future offerings reducing the market price of our common stock and diluting their stock holdings in us. In addition, proceeds from a sale of common stock will likely be used to increase our total assets or to pay down our borrowings, among other uses. This would increase our asset coverage ratio and permit us to incur additional leverage under rules pertaining to business development companies by increasing our borrowings or issuing senior securities such as preferred stock or additional debt securities.

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus includes forward-looking statements. The matters discussed in this prospectus, as well as in future oral and written statements by management of the Company that are forward-looking statements are based on current management expectations that involve substantial risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. We generally identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar words. Important assumptions include our ability to acquire or originate new investments, achieve certain margins and levels of profitability, the availability of additional capital, and the ability to maintain certain debt to asset ratios. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statement in this prospectus should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans or objectives will be achieved. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus include statements as to:

There are a number of important risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. For a discussion of factors that could cause our actual results to differ from forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus, please see the discussion under “Risk Factors.” You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this prospectus relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this prospectus.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We intend to use substantially all of the net proceeds from selling our securities for general corporate purposes, which includes investing in portfolio companies and CLO Funds in accordance with our investment objective and strategies described elsewhere in this prospectus. The supplement to this prospectus relating to an offering will more fully identify the use of proceeds from such an offering.

We anticipate that substantially all of the net proceeds from any offering of our securities will be used as described above within six to twelve months. Pending such use, we intend to invest the net proceeds of an offering in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment. These securities may earn yields substantially lower than the income that we anticipate receiving once we are fully invested in accordance with our investment objective. See “Regulation —  Temporary Investments” for additional information about temporary investments we may make while waiting to make longer-term investments in pursuit of our investment objective.

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PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK AND DISTRIBUTIONS

Our common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “KCAP.” We completed the initial public offering of our common stock in December 2006 at an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share. Prior to such initial public offering, there was no public market for our common stock. On April 18, 2018, the last reported closing price of our stock was $3.15 per share. As of April 18, 2018, we had 51 stockholders of record.

The following table sets forth the range of high and low closing prices of our common stock as reported on The NASDAQ Global Select Market and other information relating to our common stock for each fiscal quarter during the last two most recently completed fiscal years and the current fiscal year to date. The stock quotations are inter-dealer quotations and do not include markups, markdowns or commissions and as such do not necessarily represent actual transactions.

		NAV(1)				Closing Sales Price(2)								Premium/(Discount) of High Sales Price to NAV(3)				Premium (Discount) of Low Sales Price to NAV(3)
						High				Low
2016
First Quarter		$	5.50			$	4.02			$	2.68				(26.91	)%			(51.27	)%
Second Quarter		$	5.45			$	3.92			$	3.19				(28.07	)%			(41.47	)%
Third Quarter		$	5.38			$	4.72			$	3.84				(12.27	)%			(28.62	)%
Fourth Quarter		$	5.24			$	4.80			$	3.66				(8.40	)%			(30.15	)%
2017
First Quarter		$	5.14			$	4.12			$	3.93				(20.43	)%			(34.05	)%
Second Quarter		$	5.10			$	4.04			$	3.37				(20.78	)%			(33.92	)%
Third Quarter		$	4.95			$	3.67			$	3.32				(25.86	)%			(32.91	)%
Fourth Quarter		$	4.87			$	3.98			$	3.34				(18.28	)%			(31.42	)%
2018
First Quarter				*		$	3.57			$	2.96					*%				*%
Second Quarter (through April 18, 2018)				*		$	3.25			$	3.11					*%				*%

Shares of BDCs may trade at a market price that is less than the value of the net assets attributable to those shares. The possibility that our shares of common stock will trade at a discount from net asset value or at premiums that are unsustainable over the long term are separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value will decrease.

Our stockholder distributions, if any, are determined by our Board of Directors. We have elected to be treated for federal income tax purposes as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code and intend to operate in a manner to maintain our qualification as a RIC. As long as we maintain our qualification as a RIC, we will not be taxed on our net ordinary income or realized net capital gains, to the extent that such taxable income or gains are distributed, or deemed to be distributed, to stockholders on a timely basis. We intend to distribute to our stockholders substantially all our net taxable income and realized net capital gains (if any).

We intend to continue to make quarterly distributions to our stockholders. To maintain RIC tax treatment, we must, among other things, timely distribute 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, for each year.

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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:

However, depending on the level of taxable income earned in a tax year, we may choose to carry forward taxable income in excess of current year distributions into the next tax year and pay the 4% excise tax on such income. Any such carryover taxable income must be distributed through a dividend declared prior to filing the final tax return related to the year which generated such taxable income. We will not be subject to excise taxes on amounts on which we are required to pay U.S. federal income tax (such as retained realized net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses, or “net capital gains”). We may in the future retain for investment net capital gains and elect to treat such net capital gains as a deemed distribution. If this happens, you will be treated as if you received an actual distribution of the capital gains we retain and then reinvested the net after-tax proceeds in our common stock. You would be eligible to claim a tax credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability (or, in certain circumstances, a tax refund) equal to your allocable share of the tax we paid on the capital gains deemed distributed to you. Please refer to “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” for further information regarding the consequences of our possible retention of net capital gains. We can offer no assurance that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any cash distributions and, if we issue senior securities, we may be prohibited from making distributions if we fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings. See “Regulation.”

The following table sets forth the quarterly distributions declared by us during the two most recently completed fiscal years and the current fiscal year to date:

Distribution

Declaration Date

Record Date

Payment Date

2018(1):

First quarter

$

0.10

3/20/2018

4/6/2018

4/27/2018

2017(2):

Fourth quarter

$

0.10

12/13/2017

1/5/2018

1/25/2018

Third quarter

0.12

9/22/2017

10/10/2017

10/26/2017

Second quarter

0.12

6/20/2017

7/7/2017

7/27/2017

First quarter

0.12

3/21/2017

4/7/2017

4/28/2017

2016(3):

Fourth quarter

$

0.12

12/14/2016

1/6/2017

1/27/2017

Third quarter

0.15

9/20/2016

10/14/2016

10/27/2016

Second quarter

0.15

6/21/2016

7/7/2016

7/28/2016

First quarter

0.15

3/18/2016

4/7/2016

4/28/2016

Due to our ownership of our Asset Manager Affiliates and certain timing, structural and tax considerations, our stockholder distributions may include a return of capital for tax purposes.

We maintain an “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan for our common stockholders. As a result, when we declare a dividend, cash dividends will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock unless the stockholder specifically “opts out” of the dividend reinvestment plan and chooses to receive cash dividends. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”

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RATIOS OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

For purposes of computing the ratios of earnings to fixed charges, earnings represent net increase in net assets resulting from operations plus (or minus) income tax provision (benefit) including excise tax expense plus fixed charges. Fixed charges include interest and credit facility fees and amortization of deferred financing fees.

