10-K 1 orctf-10k_20191231.htm 10-K orctf-10k_20191231.htm

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

(Mark One)

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the period ended December 31, 2019

OR

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                      to                      

Commission File Number 000-55977

 

OWL ROCK TECHNOLOGY FINANCE CORP.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

 

 

Maryland

 

83-1273258

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

 

 

399 Park Avenue, 38th Floor, New York, New York

 

10022

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 419-3000

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:  

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

None

None

None

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. YES NO

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. YES NO

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    YES   NO 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files).    YES   NO 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definition of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer Emerging growth company Small reporting company

Non-accelerated filer Accelerated filer

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.    

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).   YES   NO 

As of February 25, 2020, the registrant had 57,288,774 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, outstanding.

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

Page

PART I

 

 

 

 

Item 1.

 

Business

 

2

Item 1A.

 

Risk Factors

 

27

Item 1B.

 

Unresolved Staff Comments

 

62

Item 2.

 

Properties

 

62

Item 3.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

62

Item 4.

 

Mine Safety Disclosures

 

62

 

 

 

 

 

PART II

 

 

 

 

Item 5.

 

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

63

Item 6.

 

Selected Financial Data

 

66

Item 7.

 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

67

Item 7A.

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

87

Item 8.

 

Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

 

F-1

Item 9.

 

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

 

89

Item 9A.

 

Controls and Procedures

 

89

Item 9B.

 

Other Information

 

89

 

 

 

 

 

PART III

 

 

 

 

Item 10.

 

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

 

90

Item 11.

 

Executive Compensation

 

99

Item 12.

 

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters

 

100

Item 13.

 

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

 

102

Item 14.

 

Principal Accounting Fees and Services

 

104

 

 

 

 

 

PART IV

 

 

 

 

Item 15.

 

Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

 

105

Item 16.

 

Form 10-K Summary

 

106

Signatures

 

 

 

107

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This report contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and undue reliance should not be placed thereon. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp. (the “Company,” “we” or “our”), our current and prospective portfolio investments, our industry, our beliefs and opinions, and our assumptions. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “may,” “continue,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “targets,” “projects,” “outlook,” “potential,” “predicts” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation:

 

 

an economic downturn could impair our portfolio companies’ ability to continue to operate, which could lead to the loss of some or all of our investments in such portfolio companies;

 

an economic downturn could disproportionately impact the companies that we intend to target for investment, potentially causing us to experience a decrease in investment opportunities and diminished demand for capital from these companies;

 

an economic downturn could also impact availability and pricing of our financing;

 

a contraction of available credit and/or an inability to access the equity markets could impair our lending and investment activities;

 

interest rate volatility, including the decommissioning of LIBOR, could adversely affect our results, particularly if we elect to use leverage as part of our investment strategy;

 

currency fluctuations could adversely affect the results of our investments in foreign companies, particularly to the extent that we receive payments denominated in foreign currency rather than U.S. dollars;

 

our future operating results;

 

our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio companies;

 

our contractual arrangements and relationships with third parties;

 

the ability of our portfolio companies to achieve their objectives;

 

competition with other entities and our affiliates for investment opportunities;

 

the speculative and illiquid nature of our investments;

 

the use of borrowed money to finance a portion of our investments as well as any estimates regarding potential use of leverage;

 

the adequacy of our financing sources and working capital;

 

the loss of key personnel;

 

the timing of cash flows, if any, from the operations of our portfolio companies;

 

the ability of Owl Rock Technology Advisors LLC (“the Adviser” or “our Adviser”) to locate suitable investments for us and to monitor and administer our investments;

 

the ability of the Adviser to attract and retain highly talented professionals;

 

our ability to qualify for and maintain our tax treatment as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and as a business development company (“BDC”);

 

the effect of legal, tax and regulatory changes; and

 

other risks, uncertainties and other factors previously identified in the reports and other documents we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

 

Although we believe that the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of those assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those assumptions also could be inaccurate. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statement in this report should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved. These forward-looking statements apply only as of the date of this report. Moreover, we assume no duty and do not undertake to update the forward-looking statements. Because we are an investment company, the forward-looking statements and projections contained in this report are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”).

 

 

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PART I

Item 1. Business.

 

Our Company

Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp. is a Maryland corporation formed on July 12, 2018. We are focused primarily on originating and making debt and equity investments in technology-related companies based primarily in the United States. We originate and invest in senior secured or unsecured loans, subordinated loans or mezzanine loans, and equity-related securities including common equity, warrants, preferred stock and similar forms of senior equity, which may or may not be convertible into a portfolio company’s common equity. Our investment objective is to maximize total return by generating current income from debt investments and other income producing securities, and capital appreciation from our equity and equity-linked investments. Since our Adviser’s affiliates began investment activities in April 2016 through December 31, 2019, our Adviser or its affiliates have originated $19.0 billion aggregate principal amount of investments across multiple industries, of which $17.4 billion of aggregate principal amount of investments prior to any subsequent exits or repayments, was retained by either us or a corporation or fund advised by our Adviser or its affiliates.

We invest in a broad range of established and high growth technology and life sciences-related companies that are capitalizing on the large and growing demand for technology products and services. These companies use technology extensively to improve their business processes, applications and opportunities or seek to grow through technological developments and innovations.  These companies operate in technology-related industries or sectors which include, but are not limited to, information technology, application or infrastructure software, financial services, data and analytics, security, cloud computing, communications, life sciences, healthcare, media, consumer electronics, semi-conductor, internet commerce and advertising, environmental, aerospace and defense industries and sectors. Within each industry or sector, we intend to invest in companies that are developing or offering goods and services to businesses and consumers which utilize scientific knowledge, including techniques, skills, methods, devices and processes, to solve problems.  We refer to all of these companies as “technology-related” companies and intend, under normal circumstances, to invest at least 80% of the value of our total assets in such businesses.

We are advised by the Adviser pursuant to an investment advisory agreement. The Adviser is a subsidiary of Owl Rock Capital Partners LP (“Owl Rock Capital Partners”). We expect to leverage Owl Rock Capital Partners’ relationships and existing origination capabilities to focus our investments in companies with an enterprise value of at least $50 million and that are backed by venture capital firms or private equity firms that are active investors in and have an expertise in technology companies and technology-related industries. Our target investments will typically range in size between $20 million and $500 million. Our expected portfolio composition will be majority debt or income producing securities, with a lesser allocation to equity or equity-linked opportunities. We anticipate that generally any equity or equity-linked securities we hold will be minority positions. Our investment size will vary with the size of our capital base and we anticipate that our average investment size will be 1-2% of our entire portfolio with no investment size greater than 5%.

We expect that generally our portfolio composition will be majority debt or income producing securities, which may include “covenant-lite” loans (as defined below), with a lesser allocation to equity or equity-linked opportunities. In addition, we may invest a portion of our portfolio in opportunistic investments, which will not be our primary focus, but will be intended to enhance returns to our Shareholders. These investments may include high-yield bonds and broadly-syndicated loans. In addition, we generally do not intend to invest more than 20% of our total assets in companies whose principal place of business is outside the United States, although we do not generally intend to invest in companies whose principal place of business is in an emerging market. Our portfolio composition may fluctuate from time to time based on market conditions and interest rates.

As of December 31, 2019, based on fair value, our portfolio consisted of 93.6% first lien senior secured debt investments, 2.5% second lien senior secured debt investments and 3.9% equity investments. As of December 31, 2019, 100.0% of our debt investments based on fair value bear interest at a floating rate, subject to interest rate floors, in certain cases. As of December 31, 2019 we had investments in 29 portfolio companies with an aggregate fair value of $1.5 billion. As of December 31, 2019, our portfolio was invested across 14 different industries. The largest industries in our portfolio as of December 31, 2019 were business services and healthcare technology, which represented, as a percentage of our portfolio, 26.9% and 17.0%, respectively, based on fair value.

We classify our debt investments as “traditional financing” or “growth capital” based on a number of factors. Traditional financing typically means a senior secured loan provided to a portfolio company that is owned by a private-equity firm, has a mature business model, and is underwritten primarily on the basis of a multiple of EBITDA or cash flow. Growth capital typically means an investment in an established, but rapidly growing business that is owned by, or received an equity investment from, one or more growth equity or venture capital firms, and is underwritten on the basis of something other than a multiple of EBITDA (for example, a multiple of recurring revenue). As of December 31, 2019, our average investment size in each of our portfolio companies was approximately $50.9 million based on fair value. As of December 31, 2019, investments we classify as traditional financing represented 65.7% of our total debt portfolio based on fair value. As of December 31, 2019, investments we classify as growth capital represented 34.3% of our total debt portfolio based on fair value.

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We conduct private offerings (each, a “Private Offering”) of our common shares to accredited investors in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). At the closing of each Private Offering, each investor makes a capital commitment (a “Capital Commitment”) to purchase shares of our common stock pursuant to a subscription agreement entered into with the Company. Until the earlier of an Exchange Listing (as defined below) and the end of the Commitment Period (as defined below), investors are required to fund drawdowns to purchase shares of our common stock up to the amount of their respective Capital Commitment on an as-needed basis each time we deliver a drawdown notice to our investors. The initial closing of the Private Offering occurred on August 10, 2018 (the “Initial Closing”). As of December 31, 2019, the Company had $2.5 billion in total Capital Commitments from investors ($1.7 billion undrawn), of which $68.5 million is from entities affiliated with or related to the Adviser ($48.2 million undrawn). Prior to the listing of our common stock on a national securities exchange (an “Exchange Listing”), the Adviser may, in its sole discretion, permit one or more additional closings (“Subsequent Closings”) as additional Capital Commitments are obtained (the conclusion of all Subsequent Closings, if any, the “Final Closing”). The “Commitment Period” will continue until the earlier of the (i) five-year anniversary of the Final Closing and (ii) the seven-year anniversary of the Initial Closing. See “— The Private Offering.”

If we have not consummated an Exchange Listing by the end of the Commitment Period, subject to extension for two additional one-year periods, in the sole discretion of our board of directors (the “Board”), the Board (subject to any necessary shareholder approvals and applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) will use its commercially reasonable efforts to wind down and/or liquidate and dissolve the Company in an orderly manner.

We are an externally managed, closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. We have elected to be treated, and intend to qualify annually, as a RIC under the Code for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a BDC and a RIC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. As a BDC, at least 70% of our assets must be assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, as described herein. We will not invest more than 20% of our total assets in companies whose principal place of business is outside the United States. See “— Regulation as a Business Development Company” and “— Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

We generally intend to distribute, out of assets legally available for distribution, substantially all of our available earnings, on a quarterly basis, as determined by our Board in its sole discretion.

To achieve our investment objective, we will leverage the Adviser’s investment team’s extensive network of relationships with other sophisticated institutions to source, evaluate and, as appropriate, partner with on transactions. There are no assurances that we will achieve our investment objective.

We may borrow money from time to time within the levels permitted by the 1940 Act (which generally allows us to incur leverage up to two-thirds of our assets). We have entered into a subscription line revolving credit facility (the “Subscription Credit Facility”) and a senior secured revolving credit agreement (the “Revolving Credit Agreement”). We expect to use our credit facilities and other borrowings, along with proceeds from the rotation of our portfolio and proceeds from the Private Offerings, to finance our investment objectives. See “Regulation as a Business Development Company” for discussion of BDC regulation and other regulatory considerations. See “ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationS — Debt.”

 

The Adviser and Administrator — Owl Rock Technology Advisors LLC

 Owl Rock Technology Advisors LLC serves as our investment adviser pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) between us and the Adviser. See “—Investment Advisory Agreement.”  The Adviser serves as our Administrator pursuant to an Administration Agreement between us and the Advisor which was entered into on August 10, 2018 (the "Administration Agreement").  See "Administration Agreement" below. The Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”).  The Adviser is an indirect subsidiary of Owl Rock Capital Partners. Owl Rock Capital Partners is led by its three co-founders, Douglas I. Ostrover, Marc S. Lipschultz and Craig W. Packer. The Adviser’s investment team (the “Investment Team”) is also led by Douglas I. Ostrover, Marc S. Lipschultz and Craig W. Packer and is supported by certain members of the Adviser’s senior executive team and Investment Committee.  The investment committee (the “Investment Committee”) is comprised of Douglas I. Ostrover, Marc S. Lipschultz, Craig W. Packer, Alexis Maged, Erik Bissonnette and Pravin Vazirani. The Adviser has limited operating history.  Subject to the overall supervision of the Board, the Adviser manages our day-to-day operations and provides investment advisory and management services to us.

The Adviser is affiliated with Owl Rock Capital Advisors LLC (“ORCA”) and Owl Rock Capital Private Fund Advisors LLC (“ORPFA” and collectively with the Adviser and ORCA, the “Owl Rock Advisers”), which also are investment advisers and subsidiaries of Owl Rock Capital Partners.  The Adviser, ORCA, ORPFA and Owl Rock Capital Partners are referred to, collectively, as “Owl Rock.” ORCA and ORPFA’s investment teams are led by Douglas I. Ostrover, Marc S. Lipschultz and Craig W. Packer, and ORCA serves as investment adviser to Owl Rock Capital Corporation and Owl Rock Capital Corporation II. ORPFA serves as investment adviser to, among other clients, Owl Rock First Lien Master Fund, L.P.

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 Owl Rock Capital Corporation is a BDC and its investment objective is to generate current income, and to a lesser extent, capital appreciation by targeting investment opportunities with favorable risk adjusted returns. On July 22, 2019, Owl Rock Capital Corporation closed its initial public offering.

 Owl Rock Capital Corporation II is a BDC and its investment objective is to generate current income, and to a lesser extent, capital appreciation by targeting investment opportunities with favorable risk adjusted returns. As of December 31, 2019, Owl Rock Capital Corporation II had raised gross proceeds of approximately $963.7 million, including seed capital contributed by the Adviser in September 2016 from certain individuals and entities affiliated with the Adviser, and approximately $10.0 million in a private placement from certain individuals and entities affiliated with the Adviser. 

In addition to Owl Rock Capital Corporation, Owl Rock Capital Corporation II and Owl Rock First Lien Master Fund, L.P., the Adviser and its affiliates may provide management or investment advisory services to entities that have overlapping objectives with us. The Adviser and its affiliates may face conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities to us and others. In order to address these conflicts, Owl Rock has put in place an investment allocation policy that addresses the allocation of investment opportunities as well as co-investment restrictions under the 1940 Act.

In addition, we intend to rely on exemptive relief that has been granted by the SEC to Owl Rock and certain of its affiliates to co-invest with other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. Pursuant to such exemptive relief, we generally are permitted to co-invest with certain of our affiliates if a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our shareholders and do not involve overreaching of us or our shareholders on the part of any person concerned, (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our shareholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies, and (3) the investment by our affiliates would not disadvantage us, and our participation would not be on a basis different from or less advantageous than that on which our affiliates are investing. The Owl Rock Advisers’ investment allocation policy incorporates the conditions of the exemptive relief. See “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS —Risks Related to our Adviser and its Affiliates — we may compete for capital and investment opportunities with other entities managed by our Adviser or its affiliates subjecting our Adviser to certain conflicts of interest.”

The Adviser's address is 399 Park Avenue, 38th floor, New York, NY 10022.

Market Trends

We believe the technology investment lending environment provides opportunities for us to meet our goal of making investments that generate an attractive total return based on a combination of the following factors:

Limited Availability of Capital for Technology Companies. We believe that technology companies have limited access to capital, driven by a reduction in activity from commercial and investment banks, and a lack of dedicated pools of capital focused on

technology companies. Traditional lenders, such as commercial and investment banks, generally do not have flexible product offerings that meet the needs of technology-related companies. In recent years, many commercial and investment banks have focused their efforts and resources on lending to large corporate clients and managing capital markets transactions rather than lending to technology-related companies. In addition, these lenders may be constrained in their ability to underwrite and hold loans and high yield securities, as well as their ability to provide equity financing, as they seek to meet existing and future regulatory capital requirements. We also believe that there is a lack of scaled market participants that are willing to provide and hold meaningful amounts of a customized financing solution for technology companies. As a result, we believe our focus on technology-related companies and our ability to invest across the capital structure, coupled with a limited supply of capital providers, presents an attractive opportunity to invest in technology companies.

Capital Markets Have Been Unable to Fill the Void Left by Banks. While underwritten bond and syndicated loan markets have been robust in recent years, many technology companies are less able to access these markets for reasons including the following:

High Yield Market – Many technology companies generally are not issuing debt in an amount large enough to be an attractively sized bond. High yield bonds are generally purchased by institutional investors who, among other things, are highly focused on the liquidity characteristics of the bond being issued. For example, mutual funds and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) are significant buyers of underwritten bonds. However, mutual funds and ETFs generally require the ability to liquidate their investments quickly in order to fund investor redemptions and/or comply with regulatory requirements. Accordingly, the existence of an active secondary market for bonds is an important consideration in these entities’ initial investment decision. Because there is typically little or no active secondary market for the debt of U.S. middle market companies, mutual funds and ETFs generally do not provide debt capital to technology companies. We believe this is likely to be a persistent problem and creates an advantage for those like us who have a more stable capital base and have the ability to invest in illiquid assets.

Syndicated Loan Market – Loan issue size and liquidity are key drivers of institutional appetite and, correspondingly, underwriters’ willingness to underwrite the loans. Loans arranged through a bank are done either on a “best efforts” basis or are underwritten with terms plus provisions that permit the underwriters to change certain terms, including pricing, structure, yield and

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tenor, otherwise known as “flex”, to successfully syndicate the loan, in the event the terms initially marketed are insufficiently attractive to investors. Loans provided by companies such as ours provide certainty to issuers in that we can commit to a given amount of debt on specific terms, at stated coupons and with agreed upon fees. As we are the ultimate holder of the loans, we do not require market “flex” or other arrangements that banks may require when acting on an agency basis.

Robust Demand for Debt Capital. According to S&P Capital IQ, there was approximately $1.2 trillion of mergers and acquisitions activity in the technology and software industries from 2013 through 2017. We believe technology companies will continue to require access to capital to refinance existing debt, support growth and finance acquisitions. In addition, we believe the large amount of uninvested capital held by funds of private equity firms, estimated by Preqin Ltd., an alternative assets industry data and research company, to be $1.3 trillion as of March 2019, coupled with a growing focus on technology investing by private equity sponsors, will continue to drive deal activity. We expect that technology companies, private equity sponsors, venture capital firms, and entrepreneurs will continue to seek partners to provide flexible financing for their businesses with debt and equity investments provided by companies such as us.

Technology Spend is Large and Increasing. According to Gartner, a research and advisory company, global technology spend was $3.7 trillion in 2019 and is expected to grow to more than $4.3 trillion by 2023. We believe global demand for technology products and services will continue to grow rapidly, and that that growth will stimulate demand for capital from technology companies.

Attractive Investment Dynamics. An imbalance between the supply of, and demand for, capital creates attractive pricing dynamics. With respect to the debt investments in technology companies, we believe the directly negotiated nature of such financings generally provides more favorable terms to the lender, including stronger covenant and reporting packages, better call protection, and lender protective change of control provisions. Further, we believe that historical default rates for technology and software companies have been lower, and recovery rates have been higher, as compared to the broader leveraged finance market, leading to lower cumulative losses. With respect to equity and equity-linked investments, we will seek to structure these investments with meaningful shareholder protections, including, but not limited to, anti-dilution, anti-layering, and liquidation preferences, which we believe will create the potential for meaningful risk-adjusted long-term capital gains in connection with the future liquidity events of these technology companies.

Compelling Business Models. We believe that the products and services that technology companies provide often have high switching costs and are fundamental to the operations and success of their customers. As a result, technology companies have attributes that make them compelling investments, including strong customer retention rates, and highly recurring and predictable revenue. Further, technology companies are typically highly capital efficient, with limited capital expenditures and high free cash flow conversion.

Attractive Opportunities in Investments in Technology Companies. We invest in the debt and equity of technology companies. We believe that opportunities in the debt of technology companies are significant because of the floating rate structure of most senior secured debt issuances and because of the strong defensive characteristics of these types of investments. Given the current low interest rate environment, we believe that debt issues with floating interest rates offer a superior return profile as compared with fixed-rate investments, since floating rate structures are generally less susceptible to declines in value experienced by fixed-rate securities in a rising interest rate environment. Senior secured debt also provides strong defensive characteristics. Senior secured debt has priority in payment among an issuer’s security holders whereby holders are due to receive payment before junior creditors and equity holders. Further, these investments are generally secured by the issuer’s assets, which may provide protection in the event of a default.

