As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 12, 2020

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

☐ Pre-Effective Amendment No.

☒ Post-Effective Amendment No. 6

Portman Ridge Finance Corporation

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

650 Madison Avenue,

23rd Floor

New York, New York 10022

(212) 891-2880

(Address and Telephone Number of Principal Executive Offices)

Edward Goldthorpe

President and Chief Executive Officer

Portman Ridge Finance Corporation

650 Madison Avenue

23rd Floor

New York, New York 10022

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copy to:

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.  ☒

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 to the Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-218596) of Portman Ridge Finance Corporation (the “Registration Statement”) is being filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), solely for the purpose of filing exhibits to the Registration Statement. Accordingly, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 consists only of a facing page, this explanatory note and Part C of the Registration Statement on Form N-2 setting forth the exhibits to the Registration Statement. This Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 does not modify any other part of the Registration Statement. Pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 6 shall become effective immediately upon filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The contents of the Registration Statement are hereby incorporated by reference.

PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

Item 25. Financial Statements and Exhibits

1. Financial Statements

The following financial statements are included in this registration statement in “Part A—Information Required in a Prospectus”:

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2. Exhibits

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The information contained under the heading “Plan of Distribution” of the prospectus is incorporated herein by reference, and any information concerning any underwriters will be contained in any prospectus supplement, if any, accompanying this prospectus.

The following table sets forth the estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering (excluding placement fees):

The following list sets forth each of our subsidiaries, the state under whose laws the subsidiary is organized and the percentage of voting securities or membership interests owned by us in such subsidiary:

The following table sets forth the approximate number of stockholders of record of the Company’s common stock as of February 25, 2020:

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As permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, we have adopted provisions in our certificate of incorporation, as amended, that limit or eliminate the personal liability of our directors for a breach of their fiduciary duty of care as a director. The duty of care generally requires that, when acting on behalf of the corporation, directors exercise an informed business judgment based on all material information reasonably available to them. Consequently, a director will not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages or breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability for: any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders; any act or omission not in good faith or that involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; for unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions as provided in Section 174 of the DGCL; or any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. These limitations of liability do not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as injunctive relief or rescission.

Our certificate of incorporation, as amended, provides that all directors and officers of the registrant shall be entitled to be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. Under Section 145 of the DGCL, we are permitted to offer indemnification to our directors, officers, employees and agents.

Section 145(a) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a corporation shall have the power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), because the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of any other enterprise. Such indemnity may be against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and if, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, the person did not have reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful.

Section 145(b) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a corporation shall have the power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor because the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of any other enterprise, against any expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

Under Section 145(c) of the DGCL, if a present or former director or officer has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Section 145(a) and Section 145(b) of the DGCL (described above), or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified by the corporation against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.

Section 145(g) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a corporation shall have the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of any

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other enterprise, against any liability asserted against the person in any such capacity, or arising out of the person’s status as such, regardless of whether the corporation would have the power to indemnify the person against such liability under the provisions of the law. We have obtained liability insurance for the benefit of our directors and officers.

The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that, absent criminal conduct, willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of our duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of our duties and obligations, Sierra Crest and our officers, managers, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with us are entitled to indemnification from us for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of Sierra Crest’s services under the Investment Advisory Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of ours.

The Administration Agreement provides that, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of our duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of our duties and obligations, BC Partners Administrator and its officers, managers, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from us for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of BC Partners Administrator’s services under the Administration Agreement or otherwise as administrator for us.

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by us of expenses incurred or paid by a director, or officer of ours in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, we will, unless in the opinion of our counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

A description of any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which Sierra Crest Investment Management LLC, and each managing director, director or executive officer of Sierra Crest Investment Management LLC, is or has been during the past two fiscal years, engaged in for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee, is set forth in Part A of this Registration Statement in the section entitled “Management.” Additional information regarding Sierra Crest Investment Management LLC and its officers and directors is set forth in its Form ADV and is incorporated herein by reference.

All accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder are maintained at the offices of:

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Not applicable.

The Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To suspend the offering of the securities until the prospectus is amended if  (1) subsequent to the effective date of its registration statement, the net asset value declines more than ten percent from its net asset value as of the effective date of the registration statement; or (2) the net asset value increases to an amount greater than the net proceeds as stated in the prospectus.

(2) Not applicable.

(3) In the event that the securities being registered are to be offered to existing stockholders pursuant to warrants or rights, and any securities not taken by stockholders are to be reoffered to the public, to supplement the prospectus, after the expiration of the subscription period, to set forth the results of the subscription offer, the transactions by underwriters during the subscription period, the amount of unsubscribed securities to be purchased by underwriters, and the terms of any subsequent reoffering thereof; and further, if any public offering by the underwriters of the securities being registered is to be made on terms differing from those set forth on the cover page of the prospectus, to file a post-effective amendment to set forth the terms of such offering;

(4)    (a) to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement:

(i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), or other applicable SEC rule under the Securities Act of 1933, if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs 4(a)(i), (ii), and (iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13, Section 14 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference into the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) or other applicable rule under the Securities Act of 1933 that is part of the registration statement;

(b) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of those securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

(c) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;

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(d) that, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(i) if the Registrant is relying on Rule 430B:

(A) Each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (x), or (xi) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use; or

(ii) if the Registrant is subject to Rule 430C: each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) or Rule 497(b), (c), (d), or (e) under the Securities Act of 1933, as applicable, as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use;

(e) that, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of securities, the undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to the purchaser:

(i) any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 or Rule 497 under the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrant;

(iii) the portion of any other free writing prospectus or advertisement pursuant to Rule 482 under the Securities Act of 1933 relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and

(iv) any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.

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(5) Not applicable.

(6) The Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference into the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(7) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by us of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, we will, unless in the opinion of our counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by us is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(8) Not applicable.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed on behalf of the registrant, in New York, New York on the 12th day of March, 2020.

PORTMAN RIDGE FINANCE CORPORATION

As required by the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

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Exhibit n.3

The Shareholders and Board of Directors of Portman Ridge Finance Corporation.

We have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the consolidated balance sheets of Portman Ridge Finance Corporation (formerly known as “KCAP Financial, Inc.”) (the “Company”), including the consolidated schedules of investments, as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in net assets and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018, the consolidated financial highlights for each of the five years in the period ended December 31, 2018 and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”) included in the Registration Statement (Form N-2 No. 333-218596, the “Registration Statement”). We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB, the consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014 (which are not included in the Registration Statement), and have expressed unqualified opinions on those consolidated financial statements. The accompanying information on page 67 of the Registration Statement under the caption Senior Securities Table for each of the five years in the period ended December 31, 2018 has been subjected to audit procedures performed in conjunction with our audits of Company’s financial statements. Such information included in the Senior Securities Table is the responsibility of the Company’s management.

Our audit procedures included determining whether the information included in the Senior Securities Table reconciles to the financial statements or the underlying accounting and other records, as applicable, and performing procedures to test the completeness and accuracy of the information. In forming our opinion on the information, we evaluated whether such information, including its form and content, is presented in conformity with Section 18 of the Investment Company Act of 1940. In our opinion, the information is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the consolidated financial statements as a whole.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

New York, New York

October 15, 2019