For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013, the ratios of earnings to fixed charges of the Company, computed as set forth below, were as follows:

		Year Ended December 31, 2017				Year Ended December 31, 2016				Year Ended December 31, 2015				Year Ended December 31, 2014				Year Ended December 31, 2013
Earnings to Fixed Charges(1)			1.44				0.89				(0.59	)			2.30				2.70

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and related notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. In addition to historical information, the following discussion and other parts of this prospectus contain forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated by such forward-looking information due to the factors discussed under “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements” appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.

GENERAL

We are an internally managed, non-diversified closed-end investment company that is regulated as a business development company, (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). We have three principal areas of investment:

First, the Company originates, structures, and invests in senior secured term loans and mezzanine debt primarily in privately-held middle market companies (the “Debt Securities Portfolio”). In addition, from time to time the Company may invest in the equity securities of privately held middle market companies.

Second, the Company has invested in our wholly-owned asset management companies including Katonah Debt Advisors L.L.C. (“Katonah Debt Advisors”) and Trimaran Advisors L.L.C. (“Trimaran Advisors”), which manage collateralized loan obligation funds (“CLO Funds”).

Third, the Company invests in debt and subordinated securities issued by collateralized loan obligation funds (“CLO Fund Securities”). These CLO Fund Securities are primarily managed by Katonah Debt Advisors and Trimaran Advisors, as well as our affiliated management companies Katonah 2007-1 Management, L.L.C., Trimaran Advisors Management, L.L.C. and KCAP Management, LLC (collectively, the “Asset Manager Affiliates”), but from time-to-time the Company makes investments in CLO Fund Securities managed by other asset managers. The CLO Funds typically invest in broadly syndicated loans, high-yield bonds and other credit instruments.

We may also invest in other investments such as loans to publicly-traded companies, high-yield bonds, joint venture and distressed debt securities. We may also receive warrants or options to purchase common stock in connection with its debt investments.

In our Debt Securities Portfolio, our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation from the investments made by our middle market business in senior secured term loans, mezzanine debt and selected equity investments in privately-held middle market companies. We define the middle market as comprising of companies with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) of $10 million to $50 million and/or total debt of $25 million to $150 million. We primarily invest in first and second lien term loans which, because of their priority in a company’s capital structure, we expect will have lower default rates and higher rates of recovery of principal if there is a default and which we expect will create a stable stream of interest income. The investments in our Debt Securities Portfolio are all or predominantly below investment grade, and have speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. While our primary investment focus is on making loans to, and selected equity investments in, privately-held middle market companies, we may also invest in other investments such as loans to smaller private companies or publicly-traded companies, high-yield bonds and distressed debt securities. We may also receive warrants or options to purchase common stock in connection with our debt investments.

From our Asset Manager Affiliates investment, we expect to receive recurring cash distributions and to generate capital appreciation through the addition of new CLO Funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates. We may also seek to monetize our investment in the Asset Manager Affiliates if and when business conditions warrant. The Asset Manager Affiliates manage CLO Funds that invest in broadly syndicated loans, high-yield bonds and other credit instruments. Collectively, the Asset Manager Affiliates have approximately $3.0 billion of par value assets under management as of December 31, 2017. The Asset Manager Affiliates are registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Certain of the Company’s executive officers also act in similar capacities for one or more of the Asset Manager Affiliates.

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In addition, our investments in CLO Fund Securities, which are primarily made up of minority investments in the subordinated securities or preferred stock of CLO Funds raised and managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates, are anticipated to provide the Company with recurring cash distributions and complement our investment in the Asset Manager Affiliates.

Subject to market conditions, we intend to grow our entire portfolio of investments by raising additional capital, including through the prudent use of leverage available to us. As a BDC, we are limited in the amount of leverage we can incur under the 1940 Act. We are only allowed to borrow amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% after such borrowing.

We have elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) and intend to operate in a manner to maintain our RIC status. As a RIC, we intend to distribute to our stockholders substantially all of our net ordinary taxable income and the excess of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses, if any, for each year. To qualify as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. Pursuant to this election, we generally will not have to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any income that we timely distribute to our stockholders.

PORTFOLIO AND INVESTMENT ACTIVITY

Our primary investments are: (1) lending to and investing in middle-market businesses through investments in senior secured loans, junior secured loans, subordinated/mezzanine debt investments, and other equity investments, which may include warrants, (2) our investments in our Asset Manager Affiliates, which manage portfolios of broadly syndicated loans, high-yield bonds and other credit instruments, and (3) CLO Fund Securities.

Total portfolio investment activity (excluding activity in time deposit and money market investments) for the years ended December 31, 2017, December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015 was as follows:

		Debt Securities				CLO Fund Securities				Equity Securities				Asset Manager Affiliates				Joint Venture				Total Portfolio
Fair Value at December 31, 2014		$	320,143,170			$	77,514,902				8,119,681			$	72,326,000			$	—			$	478,103,753
2015 Activity:
Purchases/originations/draws			108,670,472				11,952,000				1,953,299				—				—				124,023,641
Pay-downs/pay-offs/sales			(135,328,386	)			(3,872,700	)			(317,340	)			(3,701,446	)			—				(143,219,872	)
Net accretion (amortization)			1,860,670				(9,507,050	)			—				—				—				(9,094,250	)
Net realized losses			41,580				(6,246,883	)			3,015				—				—				(6,202,288	)
Net increase (decrease) in fair value			(10,748,262	)			(13,967,887	)			(210,167	)			(11,243,554	)			—				(36,169,870	)
Fair Value at December 31, 2015			284,639,244				55,872,382				9,548,488				57,381,000				—				407,441,114
2016 Activity:
Purchases/originations/draws			74,584,952				10,140,000				—				—				—				84,724,952
Pay-downs/pay-offs/sales			(123,240,416	)			(4,200,000	)			(4,563,521	)			—				—				(132,003,937	)
Net accretion (amortization)			407,492				(2,192,071	)			—				(1,250,000	)			—				(3,034,579	)
Net realized gains (losses)			(540,649	)			(10,111,560	)			4,484,742				—				—				(6,167,467	)
Net increase (decrease) in fair value			2,492,707				4,665,599				(4,413,354	)			(15,933,000	)			—				(13,188,048	)
Fair Value at December 31, 2016			238,343,330				54,174,350				5,056,355				40,198,000				—				337,772,035
2017 Activity:
Purchases/originations/draws			181,613,690				11,211,368				182,000								36,738,873				229,745,931
Pay-downs/pay-offs/sales			(300,625,104	)			(25,598,497	)							(2,750,000	)			(11,824,015	)			(340,797,616	)
Net accretion (amortization)			304,904				11,139,633																11,444,537
Net realized gains (losses)			(5,634,255	)			(1,264,789	)															(6,899,044	)
Net increase (decrease) in fair value			4,194,914				2,016,608				(823,671	)			1,401,000				(3,398,858	)			3,389,993
Fair Value at December 31, 2017		$	118,197,479			$	51,678,673			$	4,414,684			$	38,849,000			$	21,516,000			$	234,655,836

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The level of investment activity for investments funded and principal repayments for our investments can vary substantially from period to period depending on the number and size of investments that we invest in or divest of, and many other factors, including the amount and competition for the debt and equity securities available to middle market companies, the level of merger and acquisition activity for such companies and the general economic environment.