We believe that opportunities in the equity of technology companies are significant because of the potential to generate meaningful capital appreciation by participating in the growth in the portfolio company and the demand for its products and services. Moreover, we believe that the high-growth profile of a technology company will generally make it a more attractive candidate for a liquidity event than a company in a non-high growth industry.

We believe that opportunities in the equity of technology companies are significant because of the potential to generate meaningful capital appreciation by participating in the growth in the portfolio company and the demand for its products and services. Moreover, we believe that the high-growth profile of a technology company will generally make it a more attractive candidate for a liquidity event than a company in a non-high growth industry.

 

Potential Competitive Advantages

We believe that the Adviser’s disciplined approach to origination, fundamental investment analysis, portfolio construction and risk management should allow us to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns while preserving our capital. We believe that we represent an attractive investment opportunity for the following reasons:


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Dedicated Pool of Capital. From a deal sourcing perspective, having a pool of capital dedicated to technology investing should enable us to be a more relevant partner to sponsors and management teams who seek this type of financing for their deals.

Additionally, our dedicated industry focus will be supported by a team with a track record of success investing in technology businesses. The Adviser’s network of deep industry relationships creates a substantial information advantage that informs and augments its due diligence process. This unique positioning should further drive entrenchment with sponsors as the Adviser will typically be viewed as a value-added partner during the diligence and investment lifecycle of our businesses.

We believe that there is currently an opportunity for us to be a “first mover” as a specialized debt financing provider in the technology sector. We believe the space to be underserved and we are not aware of other entities currently serving the sector that have large pools of capital dedicated to the space and that do not operate competing businesses.

 

Experienced Team with Expertise Across all Levels of the Corporate Capital Structure. The members of the Investment Committee have an average of 20 years of experience in private lending and investing at all levels of a company’s capital structure, including in high yield securities, leveraged loans, high yield credit derivatives, distressed securities, and equity securities, as well as experience in operations, corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. The members of the Investment Committee have diverse backgrounds with investing experience through multiple business and credit cycles. Moreover, certain members of the Investment Committee and other executives and employees of the Adviser and its affiliates have operating and/or investing experience on behalf of business development companies. In addition, the Adviser opened an office on the West Coast to better serve financial sponsors operating in the technology sector. We believe this experience provides the Adviser with an in-depth understanding of the strategic, financial and operational challenges and opportunities of technology companies and will afford it numerous tools to manage risk while preserving the opportunity for attractive risk-adjusted returns on our investments.

Distinctive Origination Platform. We anticipate that a substantial majority of our investments will be sourced directly and that our origination platform provides us the ability to originate investments without the assistance of investment banks or other traditional Wall Street intermediaries. The Investment Team is responsible for originating, underwriting, executing and managing the assets of our direct lending transactions and for sourcing and executing opportunities directly. The Investment Team has significant experience as transaction originators and building and maintaining strong relationships with private equity sponsors, venture capital firms, entrepreneurs, and companies.

The Investment Team also maintains direct contact with banks, corporate advisory firms, industry consultants, attorneys, investment banks, “club” investors and other potential sources of lending opportunities. We believe the Adviser’s ability to source through multiple channels allows us to generate investment opportunities that have more attractive risk-adjusted return characteristics than by relying solely on origination flow from investment banks or other intermediaries and to be more selective investors.

Since its inception through December 31, 2019, the Adviser and its affiliates have sourced potential investment opportunities from over 445 private equity sponsors and venture capital firms and has originated $19.0 billion aggregate principal amount of investments. The Company believes that the Adviser will receive “early looks” and “last looks” based on its relationships, allowing it to be highly selective in the transactions it pursues.

Provide Customized Financing Complementary to Financial Sponsors’ Capital. We intend to offer a broad range of investment structures and possess expertise and experience to effectively structure and price investments in technology companies. We offer customized financing solutions ranging from senior debt to equity capital. Unlike many of our competitors that we believe are restricted to smaller investment sizes and only invest in companies that fit a specific set of investment parameters, we have the scale and flexibility to structure our investments to suit the particular needs of our portfolio companies. As a result, we believe that our capital will be viewed as an attractive and complimentary source of capital, both by the portfolio company and by the portfolio company’s financial sponsor.  

Potential Long-Term Investment Horizon. We believe our potential long-term investment horizon gives us flexibility, allowing us to maximize returns on our investments in technology companies. We intend to invest using a long-term focus, which we believe provides us with the opportunity to increase total returns on invested capital, as compared to other private company investment vehicles or investment vehicles with daily liquidity requirements (e.g., open-ended mutual funds and ETFs).

Disciplined Investment Philosophy. The Adviser intends to employ an investment approach focused on rigorous due diligence and underwriting, a highly selective and multi-stage investment decision process, and ongoing portfolio monitoring. The investment approach will focus on quantitative and qualitative factors, with particular emphasis on early detection of potential deterioration. This strategy is designed to minimize potential losses and achieve attractive risk adjusted returns.  

Active Portfolio Monitoring. The Adviser will closely monitor the investments in our portfolio and take a proactive approach to identifying and addressing sector- or company-specific risks. The Adviser will receive and review detailed financial information from portfolio companies no less than quarterly and seek to maintain regular dialogue with portfolio company management teams regarding current and forecasted performance. We anticipate that many of our debt investments will have financial covenants that we believe will provide an early warning of potential problems facing our borrowers, allowing lenders, including us, to identify and carefully

6


 

manage risk. Further, we anticipate that many of our equity investments will provide us the opportunity to nominate a member or observer to the board of directors of the portfolio company, which we believe will allow us to closely monitor the performance of our portfolio companies.

 

Investment Selection

The Adviser expects to apply rigorous and established investment selection and underwriting criteria.  Although not exhaustive, the Adviser expects that our investments will typically have many of the following attributes:

 

Mission critical solutions: solutions that are essential to business operations and are tightly integrated into the workflows or operations of end users;

 

Market leadership positions: a leadership position in its market (or the potential to establish a leadership position) with potential and/or defensible barriers to entry;

 

Strong quality of revenue: revenue streams with high degrees of visibility (contracted or re-occurring) and substantial gross margins diversified by a granular, long-tenured customer base;

 

Highly capital efficient: strong free cash flow conversion or the potential to generate strong free cash flow conversion due to operating margins and low capital intensity; and

 

Attractive Unit Economics: strong payback periods in respect of lifetime value of a customer versus the cost to acquire the customer.

The Adviser has identified the following investment criteria and guidelines that it believes are important in evaluating prospective portfolio companies. However, not all of these criteria and guidelines will be met, or will be equally important, in connection with each of our investments.

Established Companies. We intend to invest in companies with established business models, products and customers and that have demonstrated, or have a plan to achieve, sound financial performance which we believe tend to be well-positioned to generate consistent cash flow to service and repay their obligations and maintain growth in their businesses or market share. The Adviser does not intend to invest in start-up companies with speculative business plans.

Strong Competitive Position in Industry. The Adviser intends to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of target companies relative to their competitors. The factors the Adviser will consider include relative product pricing, product quality, customer loyalty, substitution risk, switching costs, patent protection, brand positioning and capitalization. We will seek to invest in companies that have developed leading positions within their respective markets, are well positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities and operate businesses, exhibit the potential to maintain sufficient cash flows to service their obligations in a range of economic environments or are in industries with significant barriers to entry. We will seek companies that demonstrate advantages in scale, scope, customer loyalty, product pricing or product quality versus their competitors that, when compared to their competitors, may help to protect their market position and cash flows.

Experienced Management Team. We will seek to invest in companies that have experienced management teams. We will also seek to invest in companies that have proper incentives in place, including management teams having significant equity interests to motivate management to act in concert with our interests as an investor.

Diversified Customer and Supplier Base. We will generally seek to invest in technology companies that have a diversified customer and supplier base. Companies with a diversified customer and supplier base are generally better able to endure economic downturns, industry consolidation, changing business preferences and other factors that may negatively impact their customers, suppliers and competitors.

Exit Strategy. While certain debt investments may be repaid through operating cash flows of the borrower, we expect that the primary means by which we exit our debt investments will be through methods such as strategic acquisitions by other industry participants, an initial public offering of common stock, a recapitalization, a refinancing or another transaction in the capital markets.

Prior to making an equity investment in a prospective portfolio company, we analyze the potential for that company to increase the liquidity of its equity through a future event that would enable us to realize appreciation in the value of our equity interest. Liquidity events may include an IPO, a private sale of our equity interest to a third party, a merger or an acquisition of the company or a purchase of our equity position by the company or one of its stockholders.

In addition, in connection with our investing activities, we may make commitments with respect to an investment in a potential portfolio company substantially in excess of our final investment. In such situations, while we may initially agree to fund up to a certain dollar amount of an investment, we may sell a portion of such amount, such that we are left with a smaller investment than what was reflected in our original commitment.

Financial SponsorshipWe may seek to participate in transactions sponsored by what we believe to be high-quality private equity and venture capital firms. We believe that a financial sponsor’s willingness to invest significant sums of equity capital into a

7


 

company is an explicit endorsement of the quality of their investment. Further, financial sponsors of portfolio companies with significant investments at risk have the ability and a strong incentive to contribute additional capital in difficult economic times should operational issues arise.

Investments in Different Portfolio Companies and End MarketsWe will seek to invest broadly among portfolio companies and end markets, thereby potentially reducing the risk of any one company or industry having a disproportionate impact on the value of our portfolio; however, there can be no assurances in this regard. 

 

Investment Process Overview

Origination and Sourcing. The Investment Team has an extensive network from which to source deal flow and referrals. Specifically, the Adviser will source portfolio investments from a variety of different investment sources, including among others, private equity sponsors, management teams, financial intermediaries and advisers, investment bankers, family offices, accounting firms and law firms. The Adviser believes that its experience across different industries and transaction types makes the Adviser particularly and uniquely qualified to source, analyze and execute investment opportunities.

Due Diligence Process. The process through which an investment decision is made involves extensive research into the company, its industry, its growth prospects and its ability to withstand adverse conditions. If one or more of the members of the Investment Team responsible for the transaction determine that an investment opportunity should be pursued, the Adviser will engage in an intensive due diligence process. Though each transaction may involve a somewhat different approach, the Adviser’s diligence of each opportunity could include:

 

 

understanding the purpose of the loan, the key personnel, the sources and uses of the proceeds;

 

meeting the company’s management and key personnel, including top level executives, to get an insider’s view of the business, and to probe for potential weaknesses in business prospects;

 

checking management’s backgrounds and references;

 

performing a detailed review of historical financial performance, including performance through various economic cycles, and the quality of earnings;

 

contacting customers and vendors to assess both business prospects and standard practices;

 

conducting a competitive analysis, and comparing the company to its main competitors on an operating, financial, market share and valuation basis;

 

researching the industry for historic growth trends and future prospects as well as to identify future exit alternatives;

 

assessing asset value and the ability of physical infrastructure and information systems to handle anticipated growth;

 

leveraging the Adviser’s internal resources and network with institutional knowledge of the company’s business;

 

assessing business valuation and corresponding recovery analysis;

 

reviewing environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) considerations including consulting the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s Engagement Guide for ESG considerations; and

 

investigating legal and regulatory risks and financial and accounting systems and practices.

 

Selective Investment Process. After an investment has been identified and preliminary diligence has been completed, an investment committee memorandum is prepared. This memorandum is reviewed by the members of the Investment Team in charge of the potential investment. If these members of the Investment Team are in favor of the potential investment, then a more extensive due diligence process is employed. Additional due diligence with respect to any investment may be conducted on our behalf by attorneys, independent accountants, and other third-party consultants and research firms prior to the closing of the investment, as appropriate on a case-by-case basis.

Structuring and Execution. Approval of an investment requires the unanimous approval of the Investment Committee (as defined below). Once the Investment Committee has determined that a prospective portfolio company is suitable for investment, the Adviser will work with the management team or sponsor of that company and its other capital providers, including senior, junior and equity capital providers, if any, to finalize the structure and terms of the investment.


8


 

Portfolio Monitoring. The Adviser will monitor our portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. The Adviser will monitor the financial trends of each portfolio company to determine if it is meeting its business plans and to assess the appropriate course of action with respect to our investment in each portfolio company. The Adviser has a number of methods of evaluating and monitoring the performance and fair value of our investments, which may include the following:

 

 

assessment of success of the portfolio company in adhering to its business plan and compliance with covenants;

 

periodic and regular contact with portfolio company management and, if appropriate, the financial or strategic sponsor, to discuss financial position, requirements and accomplishments;

 

comparisons to other companies in the portfolio company’s industry;

 

attendance at, and participation in, board meetings; and

 

review of periodic financial statements and financial projections for portfolio companies.

 

Structure of Investments

Our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation by targeting investment opportunities with favorable risk-adjusted returns.

 

Debt Investments. The terms of our debt investments are tailored to the facts and circumstances of each transaction. The Adviser will negotiate the structure of each investment to protect our rights and manage our risk. We intend to invest in the following types of debt:

 

 

First-lien debt. First-lien debt typically is senior on a lien basis to other liabilities in the issuer’s capital structure and has the benefit of a first-priority security interest in assets of the issuer. The security interest ranks above the security interest of any second-lien lenders in those assets. Our first-lien debt may include stand-alone first-lien loans, “last out” first lien loans, “unitranche” loans and secured corporate bonds with similar features to these categories of first-lien loans. As of December 31, 2019, 44% of our first lien debt was comprised of unitranche loans.

 

 

o

Stand-alone first lien loans. Stand-alone first-lien loans are traditional first-lien loans. All lenders in the facility have equal rights to the collateral that is subject to the first-priority security interest.

 

 

o

“Last out” first-lien / unitranche loans. Unitranche loans combine features of first-lien, second-lien and mezzanine debt, generally in a first-lien position. In many cases, we may provide the issuer most, if not all, of the capital structure above their equity. The primary advantages to the issuer are the ability to negotiate the entire debt financing with one lender and the elimination of intercreditor issues. “Last out” first-lien loans have a secondary priority behind super-senior “first out” first-lien loans in the collateral securing the loans in certain circumstances. The arrangements for a “last out” first-lien loan are set forth in an “agreement among lenders,” which provides lenders with “first out” and “last out” payment streams based on a single lien on the collateral. Since the “first out” lenders generally have priority over the “last out” lenders for receiving payment under certain specified events of default, or upon the occurrence of other triggering events under intercreditor agreements or agreements among lenders, the “last out” lenders bear a greater risk and, in exchange, receive a higher effective interest rate, through arrangements among the lenders, than the “first out” lenders or lenders in stand-alone first-lien loans. Agreements among lenders also typically provide greater voting rights to the “last out” lenders than the intercreditor agreements to which second-lien lenders often are subject. Among the types of first-lien debt in which we may invest, “last out” first-lien loans generally have higher effective interest rates than other types of first-lien loans, since “last out” first lien-loans rank below standalone first-lien loans.

 

 

Second-lien debt. Our second-lien debt may include secured loans, and, to a lesser extent, secured corporate bonds, with a secondary priority behind first-lien debt. Second-lien debt typically is senior on a lien basis to unsecured liabilities in the issuer’s capital structure and has the benefit of a security interest over assets of the issuer, though ranking junior to first-lien debt secured by those assets. First-lien lenders and second-lien lenders typically have separate liens on the collateral, and an intercreditor agreement provides the first-lien lenders with priority over the second-lien lenders’ liens on the collateral.

 

 

Mezzanine debt. Structurally, mezzanine debt usually ranks subordinate in priority of payment to first-lien and second-lien debt, is often unsecured, and may not have the benefit of financial covenants common in first-lien and second-lien debt. However, mezzanine debt ranks senior to common and preferred equity in an issuer’s capital structure. Mezzanine debt investments generally offer lenders fixed returns in the form of interest payments, which could be paid-in-kind, and may provide lenders an opportunity to participate in the capital appreciation, if any, of an issuer through an equity interest. This equity interest typically takes the form of an equity co-investment or warrants. Due to its higher risk profile and often less

9


 

 

restrictive covenants compared to senior secured loans, mezzanine debt generally bears a higher stated interest rate than first-lien and second-lien debt.

 

Equity Investments

Our investment in a portfolio company could be or may include an equity-linked interest, such as a warrant or profit participation right. In certain instances, we will also make direct equity investments, although those situations are generally limited to those cases where we are making an investment in a more senior part of the capital structure of the issuer. We anticipate that generally any equity or equity-linked securities we hold will be minority positions.

 

Investment Portfolio

As of December 31, 2019 we had investments in 29 portfolio companies with an aggregate fair value of $1.5 billion. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, investments consisted of the following:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

($ in thousands)

 

Amortized Cost

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

Net Unrealized Gain (Loss)

 

 

Amortized Cost

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

Net Unrealized Gain (Loss)

 

First-lien senior secured debt investments

 

$

1,385,386

 

 

$

1,382,256

 

 

$

(3,130

)

 

$

214,274

 

 

$

214,348

 

 

$

74

 

Second-lien senior secured debt investments

 

 

36,147

 

 

 

36,236

 

 

 

89

 

 

 

19,611

 

 

 

19,550

 

 

 

(61

)

Unsecured debt investments

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

30,000

 

 

 

28,935

 

 

 

(1,065

)

Equity

 

 

57,303

 

 

 

57,453

 

 

 

150

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

 

Total Investments

 

$

1,478,836

 

 

$

1,475,945

 

 

$

(2,891

)

 

$

263,885

 

 

$

262,833

 

 

$

(1,052

)

 

As of December 31, 2019 we had outstanding commitments to fund unfunded investments totaling $167.9 million.

 

The table below describes investments by industry composition based on fair value as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

Aerospace and defense

 

 

-

 

%

 

9.4

 

%

Buildings and real estate

 

 

3.0

 

 

 

5.4

 

 

Business services

 

 

26.9

 

 

 

-

 

 

Data and information services

 

 

5.8

 

 

 

-

 

 

eCommerce and digital marketplaces

 

 

0.3

 

 

 

-

 

 

Education

 

 

16.4

 

 

 

34.0

 

 

Financial services

 

 

1.4

 

 

 

-

 

 

Healthcare providers and services

 

 

3.1

 

 

 

-

 

 

Healthcare technology

 

 

17.0

 

 

 

12.0

 

 

Insurance

 

 

2.9

 

 

 

-

 

 

Internet and digital media

 

 

8.7

 

 

 

-

 

 

Leisure and entertainment

 

 

4.5

 

 

 

-

 

 

Oil and gas

 

 

5.7

 

 

 

-

 

 

Professional services

 

 

3.5

 

 

 

28.2

 

 

Technology infrastructure

 

 

0.8

 

 

 

-

 

 

Transportation

 

 

-

 

 

 

11.0

 

 

Total

 

 

100.0

 

%

 

100.0

 

%

 


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The table below describes investments by geographic composition based on fair value as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

United States:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midwest

 

 

6.9

 

%

 

-

 

%

Northeast

 

 

35.9

 

 

 

40.1

 

 

South

 

 

34.7

 

 

 

39.5

 

 

West

 

 

17.3

 

 

 

20.4

 

 

Canada

 

 

3.1

 

 

 

-

 

 

Ireland

 

 

2.1

 

 

 

-

 

 

Total

 

 

100.0

 

%

 

100.0

 

%

 

 

Capital Resources and Borrowings

We anticipate generating cash in the future from the issuance of common stock and cash flows from operations, including interest and dividends received on our debt and equity investments, respectively.

Additionally, we are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of shares senior to our common stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least equal to 150% immediately after each such issuance. As of December 31, 2019, our asset coverage was 193%. See “Regulation as a Business Development Company – Senior Securities” below.

Furthermore, while any indebtedness and senior securities remain outstanding, we must take provisions to prohibit any distribution to our shareholders (which may cause us to fail to distribute amounts necessary to avoid entity-level taxation under the Code), or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. In addition, we must also comply with positive and negative covenants customary for these types of facilities.