The following table shows the Company’s portfolio by security type at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016:

		December 31, 2017												December 31, 2016
Security Type		Cost/ Amortized Cost				Fair Value				%(1)				Cost/ Amortized Cost				Fair Value				%(1)
Short-term investments(2)		$	77,300,320			$	77,300,320				26			$	28,699,269			$	28,699,269				8	%
Senior Secured Loan			48,337,900				44,960,146				14				207,701,078				200,322,152				55
Junior Secured Loan			62,561,913				58,941,300				19				37,251,776				35,444,440				10
Senior Unsecured Loan			12,777,283				12,777,283				4				—				—				—
First Lien Bond			—				—				—				3,060,919				1,089,338				—
Senior Secured Bond			1,502,374				1,518,750				—				1,506,461				1,487,400				—
CLO Fund Securities			72,339,032				51,678,673				17				76,851,317				54,174,350				15
Equity Securities			10,571,007				4,414,684				1				10,389,007				5,056,355				1
Asset Manager Affiliates(3)			52,591,230				38,849,000				12				55,341,230				40,198,000				11
Joint Venture			24,914,858				21,516,000				7				—				—				—
Total		$	362,895,917			$	311,956,156				100	%		$	420,801,057			$	366,471,304				100	%

The industry related information, based on the fair value of the Company’s investment portfolio as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, for our investment portfolio was as follows:

		December 31, 2017												December 31, 2016
Industry Classification		Cost/ Amortized Cost				Fair Value				%(1)				Cost/ Amortized Cost				Fair Value				%(1)
Aerospace and Defense		$	5,636,056			$	4,115,487				1	%		$	8,394,633			$	8,450,106				2	%
Asset Management Company(2)			52,591,230				38,849,000				12				55,341,230				40,198,000				11
Automotive			—				—				—				6,322,551				6,196,154				2
Banking, Finance, Insurance & Real Estate			4,458,962				4,418,391				1				6,805,514				6,782,010				2
Beverage, Food and Tobacco			7,496,438				7,435,050				2				15,198,830				14,703,372				4
Capital Equipment			5,454,621				4,680,821				2				6,185,129				5,575,048				2
Chemicals, Plastics and Rubber			—				—				—				6,421,909				6,444,073				2
CLO Fund Securities			72,339,032				51,678,673				17				76,851,317				54,174,350				15
Construction & Building			1,004,093				999,872				—				5,919,158				5,929,606				2
Consumer goods: Durable			1,071,340				805,607				—				12,319,905				10,118,736				3
Consumer goods: Non-durable			691,234				694,662				—				14,766,390				14,452,096				4
Ecological			—				—				—				1,741,292				1,760,783				—
Energy: Electricity			—				—				—				3,904,453				3,937,247				1
Energy: Oil & Gas			14,932,542				11,433,777				4				14,493,835				8,805,761				2
Environmental Industries			6,330,630				5,766,437				2				12,279,924				12,185,239				3
Forest Products & Paper			1,558,556				1,600,960				1				4,192,889				4,192,907				1
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals			30,367,449				25,512,654				8				58,769,668				53,594,534				15

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		December 31, 2017												December 31, 2016
Industry Classification		Cost/ Amortized Cost				Fair Value				%(1)				Cost/ Amortized Cost				Fair Value				%(1)
High Tech Industries			18,229,229				18,260,577				6				9,854,093				9,936,109				3
Hotel, Gaming & Leisure			400,000				1,000				—				400,000				1,000				—
Joint Venture			24,914,858				21,516,000				7				—				—				—
Media: Advertising, Printing & Publishing			3,371,086				3,318,296				1				11,712,682				11,453,447				3
Media: Broadcasting & Subscription			—				—				—				8,273,174				8,372,984				2
Related Party Loans			12,777,283				12,777,283				4				—				—				—
Retail			—				—				—				1,415,457				759,581				—
Services: Business			3,563,574				2,366,400				1				16,125,481				16,230,486				4
Services: Consumer			—				—				—				6,212,108				6,204,889				2
Telecommunications			6,455,489				6,466,949				2				12,809,799				12,767,823				3
Textiles and Leather			7,950,994				7,947,940				3				—				—				—
Money Market Accounts			52,293,570				52,293,570				17				28,699,269				28,699,269				8
Transportation: Cargo			4,000,901				4,010,000				1				7,557,315				7,190,135				2
Transportation: Consumer			—				—				—				2,412,614				2,324,516				1
U.S. Government Obligations			25,006,750				25,006,750				8				—				—
Utilities: Electric			—				—				—				5,420,438				5,031,043				1
Total		$	362,895,917			$	311,956,156				100	%		$	420,801,057			$	366,471,304				100	%

Debt Securities Portfolio

At December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, our investments in income producing loans and debt securities, excluding CLO Fund Securities, had a weighted average interest rate of approximately 10.1% and 7.0%, respectively.

The investment portfolio (excluding the Company’s investment in Asset Manager Affiliates, CLO Funds, Joint Venture and short-term investments) at December 31, 2017 was spread across 19 different industries and 54 different entities with an average balance per entity of approximately $2.8 million. As of December 31, 2017, all of our portfolio companies were current on their debt service obligations.

We may invest up to 30% of our investment portfolio in “Non-qualifying” opportunistic investments such as high-yield bonds, debt and equity securities of CLO Funds, foreign investments, and distressed debt or equity securities of large cap public companies. At December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the total amount of non-qualifying assets was approximately 23% and 17%, respectively. The majority of non-qualifying assets were foreign investments which were approximately 16% and 14% of the Company’s total assets, respectively (including the Company’s investments in CLO Funds, which are typically domiciled outside the U.S. and represented approximately 16% and 14% of its total assets on such dates, respectively). The investments in our Debt Securities Portfolio are all or predominantly below investment grade, and therefore have speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.

Asset Manager Affiliates

The Asset Manager Affiliates are our wholly-owned asset management companies that manage CLO Funds that invest in broadly syndicated loans, high yield bonds and other credit instruments. The CLO Funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates consist primarily of credit instruments issued by corporations. As of December 31, 2017, our Asset Manager Affiliates had approximately $3.0 billion of par value of assets under management on which they earn management fees, and were valued at approximately $38.8 million.