 

Debt obligations consisted of the following as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

($ in thousands)

 

Aggregate Principal Committed

 

 

Outstanding Principal

 

 

Amount Available(1)

 

 

Net Carrying Value(2)(3)

 

Subscription Credit Facility

 

$

900,000

 

 

$

645,712

 

 

$

103,399

 

 

$

641,739

 

Revolving Credit Facility

 

 

305,000

 

 

 

185,000

 

 

 

120,000

 

 

 

182,058

 

Total Debt

 

$

1,205,000

 

 

$

830,712

 

 

$

223,399

 

 

$

823,797

 

________________

 

(1)

The amount available reflects any limitations related to each credit facility’s borrowing base.

 

(2)

The carrying value of the Company’s Subscription Credit Facility is presented net of debt issuance costs of $4.0 million.

 

(3)

The carrying value of the Company’s Revolving Credit Facility is presented net of debt issuance costs of $2.9 million.

 

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

($ in thousands)

 

Aggregate Principal Committed

 

 

Outstanding Principal

 

 

Amount Available(1)

 

 

Net Carrying Value(2)

 

Subscription Credit Facility

 

$

350,000

 

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

50,000

 

 

$

297,555

 

Total Debt

 

$

350,000

 

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

50,000

 

 

$

297,555

 

________________

 

(1)

The amount available reflects any limitations related to each credit facility’s borrowing base.

 

(2)

The carrying value of the Company’s Subscription Credit Facility is presented net of debt issuance costs of $2.4 million.

 

See “Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS —Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources Debt”.


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Dividend Policy

To qualify for tax treatment as a RIC, we must distribute (or be treated as distributing) in each taxable year dividends of an amount equal to at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (which includes, among other items, dividends, interest, the excess of any net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, as well as other taxable income, excluding any net capital gains reduced by deductible expenses) and 90% of our net tax-exempt income for that taxable year. As a RIC, we generally will not be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on our investment company taxable income and net capital gains that we distribute to shareholders. We may be subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax if we do not distribute (or are treated as distributing) in each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of:

 

98% of our net ordinary income, excluding certain ordinary gains and losses, recognized during a calendar year;

 

98.2% of our capital gain net income, adjusted for certain ordinary gains and losses, recognized for the twelve-month period ending on October 31 of such calendar year; and

 

100% of any income or gains recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years.

In the future, we can be expected to incur such excise tax on a portion of our income and gains. While we intend to distribute income and capital gains to minimize exposure to the 4% excise tax, we may not be able to, or may not choose to, distribute amounts sufficient to avoid the imposition of the tax entirely. In that event, we will be liable for the tax only on the amount by which we do not meet the foregoing distribution requirement. See “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS – Federal Income Tax Risks – We will be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax if we are unable to qualify and maintain our tax treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code or if we make investments through taxable subsidiaries.”

On February 19, 2020, our Board declared a distribution of 90% of estimated first quarter taxable income and net capital gains, if any, for shareholders of record on March 31, 2020, payable on or before May 15, 2020.

The following table reflects the distributions declared on shares of our common stock during the year ended December 31, 2019:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

Date Declared

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Distribution per Share

 

October 30, 2019

 

December 31, 2019

 

January 31, 2020

 

$

0.21

 

August 7, 2019

 

September 30, 2019

 

November 15, 2019

 

$

0.25

 

May 8, 2019

 

June 30, 2019

 

August 15, 2019

 

$

0.14

 

February 27, 2019

 

March 31, 2019

 

May 15, 2019

 

$

0.05

 

Total Distributions Declared

 

 

 

 

 

$

0.65

 

During the year ended December 31, 2018, we did not declare any distributions on shares of our common stock.

Dividend Reinvestment Plan

We have adopted a dividend reinvestment plan, pursuant to which we will reinvest all cash distributions declared by the Board on behalf of our shareholders who do not elect to receive their distribution in cash as provided below. As a result, if the Board authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend or other distribution, then our shareholders who have not opted out of our dividend reinvestment plan will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock as described below, rather than receiving the cash dividend or other distribution. Any fractional share otherwise issuable to a participant in the dividend reinvestment plan will instead be paid in cash.

The number of shares to be issued to a shareholder under the dividend reinvestment plan will be determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the distribution payable to such shareholder by the net asset value per share of our common stock, as of the last day of the calendar quarter immediately preceding the date such distribution was declared. We intend to use newly issued shares to implement the plan.

No action is required on the part of a registered shareholder to have cash dividends or other distributions reinvested in shares of our common stock. A registered shareholder is able to elect to receive an entire cash dividend or other distribution in cash by notifying the Adviser in writing so that such notice is received by the Adviser no later than ten days prior to the record date for distributions to the shareholders.

There are no brokerage charges or other charges to shareholders who participate in the plan.

The plan is terminable by us upon notice in writing mailed to each shareholder of record at least 30 days prior to any record date for the payment of any distribution by us.

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Competition

Our primary competitors in providing financing to middle market technology related companies include public and private funds, other BDCs, commercial and investment banks, commercial finance companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity and hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical, and marketing resources than we do. Some competitors may have access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Further, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a business development company, or to the distribution and other requirements we must satisfy to qualify for RIC tax treatment. See “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS — Risk Relating to Our Business — We may face increasing competition for investment opportunities, which could delay further deployment of our capital, reduce returns and result in losses.”

 

Investment Advisory Agreement

The description below of the Investment Advisory Agreement is only a summary and is not necessarily complete. The description set forth below is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Investment Advisory Agreement.

 

Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is responsible for the following:

 

 

managing our assets in accordance with our investment objective, policies and restrictions;

 

 

determining the composition of our portfolio, the nature and timing of the changes to our portfolio and the manner of implementing such changes;

 

 

making investment decisions for us, including negotiating the terms of investments in, and dispositions of, portfolio securities and other instruments on our behalf;

 

 

monitoring our investments;

 

 

performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies;

 

 

exercising voting rights in respect of portfolio securities and other investments for us;

 

 

serving on, and exercising observer rights for, boards of directors and similar committees of our portfolio companies; and

 

 

providing us with such other investment advisory and related services as we may, from time to time, reasonably require for the investment of capital.

 

The Adviser’s services under the Investment Advisory Agreement are not exclusive, and it is free to furnish similar services to other entities so long as its services to us are not impaired.

 

Term

The Investment Advisory Agreement was approved by the Board on February 19, 2020, as described further below under “Business – Board Approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement.” Unless earlier terminated as described below, the Investment Advisory Agreement will remain in effect from year-to-year thereafter if approved annually by a majority of the Board or by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities and, in each case, a majority of the independent directors.

The Investment Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate within the meaning of the 1940 Act and related SEC guidance and interpretations in the event of its assignment. In accordance with the 1940 Act, without payment of penalty, we may terminate the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Adviser upon 60 days’ written notice. The decision to terminate the agreement may be made by a majority of the Board or the shareholders holding a Majority of the Outstanding Shares of our common stock. “Majority of the Outstanding Shares” means the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the outstanding shares of common stock present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of common stock are present or represented by proxy or (2) a majority of outstanding shares of common stock. In addition, without payment of penalty, the Adviser may generally terminate the Investment Advisory Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice.

 


13


 

Compensation of Adviser

 We will pay the Adviser an investment advisory fee for its services under the Investment Advisory Agreement consisting of two components: a management fee (the “Management Fee”) and an incentive fee (the “Incentive Fee”). The cost of both the Management Fee and the Incentive Fee will ultimately be borne by the shareholders.

 The Management Fee is payable quarterly in arrears. Prior to an Exchange Listing the Management Fee is payable at an annual rate of 0.90% of:

 

 

(i)

our average gross assets at the end of our two most recently completed calendar quarters, plus

 

 

(ii)

the average of any remaining unfunded Capital Commitments to us at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters;

 

provided, however, that no Management Fee will be charged on the value of our gross assets that is below an asset coverage ratio of 200% calculated in accordance with Sections 18 and 61 of the 1940 Act.

 

Following an Exchange Listing, the Management Fee is payable at an annual rate of:

 

 

(i)

1.5% of our average gross assets that is above an asset coverage ratio of 200% calculated in accordance with Sections 18 and 61 of the 1940 Act, at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters payable quarterly in arrears, and

 

 

(ii)

1.00% of our average gross assets that is below an asset coverage ratio of 200% calculated in accordance with Sections 18 and 61 of the 1940 Act, at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters payable quarterly in arrears.

 

The Management Fee will be appropriately prorated and adjusted (based on the actual number of days elapsed relative to the total number of days in such calendar quarter) for any share issuances or repurchases during the relevant calendar quarters and for any partial month or quarter. For purposes of the Investment Advisory Agreement, gross assets means our total assets determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, excluding cash and cash equivalents, but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts.

The Incentive Fee consists of two components that are independent of each other, with the result that one component may be payable even if the other is not. A portion of the Incentive Fee is based on our income and a portion is based on our capital gains, each as described below. The portion of the Incentive Fee based on income is determined and paid quarterly in arrears commencing with the first calendar quarter following the Initial Closing Date, and equals (i) prior to an Exchange Listing, 100% of the pre- Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of a 1.5% quarterly “hurdle rate,” until the Adviser has received 10% of the total pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for that calendar quarter and, for pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of 1.67% quarterly, 10% of all remaining pre- Incentive Fee net investment income for that calendar quarter, and (ii) subsequent to an Exchange Listing, 100% of the pre- Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of a 1.5% quarterly “hurdle rate,” until the Adviser has received 17.5% of the total pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for that calendar quarter and, for pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of 1.82% quarterly, 17.5% of all remaining pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for that calendar quarter. The 100% “catch-up” provision for pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of the 1.5% “hurdle rate” is intended to provide the Adviser with an Incentive Fee of (i) prior to an Exchange Listing, 10% on all pre- Incentive Fee net investment income when that amount equals 1.67% in a calendar quarter (6.67% annualized), and (ii) subsequent to an Exchange Listing, 17.5% on all pre-Incentive Fee net investment income when that amount equals 1.82% in a calendar quarter (7.27% annualized), which, in each case, is the rate at which catch-up is achieved. Once the “hurdle rate” is reached and catch-up is achieved, (i) prior to an Exchange Listing, 10% of any pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of 1.67% in any calendar quarter is payable to the Adviser, and (ii) subsequent to an Exchange Listing, 17.5% of any pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of 1.82% in any calendar quarter is payable to the Adviser.

 Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income means dividends (including reinvested dividends), interest and fee income accrued by us during the calendar quarter, minus operating expenses for the calendar quarter (including the Management Fee, expenses payable under the Administration Agreement, and any interest expense and dividends paid on any issued and outstanding preferred stock, but excluding the Incentive Fee). Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with pay-in-kind interest (“PIK”) and zero coupon securities), accrued income that we may not have received in cash. The Adviser is not obligated to return the Incentive Fee it receives on PIK interest that is later determined to be uncollectible in cash. Pre-Incentive Fee net investment income does not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation.

 To determine whether pre-Incentive Fee net investment income exceeds the hurdle rate, pre-Incentive Fee net investment income is expressed as a rate of return on the value of our net assets at the end of the immediately preceding calendar quarter commencing

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with the first calendar quarter following the Initial Closing Date. Because of the structure of the Incentive Fee, it is possible that we may pay an Incentive Fee in a calendar quarter in which we incur a loss. For example, if we receive pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of the quarterly hurdle rate, we will pay the applicable Incentive Fee even if we have incurred a loss in that calendar quarter due to realized and unrealized capital losses. In addition, because the quarterly hurdle rate is calculated based on our net assets, decreases in our net assets due to realized or unrealized capital losses in any given calendar quarter may increase the likelihood that the hurdle rate is reached and therefore the likelihood that we will pay an Incentive Fee for that calendar quarter. Our net investment income used to calculate this component of the Incentive Fee is also included in the amount of our gross assets used to calculate the Management Fee because gross assets are total assets (including cash received) before deducting liabilities (such as declared dividend payments).

 The following are graphical representations of the calculation of the income-related portion of the Incentive Fee:

 

Quarterly Incentive Fee on

Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income

Prior to an Exchange Listing

(expressed as a percentage of the value of net assets)

 

 

0%

 

1.5%

 

1.67%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

← 0% →

 

← 100% →

 

← 10% →

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quarterly Incentive Fee on

Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income

Subsequent to an Exchange Listing

(expressed as a percentage of the value of net assets)

 

 

0%

 

1.5%

 

1.82%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

← 0% →

 

← 100% →

 

← 17.5% →

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Percentage of Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income

Allocated to Quarterly Incentive Fee

 

The second component of the Incentive Fee, the “Capital Gains Incentive Fee,” payable at the end of each calendar year in arrears, equals, (i) prior to an Exchange Listing, 10% of cumulative realized capital gains from the Initial Closing Date to the end of each calendar year, less cumulative realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation from the Initial Closing Date to the end of each calendar year, and (ii) subsequent to an Exchange Listing, 17.5% of cumulative realized capital gains from the Listing Date to the end of each calendar year, less cumulative realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation from the Listing Date to the end of each calendar year. Each year, the fee paid for the Capital Gains Incentive Fee is net of the aggregate amount of any previously paid Capital Gains Incentive Fee for prior periods. We will accrue, but will not pay, a Capital Gains Incentive Fee with respect to unrealized appreciation because a Capital Gains Incentive Fee would be owed to the Adviser if we were to sell the relevant investment and realize a capital gain. The fees that are payable under the Investment Advisory Agreement for any partial period will be appropriately prorated. For the sole purpose of calculating the Capital Gains Incentive Fee, the cost basis as of the Initial Closing Date for all of our investments made prior to the Initial Closing Date will be equal to the fair market value of such investments as of the last day of the calendar quarter in which the Initial Closing Date occurs; provided, however, that in no event will the Capital Gains Fee payable pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement be in excess of the amount permitted by the Advisers Act, including Section 205 thereof.

 

Limitations of Liability and Indemnification

The Adviser and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser, including without limitation its sole member, are not liable to us for any action taken or omitted to be taken by the Adviser in connection with the performance of any of its duties or obligations under the Investment Advisory Agreement or otherwise as our investment adviser  (except to the extent specified in Section 36(b) of the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as

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amended, concerning loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty (as the same is finally determined by judicial proceedings) with respect to the receipt of compensation for services).

We will indemnify the Adviser and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser, including without limitation its general partner or managing member (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by the Indemnified Parties in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of us or our security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Adviser’s duties or obligations under the Investment Advisory Agreement or otherwise as our investment adviser. However, the Indemnified Parties shall not be entitled to indemnification in respect of, any liability to us or our shareholders to which the Indemnified Parties would otherwise be subject by reason of criminal conduct, willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser’s duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Adviser’s duties and obligations under the Investment Advisory Agreement.

 

Board Approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement

On February 19, 2020, the Board held an in-person meeting to consider and approve the continuation of the Investment Advisory Agreement and related matters. The Board was provided information it required to consider the Investment Advisory Agreement, including: (a) the nature, quality and extent of the advisory and other services to be provided to us by the Adviser; (b) comparative data with respect to advisory fees or similar expenses paid by other BDCs with similar investment objectives; (c) our projected operating expenses and expense ratio compared to BDCs, which could include employees of the Adviser or its affiliates; (d) any existing and potential sources of indirect income to the Adviser from its relationship with us and the profitability of that relationship; (e) information about the services to be performed and the personnel performing such services under the Investment Advisory Agreement; (f) the organizational capability and financial condition of the Adviser and its affiliates; and (g) the possibility of obtaining similar services from other third-party service providers or through an internally managed structure.

Based on the information reviewed and the discussion thereof, the Board, including a majority of the non-interested directors, concluded that the investment advisory fee rates are reasonable in relation to the services provided and approved the Investment Advisory Agreement as being in the best interests of our shareholders.

Administration Agreement

The description below of the Administration Agreement is only a summary and is not necessarily complete. The description set forth below is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Administration Agreement.

Under the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Adviser performs, or oversees the performance of, administrative services for us, which includes, but is not limited to, providing office space, equipment and office services, maintaining financial records, preparing reports to shareholders and reports filed with the SEC, managing the payment of expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered by others, which could include employees of the Adviser or its affiliates. We will reimburse the Adviser for services performed for us pursuant to the terms of the Administration Agreement. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Adviser may delegate its obligations under the Administration Agreement to an affiliate or to a third party and we will reimburse the Adviser for any services performed for us by such affiliate or third party.

The continuation of the Administration Agreement was approved by the Board on February 19, 2020. Unless earlier terminated as described below, the Administration Agreement will remain in effect from year-to-year thereafter if approved annually by a majority of the Board or by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities and, in each case, a majority of the independent directors. We may terminate the Administration Agreement, without payment of any penalty, upon 60 days' written notice. The decision to terminate the agreement may be made by a majority of the Board or the shareholders holding a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock. In addition, the Adviser may terminate the Administration Agreement, without payment of any penalty, upon 60 days' written notice. To the extent that the Adviser outsources any of its functions we will pay the fees associated with such functions without profit to the Adviser.

The Administration Agreement provides that the Adviser and its affiliates' respective officers, directors, members, managers, stockholders and employees are entitled to indemnification from us from and against any claims or liabilities, including reasonable legal fees and other expenses reasonably incurred, arising out of or in connection with our business and operations or any action taken or omitted on our behalf pursuant to authority granted by the Administration Agreement, except where attributable to willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of such person's duties or reckless disregard of such person's obligations and duties under the Administration Agreement.

Payment of Our Expenses under the Investment Advisory and Administration Agreements

Except as specifically provided below, we anticipate that all investment professionals and staff of the Adviser, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory and management services to us, and the base compensation, bonus and benefits, and

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the routine overhead expenses, of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Adviser. In addition, the Adviser shall be solely responsible for any placement or “finder’s” fees payable to placement agents engaged by the Company or its affiliates in connection with the offering of securities by the Company. We will bear our allocable portion of the costs of the compensation, benefits and related administrative expenses (including travel expenses) of our officers who provide operational and administrative services hereunder, their respective staffs and other professionals who provide services to us (including, in each case, employees of the Adviser or an affiliate) who assist with the preparation, coordination, and administration of the foregoing or provide other “back office” or “middle office” financial or operational services to us. We shall reimburse the Adviser (or its affiliates) for an allocable portion of the compensation paid by the Adviser (or its affiliates) to such individuals (based on a percentage of time such individuals devote, on an estimated basis, to our business affairs, in acting on our behalf and as otherwise set forth in the Administrative Agreement). We also will bear all other costs and expenses of our operations, administration and transactions, including, but not limited to (i) investment advisory fees, including Management Fees and Incentive Fees, to the Adviser, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement and the Administrative Agreement; (ii) our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by the Adviser in performing its administrative obligations under the Investment Advisory Agreement and (iii) all other costs and expenses of our operations and transactions including, without limitation, those relating to:

 

the cost of our organization and any offerings;

 

the cost of calculating our net asset value, including the cost of any third-party valuation services;

 

the cost of effecting any sales and repurchases of the common stock and other securities;

 

fees and expenses payable under any dealer manager agreements, if any;

 

debt service and other costs of borrowings or other financing arrangements;

 

costs of hedging;

 

expenses, including travel expense, incurred by the Adviser, or members of the Investment Team, or payable to third parties, performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies and, if necessary, enforcing our rights;

 

escrow agent, transfer agent and custodial fees and expenses;

 

fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts;

 

federal and state registration fees, any stock exchange listing fees and fees payable to rating agencies;

 

federal, state and local taxes;

 

independent directors’ fees and expenses, including certain travel expenses;

 

costs of preparing financial statements and maintaining books and records and filing reports or other documents with the SEC (or other regulatory bodies) and other reporting and compliance costs, including registration fees, listing fees and licenses, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the preparation of the foregoing;

 

the costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to shareholders (including printing and mailing costs);

 

the costs of any shareholder or director meetings and the compensation of personnel responsible for the preparation of the foregoing and related matters;

 

commissions and other compensation payable to brokers or dealers;

 

research and market data;

 

fidelity bond, directors and officers errors and omissions liability insurance and other insurance premiums;

 

direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone and staff;

 

fees and expenses associated with independent audits, outside legal and consulting costs;

 

costs of winding up;

 

costs incurred in connection with the formation or maintenance of entities or vehicles to hold our assets for tax or other purposes;

 

extraordinary expenses (such as litigation or indemnification); and

 

costs associated with reporting and compliance obligations under the 1940 Act and applicable federal and state securities laws.

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We expect, but cannot ensure, that our general and administrative expenses will increase in dollar terms during periods of asset growth, but will decline as a percentage of total assets during such periods.

 

Placement Agent Agreement and Dealer Manager Agreement

On August 10, 2018, we entered into a placement agent agreement (the “Placement Agent Agreement”) with Owl Rock Capital Securities LLC (“Owl Rock Securities”) pursuant to which employees of Owl Rock Securities may conduct placement activities in connection with our Private Offerings.  On November 6, 2018 we entered into a dealer manager agreement (the “Dealer Manager Agreement”) with Owl Rock Securities pursuant to which Owl Rock Securities and certain participating broker-dealers will solicit Capital Commitments. Owl Rock Securities, is an affiliate of Owl Rock and is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Fees paid pursuant to these agreements will be paid by our Adviser.

The Placement Agent Agreement may be terminated by either party thereto upon 30 days written notice to the other party. The Dealer Manager Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of our directors who are not “interested persons”, as defined in the 1940 Act, and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of our distribution plan or the Dealer Manager Agreement or by vote a majority of the outstanding voting securities, on not more than 60 days’ written notice to Owl Rock Securities and the Adviser. The Dealer Manager Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act.

 

Affiliated Transactions

We may be prohibited under the 1940 Act from conducting certain transactions with its affiliates without prior approval of the directors who are not interested persons, and in some cases, the prior approval of the SEC. The Company intends to rely on exemptive relief that has been granted by the SEC to ORCA and certain of its affiliates to permit the Company to co-invest with other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates, in a manner consistent with the Company’s investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. Pursuant to such exemptive relief, the Company generally is permitted to co-invest with certain of its affiliates if a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of the Board make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to the Company and its shareholders and do not involve overreaching of the Company or its shareholders on the part of any person concerned, (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of the Company’s shareholders and is consistent with its investment objective and strategies, and (3) the investment by its affiliates would not disadvantage the Company, and the Company’s participation would not be on a basis different from or less advantageous than that on which its affiliates are investing. The Owl Rock Advisers’ investment allocation policy seeks to ensure equitable allocation of investment opportunities between the Company and other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. As a result of the exemptive relief, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and investment portfolios of Owl Rock Capital Corporation, Owl Rock Capital Corporation II and/or other funds established by the Adviser or its affiliates that could avail themselves of the exemptive relief.

 

License Agreement

On August 10, 2018, we entered into a license agreement (the “License Agreement”) pursuant to which an affiliate of Owl Rock Capital Partners has granted the Company a non-exclusive license to use the name “Owl Rock.” Under the License Agreement, the Company has a right to use the Owl Rock name for so long as the Adviser or one of its affiliates remains the Company’s investment adviser. Other than with respect to this limited license, we will have no legal right to the “Owl Rock” name or logo.

 

Term

Prior to an Exchange Listing, if our Board determines that there has been a significant adverse change in our regulatory or tax treatment of our shareholders that in its judgment makes it inadvisable for us to continue in our present form, then the Board will endeavor to restructure or change our structure to preserve (insofar as possible) the overall benefits previously enjoyed by our shareholders as a whole or, if the Board determines it appropriate (and subject to any necessary shareholder approvals and applicable requirements of the 1940 Act), (i) cause us to change our form and/or jurisdiction of organization or (ii) cause our winding down and/or liquidation and dissolution.

If we have not consummated an Exchange Listing by the end of the Commitment Period, subject to extension for two additional one-year periods, in the sole discretion of the Board, the Board (subject to any necessary shareholder approvals and applicable requirements of the 1940 Act) will use its commercially reasonable efforts to wind down and/or liquidate and dissolve the Company in an orderly manner.

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each share of common stock would be entitled to share ratably in all of our assets that are legally available for distribution after we paid or otherwise provide for all debts and other liabilities and subject to any preferential rights of holders of our preferred stock, if any preferred stock is outstanding at such time. For the purposes of this

18


 

paragraph, a merger or consolidation of the Company with or into any other corporation or other entity, or a sale or conveyance of all or any part of our property or assets will not be deemed to be a dissolution, liquidation or winding up, voluntary or involuntary.

 

Emerging Growth Company

We are an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”) and we are eligible to take advantage of certain specified reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise generally applicable to public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”). We expect to remain an emerging growth company for up to five years following the completion of our initial public offering or until the earliest of (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1.07 billion, (ii) December 31 of the fiscal year that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the 1934 Act which would occur if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700.0 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter and we have been publicly reporting for at least 12 months or (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the preceding three-year period. In addition, we will take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards.

 

Employees

We do not currently have any employees and do not expect to have any employees. Services necessary for our business are provided by individuals who are employees of the Adviser or its affiliates, pursuant to the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement. Each of our executive officers is employed by the Adviser or its affiliates. Our day-to-day investment operations are managed by the Adviser. The services necessary for the origination and administration of our investment portfolio are provided by investment professionals employed by the Adviser or its affiliates. The Investment Team is focused on origination and transaction development and the ongoing monitoring of our investments. In addition, we reimburse the Adviser for the allocable portion of the compensation paid by the Adviser (or its affiliates) to our chief compliance officer and chief financial officer and their respective staffs (based on the percentage of time such individuals devote, on an estimated basis, to our business and affairs and as otherwise set forth in the Administrative Agreement). See “— Investment Advisory Agreement” and “— Administration Agreement.”

 

The Private Offering

We have entered into separate subscription agreements with a number of investors providing for the private placement of shares of our common stock pursuant to the Private Offering and may enter into additional subscription agreements from time to time. Each investor will make a Capital Commitment to purchase shares of our common stock pursuant to a subscription agreement. Investors will be required to make capital contributions to purchase shares of our common stock each time we deliver a drawdown notice, which will be issued based on our anticipated investment activities and capital needs, in an aggregate amount not to exceed each investor’s respective Capital Commitment. We will deliver drawdown requests at least ten business days prior to the required funding date. All purchases of our common stock will generally be made pro rata in accordance with remaining Capital Commitments of all investors, at a per-share price equal to the net asset value per share of our common stock subject to any adjustments. Any adjustments would take into account a determination of changes to net asset value within 48 hours of the sale to assure compliance with Section 23(b) of the 1940 Act. At the earlier of (i) an Exchange Listing and (ii) the end of the Commitment Period, shareholders will be released from any further obligation to fund drawdowns and purchase additional shares of our common stock, subject to certain conditions described in the subscription agreement.

If, during the Commitment Period, two of the four of Douglas I. Ostrover, Marc S. Lipschultz, Craig W. Packer and Alan J. Kirshenbaum (each, a “Key Person”), (i) provide notice of resignation, resign, are terminated or are provided with notice of termination from the position of (1) in the case of Douglas I. Ostrover, Marc S. Lipschultz and Craig W. Packer, co-chief investment officer of the Adviser and (2) in the case of Alan J. Kirshenbaum, chief financial officer of the Adviser, (ii) die or are disabled or (iii) cease to be actively involved (1) in the case of Douglas I. Ostrover, Marc S. Lipschultz and Craig W. Packer, as a member of the Investment Committee or (2) in the case of Alan J. Kirshenbaum, as an officer of the Adviser, for any consecutive period exceeding 60 days, a “Key Person Event” will have occurred.  For purposes of this provision, the Adviser is permitted at any time to replace one of the Key Persons with a senior professional selected by the Adviser, provided that such replacement is approved by 75% of the outstanding shares of common stock.  

A “Cause Event” will occur if, during the Commitment Period, an event constituting Cause occurs.  “Cause” means (A) any disqualification of a Key Person under Section 9(a) of the 1940 Act; (B) the conviction of (or plea of no contest by) any Key Person of a felony involving fraud, false statements or omissions, wrongful taking of property, bribery, perjury, forgery, counterfeiting, extortion, or conspiracy to commit such offenses; (C) the final judicial determination by a court of competent jurisdiction of fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence by the Adviser or any Key Person in the performance of its obligations under the Investment Advisory Agreement; or (D) the conviction of (or a plea of no contest by) any Key Person or the Adviser of a violation of the substantive provisions

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of any U.S. federal or state securities law (other than any inadvertent or technical violation of any such law which has no material adverse impact on the Company or any other violation which has no material adverse impact on the Company).

Upon the occurrence of a Key Person Event or a Cause Event, we will send written notice of the Key Person Event or Cause Event, as applicable, to our shareholders within ten Business Days of such occurrence, the Commitment Period will automatically be suspended for 90 days (the “Interim Period”) and our shareholders will not be obligated to fund drawdowns to purchase shares of our common stock except for certain limited purposes. During the Interim Period we will convene a special meeting of shareholders for the purpose of determining whether the Commitment Period should be reinstated. If the proposal is approved by 75% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, and all of the independent members of the Board vote in favor the proposal, the Commitment Period will be reinstated and our shareholders will be obligated to fund drawdowns to purchase shares of our common stock as if a Key Person Event or Cause Event, as applicable, had never occurred. Otherwise, the Commitment Period will be deemed to have terminated upon the occurrence of the Key Person Event or Cause Event, as applicable.

Placement activities will be conducted by officers of the Company and the Adviser. Owl Rock Capital Securities LLC (d/b/a Owl Rock Securities), an affiliate of Owl Rock Capital Partners, serves as the dealer manager for the private offering and may serve as the dealer manager for other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. Owl Rock Securities is registered as a broker dealer with the SEC and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. In addition, the Company has entered and may, from time to time, enter into agreements with other placement agents or broker-dealers to solicit Capital Commitments. Fees paid pursuant to these agreements will be paid by our Adviser.

 

Regulation as a Business Development Company

We have elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to transactions between BDCs and their affiliates (including any investment advisers or sub-advisers), principal underwriters and affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters and requires that a majority of the directors be persons other than "interested persons," as that term is defined in the 1940 Act.

In addition, the 1940 Act provides that we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by a Majority of the Outstanding Shares of our common stock.

We are not generally able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. We may, however, issue and sell our common stock, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current net asset value of our common stock if (1) our board of directors determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our shareholders, and (2) our shareholders have approved our policy and practice of making such sales within the preceding 12 months. 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.

As a BDC, the ratio of our total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness represented by senior securities) to our total indebtedness represented by senior securities plus preferred stock, if any, must be at least 200%. However, legislation enacted in March 2018 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. This means that generally, we can borrow up to $1 for every $1 of investor equity (or, if certain conditions are met, we can borrow up to $2 for every $1 of investor equity). The reduced asset coverage requirement would permit a BDC to double the amount of leverage it could incur.

On August 7, 2018, our Adviser, as our sole initial shareholder, has approved a proposal that allows us to reduce our asset coverage ratio to 150% and in connection with their subscription agreements, our investors are required to acknowledge our ability to operate with an asset coverage ratio that may be as low as 150%.

We may also be prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our board of directors who are not interested persons and, in some cases, prior approval by the SEC.

We may invest up to 100% of our assets in securities acquired directly from issuers in privately negotiated transactions. With respect to such securities, we may, for the purpose of public resale, be deemed an “underwriter” as that term is defined in the Securities Act.

Our intention is to not write (sell) or buy put or call options to manage risks associated with the publicly traded securities of our portfolio companies, except that we may enter into hedging transactions to manage the risks associated with interest rate or currency fluctuations. However, we may purchase or otherwise receive warrants to purchase the common stock of our portfolio companies in connection with acquisition financing or other investments. Similarly, in connection with an acquisition, we may acquire rights to require the issuers of acquired securities or their affiliates to repurchase them under certain circumstances.

We do not intend to acquire securities issued by any investment company that exceed the limits imposed by the 1940 Act. Under these limits, except for registered money market funds, we generally cannot acquire more than 3% of the voting stock of any registered investment company, invest more than 5% of the value of our total assets in the securities of one investment company, or

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invest more than 10% of the value of our total assets in the securities of more than one investment company. With regard to that portion of our portfolio invested in securities issued by investment companies, if any, it should be noted that such investments might subject our shareholders to additional expenses as they will be indirectly responsible for the costs and expenses of such companies.

None of our investment policies are fundamental, and thus may be changed without shareholder approval.

Qualifying Assets. Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as qualifying assets, unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets represent at least 70% of the company’s total assets. The principal categories of qualifying assets relevant to our business are any of the following:

(1) Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer (subject to certain limited exceptions) is an eligible portfolio company, or from any person who is, or has been during the preceding 13 months, an affiliated person of an eligible portfolio company, or from any other person, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the SEC. An eligible portfolio company is defined in the 1940 Act as any issuer which:

(a) is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, the United States;

(b) is not an investment company (other than a small business investment company wholly owned by the business development company) or a company that would be an investment company but for certain exclusions under the 1940 Act; and

(c) satisfies any of the following:

(i) does not have any class of securities that is traded on a national securities exchange;

(ii) has a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange, but has an aggregate market value of outstanding voting and non-voting common equity of less than $250 million;

(iii) is controlled by a business development company or a group of companies including a business development company and the business development company has an affiliated person who is a director of the eligible portfolio company; or

(iv) is a small and solvent company having total assets of not more than $4 million and capital and surplus of not less than $2 million.

(2) Securities of any eligible portfolio company controlled by the Company.

(3) Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its securities was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements.

(4) Securities of an eligible portfolio company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities and the Company already owns 60% of the outstanding equity of the eligible portfolio company.

(5) Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described in (1) through (4) above, or pursuant to the exercise of warrants or rights relating to such securities.

(6) Cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment.

In addition, a business development company must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in (1), (2) or (3) above.

Control, as defined by the 1940 Act, is presumed to exist where a BDC beneficially owns more than 25% of the outstanding voting securities of the portfolio company, but may exist in other circumstances based on the facts and circumstances.

The regulations defining qualifying assets may change over time. The Company may adjust its investment focus as needed to comply with and/or take advantage of any regulatory, legislative, administrative or judicial actions.

Managerial Assistance to Portfolio Companies. A BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described above. However, in order to count portfolio securities as qualifying assets for the purpose of the 70% test, the BDC must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above) significant managerial assistance; except that, where the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, one of the other persons in the group may make available such managerial assistance. Where the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, the BDC will satisfy this test if one of the other persons in the group makes available such managerial assistance, although this may not be the sole method by which the BDC satisfies the

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requirement to make available managerial assistance. Making available significant managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its directors, officers or employees, offers to provide and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company through monitoring of portfolio company operations, selective participation in board and management meetings, consulting with and advising a portfolio company’s officers or other organizational or financial guidance.

Temporary Investments. Pending investment in other types of qualifying assets, as described above, our investments can consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which are referred to herein, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets would be qualifying assets. We may invest in highly rated commercial paper, U.S. government agency notes, U.S. Treasury bills or in repurchase agreements relating to such securities that are fully collateralized by cash or securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies. A repurchase agreement involves the purchase by an investor, such as us, of a specified security and the simultaneous agreement by the seller to repurchase it at an agreed-upon future date and at a price that is greater than the purchase price by an amount that reflects an agreed-upon interest rate. Consequently, repurchase agreements are functionally similar to loans. There is no percentage restriction on the proportion of our assets that may be invested in such repurchase agreements. However, the 1940 Act and certain diversification tests in order to qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes typically require us to limit the amount we invest with any one counterparty. Accordingly, we do not intend to enter into repurchase agreements with a single counterparty in excess of this limit. The Adviser will monitor the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which we may enter into repurchase agreement transactions.

Warrants. Under the 1940 Act, a BDC is subject to restrictions on the issuance, terms and amount of warrants, options or rights to purchase shares of capital stock that it may have outstanding at any time. Under the 1940 Act, we may generally only offer warrants provided that (i) the warrants expire by their terms within ten years, (ii) the exercise or conversion price is not less than the current market value at the date of issuance, (iii) shareholders authorize the proposal to issue such warrants, and the Board approves such issuance on the basis that the issuance is in our best interests and the shareholders best interests and (iv) if the warrants are accompanied by other securities, the warrants are not separately transferable unless no class of such warrants and the securities accompanying them has been publicly distributed. The 1940 Act also provides that the amount of our voting securities that would result from the exercise of all outstanding warrants, as well as options and rights, at the time of issuance may not exceed 25% of our outstanding voting securities. In particular, the amount of capital stock that would result from the conversion or exercise of all outstanding warrants, options or rights to purchase capital stock cannot exceed 25% of the BDC’s total outstanding shares of capital stock.

Senior Securities; Coverage Ratio. We are generally permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of stock senior to our common stock if immediately after such borrowing or issuance, the ratio of our total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness represented by senior securities) to our total indebtedness represented by senior securities plus preferred stock, if any, is at least 200%. However, legislation enacted in March 2018 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. This means that generally, a BDC can borrow up to $1 for every $1 of investor equity or, if certain requirements are met and it reduces its asset coverage ratio, it can borrow up to $2 for every $1 of investor equity. The reduced asset coverage requirement would permit a BDC to double the amount of leverage it could incur.

On August 7, 2018, our Adviser, as our sole initial shareholder, has approved a proposal that allows us to reduce our asset coverage ratio to 150% and in connection with their subscription agreements, our investors are required to acknowledge our ability to operate with an asset coverage ratio that may be as low as 150%.

In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we will be required to make provisions to prohibit any dividend distribution to our shareholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the dividend distribution or repurchase. We will also be permitted to borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary or emergency purposes, which borrowings would not be considered senior securities. For a discussion of the risks associated with leverage, see “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS — Risks Related to Business Development Companies — Regulations governing our operation as a business development company and RIC affect our ability to raise capital and the way in which we raise additional capital or borrow for investment purposes, which may have a negative effect on our growth. As a business development company, the necessity of raising additional capital may expose us to risks, including risks associated with leverage.”

Codes of Ethics. We and the Adviser have each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, respectively, that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to the code are permitted to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by us, so long as such investments are made in accordance with the code’s requirements. Our code of ethics is available, free of charge, on our website at www.owlrockcapitalcorporation.com. In addition, the code of ethics is available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.

Affiliated Transactions. We may be prohibited under the 1940 Act from conducting certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our directors who are not interested persons and, in some cases, the prior approval of the SEC. We, the

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Adviser, and certain affiliates have applied for and been granted exemptive relief by the SEC to co-invest with other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. Pursuant to such exemptive relief, we generally are permitted to co-invest with certain of our affiliates if a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors makes certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transactions, including that (1) the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our shareholders and do not involve overreaching of us or our shareholders on the part of any person concerned, (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our shareholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies, and (3) the investment by our affiliates would not disadvantage us, and our participation would not be on a basis different from or less advantageous than that on which our affiliates are investing. The Owl Rock Advisor’s allocation policy incorporates the conditions of the exemptive relief and seeks to ensure equitable allocation of investment opportunities between the Company and/or other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates over time. As a result of exemptive relief, there could be significant overlap in the Company’s investment portfolio and the investment portfolio of other funds established by the Adviser or its affiliates that could avail themselves of the exemptive relief.

Cancellation of the Investment Advisory Agreement. Under the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act, by the Adviser. The Investment Advisory Agreement may be terminated at any time, without penalty, by us upon not less than 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser and may be terminated at any time, without penalty, by the Adviser upon 60 days’ written notice to us. The holders of a Majority of our Outstanding Shares may also terminate the Investment Advisory Agreement without penalty upon not less than 60 days’ written notice. Unless terminated earlier as described above, the Investment Advisory Agreement will remain in effect for a period of two years from the date it first become effective and will remain in effect from year-to-year thereafter if approved annually by our Board or by the affirmative vote of the holders of a Majority of our Outstanding Shares, and, in either case, if also approved by a majority of our directors who are not “interested persons” as defined in the 1940 Act.

Other. We have adopted an investment policy that complies with the requirements applicable to us as a BDC. We expect to be periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the 1940 Act, and will be subject to the periodic reporting and related requirements of the Exchange Act.

We are also required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect against larceny and embezzlement. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any liability to our shareholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

We are also required to designate a chief compliance officer and to adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws and to review these policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation.

We are not permitted to change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by a Majority of the Outstanding Shares of our common stock.

We intend to operate as a non-diversified management investment company; however, we are currently and may, from time to time, in the future, be considered a diversified management investment company pursuant to the definitions set forth in the 1940 Act.