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All CLO Funds managed by the Asset Manager Affiliates are currently paying all senior and subordinate management fees. In addition, for the year-ended December 31, 2017, our Asset Manager Affiliates recognized $3.0 million of incentive fees from one fund. As of December 31, 2017, none of the CLO Funds managed by the Asset Manager Affiliates were paying incentive fees.

CLO Fund Securities

We typically make a minority investment in the subordinated securities or preferred stock of CLO Funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates and may selectively invest in securities issued by CLO Funds managed by other asset management companies. As of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, we had approximately $52 million and $54 million, respectively invested in CLO Fund Securities, issued primarily by funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates.

The CLO Funds invest primarily in broadly syndicated non-investment grade loans, high-yield bonds and other credit instruments of corporate issuers. The underlying assets in each of the CLO Fund Securities in which we have an investment are generally diversified secured or unsecured corporate debt.

The structure of CLO Funds, which are highly levered, is extremely complicated. Since we primarily invest in securities representing the residual interests of CLO Funds, our investments are much riskier than the risk profile of the loans by which such CLO Funds are collateralized. Our investments in CLO Funds may be riskier and less transparent to us and our stockholders than direct investments in the underlying loans. The CLO Funds in which we invest have debt that ranks senior to our investment. For a more detailed discussion of the risks related to our investments in CLO Funds, please see “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Investments — Our investments may be risky, and you could lose all or part of your investment.”

Our CLO Fund Securities as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 are as follows:

										December 31, 2017								December 31, 2016
CLO Fund Securities		Investment				%(1)				Cost/ Amortized Cost				Fair Value				Cost/ Amortized Cost				Fair Value
Grant Grove CLO, Ltd.(3)			Subordinated Securities				22.2	%		$	2,485,886			$	1,000			$	2,485,886			$	1,000
Katonah III, Ltd.(3)			Preferred Shares				23.1				1,287,155				369,280				1,287,155				369,000
Katonah 2007-I CLO Ltd.(2)			Preferred Shares				100.0				20,524,908				10,770,486				28,022,646				20,453,099
Trimaran CLO VII, Ltd.(2)			Income Notes				10.5				379,830				10,000				1,643,920				1,195,152
Catamaran CLO 2012-1 Ltd.(2)			Subordinated Notes				24.9				5,847,802				2,320,783				5,919,933				2,819,412
Catamaran CLO 2013-1 Ltd.(2)			Subordinated Notes				18.3				5,017,307				6,923,699				5,237,222				4,918,807
Dryden 30 Senior Loan Fund			Subordinated Notes				6.8				1,353,852				1,820,000				1,343,467				1,895,566
Catamaran CLO 2014-1 Ltd.(2)			Subordinated Notes				20.1				9,858,073				8,230,178				7,818,484				4,546,682
Catamaran CLO 2014-1 Ltd.(2)			Class E Notes				—				—				—				1,441,727				1,310,000
KCAP F3C Senior Funding LLC(2)			Class E Notes				27.4				4,435,965				4,632,000				—				—
Catamaran CLO 2014-2 Ltd.(2)			Subordinated Notes				24.9				6,642,805				4,500,962				6,967,560				5,092,087
Catamaran CLO 2015-1 Ltd.(2)			Subordinated Notes				9.9				4,418,647				3,569,600				4,543,317				3,223,255
Catamaran CLO 2016-1 Ltd.(2)			Subordinated Notes				24.9				10,086,802				8,530,685				10,140,000				8,350,290
Total										$	72,339,032			$	51,678,673			$	76,851,317			$	54,174,350

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On December 19, 2017, the Company, in its capacity as the holder of all of the outstanding preferred shares of Katonah 2007-1 CLO Ltd. (“Katonah 2007-1”), exercised its right to cause Katonah 2007-1 to redeem all of its outstanding indebtedness through the sale of its investments and otherwise wind up its business. As of December 31, 2017, Katonah 2007-1 had paid off all of its outstanding indebtedness and had approximately $10.8 million in total assets. It is expected that Katonah 2007-1 will be fully liquidated and dissolved in the first half of 2018. The Company received approximately $11.3 million on its investment in Katonah 2007-1 during the fourth quarter of 2017 in connection with the continuing liquidation of Katonah 2007-1 and expects to receive an additional $10.8 million in the first half of 2018. Accordingly, the Company expects to record a realized loss during the first half of 2018 of approximately $10 million on its investment in Katonah 2007-1 and a corresponding unrealized gain of the same amount in order to reverse the previously recorded unrealized depreciation with respect to the investment.

Investment in Joint Venture:

During the third quarter of 2017, the Company and Freedom 3 Opportunities LLC (“Freedom 3 Opportunities”, an affiliate of Freedom 3 Capital LLC, entered into an agreement to create KCAP Freedom 3 LLC (the “Joint Venture”). The Company and Freedom 3 Opportunities contributed approximately $37 million and $25 million, respectively, in assets to the Joint Venture, which in turn used the assets to capitalize a new fund (the “Fund”) managed by KCAP Management, LLC, one of the Asset Manager Affiliates. In addition, the Fund used cash on hand and borrowings under a credit facility to purchase approximately $184 million of loans from the Company and the Company used the proceeds from such sale to redeem approximately $147 million in debt issued by KCAP Senior Funding I, LLC (“KCAP Senior Funding”). The Joint Venture may originate loans from time to time and sell them to the Fund.

During the fourth quarter of 2017, the Fund was refinanced through the issuance of senior and subordinated notes. The Joint Venture purchased 100% of the subordinated notes issued by the Fund. In connection with the refinancing, the Joint Venture made a cash distribution to the Company of approximately $12.6 million. The Company expects that approximately $11.8 million of this distribution will be return of capital, reducing the cost basis of its investment in the Joint Venture by that amount. The final determination of the tax attributes of distributions from the Joint Venture is made on an annual (full calendar year) basis at the end of the year, therefore, any estimate of tax attributes of distributions made on an interim basis may not be representative of the actual tax attributes of distributions for the full year.

The Joint Venture is structured as an unconsolidated Delaware limited liability company. All portfolio and other material decisions regarding the Joint Venture must be submitted to its board of managers, which is comprised of four members, two of whom were selected by the Company and two of whom were selected by Freedom 3 Opportunities, and must be approved by at least one member appointed by the Company and one appointed by Freedom 3 Opportunities. In addition, certain matters may be approved by the Joint Venture’s investment committee, which is comprised of one member appointed by the Company and one member appointed by Freedom 3 Opportunities.