 

Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

The following discussion is a general summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to us and to an investment in our common stock. This discussion does not purport to be a complete description of the income tax considerations applicable to such an investment. For example, this discussion does not describe tax consequences that we have assumed to be generally known by investors or certain considerations that may be relevant to certain types of holders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws, including persons who hold our common stock as part of a straddle or a hedging, integrated or constructive sale transaction, persons subject to the alternative minimum tax, tax-exempt organizations, insurance companies, brokers or dealers in securities, pension plans and trusts, persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, U.S. expatriates, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, personal holding companies, persons who acquire an interest in the Company in connection with the performance of services, and financial institutions. Such persons should consult with their own tax advisers as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in our common stock, which may differ substantially from those described herein. This discussion assumes that shareholders hold our common stock as capital assets (within the meaning of the Code).

The discussion is based upon the Code, Treasury regulations, and administrative and judicial interpretations, each as of the date of this report and all of which are subject to change, possibly retroactively, which could affect the continuing validity of this discussion. We have not sought and will not seek any ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) regarding any matter discussed herein. Prospective investors should be aware that, although we intend to adopt positions we believe are in accord with current interpretations of the U.S. federal income tax laws, the IRS may not agree with the tax positions taken by us and that, if challenged by the IRS, our

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tax positions might not be sustained by the courts. This summary does not discuss any aspects of U.S. estate, alternative minimum, or gift tax or foreign, state or local tax. It also does not discuss the special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws that could result if we invested in tax-exempt securities or certain other investment assets.

For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Shareholder” generally is a beneficial owner of our common stock that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

 

a citizen or individual resident of the United States;

 

a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) organized in or under the laws of the U.S. or of any political subdivision thereof;

 

a trust that is subject to the supervision of a court within the U.S. and the control of one or more U.S. persons or that has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person; or

 

an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source.

 

A “Non-U.S. Shareholder” is a beneficial owner of our common stock that is not a U.S. Shareholder or a partnership for U.S. tax purposes.

If a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Any partner of a partnership holding our common stock should consult its tax advisers with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of such shares.

Tax matters are very complicated and the tax consequences to an investor of an investment in our common stock will depend on the facts of his, her or its particular situation.

 

Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company

We have elected to be treated and intend to qualify each year as a RIC. As a RIC, we generally will not have to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that we distribute to our shareholders as dividends. To qualify as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements (as described below). In addition, in order to obtain RIC tax benefits, we must distribute to our shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of our “investment company taxable income,” which is generally our ordinary income plus the excess of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses (the “Annual Distribution Requirement”).

If we qualify as a RIC, and satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, then we will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of our income we distribute (or are deemed to distribute) to our shareholders. We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rates on any income or capital gains not distributed (or deemed distributed) to our shareholders.

We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on certain undistributed income unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of our net ordinary income for each calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of the amount by which our capital gains exceed our capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (iii) certain undistributed amounts from previous years on which we paid no U.S. federal income tax (the “Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement”). While we intend to distribute any income and capital gains in order to avoid imposition of this 4% U.S. federal excise tax, we may not be successful in avoiding entirely the imposition of this tax. In that case, we will be liable for the tax only on the amount by which we do not meet the foregoing distribution requirement.

In order to qualify as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we must, among other things:

 

continue to qualify as a BDC under the 1940 Act at all times during each taxable year;

 

derive in each taxable year at least 90% of our gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to loans of certain securities, gains from the sale of stock or other securities or foreign currencies, net income from certain “qualified publicly traded partnerships,” or other income derived with respect to our business of investing in such stock or securities (the “90% Income Test”); and

 

diversify our holdings so that at the end of each quarter of the taxable year:

 

at least 50% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. Government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities if such other securities of any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of our assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer; and

 

no more than 25% of the value of our assets is invested in the (i) securities, other than U.S. Government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer, (ii) securities of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under

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applicable Code rules, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or (iii) securities of one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (the “Diversification Tests”).

We may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which we do not receive cash. For example, if we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as debt instruments with PIK interest or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or issued with warrants), we must include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same taxable year. We may also have to include in income other amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as PIK interest and deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan. Because any original issue discount or other amounts accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our shareholders in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, even though we will not have received the corresponding cash amount.

Although we do not presently expect to do so, we are authorized to borrow funds, to sell assets and to make taxable distributions of our stock and debt securities in order to satisfy distribution requirements. Our ability to dispose of assets to meet our distribution requirements may be limited by (i) the illiquid nature of our portfolio and/or (ii) other requirements relating to our status as a RIC, including the Diversification Tests. If we dispose of assets in order to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement or the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement, we may make such dispositions at times that, from an investment standpoint, are not advantageous. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, we may fail to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC and become subject to tax as an ordinary corporation.

Under the 1940 Act, we are not permitted to make distributions to our shareholders while our debt obligations and other senior securities are outstanding unless certain “asset coverage” tests are met. If we are prohibited from making distributions, we may fail to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC and become subject to tax as an ordinary corporation.

Certain of our investment practices may be subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things: (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions; (ii) convert lower taxed long-term capital gain into higher taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income; (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited); (iv) cause us to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash; (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of securities is deemed to occur; (vi) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions; and (vii) produce income that will not be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test described above. We will monitor our transactions and may make certain tax decisions in order to mitigate the potential adverse effect of these provisions.

A RIC is limited in its ability to deduct expenses in excess of its “investment company taxable income” (which is, generally, ordinary income plus the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses). If our expenses in a given year exceed investment company taxable income, we would experience a net operating loss for that year. However, a RIC is not permitted to carry forward net operating losses to subsequent years. In addition, expenses can be used only to offset investment company taxable income, not net capital gain. Due to these limits on the deductibility of expenses, we may, for tax purposes, have aggregate taxable income for several years that we are required to distribute and that is taxable to our shareholders even if such income is greater than the aggregate net income we actually earned during those years. Such required distributions may be made from our cash assets or by liquidation of investments, if necessary. We may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event we realize net capital gains from such transactions, a shareholder may receive a larger capital gain distribution than it would have received in the absence of such transactions.

Investment income received from sources within foreign countries, or capital gains earned by investing in securities of foreign issuers, may be subject to foreign income taxes withheld at the source. In this regard, withholding tax rates in countries with which the United States does not have a tax treaty can be as high as 35% or more. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries that may entitle us to a reduced rate of tax or exemption from tax on this related income and gains. The effective rate of foreign tax cannot be determined at this time since the amount of our assets to be invested within various countries is not now known. We do not anticipate being eligible for the special election that allows a RIC to treat foreign income taxes paid by such RIC as paid by its stockholders.

If we purchase shares in a "passive foreign investment company," or PFIC, we may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any "excess distribution" or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by us to our stockholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on us in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains. If we invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" under the Code, or QEF, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, we will be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of the QEF, even if such income is not distributed to us. Alternatively, we can elect to mark-to-market at the end of each taxable year our shares in a PFIC; in this case, we will recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such shares and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it does not exceed prior increases included in income. Under either election, we may be required to recognize in a year income in excess of our distributions from PFICs and our proceeds from dispositions of PFIC

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stock during that year, and such income will nevertheless be subject to the Annual Distribution Requirement and will be taken into account for purposes of the 4% U.S. federal excise tax. We intend to limit and/or manage our holdings in PFICs to minimize our liability for any taxes and related interest charges.

Foreign exchange gains and losses realized by us in connection with certain transactions involving non-dollar debt securities, certain foreign currency futures contracts, foreign currency option contracts, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currencies, or payables or receivables denominated in a foreign currency are subject to Code provisions that generally treat such gains and losses as ordinary income and losses and may affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to our stockholders. Any such transactions that are not directly related to our investment in securities (possibly including speculative currency positions or currency derivatives not used for hedging purposes) could, under future Treasury regulations, produce income not among the types of "qualifying income" from which a RIC must derive at least 90% of its annual gross income.

In accordance with certain applicable Treasury regulations and guidance published by the IRS, a RIC may treat a distribution of its own stock as fulfilling its RIC distribution requirements if each stockholder may elect to receive his or her entire distribution in either cash or stock of the RIC, subject to a limitation that the aggregate amount of cash to be distributed to all stockholders must be at least 20% of the aggregate declared distribution. If too many stockholders elect to receive cash, the cash available for distribution must be allocated among stockholders electing to receive cash (with the balance of the distribution paid in stock). In no event will any stockholder, electing to receive cash, receive less than the lesser of (a) the portion of the distribution such stockholder elected to receive in cash, or (b) an amount equal to his or her entire distribution times the percentage limitation on cash available for distribution. If these and certain other requirements are met, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the amount of the dividend paid in stock will be equal to the amount of cash that could have been received instead of stock. We have no current intention of paying dividends in shares of our stock in accordance with these Treasury regulations or published guidance.

If we fail to qualify for treatment as a RIC, and certain amelioration provisions are not applicable, we would be subject to tax on all of our taxable income (including our net capital gains) at regular corporate rates. We would not be able to deduct distributions to our shareholders, nor would they be required to be made. Distributions, including distributions of net long-term capital gain, would generally be taxable to our shareholders as ordinary dividend income to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, our corporate shareholders would be eligible to claim a dividend received deduction with respect to such dividend our non-corporate shareholders would generally be able to treat such dividends as "qualified dividend income," which is subject to reduced rates of U.S. federal income tax. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder's tax basis, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. In order to requalify as a RIC, in addition to the other requirements discussed above, we would be required to distribute all of our previously undistributed earnings attributable to the period we failed to qualify as a RIC by the end of the first year that we intend to requalify as a RIC. If we fail to requalify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, we may be subject to regular corporate tax on any net built-in gains with respect to certain of our assets (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if we had been liquidated) that we elect to recognize on requalification or when recognized over the next five years.

 

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

We have delegated our proxy voting responsibility to the Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of the Adviser are described below. The guidelines are reviewed periodically by the Adviser and our non-interested directors, and, accordingly, are subject to change.

As an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act, the Adviser has a fiduciary duty to act solely in the best interests of its clients. As part of this duty, the Adviser recognizes that it must vote client securities in a timely manner free of conflicts of interest and in the best interests of its clients. These policies and procedures for voting proxies for the Adviser’s investment advisory clients are intended to comply with Section 206 of, and Rule 206(4)-6 under, the Advisers Act.

 

Proxy Policies

The Adviser will seek to vote all proxies relating to our portfolio securities in the best interest of our shareholders. The Adviser reviews on a case-by-case basis each proposal submitted to a shareholder vote to determine its impact on the portfolio securities held by the Company. Although the Adviser will generally vote against proposals that may have a negative impact on its clients’ portfolio securities, the Adviser may vote for such a proposal if there exists compelling long-term reasons to do so.

The Adviser’s proxy voting decisions are made by senior officers who are responsible for monitoring each of our investments. To ensure that the Adviser’s vote is not the product of a conflict of interest, the Adviser requires that: (i) anyone involved in the decision making process disclose to the Adviser’s chief compliance officer any potential conflict that he or she is aware of and any contact that he or she has had with any interested party regarding a proxy vote; and (ii) employees involved in the decision-making process or vote administration are prohibited from revealing how the Adviser intends to vote on a proposal in order to reduce any attempted influence from interested parties.

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Proxy Voting Records

You may obtain information about how the Adviser voted proxies by making a written request for proxy voting information to: Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp., Attention: Investor Relations, 399 Park Avenue, 38th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by calling Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp. at (212) 419-3000.

 

Privacy Policy

We are committed to maintaining the confidentiality, integrity and security of non-public personal information relating to investors. The following information is provided to help you understand what personal information we collect, how we protect that information and why, in certain cases, we may share information with select other parties.

Generally, we do not collect any non-public personal information other than certain biographical information which is used only so that we can service your account, send you annual reports, proxy statements, and other information required by law. With regard to this information, we maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards designed to protect the non-public personal information of our investors.

We may share information that we collect regarding an investor with certain of our service providers for legitimate business purposes, for example, in order to process trades or mail information to investors. In addition, we may disclose information that we collect regarding an investor as required by law or in connection with regulatory or law enforcement inquiries.

 

Reporting Obligations

We will furnish our shareholders with annual reports containing audited financial statements, quarterly reports, and such other periodic reports as we determine to be appropriate or as may be required by law.

We make available free of charge on our website (www.owlrock.com) our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current reports on Form 8-K. The SEC also maintains a website (www.sec.gov) that contains such information. The reference to our website is an inactive textual reference only and the information contained on our website is not a part of this registration statement.

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

 

Investing in our common stock involves a number of significant risks. You should consider carefully the following information before making an investment in our common stock. The risks below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or not presently deemed material by us may also impair our operations and performance. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

 

Risks Related to Our Business

 

We have a limited operating history.

 

We were formed on July 12, 2018 and are subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any business with a limited operating history, including the risk that we will not achieve or sustain our investment objective and the value of your common stock could decline substantially or your investment could become worthless.

 

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

We may acquire a significant percentage of our portfolio company investments from privately held companies in directly negotiated transactions. Substantially all of these investments are subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or are otherwise less liquid than exchange-listed securities or other securities for which there is an active trading market.

We typically would be unable to exit these investments unless and until the portfolio company has a liquidity event such as a sale, refinancing, or initial public offering.

The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult or impossible for us to sell such investments if the need arises. 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 have previously recorded our investments, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Moreover, investments purchased by us that are liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid due to events relating to the issuer, market events, economic conditions or investor perceptions.

 

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Defaults under our current borrowings or any future borrowing facility may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our borrowings may include customary covenants, including certain limitations on our incurrence of additional indebtedness and on our ability to make distributions to our shareholders, or redeem, repurchase or retire shares of stock, upon the occurrence of certain events and certain financial covenants related to asset coverage and liquidity and other maintenance covenants, as well as customary events of default. In the event we default under the terms of our current or future borrowings, our business could be adversely affected as we may be forced to sell a portion of our investments quickly and prematurely at what may be disadvantageous prices to us in order to meet our outstanding payment obligations and/or support working capital requirements under the terms of our current or future borrowings, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. An event of default under the terms of our current or any future borrowings could result in an accelerated maturity date for all amounts outstanding thereunder, and in some instances, lead to a cross-default under other borrowings. This could reduce our liquidity and cash flow and impair our ability to grow our business.

Substantially all of our assets are currently pledged as collateral under our Revolving Credit Facility. If we were to default on our obligations under the terms of our Revolving Credit Facility or any future secured debt instrument the agent for the applicable creditors would be able to assume control of the disposition of any or all of our assets securing such debt, including the selection of such assets to be disposed and the timing of such disposition, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

Defaults under the Subscription Credit Facility could require shareholders to fund their remaining Capital Commitments without regard to the underlying value of their investment.

The Subscription Credit Facility is secured by a perfected first priority security interest in our right, title, and interest in and to the Capital Commitments of our investors, including our right to make capital calls, receive and apply capital contributions, enforce remedies and claims related thereto together with capital call proceeds and related rights, and a pledge of the collateral account into which capital call proceeds are deposited. To the extent an event of default under the Subscription Credit Facility does occur, shareholders could be required to fund any shortfall up to their remaining Capital Commitments, without regard to the underlying value of their investment.

 

Provisions in our current borrowings or any other future borrowings may limit discretion in operating our business.

Any security interests and/or negative covenants required by a credit facility we enter into or notes we issue may limit our ability to create liens on assets to secure additional debt and may make it difficult for us to restructure or refinance indebtedness at or prior to maturity or obtain additional debt or equity financing.

A credit facility may be backed by all or a portion of our loans and securities on which the lenders will have a security interest. We may pledge up to 100% of our assets and may grant a security interest in all of our assets under the terms of any debt instrument we enter into with lenders. We expect that any security interests we grant will be set forth in a pledge and security agreement and evidenced by the filing of financing statements by the agent for the lenders. In addition, we expect that the custodian for our securities serving as collateral for such loan would include in its electronic systems notices indicating the existence of such security interests and, following notice of occurrence of an event of default, if any, and during its continuance, will only accept transfer instructions with respect to any such securities from the lender or its designee. If we were to default under the terms of any debt instrument, the agent for the applicable lenders would be able to assume control of the timing of disposition of any or all of our assets securing such debt, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In addition, any security interests and/or negative covenants required by a credit facility may limit our ability to create liens on assets to secure additional debt and may make it difficult for us to restructure or refinance indebtedness at or prior to maturity or obtain additional debt or equity financing. In addition, if our borrowing base under a credit facility were to decrease, we may be required to secure additional assets in an amount sufficient to cure any borrowing base deficiency. In the event that all of our assets are secured at the time of such a borrowing base deficiency, we could be required to repay advances under a credit facility or make deposits to a collection account, either of which could have a material adverse impact on our ability to fund future investments and to make distributions.

In addition, we may be subject to limitations as to how borrowed funds may be used, which may include restrictions on geographic and industry concentrations, loan size, payment frequency and status, average life, collateral interests and investment ratings, as well as regulatory restrictions on leverage which may affect the amount of funding that may be obtained. There may also be certain requirements relating to portfolio performance, including required minimum portfolio yield and limitations on delinquencies and charge-offs, a violation of which could limit further advances and, in some cases, result in an event of default. An event of default under a credit facility could result in an accelerated maturity date for all amounts outstanding thereunder, which could have a material

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adverse effect on our business and financial condition and could lead to cross default under other credit facilities. This could reduce our liquidity and cash flow and impair our ability to manage our business.

Under the Subscription Credit Facility, we are subject to limitations as to how borrowed funds may be used, as well as regulatory restrictions on leverage which may affect the amount of funding that we may obtain. There may also be certain requirements relating to portfolio performance, a violation of which could limit further advances and, in some cases, result in an event of default. This could reduce our liquidity and cash flow and impair our ability to grow our business.

 

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

As part of our business strategy, we may borrow from and issue senior debt securities to banks, insurance companies and other lenders or investors. Holders of these senior securities will have fixed dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our shareholders. If the value of our assets decreases, leverage would cause our net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have if we did not employ leverage. Similarly, any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make common stock dividend payments.

Our ability to service any borrowings that we incur will depend largely on our financial performance and will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures. Moreover, the management fee will be payable based on our average gross assets excluding cash and cash equivalents but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts, which may give our Investment Adviser an incentive to use leverage to make additional investments. See “—Our fee structure may create incentives for our Adviser to make speculative investments or use substantial leverage.” The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on our Investment Adviser’s and our Board of Directors’ assessment of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain credit at all or on terms acceptable to us, which could affect our return on capital.

In addition to having fixed dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our shareholders, obligations to lenders may be secured by a first priority security interest in our portfolio of investments and cash.

  

The following table illustrates the effect of leverage on returns from an investment in our common stock assuming various annual returns on our portfolio, net of expenses. Leverage generally magnifies the return of shareholders when the portfolio return is positive and magnifies their losses when the portfolio return is negative. The calculations in the table below are hypothetical, and actual returns may be higher or lower than those appearing in the table below.

 

 

 

Assumed Return on Our Portfolio (Net of Expenses)

 

 

 

-10%

 

 

-5%

 

 

0%

 

 

5%

 

 

10%

 

Corresponding return to common shareholder(1)

 

 

-24.93

%

 

 

-14.48

%

 

 

-4.02

%

 

 

6.43

%

 

 

16.89

%

________________

 

(1)

Assumes, as of December 31, 2019, (i) $1,625.0 million in total assets, (ii) $830.7 million in outstanding indebtedness, (iii) $777.2 million in net assets and (iv) weighted average interest rate, excluding fees (such as fees on undrawn amounts and amortization of financing costs), of 3.76%.

 

See “ITEM .7 – MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – FINANCIAL CONDITION, LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES” for more information regarding our borrowings.

 

Price declines in the corporate leveraged loan market may adversely affect the fair value of our portfolio, reducing our net asset value through increased net unrealized depreciation and the incurrence of realized losses.

Conditions in the U.S. corporate debt market may experience disruption or deterioration in the future, which may cause pricing levels to decline or be volatile. As a result, our net asset value could decline through an increase in unrealized depreciation and incurrence of realized losses in connection with the sale or other disposition of our investments, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

If we are unable to obtain additional debt financing, or if our borrowing capacity is materially reduced, our business could be materially adversely affected.

We may want to obtain additional debt financing, or need to do so upon maturity of our credit facilities, in order to obtain funds which may be made available for investments. The Subscription Credit Facility matures on November 19, 2021, the revolving period under the Revolving Credit Facility ends on March 15, 2022 and the Revolving Credit Facility matures on March 15, 2023. If we are unable to increase, renew or replace any such facilities and enter into new debt financing facilities or other debt financing on commercially reasonable terms, our liquidity may be reduced significantly. In addition, if we are unable to repay amounts outstanding

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under any such facilities and are declared in default or are unable to renew or refinance these facilities, we may not be able to make new investments or operate our business in the normal course. These situations may arise due to circumstances that we may be unable to control, such as lack of access to the credit markets, a severe decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, an economic downturn or an operational problem that affects us or third parties, and could materially damage our business operations, results of operations and financial condition.