The Company has determined that the Joint Venture is an investment company under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”), Financial Services — Investment Companies (“ASC 946”), however, in accordance with such guidance, the Company will generally not consolidate its investment in a company other than a wholly owned investment company subsidiary or a controlled operating company whose business consists of providing services to the Company. The Company does not consolidate its interest in the Joint Venture, because the Company does not control the Joint Venture due to allocation of the voting rights among the Joint Venture partner.

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KCAP Freedom 3 LLC

Summarized Statement of Financial Consolidation

		As of December 31, 2017
Cash		$	1,717
Investment at fair value			37,080,000
Total Assets		$	37,081,717
Total Liabilities		$	1,221,916
Total Equity			35,859,801
Total Liabilities and Equity		$	37,081,717

KCAP Freedom 3 LLC

Summarized Statement of Operations

		For the period from July 20, 2017 (date of inception) to December 31, 2017
Investment income		$	2,531,331
Operating expenses			(435,757	)
Net investment income			2,095,574
Unrealized depreciation on investments			(5,063,254	)
Net loss		$	(2,096,166	)

KCAP Freedom 3 LLC

Schedule of Investments

Portfolio Company		Investment				Percentage Ownership by Joint Venture				Amortized Cost				Fair Value
KCAP F3C Senior Funding, LLC(1)(2)			Subordinated Securities, effective interest 12.1%, 12/29 maturity				100.0	%		$	42,143,254			$	37,080,000
Total Investments										$	42,143,254			$	37,080,000

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The principal measure of our financial performance is the net increase (decrease) in stockholders’ equity resulting from operations, which includes net investment income (loss) and net realized and unrealized appreciation (depreciation). Net investment income (loss) is the difference between our income from interest, distributions, fees, and other investment income and our operating expenses. Net realized gain (loss) on investments is the difference between the proceeds received from dispositions of portfolio investments and their amortized cost. Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments is the net change in the fair value of our investment portfolio.

Set forth below is a discussion of our results of operations for December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015.

Revenue

		For the Years Ended December 31,
		2017				2016				2015
Investment Income:
Interest from investments in debt securities		$	15,063,193			$	20,828,916			$	24,101,257
Interest from cash and time deposits			71,934				29,383				10,239
Investment income on CLO Fund Securities managed by affiliates			10,807,490				12,642,625				14,691,428
Investment income on CLO Fund Securities managed by non-affiliates			420,766				630,647				1,008,634
Dividends from Asset Manager Affiliates			460,000				1,400,000				5,348,554
Investment income from Joint Venture			949,037				—				—
Capital structuring service fees			491,279				668,527				366,859
Total investment income		$	28,263,699			$	36,200,098			$	45,526,971

Revenues consist primarily of investment income from interest and dividends on our investment portfolio and various ancillary fees related to our investment holdings.

Interest from Investments in Debt Securities.  We generate interest income from our investments in debt securities that consist primarily of senior and junior secured loans. Our Debt Securities Portfolio is spread across multiple industries and geographic locations and, as such, we are broadly exposed to market conditions and business environments. As a result, although our investments are exposed to market risks, we continuously seek to limit concentration of exposure in any particular sector or issuer.

Investment Income on Investments in CLO Fund Securities.  We generate investment income from our investments in the securities (typically preferred shares or subordinated securities) of CLO Funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates and select investments in securities issued by CLO Funds managed by other asset management companies. CLO Funds managed by our Asset Manager Affiliates and those managed by non-affiliates invest primarily in broadly syndicated non-investment grade loans, high-yield bonds and other credit instruments of corporate issuers. The Company distinguishes CLO Funds managed by its Asset Manager Affiliates as “CLO Fund Securities Managed by Affiliates”, in its financial consolidated statements. The underlying assets in each of the CLO Funds in which we have an investment are generally diversified secured or unsecured corporate debt. Our CLO Fund Securities that are subordinated securities or preferred shares (“junior securities”) are subordinated to senior note holders who typically receive a return on their investment at a fixed spread relative to the LIBOR index. The CLO Funds are leveraged funds and any excess cash flow or “excess spread” (interest earned by the underlying securities in the fund less payments made to senior bond holders and less fund expenses and management fees) is paid to the holders of the CLO Fund’s subordinated securities or preferred shares. The level of excess spread from CLO Fund Securities can be impacted by the timing and level of the resetting of the benchmark interest rate for the underlying assets (which reset at various times throughout the quarter) in the CLO Fund and the related CLO Fund note liabilities (which reset at each quarterly distribution date); in periods of short-term and volatile changes in the benchmark interest rate, the levels of excess spread and resulting cash distributions to us can vary significantly.

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Interest income on investments in CLO equity investments is recorded using the effective interest method in accordance with the provisions of ASC 325-40, Beneficial Interests in Securitized Financial Assets (“ASC 325-40”), based on the anticipated yield and the estimated cash flows over the projected life of the investment. Yields are revised when there are changes in actual or estimated projected future cash flows due to changes in prepayments and/or re-investments, credit losses or asset pricing. Changes in estimated yield are recognized as an adjustment to the estimated yield prospectively over the remaining life of the investment from the date the estimated yield was changed. Accordingly, investment income recognized on CLO equity securities in the U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) statement of operations differs from both the tax-basis investment income and from the cash distributions actually received by the Company during the period. As a RIC, the Company anticipates a timely distribution of its tax-basis taxable income.

For non-junior class CLO Fund Securities, such as our investment in the Class E notes of KCAP F3C Senior Funding, L.L.C., interest is earned at a fixed spread relative to the LIBOR index.

Distributions from Asset Manager Affiliates.  We receive cash distributions from our investment in our Asset Manager Affiliates, which are wholly-owned and manage CLO Funds that invest primarily in broadly syndicated non-investment grade loans, high yield bonds and other credit instruments issued by corporations. As managers of CLO Funds, our Asset Manager Affiliates receive contractual and recurring management fees from the CLO Funds for their management and advisory services. In addition, our Asset Manager Affiliates may also earn income related to net interest on assets accumulated for future CLO issuances on which they have taken a first loss position in connection with loan warehouse arrangements for their future CLO Funds. The annual management fees that our Asset Manager Affiliates receive are generally based on a fixed percentage of the par value of assets under management and are recurring in nature for the term of the CLO Fund so long as the Asset Manager Affiliates manage the fund. As a result, the annual management fees earned by our Asset Manager Affiliates generally are not subject to market value fluctuations in the underlying collateral. Our Asset Manager Affiliates may receive incentive fees provided such CLO Funds have achieved a minimum investment return to holders of their subordinated securities or preferred shares as per the terms of each CLO Fund management agreement. During the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Asset Manager Affiliates received incentive fees from one and two funds, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, none of the CLO Funds managed by the Asset Manager Affiliates were paying incentive fees.