 

To the extent that we borrow money, the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested in us will be magnified and may increase the risk of investing in us. Borrowed money may also adversely affect the return on our assets, reduce cash available to service our debt or for distribution to our shareholders, and result in losses.

The use of borrowings, also known as leverage, increases the volatility of investments by magnifying the potential for gain or loss on invested equity capital. To the extent that we use leverage to partially finance our investments through borrowing from banks and other lenders, you will experience increased risks of investing in our securities. If the value of our assets decreases, leverage would cause our net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would if we had not borrowed and employed leverage. Similarly, any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have if we had not borrowed and employed leverage. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to service our debt or make distributions to our shareholders. In addition, our shareholders will bear the burden of any increase in our expenses as a result of our use of leverage, including interest expenses and any increase in the base management or incentive fees payable to our Adviser attributable to the increase in assets purchased using leverage.

The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on the Adviser’s and the Board’s assessment of market and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing. There can be no assurance that leveraged financing will be available to us on favorable terms or at all. However, to the extent that we use leverage to finance our assets, our financing costs will reduce cash available for distributions to shareholders. Moreover, we may not be able to meet our financing obligations and, to the extent that we cannot, we risk the loss of some or all of our assets to liquidation or sale to satisfy the obligations. In such an event, we may be forced to sell assets at significantly depressed prices due to market conditions or otherwise, which may result in losses.

As a business development company, generally, the ratio of our total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness represented by senior securities) to our total indebtedness represented by senior securities plus any preferred stock, if any, must be at least 200%; however, legislation enacted in March 2018 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. The Adviser, as our sole initial shareholder, approved a proposal that allows us to reduce our asset coverage ratio to 150% and, in connection with their subscription agreements, our investors are required to acknowledge our ability to operate with an asset coverage ratio that may be as low as 150%. For additional information about the asset coverage requirements, see “Regulation — Senior Securities.” If this ratio declines below 150%, we cannot incur additional debt and could be required to sell a portion of our investments to repay some indebtedness when it may be disadvantageous to do so. This could have a material adverse effect on our operations, and we may not be able to service our debt or make distributions.

 

Global economic, political and market conditions may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, including our revenue growth and profitability.

The worldwide financial markets, as well as various social and political tensions in the United States and around the world, may contribute to increased market volatility, may have long term effects on the United States and worldwide financial markets, and may cause economic uncertainties or deterioration in the United States and worldwide. We monitor developments and seek to manage our investments in a manner consistent with achieving our investment objective, but there can be no assurance that we will be successful in doing so.

In August 2011 and then affirmed in August 2013, Standard & Poor’s Rating Services lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. from “AAA” to “AA+”. Additionally, in January of 2012, Standard & Poor’s Rating Services lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating for several large European countries. These ratings negatively impacted global markets and economic conditions. Although U.S. lawmakers have taken steps to avoid further downgrades, U.S. budget deficit concerns and similar conditions in Europe, China and elsewhere have increased the possibility of additional credit rating downgrades and worsening global economic and market conditions. The current political climate has also intensified concerns about a potential trade war between the United States and China in connection with each country’s recent proposed tariffs on the other country’s products. There can be no assurance that current or future governmental measures to mitigate these conditions will be effective. These conditions, government actions and future developments may cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may adversely affect our ability to access debt financing on favorable terms and may increase the interest costs of our borrowers, hampering their ability to repay us. Continued or future adverse economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In October 2014, the Federal Reserve announced that it was concluding its bond buying program, or quantitative easing, which was designed to stimulate the economy and expand the Federal Reserve’s holdings of long-term securities, suggesting that key

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economic indicators, such as the unemployment rate, had showed signs of improvement since the inception of the program. It is possible that, without quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve, these developments, along with the United States government’s credit and deficit concerns and other global economic conditions, could cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms. Additionally, in December 2016, the Federal Reserve raised 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.

 

Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies and harm our operating results.

Many of our portfolio companies may be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay our debt investments during these periods. Therefore, our non-performing assets may increase, and the value of our portfolio is likely to decrease during these periods. Adverse economic conditions may also decrease the value of any collateral securing our loans. A severe recession may further decrease the value of such collateral and result in losses of value in our portfolio and a decrease in our revenues, net income, assets and net worth.

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 on terms we deem acceptable. These events could prevent us from increasing investments and harm our operating results.

The occurrence of recessionary conditions and/or negative developments in the domestic and international credit markets may significantly affect the markets in which we do business, the value of our investments, and our ongoing operations, costs and profitability. Any such unfavorable economic conditions, including rising interest rates, may also increase our funding costs, limit our access to capital markets or negatively impact our ability to obtain financing, particularly from the debt markets. In addition, any future financial market uncertainty could lead to financial market disruptions and could further impact our ability to obtain financing. These events could limit our investment originations, limit our ability to grow and negatively impact our operating results and financial condition.

 

Terrorist attacks, acts of war, global health emergencies or natural disasters may impact the businesses in which we invest and harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

Terrorist acts, acts of war, global health emergencies or natural disasters may disrupt our operations, as well as the operations of the businesses in which we invest. Such acts have created, and continue to create, economic and political uncertainties and have contributed to global economic instability. Future terrorist activities, military or security operations, global health emergencies or natural disasters could further weaken the domestic/global economies and create additional uncertainties, which may negatively impact the businesses in which we invest directly or indirectly and, in turn, could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition. Losses from terrorist attacks, global health emergencies and natural disasters are generally uninsurable.

 

Our ability to achieve our investment objective depends on our Adviser’s ability to manage and support our investment process. If our Adviser were to lose a significant number of its key professionals, or terminate the Advisory Agreement, our ability to achieve our investment objective could be significantly harmed.

We do not have any employees. Additionally, we have no internal management capacity other than our appointed executive officers and will be dependent upon the investment expertise, skill and network of business contacts of our Adviser to achieve our investment objective. Our Adviser will evaluate, negotiate, structure, execute, monitor, and service our investments. Our success will depend to a significant extent on the continued service and coordination of our Adviser, including its key professionals. The departure of a significant number of key professionals from our Adviser could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective.

Our ability to achieve our investment objective also depends on the ability of our Adviser to identify, analyze, invest in, finance, and monitor companies that meet our investment criteria. Our Adviser’s capabilities in structuring the investment process, and providing competent, attentive and efficient services to us depend on the involvement of investment professionals of adequate number and sophistication to match the corresponding flow of transactions. To achieve our investment objective, our Adviser may need to retain, hire, train, supervise, and manage new investment professionals to participate in our investment selection and monitoring process. Our Adviser may not be able to find qualified investment professionals in a timely manner or at all. Any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, the Investment Advisory Agreement has a termination provision that allows the agreement to be terminated by us on 60 days’ notice without penalty by the vote of a Majority of the Outstanding Shares of our common stock or by the vote of our independent directors. Furthermore, the Investment Advisory Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its assignment, as

31


 

defined in the 1940 Act, by the Adviser. If the Adviser resigns or is terminated, or if we do not obtain the requisite approvals of shareholders and our Board to approve an agreement with the Adviser after an assignment, we may not be able to find a new investment adviser or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms prior to the termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement, or at all. If we are unable to do so quickly, our operations are likely to experience a disruption and costs under any new agreements that we enter into could increase. Our financial condition, business and results of operations, as well as our ability to meet our payment obligations under our indebtedness and pay distributions, are likely to be adversely affected, and the value of our common stock may decline.

 

Because our business model depends to a significant extent upon the Adviser’s relationships with corporations, financial institutions and investment firms, the inability of our Adviser to maintain or develop these relationships, or the failure of these relationships to generate investment opportunities, could adversely affect our business.

Our Adviser depends on its relationships with corporations, financial institutions and investment firms, and we will rely to a significant extent upon these relationships to provide us with potential investment opportunities.

If our Adviser fails to maintain its existing relationships or develop new relationships or sources of investment opportunities, we may not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom our Adviser has 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 face increasing competition for investment opportunities, which could delay further deployment of our capital, reduce returns and result in losses.

We may compete for investments with other business development companies and investment funds (including registered investment companies, private equity funds and mezzanine funds), including Owl Rock Capital Corporation, Owl Rock Capital Corporation II, the Owl Rock First Lien Master Fund, L.P. and other clients of the Adviser or its affiliates, as well as traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks and other sources of funding. Moreover, alternative investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, continue to increase their investment focus in our target market of privately-owned U.S. companies. We may experience increased competition from banks and investment vehicles who may continue to lend to the middle market. Additionally, the Federal Reserve and other bank regulators may periodically provide incentives to U.S. commercial banks to originate more loans to U.S. middle market private companies. As a result of these market participants and regulatory incentives, competition for investment opportunities in privately owned U.S. companies is strong and may intensify. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical, and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments than us. These characteristics could allow our competitors to consider a wider variety of investments, establish more relationships and offer better pricing and more flexible structuring than we are able to do.

We may lose investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms, and investment structure criteria. If we are forced to match these competitors’ investment terms criteria, we may not be able to achieve acceptable returns on our investments or may bear substantial risk of capital loss. A significant increase in the number and/or the size of our competitors in our target market could force us to accept less attractive investment terms. Furthermore, many competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a business development company or the source of income, asset diversification and distribution requirements we must satisfy to maintain our RIC tax treatment. The competitive pressures we face, and the manner in which we react or adjust to competitive pressures, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, effective yield on investments, investment returns, leverage ratio, and cash flows. As a result of this competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to time. Also, we may not be able to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objective.

 

Our investment portfolio will be recorded at fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with procedures established by our Board and, as a result, there is and will be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.

Under the 1940 Act, we are required to carry our portfolio investments at market value or, if there is no readily available market value, at fair value as determined in accordance with procedures established by our Board. There is not a public market or active secondary market for many of the types of investments in privately held companies that we hold and intend to make. Our investments may not be publicly traded or actively traded on a secondary market but, instead, may be traded on a privately negotiated over-the-counter secondary market for institutional investors, if at all. As a result, we will value these investments quarterly at fair value as determined in good faith in accordance with valuation policy and procedures approved by our Board.

The determination of fair value, and thus the amount of unrealized appreciation or depreciation we may recognize in any reporting period, is to a degree subjective, and our Adviser has a conflict of interest in making recommendations of fair value. We will value our investments quarterly at fair value as determined in good faith by our Board, based on, among other things, input of the Adviser, our Audit Committee and independent third-party valuation firm(s) engaged at the direction of the Board. The types of

32


 

factors that may be considered in determining the fair values of 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, current market interest rates and other relevant factors. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, the valuations may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time due to changes in current market conditions. The determinations of fair value in accordance with procedures established by our Board may differ materially from the values that would have been used if an active market and market quotations existed for such investments. Our net asset value could be adversely affected if the determinations regarding the fair value of the investments were materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such investments.

 

Our Board may change our operating policies and strategies without prior notice or shareholder approval, the effects of which may be adverse to our shareholders.

We have adopted a policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of our assets in technology-related companies. Other than with respect to this policy, which may only be changed with 60 days’ prior notice to our shareholders (or, prior to an Exchange Listing and during the 270 day lock-up period following an Exchange Listing, if shareholders representing at least a majority of votes cast when quorum is met, approve a proposal to do so), the Board of Directors has the authority to modify or waive current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies without prior notice and without shareholder approval. We cannot predict the effect any changes to current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies would have on our business, net asset value, operating results and the value of our securities. However, the effects might be adverse, which could negatively impact our ability to pay you distributions and cause you to lose all or part of your investment. Moreover, we will have significant flexibility in investing the net proceeds of our private offering and may use the net proceeds from our private offering in ways with which our investors may not agree.

 

Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business or cause us to alter our business strategy.

We and our portfolio companies will be subject to regulation at the local, state, and federal levels. Changes to the laws and regulations governing our permitted investments may require a change to our investment strategy. Such changes could differ materially from our strategies and plans as set forth in this report and may shift our investment focus from the areas of expertise of our Adviser. Thus, any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment in us.

 

Changes to United States tariff and import/export regulations may have a negative effect on our portfolio companies and, in turn, harm us.

Significant changes to U.S. trade policy, including changes to current legislation and trade agreements and the imposition of tariffs have been discussed by the current U.S. presidential administration and certain members of Congress. Recently, the administration has imposed tariffs on a range of goods imported into the U.S., and a few countries have retaliated with tariffs against the United States. These retaliatory actions could trigger extended "trade wars" between the U.S. and its trading partners, resulting in additional barriers to the international market, inclusive of customers, vendors, and potential investors. Under these circumstances, the cost of goods for some portfolio companies could increase, resulting in lower consumer demand for their goods and reduced cash flows. While it is unknown whether and to what extent new legislation will be enacted into law, the enactment or amendment of trade legislation and/or renegotiation of trade agreements may impose additional compliance costs on portfolio companies, restrict their ability to participate in international markets and otherwise disrupt their current operations.

 

We are an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are and we will remain an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act until the earlier of (a) the last day of the fiscal year (i) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering of common equity securities, (ii) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (iii) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (b) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. For so long as we remain an “emerging growth company” we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock and debt less attractive because we will rely on some or all of these exemptions.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other

33


 

words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of such extended transition periods.

 

Our status as an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act may make it more difficult to raise capital as and when we need it.

Because of the exemptions from various reporting requirements provided to us as an “emerging growth company” and because we will have an extended transition period for complying with new or revised financial accounting standards, we may be less attractive to investors and it may be difficult for us to raise additional capital as and when we need it. Investors may be unable to compare our business with other companies in our industry if they believe that our financial accounting is not as transparent as other companies in our industry. If we are unable to raise additional capital as and when we need it, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

 

We expend significant financial and other resources to comply with the requirements of being a public entity.

As a public entity, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, which are discussed below. In order to maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls, significant resources and management oversight are required. We have implemented procedures, processes, policies and practices for the purpose of addressing the standards and requirements applicable to public companies. These activities may divert management’s attention from other business concerns, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The systems and resources necessary to comply with public company reporting requirements will increase further once we cease to be an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act. As long as we remain an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We expect to remain an emerging growth company for up to five years following the completion of our initial public offering of common equity securities or until the earliest of (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1.07 billion, (ii) December 31 of the fiscal year that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act which would occur if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700.0 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter and we have been publicly reporting for at least 12 months or (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the preceding three-year period.

 

We are obligated to maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting. Failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could have a material adverse effect on our business and the value of our common stock.

We are obligated to maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting, including the internal control evaluation and certification requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will not be required to comply with all of the requirements under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act until the date (i) we are no longer an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act and (ii) we are a reporting company that does not meet the definition of an “accelerated filer” or a “large accelerated filer” under Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act. We expect to remain an emerging growth company for up to five years following the completion of our initial public offering of common equity securities or until the earliest of (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1.07 billion, (ii) December 31 of the fiscal year that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act which would occur if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700.0 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter and we have been publicly reporting for at least 12 months or (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the preceding three-year period.

Accordingly, our internal controls over financial reporting do not currently meet all of the standards contemplated by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that we will eventually be required to meet. Specifically, we are required to conduct annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. However, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until the date (i) we are no longer an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act and (ii) we are a reporting company that does not meet the definition of an “accelerated filer” or a “large accelerated filer” under Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act. If we are not able to implement the applicable requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner or with adequate compliance, our operations, financial reporting or financial results could be adversely affected. Matters impacting our internal controls may cause us to be unable to report our financial information on a timely basis and thereby subject us to adverse regulatory consequences, including sanctions by the SEC, and result in a breach of the covenants under our credit facilities. Additionally, if we identify one or more

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material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal controls are effective. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm were to report a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports. This could materially adversely affect us.

Our internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements because of its inherent limitations. 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.

 

We may experience fluctuations in our operating results.

We may experience fluctuations in our operating results due to a number of factors, including our ability or inability to make investments in companies that meet our investment criteria, interest rates and default rates on the debt investments we make, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized gains or losses, unrealized appreciation or depreciation, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets, and general economic conditions. These occurrences could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, the value of your investment in us and our ability to pay distributions to you and our other shareholders.

 

Any unrealized depreciation we experience on our portfolio may be an indication of future realized losses, which could reduce our income available for distribution.

As a business development company, 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 in accordance with procedures established by our Board. Decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments relative to amortized cost will be recorded as unrealized depreciation. Any unrealized losses in our portfolio could be an indication of a portfolio company’s inability to meet its repayment obligations to us with respect to the affected loans. This could result in realized losses in the future and ultimately in reductions of our income available for distribution in future periods. In addition, decreases in the market value or fair value of our investments will reduce our net asset value. See “ITEM 7. – MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES – INVESTMENTS AT FAIR VALUE.

 

We are not limited with respect to the proportion of our assets that may be invested in a single issuer.

Beyond the asset diversification requirements associated with our qualification as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification. We have adopted a policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of our assets in technology-related companies. To the extent that we hold large positions in a small number of issuers, or within a particular industry, our net asset value may fluctuate as a result of changes in the issuer’s financial condition or the market’s assessment of the issuer. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence or a downturn in particular industry in which we may invest significantly than a diversified investment company.

 

We are dependent on information systems and systems failures could significantly disrupt our business, which may, in turn, negatively affect our liquidity, financial condition or results of operations.

Our business is dependent on our and third parties’ communications and information systems. Any failure or interruption of those systems, including as a result of the termination of an agreement with any third-party service providers, could cause delays or other problems in our activities. Our financial, accounting, data processing, portfolio monitoring, backup or other operating systems and facilities may fail to operate properly or become disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control. There could be:

 

 

sudden electrical or telecommunications outages;

 

natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes;

 

disease pandemics;

 

events arising from local or larger scale political or social matters, including terrorist acts;

 

outages due to idiosyncratic issues at specific service providers; and

 

cyber-attacks.

 

These events, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and negatively affect the net asset value of our common stock and our ability to pay distributions to our shareholders.

 


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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 incidents that adversely affects our data, resulting in increased costs and other consequences as described above.

 

Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents may adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies by causing a disruption to our operations or the operations of our portfolio companies, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information or the confidential information of our portfolio companies and/or damage to our business relationships or the business relationships of our portfolio companies, all of which could negatively impact the business, financial condition and operating results of us or our portfolio companies.

A cyber incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the information resources of us or our portfolio companies. These incidents may be an intentional attack or an unintentional event and could involve gaining unauthorized access to our information systems or those of our portfolio companies for purposes of misappropriating assets, stealing confidential information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. The result of these incidents may include disrupted operations, misstated or unreliable financial data, liability for stolen assets or information, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, litigation and damage to business relationships. As our and our portfolio companies' reliance on technology has increased, so have the risks posed to our information systems, both internal and those provided by third-party service providers, and the information systems of our portfolio companies. We have implemented processes, procedures and internal controls to help mitigate cybersecurity risks and cyber intrusions, but these measures, as well as our increased awareness of the nature and extent of a risk of a cyber-incident, do not guarantee that a cyber-incident will not occur and/or that our financial results, operations or confidential information will not be negatively impacted by such an incident.

 

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

Because we borrow money to make investments, our net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest those funds. As a result, we can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income.

A reduction in the interest rates on new investments relative to interest rates on current investments could have an adverse impact on our net investment income. However, an increase in interest rates could decrease the value of any investments we hold which earn fixed interest rates and also could increase our interest expense, thereby decreasing our net income. Also, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make an investment in our common stock less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate, which could reduce the value of our common stock. Further, rising interest rates could also adversely affect our performance if such increases cause our borrowing costs to rise at a rate in excess of the rate that our investments yield.

In periods of rising interest rates, to the extent we borrow money subject to a floating interest rate, our cost of funds would increase, which could reduce our net investment income. Further, rising interest rates could also adversely affect our performance if we hold investments with floating interest rates, subject to specified minimum interest rates (such as a LIBOR floor), while at the same time engaging in borrowings subject to floating interest rates not subject to such minimums. In such a scenario, rising interest rates may increase our interest expense, even though our interest income from investments is not increasing in a corresponding manner as a result of such minimum interest rates.