Certain investments, and the future management fees of certain managed CLO Funds, have been pledged by the Asset Manager Affiliates to third-party lenders under borrowing arrangements undertaken to satisfy the risk retention requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act applicable to asset managers. In addition, certain of the Asset Manager Affiliates have provided a make-whole guaranty to these lenders in the event that the pledged assets and management fees are insufficient to satisfy the repayment of these borrowings. So long as the underlying managed CLO Funds’ rated notes are making regular quarterly distributions, the management fees are available to the Asset Manager Affiliates.

The Asset Manager Affiliates are expected to pay future distributions to the Company based upon their after-tax free cash flow, which generally will be dependent upon the maintenance and growth in their assets under management and related management fees. As a result of tax-basis goodwill amortization and certain other tax-related adjustments, portions of distributions received may be deemed return of capital. As amortizing funds which are paying incentive fees are redeemed, we expect incentive fees available for distribution to diminish. The fair value of our investment in our Asset Manager Affiliates was approximately $38.8 million at December 31, 2017, with an unrealized appreciation for the year ending December 31, 2017 of approximately $1.4 million. For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, we recognized dividend income of $460,000, $1.4 million and $5.3 million, from the Asset Manager Affiliates, respectively, while cash distributions received were approximately $3.2 million, $2.7 million and $9.1 million for those years, respectively. The difference between cash distributions received and the tax-basis earnings and profits is recorded as an adjustment to the cost basis of the Asset Manager Affiliates investments. For interim periods, the Company estimates the tax attributes of any distributions as being either tax-basis earnings and profits (i.e., dividend income) or return of capital (i.e., adjustment to the Company’s cost basis in the Asset Manager Affiliates). The final determination of the tax attributes of distributions from our Asset Manager Affiliates is made on an annual (full calendar year) basis at the end of the year based upon taxable income and distributions for the full-year. Therefore, any estimate of tax attributes of distributions made on a quarterly

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basis may not be representative of the actual tax attributes of distributions for a full year. CLO Funds typically have automatic orderly wind-down features following an initial period of reinvestment. Thus, with all else being equal, as managed CLO Fund portfolios age, projected future assets under management (and associated management fees) will naturally decline, resulting in a reduction in fair value of our Asset Manager Affiliates. On the other hand, mandates to manage new CLO Fund portfolios will generally result in an increase in the fair value of our investment in our Asset Manager Affiliates. The aggregate of par value of assets under management by our Asset Manager Affiliates was $3.0 billion and $3.0 billion as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Investment in Joint Venture.  For the three months ended December 31, 2017, the Company recognized $949,000 in investment income from its investment in the Joint Venture. As of December 31, 2017, the fair value of the Company’s investment in Joint venture was $21.5 million. For interim periods, the Company recognizes investment income on its investment in the Joint Venture based upon its share of the estimated tax-basis earnings and profits of the Joint Venture. Any distributions in excess of tax-basis earnings and profits are recognized as a return of capital (adjustment to the Company’s cost basis in the investment). The final determination of the tax attributes of distributions from the Joint Venture is made on an annual (full calendar year) basis at year-end of the year based upon taxable income and distributions for the full year. Therefore, any estimate of tax attributes of distributions made on an interim basis may not be representative of the actual tax attributes of distributions for the full year.

Capital Structuring Service Fees.  We may earn ancillary structuring and other fees related to the origination, investment, disposition or liquidation of debt and investment securities.

Investment Income

Investment income for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 was approximately $28 million, $36 million, and $46 million, respectively. Of these amounts, approximately $15 million, $21 million and $24 million, was attributable to interest income on our Debt Securities Portfolio for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The weighted average interest rate on our income producing Debt Securities Portfolio was 10.1% and 7.0% as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2017, our total net asset value return per share was 2.0% and our total market return based on stock price was (2.3)%. For the year ended December 31, 2016, our total net asset value return per share was 0.2% and our total market return based on stock price was 12.3%. Total net asset value return per share and total market return based on stock price do not reflect the sales load paid by stockholders.

Investment income is primarily dependent on the composition and credit quality of our investment portfolio. Generally, our Debt Securities Portfolio is expected to generate recurring interest income in accordance with the contractual terms of each loan. Corporate equity securities may pay a dividend and may increase in value for which a gain may be recognized; generally such dividend payments and gains are less predictable than interest income on our loan portfolio.

For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, approximately $11.2 million, $13.3 million and $15.7 million, respectively, of investment income was attributable to investments in CLO Fund Securities. On a tax basis, the Company recognized $5.3 million, $10.1 million and $14.7 million of taxable distributable income on distributions from our CLO Fund Securities during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. Investment income, tax-basis earnings and cash distributions from CLO Fund Securities are dependent on the performance of the underlying assets in each CLO Fund; interest payments, principal amortization and prepayments of the underlying loans in each CLO Fund are primary factors which determine the level of distributions on our CLO Fund Securities. The level of excess spread from CLO Fund Securities can be impacted by the timing and level of the resetting of the benchmark interest rate for the underlying assets (which reset at various times throughout the quarter) in the CLO Fund and the related CLO Fund bond liabilities (which reset at each quarterly distribution date); in periods of short-term and volatile changes in the benchmark interest rate, the levels of excess spread and distributions to us can vary significantly.

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Expenses

		For the Years Ended December 31,
		2017				2016				2015
Expenses:
Interest and amortization of debt issuance costs		$	7,661,407			$	9,110,603			$	11,727,880
Compensation			4,571,309				4,103,558				3,843,799
Professional fees			2,942,059				2,391,038				3,520,461
Insurance			347,175				412,764				433,561
Administrative and other			1,722,618				1,692,140				1,818,480
Total expenses		$	17,244,568			$	17,710,103			$	21,344,181

Because we are internally managed, we directly incur the cost of management and operations. As a result, we pay no investment management fees or other fees to an external advisor. Our expenses consist primarily of interest expense on outstanding borrowings, compensation expense and general and administrative expenses, including professional fees. Interest and compensation expense are typically our largest expenses each period.

Interest and Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs.  Interest expense is dependent on the average outstanding balance on our borrowings and the base index rate for the period. Debt issuance costs represent fees and other direct costs incurred in connection with the Company’s borrowings. These amounts are capitalized and amortized over the expected term of the borrowing.

Compensation Expense.  Compensation expense includes base salaries, bonuses, stock compensation, employee benefits and employer-related payroll costs. The largest components of total compensation costs are base salaries and bonuses; generally, base salaries are expensed as incurred and annual bonus expenses are estimated and accrued. Our compensation arrangements with our employees contain a profit sharing and/or performance based bonus component. Therefore, as our net revenues increase, our compensation costs may also rise. In addition, our compensation expenses may also increase to reflect increased investment in personnel as we grow our products and businesses.

Professional Fees and General and Administrative Expenses.  The balance of our expenses includes professional fees (primarily legal, accounting, valuation and other professional services), occupancy costs and general administrative and other costs.

Total expenses for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 were approximately $17.2 million, $17.7 million, and $21.3 million, respectively. Interest expense and amortization on debt issuance costs for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 was approximately $7.7 million, $9.1 million, and $11.7 million, respectively, on average debt outstanding of $134 million, $190 million, and $224 million, respectively.

For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, approximately $4.6 million, $4.1 million, and $3.8 million, respectively, of expenses were attributable to employee compensation, including salaries, bonuses, employee benefits, payroll taxes and stock-based compensation expense. For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, professional fees and insurance expenses totaled approximately $3.3 million, $2.8 million and $4.0 million, respectively. Administrative costs, which include occupancy expense, technology and other office expenses, totaled approximately $1.7 million, $1.7 million and $1.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively.

Net Investment Income and Net Realized Gains (Losses)

Net investment income and net realized gains (losses) represents the stockholder’s equity before net unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments. For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, net investment income and net realized losses were approximately $4.1 million, $12.2 million and $17.5 million, respectively, or $0.11, $0.33, and $0.47 per basic share, respectively. Net investment income represents the income earned on our investments less operating and interest expense before net realized gains or losses and unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments. Investments are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recorded as unrealized appreciation (depreciation) in the statement of operations.

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When an investment is sold or liquidated, any previously recognized unrealized appreciation/depreciation is reversed and a corresponding amount is recognized as realized gain (loss). On February 29, 2016, Katonah X CLO Ltd. was fully liquidated and all of its outstanding obligations were satisfied. The Company received approximately $1.0 million in connection therewith related to its investment in the subordinated securities issued by Katonah X CLO Ltd. Accordingly, the Company recorded a realized loss during the first quarter of 2016 of approximately $6.6 million on its investment in Katonah X CLO Ltd. and a corresponding unrealized gain of the same amount in order to reverse the approximately $6.6 million of previously recorded unrealized depreciation with respect to the investment. For the year ended December 31, 2017, GAAP-basis net investment income was approximately $11.0 million, or $0.30 per basic share, while tax-basis distributable income was approximately $6 million or $0.16 per share, respectively.

Net Unrealized (Depreciation) Appreciation on Investments

		For the Years Ended December 31,
		2017				2016				2015
Unrealized Gains (Losses) On Investments:
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:
Debt securities		$	4,194,914			$	2,492,707			$	(10,748,262	)
Equity securities			(823,671	)			(4,413,354	)			(210,167	)
CLO Fund Securities managed by affiliates			2,102,279				4,380,974				(12,990,404	)
CLO Fund Securities managed by non-affiliates			(85,671	)			284,625				(977,483	)
Asset Manager Affiliates investments			1,401,000				(15,933,000	)			(11,243,554	)
Joint Venture Investment			(3,398,858	)
Total net unrealized gain (loss) from investment transactions		$	3,389,993			$	(13,188,048	)		$	(36,169,870	)

During the year ended December 31, 2017, our total investments had net unrealized appreciation of approximately $3.4 million. Included in the net unrealized gain in 2017 are unrealized appreciation on CLO Fund Securities of approximately $2.0 million, and unrealized appreciation of the Asset Manager Affiliates of $1.4 million, as well as unrealized appreciation on our Debt Securities Portfolio of $4.2 million, unrealized depreciation on equity securities of approximately $824,000 and unrealized depreciation on our Joint Venture investment of approximately $3.4 million. During the year ended December 31, 2016, our total investments had net unrealized depreciation of approximately $13.2 million, including net unrealized gains of approximately $4.7 million on CLO Fund Securities and unrealized depreciation of the Asset Manager Affiliates of approximately $15.9 million, net unrealized appreciation on the Debt Securities Portfolio of approximately $2.5 million and net unrealized losses on equity securities of $4.4 million. During the year ended December 31, 2015, our total investments had net unrealized depreciation of $36 million, including approximately $10.8 million of unrealized losses on the Debt Securities Portfolio, net unrealized loss of the Asset Manager Affiliates of approximately $11.2 million, and net unrealized losses on equity securities of $210,000, and net unrealized losses of approximately $14.0 million related to CLO Fund Securities.

Net Change in Stockholder’s Equity Resulting From Operations

The net increase in stockholders’ equity resulting from operations for the year ended December 31, 2017 was approximately $3.4 million, or $0.09 per basic share. Net decrease in stockholders’ equity resulting from operations for the year ended December 31, 2016 was approximately $1.0 million, or $0.03 per basic share, and the net decrease in stockholders’ equity resulting from operations for the year ended December 31, 2015 was approximately $18.6 million, or $0.50 per basic share.

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FINANCIAL CONDITION, LIQUIDITY, AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Liquidity is a measure of our ability to meet potential cash requirements, including ongoing commitments to repay borrowings, fund and maintain investments, pay distributions to our stockholders and other general business needs. We recognize the need to have funds available for operating our business and to make investments. We seek to have adequate liquidity at all times to cover normal cyclical swings in funding availability and to allow us to meet irregular and unexpected funding requirements. We plan to satisfy our liquidity needs through normal operations with the goal of avoiding unplanned sales of assets or emergency borrowing of funds.

As of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the fair value of investments and cash were as follows:

		Investments at Fair Value
Security Type		December 31, 2017				December 31, 2016
Cash		$	2,034,095			$	1,307,257
Restricted Cash			—				8,528,298
Short-term investments			77,300,320				28,699,269
Senior Secured Loan			44,960,146				200,322,152
Junior Secured Loan			58,941,300				35,444,440
Senior Unsecured Loan			12,777,283				—
First Lien Bond			—				1,089,338
Senior Secured Bond			1,518,750				1,487,400
CLO Fund Securities			51,678,673				54,174,350
Equity Securities			4,414,684				5,056,355
Joint Venture			21,516,000				—
Asset Manager Affiliates			38,849,000				40,198,000
Total		$	313,990,251			$	376,306,859

We use borrowed funds, known as “leverage,” to make investments and to attempt to increase returns to our shareholders by reducing our overall cost of capital. As a BDC, we are limited in the amount of leverage we can incur under the 1940 Act. We are only allowed to borrow amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% after such borrowing. As of December 31, 2017, we had approximately $104 million of par value of outstanding borrowings and our asset coverage ratio of total assets to total borrowings was 271%, compliant with the minimum asset coverage level of 200% required for a BDC by the 1940 Act. We may also borrow amounts of up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary purposes.

On March 15, 2016, the Convertible Notes matured and were repaid in full.