If general interest rates rise, there is a risk that the portfolio companies in which we hold floating rate securities will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with us. Rising interest rates could also cause portfolio companies to shift cash from other productive uses to the payment of interest, which may have a material adverse

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effect on their business and operations and could, over time, lead to increased defaults. In addition, rising interest rates may increase pressure on us to provide fixed rate loans to our portfolio companies, which could adversely affect our net investment income, as increases in our cost of borrowed funds would not be accompanied by increased interest income from such fixed-rate investments.

 

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 transactions 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 portfolio company is calculated using LIBOR. The terms of our debt investments generally include minimum interest rate floors which are calculated based on LIBOR.

The United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it will not compel panel banks to contribute to LIBOR after 2021. It is unclear if at that time LIBOR will cease to exist or if new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after 2021. Central banks and regulators in a number of major jurisdictions (for example, United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Switzerland and Japan) have convened working groups to find, and implement the transition to, suitable replacements for interbank offered rates (“IBORs”). To identify a successor rate for U.S. dollar LIBOR, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (“ARRC”), a U.S.-based group convened by the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, was formed. The ARRC has identified the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as its preferred alternative rate for LIBOR. SOFR is a measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight, collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities, and is based on directly observable U.S. Treasury-backed repurchase transactions. Although SOFR appears to be the preferred replacement rate for U.S. dollar LIBOR, at this time, it is not possible to predict the effect of any such changes, any establishment of alternative reference rates or other reforms to LIBOR that may be enacted in the United States, United Kingdom or elsewhere. The elimination of LIBOR or any other changes or reforms to the determination or supervision of LIBOR could have an adverse impact on the market for or value of any LIBOR-linked securities, loans, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit held by or due to us or on our overall financial condition or results of operations. In addition, if LIBOR ceases to exist, we may need to renegotiate the credit agreements extending beyond 2021 with our portfolio companies that utilize LIBOR as a factor in determining the interest rate, in order to replace LIBOR with the new standard that is established, which may have an adverse effect on our overall financial condition or results of operations. Following the replacement of LIBOR, some or all of these credit agreements may bear interest a lower interest rate, which could have an adverse impact on our results of operations. Moreover, if LIBOR ceases to exist, we may need to renegotiate certain terms of our credit facilities. If we are unable to do so, amounts drawn under our credit facilities may bear interest at a higher rate, which would increase the cost of our borrowings and, in turn, affect our results of operations.

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

The 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 United Kingdom and European Union announced in March 2018 an agreement in principle to transitional provisions under which European Union law would remain in force in the United Kingdom until the end of December 2020, but this remains subject to the successful conclusion of an agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union. In the absence of such an agreement there would be no transitional provisions and the United Kingdom would exit the European Union and the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union would be based on the World Trade Organization rules (a “hard Brexit”). On October 28, 2019, the United Kingdom came to an agreement with the European Union to delay the deadline for withdrawal; however, the United Kingdom parliament did not approve the withdrawal agreement by January 31, 2020 and there was a hard Brexit on that date. While it is not currently possible to determine the extent of the impact a hard Brexit may have on our investments, certain measures are being proposed and/or will be introduced, at the European Union level or at the member state level, which are designed to minimize disruption in the financial markets.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the extent and process by which the United Kingdom will ultimately 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.

In particular, currency volatility may mean that our returns and the returns of our portfolio companies will be adversely affected by market movements and may make it more difficult, or more expensive, for us to implement appropriate currency hedging. Potential declines in the value of the British Pound and/or the euro against other currencies, along with the potential downgrading of the United

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Kingdom’s sovereign credit rating, may also have an impact on the performance of any of our portfolio companies located in the United Kingdom or Europe.

 

Our investment strategy focuses on technology companies, which are subject to many risks, including volatility, intense competition, shortened product life cycles, changes in regulatory and governmental programs and periodic downturns, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

We intend to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of our assets in technology-related companies, many of which may have narrow product lines and small market shares, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as to general economic downturns. The revenues, income (or losses), and valuations of technology-related companies can and often do fluctuate suddenly and dramatically. In addition, technology-related industries are generally characterized by abrupt business cycles and intense competition. Overcapacity in technology-related industries, together with cyclical economic downturns, may result in substantial decreases in the market capitalization of many technology-related companies. Such decreases in market capitalization may occur again, and any future decreases in technology-related company valuations may be substantial and may not be temporary in nature. Therefore, our portfolio companies may face considerably more risk of loss than do companies in other industry sectors.

Because of rapid technological change, the average selling prices of products and some services provided by technology companies have historically decreased over their productive lives. As a result, the average selling prices of products and services offered by technology companies may decrease over time, which could adversely affect their operating results, their ability to meet obligations under their debt securities and the value of their equity securities. This could, in turn, materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

A natural disaster may also impact the operations of our portfolio companies, including the technology companies in our portfolio. The nature and level of natural disasters cannot be predicted and may be exacerbated by global climate change. Technology companies rely on items assembled or produced in areas susceptible to natural disasters, and may sell finished goods into markets susceptible to natural disasters. A major disaster, such as an earthquake, tsunami, flood or other catastrophic event could result in disruption to the business and operations of the technology companies in our portfolio.

We may invest in technology companies that are reliant on U.S. and foreign regulatory and governmental programs. Any material changes or discontinuation, due to change in administration or U.S. Congress or otherwise could have a material adverse effect on the operations of a portfolio company in these industries and, in turn, impair our ability to timely collect principal and interest payments owed to us to the extent applicable.

 

We may not realize any income or gains from our equity investments.

We may invest in equity-related securities, including common equity, warrants, preferred stock and convertible preferred securities. These equity interests we acquire may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value if the company fails to perform financially or achieve its growth objectives.  We will generally have little, if any, control over the timing of any gains we may realize from our equity investments since these securities may have restrictions on their transfer or may not have an active trading market.

Equity investments also have experienced significantly more volatility in their returns and may under-perform relative to fixed-income securities during certain periods. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value. Also, prices of equity investments are sensitive to general movements in the stock market and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stock investments to which we have exposure. Equity prices fluctuate for several reasons including changes in investors' perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuers occur. In addition, common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase.

Although we expect to receive current income in the form of dividend payments on any convertible preferred equity investments, a substantial portion of the gains we expect to receive from our investments in such securities will likely be from the capital gains generated from the sale of our equity investments upon conversion of our convertible securities, the timing of which we cannot predict.  We do not expect to generate capital gains from the sale of our portfolio investments on a level or uniform basis from quarter to quarter. In addition, any convertible preferred stock instruments will generally provide for conversion upon the portfolio companies’ achievement of certain milestone events, including a qualified public offering and/or a senior exchange listing for their common stock.  However, there can be no assurance that our portfolio companies will obtain either a junior or senior exchange listing or, even if a listing is obtained, that an active trading market will ever develop in the common stock of our publicly traded portfolio companies.

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. Furthermore, due to the expected growth of our

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portfolio companies, we do not generally expect to receive dividend income from our common stock investments. In the case of cumulative preferred stock, there is no assurance that any dividends will ever be paid by a portfolio company.

 

The amount of any distributions we may make on our common stock is uncertain. We may not be able to pay you distributions, or be able to sustain distributions at any particular level, and our distributions per share, if any, may not grow over time, and our distributions per share may be reduced. We have not established any limit on the extent to which we may use borrowings, if any, and we may use offering proceeds to fund distributions (which may reduce the amount of capital we ultimately invest in portfolio companies).

Subject to our Board’s discretion and applicable legal restrictions, we intend to authorize and declare cash distributions on a monthly or quarterly basis and pay such distributions on a monthly or quarterly basis. We expect to pay distributions out of assets legally available for distribution. However, we cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a consistent targeted 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 the risks described herein. In addition, the inability to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to us as a business development company under the 1940 Act can limit our ability to pay distributions. Distributions from offering proceeds also could reduce the amount of capital we ultimately invest in debt or equity securities of portfolio companies. We cannot assure you that we will pay distributions to our shareholders in the future.

 

Distributions on our common stock may exceed our taxable earnings and profits, particularly during the period before we have substantially invested the net proceeds from our private offering. Therefore, portions of the distributions that we pay may represent a return of capital to you. A return of capital is a return of a portion of your original investment in shares of our common stock. As a result, a return of capital will (i) lower your tax basis in your shares and thereby increase the amount of capital gain (or decrease the amount of capital loss) realized upon a subsequent sale or redemption of such shares, and (ii) reduce the amount of funds we have for investment in portfolio companies. We have not established any limit on the extent to which we may use offering proceeds to fund distributions.

We may pay our distributions from offering proceeds in anticipation of future cash flow, which may constitute a return of your capital and will lower your tax basis in your shares, thereby increasing the amount of capital gain (or decreasing the amount of capital loss) realized upon a subsequent sale or redemption of such shares, even if such shares have not increased in value or have, in fact, lost value. Distributions from offering proceeds also could reduce the amount of capital we ultimately have available to invest in portfolio companies.

 

We are subject to risks related to corporate social responsibility.

Our business faces increasing public scrutiny related to environmental, social and governance ("ESG") activities. We risk damage to our brand and reputation if we fail to act responsibly in a number of areas, such as environmental stewardship, corporate governance and transparency and considering ESG factors in our investment processes. Adverse incidents with respect to ESG activities could impact the value of our brand, the cost of our operations and relationships with investors, all of which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Additionally, new regulatory initiatives related to ESG could adversely affect our business.

 

 


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Risks Related to Our Adviser and Its Affiliates

 

The Adviser and its affiliates have limited experience managing a business development company.

Our Adviser and its affiliates have limited experience managing a vehicle regulated as a business development company and may not be able to operate our business successfully or achieve our investment objective. As a result, an investment in our securities may entail more risk than the securities of a comparable company with a substantial operating history.

The 1940 Act and the Code impose numerous constraints on the operations of business development companies and RICs that do not apply to the other types of investment vehicles previously managed by the personnel of our Adviser and its affiliates. For example, under the 1940 Act, business development companies are generally required to invest at least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities of qualifying U.S. private or thinly traded companies. Moreover, qualification for RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code requires satisfaction of source-of-income, asset diversification and other requirements. Any failure by us to comply with these provisions could prevent us from maintaining our qualification as a business development company or tax treatment as a RIC or could force us to pay unexpected taxes and penalties, which could be material. Our Adviser’s and its affiliates’ limited experience in managing a portfolio of assets under such constraints may hinder their ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and, as a result, make it more difficult for us to achieve our investment objective.

 

The Adviser or its affiliates, including our officers and some of our directors, may face conflicts of interest caused by compensation arrangements with us and our affiliates, which could result in increased risk-taking by us.

The Adviser and its affiliates will receive substantial fees from us in return for their services. In the event of an Exchange Listing, these fees may include certain incentive fees based on the amount of appreciation of our investments. These fees could influence the advice provided to us. Generally, the more equity we sell in public offerings and the greater the risk assumed by us with respect to our investments, including through the use of leverage, the greater the potential for growth in our assets and profits, and, correlatively, the fees payable by us to our Adviser. These compensation arrangements could affect our Adviser’s or its affiliates’ judgment with respect to public offerings of equity and investments made by us, which allow our Adviser to earn increased asset management fees.

 

The time and resources that individuals associated with our Adviser devote to us may be diverted, and we may face additional competition due to the fact that neither our Adviser nor its affiliates is prohibited from raising money for or managing another entity that makes the same types of investments that we target.

The Adviser and its affiliates currently manage Owl Rock Capital Corporation, Owl Rock Capital Corporation II and Owl Rock First Lien Master Fund, L.P. and are not prohibited from raising money for and managing future investment entities that make the same or similar types of investments as those we target. As a result, the time and resources that our Adviser devotes to us may be diverted, and during times of intense activity in other investment programs they may devote less time and resources to our business than is necessary or appropriate. In addition, we may compete with any such investment entity also managed by the Adviser or its affiliates for the same investors and investment opportunities.

 

The Adviser and its affiliates may face conflicts of interest with respect to services performed for issuers in which we invest.

Our Adviser and its affiliates may provide a broad range of financial services to companies in which we invest, including providing arrangement, syndication, origination structuring and other services to our portfolio companies and will generally be paid fees for such services, in compliance with applicable law, by the portfolio company. Any compensation received by our Adviser or its affiliates for providing these services will not be shared with us and may be received before we realize a return on our investment. Our Adviser may face conflicts of interest with respect to services performed for these companies, on the one hand, and investments recommended to us, on the other hand.

 

The Adviser and its affiliates may have incentives to favor their respective other accounts and clients over us, which may result in conflicts of interest that could be harmful to us.

Because our Adviser and its affiliates manage assets for, or may in the future manage assets for, other investment companies, pooled investment vehicles and/or other accounts (including institutional clients, pension plans, co-invest vehicles and certain high net worth individuals), certain conflicts of interest are present. For instance, the Adviser and its affiliates may receive asset management performance based, or other fees from certain accounts that are higher than the fees received by our Adviser from us. In those instances, a portfolio manager for our Adviser has an incentive to favor the higher fee and/or performance-based fee accounts over us.

 

In addition, a conflict of interest exists to the extent our Adviser, its affiliates, or any of their respective executives, portfolio managers or employees have proprietary or personal investments in other investment companies or accounts or when certain other investment companies or accounts are investment options in our Adviser’s or its affiliates’ employee benefit plans. In these circumstances, our Adviser has an incentive to favor these other investment companies or accounts over us. Our Board will seek to monitor these conflicts but there can be no assurances that such monitoring will fully mitigate any such conflicts.

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This can create a potential conflict when allocating investment opportunities among us and such other Owl Rock Clients. An investment opportunity that is suitable for multiple clients of the Adviser and its affiliates may not be capable of being shared among some or all of such clients and affiliates due to the limited scale of the opportunity or other factors, including regulatory restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act. However, in order for the Adviser and its affiliates to fulfill their fiduciary duties to each of their clients, the Owl Rock Advisers have put in place an investment allocation policy that seeks to ensure the fair and equitable allocation of investment opportunities over time and addresses the co-investment restrictions set forth under the 1940 Act. See – Allocation of Investment Opportunities.

 

Additionally, expenses may be incurred that are attributable to us and one or more other clients of the Owl Rock Advisors (including in connection with portfolio companies in which we, and such other clients of the Owl Rock Advisors have overlapping investments). The allocation of such expenses among such entities raises potential conflicts of interest. The Adviser and its affiliates intend to allocate such common expenses among us and any such other clients of Owl Rock Advisors in a manner that is fair and equitable over time or in such other manner as may be required by applicable law. Additionally, the appropriate allocation of fees and expenses generated in connection with potential portfolio investments that are not consummated with an investment of our assets, including without limitation out-of-pocket fees associated with travel expenses, attorney fees and the fees of other professionals will be allocated in a manner that is fair and equitable over time and in accordance with the policies adopted by the Adviser and we are expected to bear our ratable share of such expenses.

 

Any fees payable to, or expenses incurred by, the Company in its capacity as administrative agent or similar role on loans in which other clients of the Owl Rock Advisors are invested, shall be allocated among the Company and the other participating clients of the Owl Rock Advisors pro-rata according to their participation in the transaction.

 

Our fee structure may create incentives for our Adviser to make speculative investments or use substantial leverage.

The incentive fee payable by us to our Adviser may create an incentive for our Adviser to make investments on our behalf that are risky or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangements. The way in which the incentive fee is determined may encourage our Adviser to use leverage to increase the leveraged return on our investment portfolio. In addition, the fact that our base management fee is payable based upon our average gross assets (which includes any borrowings used for investment purposes) may encourage our Adviser to use leverage to make additional investments. Such a practice could make such investments more risky than would otherwise be the case, which could result in higher investment losses, particularly during cyclical economic downturns. Under certain circumstances, the use of substantial leverage (up to the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act) may increase the likelihood of our defaulting on our borrowings, which would be detrimental to holders of our securities.

 

We may compete for capital and investment opportunities with other entities managed by our Adviser or its affiliates, subjecting our Adviser to certain conflicts of interests.

Our Adviser will experience conflicts of interest in connection with the management of our business affairs relating to and arising from a number of matters, including: the allocation of investment opportunities by our Adviser and its affiliates; compensation to our Adviser; services that may be provided by our Adviser and its affiliates to issuers in which we invest; investments by us and other clients of our Adviser, subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act; the formation of additional investment funds managed by our Adviser; differing recommendations given by our Adviser to us versus other clients; our Adviser’s use of information gained from issuers in our portfolio for investments by other clients, subject to applicable law; and restrictions on our Adviser’s use of “inside information” with respect to potential investments by us.

Specifically, we may compete for investments with affiliated BDCs or funds that are also advised by the Adviser, such as Owl Rock Capital Corporation and Owl Rock Capital Corporation II, subjecting our Adviser and its affiliates to certain conflicts of interest in evaluating the suitability of investment opportunities and making or recommending investments on our behalf. To mitigate these conflicts, the Owl Rock Advisers will seek to execute such transactions for all of the participating investment accounts, including us, on a fair and equitable basis and in accordance with the Owl Rock Advisers’ allocation policy, taking into account such factors as the relative amounts of capital available for new investments; cash on hand; existing commitments and reserves; the investment programs and portfolio positions of the participating investment accounts, including portfolio construction, diversification and concentration considerations; the investment objectives, guidelines and strategies of each client; the clients for which participation is appropriate’ each client’s life cycle; targeted leverage level; targeted asset mix and any other factors deemed appropriate.

We may be prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our directors who are not interested persons and, in some cases, the prior approval of the SEC. We rely on exemptive relief, that has been granted by the SEC to ORCA and certain of its affiliates, to co-invest with other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates, including Owl Rock Capital Corporation and Owl Rock Capital Corporation II, in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. Pursuant to such exemptive relief, we generally are permitted to co-invest with certain of our affiliates if a “required majority” (as defined in Section

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57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our shareholders and do not involve overreaching by us or our shareholders on the part of any person concerned, (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our shareholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies, and (3) the investment by our affiliates would not disadvantage us, and our participation would not be on a basis different from or less advantageous than that on which our affiliates are investing. The Owl Rock Advisers’ investment allocation policy seeks to ensure equitable allocation of investment opportunities between us and other funds managed by our Adviser or its affiliates. As a result of the exemptive relief, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolio of Owl Rock Capital Corporation, Owl Rock Capital Corporation II and/or other funds established by the Adviser or its affiliates that could avail themselves of the exemptive relief.

 

Actions by the Adviser or its affiliates on behalf of their other accounts and clients may be adverse to us and our investments and harmful to us.

Our Adviser and its affiliates manage assets for accounts other than us, including private funds (for purposes of this section, “Adviser Funds”) including, but not limited to, Owl Rock Capital Corporation, Owl Rock Capital Corporation II and Owl Rock First Lien Master Fund, L.P. Actions taken by our Adviser or its affiliates on behalf of its Adviser Funds may be adverse to us and our investments, which could harm our performance. For example, we may invest in the same credit obligations as other Adviser Funds, although, to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, our investments may include different obligations or levels of the capital structure of the same issuer. Decisions made with respect to the securities held by one Adviser Fund may cause (or have the potential to cause) harm to the different class of securities of the issuer held by other Adviser Funds (including us).

 

Our access to confidential information may restrict our ability to take action with respect to some investments, which, in turn, may negatively affect our results of operations.

We, directly or through our Adviser, may obtain confidential information about the companies in which we have invested or may invest or be deemed to have such confidential information. Our Adviser may come into possession of material, non-public information through its members, officers, directors, employees, principals or affiliates. The possession of such information may, to our detriment, limit the ability of us and our Adviser to buy or sell a security or otherwise to participate in an investment opportunity. In certain circumstances, employees of our Adviser may serve as board members or in other capacities for portfolio or potential portfolio companies, which could restrict our ability to trade in the securities of such companies. For example, if personnel of our Adviser come into possession of material non-public information with respect to our investments, such personnel will be restricted by our Adviser’s information-sharing policies and procedures or by law or contract from sharing such information with our management team, even where the disclosure of such information would be in our best interests or would otherwise influence decisions taken by the members of the management team with respect to that investment. This conflict and these procedures and practices may limit the freedom of our Adviser to enter into or exit from potentially profitable investments for us, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will be able to fully leverage the resources and industry expertise of our Adviser in the course of its duties. Additionally, there may be circumstances in which one or more individuals associated with our Adviser will be precluded from providing services to us because of certain confidential information available to those individuals or to other parts of our Adviser.