On October 10, 2012, the Company issued $41.4 million in aggregate principal amount of unsecured 7.375% Notes due 2019 (the “7.375% Notes Due 2019”). The net proceeds for the 7.375% Notes Due 2019, following underwriting expenses, were approximately $39.9 million. Interest on the 7.375% Notes Due 2019 is paid quarterly in arrears on March 30, June 30, September 30 and December 30, at a rate of 7.375%, commencing December 30, 2012. The 7.375% Notes Due 2019 mature on September 30, 2019, and are senior unsecured obligations of the Company. In addition, due to the asset coverage requirement applicable to the Company as a BDC and a covenant that the Company agreed to in connection with the issuance of the 7.375% Notes Due 2019, the Company is limited in its ability to make distributions if its asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is below 200% at the time of the declaration of the distribution. At December 31, 2017, the Company was in compliance with all of its debt covenants. The indenture governing the 7.375% Notes Due 2019 contains certain restrictive covenants, including compliance with certain provisions of the 1940 Act relating to borrowing and dividends. During the second quarter of 2016, the Company repurchased approximately $2.4 million par value of the 7.375% Notes Due 2019 at a weighted average price of $25.23 per $25.00 note, resulting in a realized loss on extinguishment of $71,190. The Company subsequently surrendered these Notes to U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”) for cancellation. During

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the third quarter of 2016, the Company redeemed $5.0 million par value of the 7.375% Notes Due 2019 was redeemed by the Company, resulting in a realized loss on extinguishment of $88,015. During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company redeemed $469,000 par value of the 7.375% Notes Due 2019, resulting in a realized loss on extinguishment of $15,000. During the second quarter of 2017, the Company redeemed $6.5 million par value of the 7.375% Notes Due 2019 resulting in a realized loss on extinguishment of debt of $107,276. KCAP subsequently surrendered all of these Notes to the Trustee for cancellation.

Investment in Joint Venture:

During the third quarter of 2017, the Company and Freedom 3 Opportunities, an affiliate of Freedom 3 Capital LLC, entered into an agreement to create the Joint Venture. The Company and Freedom 3 Opportunities contributed approximately $37 million and $25 million, respectively, in assets to the Joint Venture, which in turn used the assets to capitalize a new fund (the “Fund”) managed by KCAP Management, LLC, one of the Company’s Asset Manager Affiliates. In addition, the Fund used cash on hand and borrowings under a credit facility to purchase approximately $184 million of loans from the Company and the Company used the proceeds from such sale to redeem approximately $147 million in debt issued by KCAP Senior Funding. The Joint Venture may originate loans from time to time and sell them to the Fund.

During the fourth quarter of 2017, the Fund was refinanced through the issuance of senior and subordinated notes. The Joint Venture purchased 100% of the subordinated notes issued by the Fund. In connection with the refinancing, KCAP received a cash distribution of $12.6 million, $11.8 million of which was a return of capital.

On July 20, 2017 $147.4 million par value of notes issued by KCAP Senior Funding were repaid in full, resulting in a realized loss on extinguishment of debt of $4.1 million.

During the third quarter of 2017, the company issued $77.4 million aggregate principal amount of 6.125% Notes due 2022 (the “6.125% Notes Due 2022”). The net proceeds for the 6.125% Notes Due 2022, after the payment of underwriting expenses, were approximately $74.6 million. Interest on the 6.125% Notes Due 2022 is paid quarterly in arrears on March 30, June 30, September 30 and December 30, at a rate of 6.125% commencing September 30, 2017. The 6.125% Notes Due 2022 mature on September 30, 2022, and are senior unsecured obligations of the Company. In addition, due to the asset coverage requirement applicable to the Company as a BDC and a covenant that the Company agreed to in connection with the issuance of the 6.125% Notes Due 2022, the Company is limited in its ability to make distributions if its asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is below 200% at the time of the declaration of the distribution. At December 31, 2017, the Company was in compliance with all of its debt covenants. The indenture governing the 6.125% Notes Due 2022 contains certain restrictive covenants, including compliance with certain provisions of the 1940 Act relating to borrowing and dividends.

Subject to prevailing market conditions, we intend to grow our portfolio of assets by raising additional capital, including through the prudent use of leverage available to us. However, we may face difficulty in obtaining a new debt and equity financing as a result of current market conditions. In this regard, because our common stock has traded at a price below our current net asset value per share and we are limited in our ability to sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share without stockholder approval (which we currently do not have), we have been and may continue to be limited in our ability to raise equity capital. See “Regulation — Common Stock”. From time to time, we may seek to retire, repurchase, or exchange debt securities in open market purchases or by other means dependent on market conditions, liquidity, contractual obligations, and other matters. In addition, we evaluate strategic opportunities available to us and/or the Asset Manager Affiliates, including mergers, divestures, spin-offs, joint ventures and other similar transactions from time to time.

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Stockholder Distributions

We intend to continue to make quarterly distributions to our stockholders. To avoid certain excise taxes imposed on RICs, we generally endeavor to distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of:

We may choose to carry forward taxable income in excess of current year distributions into the next tax year and pay a 4% excise tax on such income, to the extent required.

The amount of our declared distributions, as evaluated by management and approved by our Board of Directors, is based primarily on our evaluation of our net investment income, distributable taxable income and the after-tax free cash flow from our Asset Manager Affiliates.

We will be prohibited by the 1940 Act and the indenture governing our 7.375% Notes Due 2019 and our 6.125% Notes Due 2022 from making distributions on our common stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, falls below 200%. In any such event, we would be prohibited from making distributions required in order to maintain our status as a RIC.

The following table sets forth the quarterly distributions declared by us during the two most recently completed fiscal years and the current fiscal year to date:

Distributions

Declaration Date

Record Date

Pay Date

2018:

First quarter

$

0.10

3/20/2018

4/6/2018

4/27/2018

2017:

Fourth quarter

$

0.10

12/13/2017

1/5/2018

(1)

1/25/2018

Third quarter

0.12

9/22/2017

10/10/2017

10/26/2017

Second quarter

0.12

6/20/2017

7/7/2017

7/27/2017

First quarter

0.12

3/21/2017

4/7/2017

4/28/2017

Total declared for 2017

$

0.46

2016:

Fourth quarter

$

0.12

12/14/2016

1/6/2017

(1)

1/27/2017

Third quarter

0.15

9/20/2016

10/14/2016

10/27/2016

Second quarter

0.15

6/21/2016

7/7/2016

7/28/2016

First quarter

0.15

3/18/2016

4/7/2016

4/28/2016

Total declared for 2016

$

0.57

OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

From time-to-time, the Company is a party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk in the normal course of business in order to meet the needs of the Company’s investment in portfolio companies. Such instruments include commitments to extend credit and may involve, in varying degrees, elements of credit risk in excess of amounts recognized on the Company’s balance sheet. Prior to extending such credit, the Company attempts to limit its credit risk by conducting extensive due diligence, obtaining collateral where necessary and negotiating appropriate financial covenants. As of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company had $0 and $565,000 commitments to fund investments, respectively.