 

We may be obligated to pay our Adviser incentive fees even if we incur a net loss due to a decline in the value of our portfolio and even if our earned interest income is not payable in cash.

The Investment Advisory Agreement entitles our Adviser to receive an incentive fee based on our pre-incentive fee net investment income regardless of any capital losses. In such case, we may be required to pay our Adviser an incentive fee for a fiscal quarter even if there is a decline in the value of our portfolio or if we incur a net loss for that quarter. Any incentive fee payable by us that relates to the pre-incentive fee net investment income may be computed and paid on income that may include interest that has been accrued but not yet received or interest in the form of securities received rather than cash (“payment-in-kind”, or “PIK”, income). PIK income will be included in the pre-incentive fee net investment income used to calculate the incentive fee to our Adviser even though we do not receive the income in the form of cash. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan that is structured to provide accrued interest income, it is possible that accrued interest income previously included in the calculation of the incentive fee will become uncollectible. Our Adviser is not obligated to reimburse us for any part of the incentive fee it received that was based on accrued interest income that we never receive as a result of a subsequent default.

The quarterly incentive fee on income is recognized and paid without regard to: (i) the trend of pre-incentive fee net investment income as a percent of adjusted capital over multiple quarters in arrears which may in fact be consistently less than the quarterly preferred return, or (ii) the net income or net loss in the current calendar quarter, the current year or any combination of prior periods.

For federal income tax purposes, we may be required to recognize taxable income in some circumstances in which we do not receive a corresponding payment in cash and to make distributions with respect to such income to maintain our tax treatment as a RIC and/or minimize corporate level U.S. federal income or excise tax. Under such circumstances, we may have difficulty meeting the

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Annual Distribution Requirement necessary to maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code. This difficulty in making the required distribution may be amplified to the extent that we are required to pay the incentive fee on income with respect to such accrued income. As a result, 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.

 

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 a majority 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 will be our affiliate for purposes of the 1940 Act, and we will generally be prohibited from buying or selling any securities from or to such affiliate on a principal basis, absent the prior approval of the Board and, in some cases, the SEC. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of our affiliates, including other funds or clients advised by the Adviser or its affiliates, which in certain circumstances could include investments in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or different times to the extent the transaction involves a joint investment), without prior approval of the Board 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 from or to such person or certain of that person’s affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates or anyone who is under common control with us. The SEC has interpreted the business development company regulations governing transactions with affiliates to prohibit certain joint transactions involving entities that share a common investment adviser. As a result of these restrictions, we may be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to any portfolio company that is controlled by a fund managed by either of the Adviser or its affiliates without the prior approval of the SEC, which may limit the scope of investment or disposition opportunities that would otherwise be available to us.

We rely on exemptive relief, that has been granted by the SEC to ORCA and certain of its affiliates, to co-invest with other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates, in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. Pursuant to such exemptive relief, we generally are permitted to co-invest with certain of our affiliates if a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our shareholders and do not involve overreaching of us or our shareholders on the part of any person concerned, (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our shareholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies, and (3) the investment by our affiliates would not disadvantage us, and our participation would not be on a basis different from or less advantageous than that on which our affiliates are investing.

 

In situations when co-investment with the Adviser’s or its affiliates’ other clients is not permitted under the 1940 Act and related rules, existing or future staff guidance, or the terms and conditions of any exemptive relief granted by the SEC, the Adviser will need to decide which client or clients will proceed with the investment. Generally, we will not be entitled to make a co-investment in these circumstances and, to the extent that another client elects to proceed with the investment, we will not be permitted to participate. Moreover, except in certain circumstances, we will not invest in any issuer in which an affiliate’s other client holds a controlling interest.

 

We may make investments that could give rise to a conflict of interest.

We do not expect to invest in, or hold securities of, companies that are controlled by an affiliate’s other clients. However, our Adviser or an affiliate’s other clients may invest in, and gain control over, one of our portfolio companies. If our Adviser or an affiliate’s other client, or clients, gains control over one of our portfolio companies, it may create conflicts of interest and may subject us to certain restrictions under the 1940 Act. As a result of these conflicts and restrictions our Adviser may be unable to implement our investment strategies as effectively as they could have in the absence of such conflicts or restrictions. For example, as a result of a conflict or restriction, our Adviser may be unable to engage in certain transactions that it would otherwise pursue. In order to avoid these conflicts and restrictions, our Adviser may choose to exit such investments prematurely and, as a result, we may forego any positive returns associated with such investments. In addition, to the extent that an affiliate’s other client holds a different class of securities than us as a result of such transactions, our interests may not be aligned.

 

The recommendations given to us by our Adviser may differ from those rendered to their other clients.

Our Adviser and its affiliates may give advice and recommend securities to other clients which may differ from advice given to, or securities recommended or bought for, us even though such other clients’ investment objectives may be similar to ours, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

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Our Adviser’s liability is limited under the Investment Advisory Agreement, and we are required to indemnify our Adviser against certain liabilities, which may lead our Adviser to act in a riskier manner on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account.

Our Adviser has not assumed any responsibility to us other than to render the services described in the Investment Advisory Agreement (and, separately, under the Administration Agreement), and it will not be responsible for any action of our Board in declining to follow our Adviser’s advice or recommendations. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, our Adviser and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, agents, employees, controlling persons, and any other person or entity affiliated with, or acting on behalf of our Adviser will not be liable to us for their acts under the Investment Advisory Agreement, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their duties. We have also agreed to indemnify, defend and protect our Adviser and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, agents, employees, controlling persons and any other person or entity affiliated with, or acting on behalf of our Adviser with respect to all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses resulting from acts of our Adviser not arising out of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their duties. However, in accordance with Section 17(i) of the 1940 Act, neither the Adviser nor any of its affiliates, directors, officers, members, employees, agents, or representatives may be protected against any liability to us or our investors to which it would otherwise be subject by reason of willful malfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of its office. These protections may lead our Adviser to act in a riskier manner when acting on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account.

 

There are risks associated with any potential merger with or purchase of assets of another fund.

The Adviser may in the future recommend to the Board that we merge with or acquire all or substantially all of the assets of one or more funds including a fund that could be managed by the Adviser (including another BDC). We do not expect that the Adviser would recommend any such merger or asset purchase unless it determines that it would be in our best interests, with such determination dependent on factors it deems relevant, which may include our historical and projected financial performance and that of any proposed merger partner, portfolio composition, potential synergies from the merger or asset sale, available alternative options and market conditions. In addition, no such merger or asset purchase would be consummated absent the meeting of various conditions required by applicable law or contract, at such time, which may include approval of the board of directors and common equity holders of both funds. If the Adviser is the investment adviser of both funds, various conflicts of interest would exist with respect to any such transaction. Such conflicts of interest may potentially arise from, among other things, differences between the compensation payable to the Adviser by us and by the entity resulting from such a merger or asset purchase or efficiencies or other benefits to the Adviser as a result of managing a single, larger fund instead of two separate funds.

 

The Adviser’s failure to comply with pay-to-play laws, regulations and policies could have an adverse effect on the Adviser, and thus, us.

A number of U.S. states and municipal pension plans have adopted so-called “pay-to-play” laws, regulations or policies which prohibit, restrict or require disclosure of payments to (and/or certain contacts with) state officials by individuals and entities seeking to do business with state entities, including those seeking investments by public retirement funds. The SEC has adopted a rule that, among other things, prohibits an investment adviser from providing advisory services for compensation to a government client for two years after the adviser or certain of its executives or employees makes a contribution to certain elected officials or candidates. If the Adviser, any of its employees or affiliates or any service provider acting on its behalf, fails to comply with such laws, regulations or policies, such non-compliance could have an adverse effect on the Adviser, and thus, us.

 

Risks Related to Business Development Companies

 

The requirement that we invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets could preclude us from investing in accordance with our current business strategy; conversely, the failure to invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets could result in our failure to maintain our status as a business development company.

As a business development company, the 1940 Act prohibits us from acquiring any assets other than certain qualifying assets unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of our total assets are qualifying assets. Therefore, we may be precluded from investing in what we believe are attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets. Conversely, if we fail to invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could lose our status as a business development company, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, these rules could prevent us from making additional investments in existing portfolio companies, which could result in the dilution of our position, or could require us to dispose of investments at an inopportune time to comply with the 1940 Act. If we were forced to sell non-qualifying investments in the portfolio for compliance purposes, the proceeds from such sale could be significantly less than the current value of such investments.

 


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Failure to maintain our status as a business development company would reduce our operating flexibility.

If we do not remain a business development company, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act, which would subject us to substantially more regulatory restrictions and correspondingly decrease our operating flexibility.

 

Regulations governing our operation as a business development company and RIC affect our ability to raise capital and the way in which we raise additional capital or borrow for investment purposes, which may have a negative effect on our growth. As a business development company, the necessity of raising additional capital may expose us to risks, including risks associated with leverage.

As a result of the Annual Distribution Requirement to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC, we may need to access the capital markets periodically to raise cash to fund new investments in portfolio companies. Currently, we may issue “senior securities,” including borrowing money from banks or other financial institutions only in amounts such that the ratio of our total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness represented by senior securities) to our total indebtedness represented by senior securities plus preferred stock, if any, equals at least 150% after such incurrence or issuance. If we issue senior securities, we will be exposed to risks associated with leverage, including an increased risk of loss. Our ability to issue different types of securities is also limited. Compliance with RIC distribution requirements may unfavorably limit our investment opportunities and reduce our ability in comparison to other companies to profit from favorable spreads between the rates at which we can borrow and the rates at which we can lend. Therefore, we intend to seek to continuously issue equity securities, which may lead to shareholder dilution.

We may borrow to fund investments. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy the asset coverage test under the 1940 Act, which would prohibit us from paying distributions and could prevent us from qualifying for tax treatment as a RIC, which would generally result in a corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on any income and net gains. If we cannot satisfy the asset coverage test, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments and, depending on the nature of our debt financing, repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous. Also, any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness would not be available for distribution to our shareholders.

In addition, we anticipate that as market conditions permit, we may securitize our loans to generate cash for funding new investments. To securitize loans, we may create a wholly owned subsidiary, contribute a pool of loans to the subsidiary and have the subsidiary issue primarily investment grade debt securities to purchasers who would be expected to be willing to accept a substantially lower interest rate than the loans earn. We would retain all or a portion of the equity in the securitized pool of loans. Our retained equity would be exposed to any losses on the portfolio of loans before any of the debt securities would be exposed to such losses.

 


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Risks Related to Our Investments

 

Investing in publicly traded companies can involve a high degree of risk and can be speculative.

We may invest a portion of our portfolio in publicly traded companies or companies that are in the process of completing their initial public offering (“IPO”). As publicly traded companies, the securities of these companies may not trade at high volumes, and prices can be volatile, particularly during times of general market volatility, which may restrict our ability to sell our positions and may have a material adverse impact on us.

 

Our ability to invest in public companies may be limited in certain circumstances.

To maintain our status as a business development company, we are not permitted to acquire any assets other than “qualifying assets” specified in the 1940 Act unless, at the time the acquisition is made, at least 70% of our total assets are qualifying assets (with certain limited exceptions).

Subject to certain exceptions for follow-on investments and distressed companies, an investment in an issuer that has outstanding securities listed on a national securities exchange may be treated as a qualifying asset only if such issuer has a market capitalization that is less than $250 million at the time of such investment and meets the other specified requirements.

 

Our investments in portfolio companies may be risky, and we could lose all or part of our investments.

Our strategy focuses primarily on originating and making loans to, and making debt and equity investments in, U.S. companies in a broad range of technology related industries, with a focus on originated transactions sourced through the networks of our Adviser. Short transaction closing timeframes associated with originated transactions coupled with added tax or accounting structuring complexity and international transactions may result in higher risk in comparison to non-originated transactions.

First-Lien Debt. When we make a first-lien loan, we 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. 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 success of the business and market conditions, including as a result of the inability of the portfolio company to raise additional capital. In some circumstances, our lien is, or could become, subordinated to claims of other creditors. 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 need to enforce our remedies.

Unitranche Loans. In addition, in connection with any unitranche loans (including “last out” portions of such loans) in which we may invest, we would enter into agreements among lenders. Under these agreements, our interest in the collateral of the first-lien loans may rank junior to those of other lenders in the loan under certain circumstances. This may result in greater risk and loss of principal on these loans.

Second-Lien and Mezzanine Debt. Our investments in second-lien and mezzanine debt generally are subordinated to senior loans and will either have junior security interests or be unsecured. As such, other creditors may rank senior to us in the event of insolvency. This may result in greater risk and loss of principal.

Equity Investments. When we invest in first-lien debt, second-lien debt or mezzanine debt, we may acquire equity securities, such as warrants, options and convertible instruments, as well. In addition, we may invest directly in the equity securities of portfolio companies. We seek to dispose of these equity interests and realize gains upon our disposition of these 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.

Most debt securities in which we intend to invest will not be rated by any rating agency and, if they were rated, they would be rated as below investment grade quality and are commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk”. Debt securities rated below investment grade quality are generally regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics and may carry a greater risk with respect to a borrower’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. In addition, some of the loans in which we may invest may be “covenant-lite” loans. We use the term “covenant-lite” loans to refer generally to loans that do not have a complete set of financial maintenance covenants. Generally, “covenant-lite” loans provide borrower companies more freedom to negatively impact lenders because their covenants are incurrence-based, which means they are only tested and can only be breached following an affirmative action of the borrower, rather than by a deterioration in the borrower’s financial condition. Accordingly, to the extent we invest in “covenant-lite” loans, we may have fewer rights against a borrower and may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants.

 


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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 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 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.

 

We expect our investments to be concentrated in technology-related industries, some of which are subject to extensive government regulation, which exposes us to the risk of significant loss if any of these industry sectors experiences a downturn.

A consequence of our investment strategy is that our investment returns will be materially and adversely affected if the companies or the industries we target perform poorly. Beyond the asset diversification requirements to which we will be subject as a RIC and the policy we expect to adopt to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of our assets in technology-related companies, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification or limitations on the size of our investments in any one company and our investments could be concentrated in relatively few industries.

Our investments may be subject to extensive regulation by U.S. and foreign federal, state and/or local agencies. Changes in existing laws, rules or regulations, or judicial or administrative interpretations thereof, or new laws, rules or regulations could have an adverse impact on the business and industries of our portfolio companies. In addition, changes in government priorities or limitations on government resources could also adversely impact our portfolio companies. We are unable to predict whether any such changes in laws, rules or regulations will occur and, if they do occur, the impact of these changes on our portfolio companies and our investment returns. Furthermore, if any of our portfolio companies were to fail to comply with applicable regulations, they could be subject to significant penalties and claims that could materially and adversely affect their operations. Our portfolio companies may be subject to the expense, delay and uncertainty of the regulatory approval process for their products and, even if approved, these products may not be accepted in the marketplace.

As of December 31, 2019, our investments in healthcare technology represented 17% of our portfolio at fair value. Our investments in healthcare technology are subject to substantial risks, including, but not limited to, the risk that the laws and regulations governing the business of health care companies, and interpretations thereof, may change frequently. Current or future laws and regulations could force our portfolio companies engaged in health care, to change their policies related to how they operate, restrict revenue, change costs, change reserve levels and change business practices.

 

Our investments may be in portfolio companies that have limited operating histories and resources.

Our portfolio may include investments in companies that may have relatively limited operating histories. These companies may be particularly vulnerable to U.S. and foreign economic downturns may have more limited access to capital and higher funding costs, may have a weaker financial position and may need more capital to expand or compete. These businesses also may experience substantial variations in operating results. They may face intense competition, including from larger, more established companies with greater financial, technical and marketing resources. Furthermore, some of these companies do business in regulated industries and could be affected by changes in government regulation applicable to their given industry. Accordingly, these factors could impair their cash flow or result in other events, such as bankruptcy, which could limit their ability to repay their obligations to us, and may adversely affect the return on, or the recovery of, our investment in these companies. We cannot assure you that any of our investments in our portfolio companies will be successful. We may lose our entire investment in any or all of our portfolio companies.

 

A lack of IPO or merger and acquisition opportunities may cause companies to stay in our portfolio longer, leading to lower returns, unrealized depreciation, or realized losses.

A lack of IPO or merger and acquisition (“M&A”) opportunities for venture capital-backed companies could lead to companies staying longer in our portfolio as private entities still requiring funding. This situation may adversely affect the amount of available funding for early-stage companies in particular as, in general, venture-capital firms are being forced to provide additional financing to late-stage companies that cannot complete an IPO or M&A transaction. In the best case, such stagnation would dampen returns, and in the worst case, could lead to unrealized depreciation and realized losses as some companies run short of cash and have to accept lower valuations in private fundings or are not able to access additional capital at all. A lack of IPO or M&A opportunities for venture capital-backed companies can also cause some venture capital firms to change their strategies, leading some of them to reduce funding

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of their portfolio companies and making it more difficult for such companies to access capital and to fulfill their potential, which can result in unrealized depreciation and realized losses in such companies by other companies such as ourselves who are co-investors in such companies.

 

The inability of our portfolio companies to commercialize their technologies or create or develop commercially viable products or businesses would have a negative impact on our investment returns.

The possibility that our portfolio companies will not be able to commercialize their technology, products or business concepts presents significant risks to the value of our investments. Additionally, although some of our portfolio companies may already have a commercially successful product or product line when we invest, technology-related products and services often have a more limited market- or life-span than products in other industries. Thus, the ultimate success of these companies often depends on their ability to continually innovate, or raise additional capital, in increasingly competitive markets. Their inability to do so could affect our investment return. In addition, the intellectual property held by our portfolio companies often represents a substantial portion of the collateral, if any, securing our investments. We cannot assure you that any of our portfolio companies will successfully acquire or develop any new technologies, or that the intellectual property the companies currently hold will remain viable. Even if our portfolio companies are able to develop commercially viable products, the market for new products and services is highly competitive and rapidly changing. Neither our portfolio companies nor we have any control over the pace of technology development. Commercial success is difficult to predict, and the marketing efforts of our portfolio companies may not be successful.

 

If our portfolio companies are unable to protect their intellectual property rights, or are required to devote significant resources to protecting their intellectual property rights, then our investments could be harmed.

Our success and competitive position depend in part upon the ability of our portfolio companies to obtain and maintain proprietary technology used in their products and services, which will often represent a significant portion of the collateral, if any, securing our investment. The portfolio companies will rely, in part, on patent, trade secret and trademark law to protect that technology, but competitors may misappropriate their intellectual property, and disputes as to ownership of intellectual property may arise. Portfolio companies may, from time to time, be required to institute litigation in order to enforce their patents, copyrights or other intellectual property rights, to protect their trade secrets, to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others or to defend against claims of infringement. Such litigation could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources. Similarly, if a portfolio company is found to infringe upon or misappropriate a third party’s patent or other proprietary rights, that portfolio company could be required to pay damages to such third party, alter its own products or processes, obtain a license from the third party and/or cease activities utilizing such proprietary rights, including making or selling products utilizing such proprietary rights. Any of the foregoing events could negatively affect both the portfolio company’s ability to service our debt investment and the value of any related debt and equity securities that we own, as well as any collateral securing our investment.

 

Our relationship with certain portfolio companies may expose us to our portfolio companies’ trade secrets and confidential information which may require us to be parties to non-disclosure agreements and restrict us from engaging in certain transactions.

Our relationship with some of our portfolio companies may expose us to our portfolio companies’ trade secrets and confidential information (including transactional data and personal data about their employees and clients) that may require us to be parties to non-disclosure agreements and restrict us from engaging in certain transactions. Unauthorized access or disclosure of such information may occur, resulting in theft, loss or other misappropriation. Any theft, loss, improper use, such as insider trading or other misappropriation of confidential information could have a material adverse impact on our competitive positions, our relationship with our portfolio companies and our reputation and could subject us to regulatory inquiries, enforcement and fines, civil litigation and possible financial liability or costs.

 

If the assets securing the loans that we make decrease in value, then we may lack sufficient collateral to cover losses.

To attempt to mitigate credit risks, we intend to take a security interest in the available assets of our portfolio companies. There is no assurance that we will obtain or properly perfect our liens.

There is a risk that the collateral securing our loans may decrease in value over time, may be difficult to sell in a timely manner, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value based upon the success of the business and market conditions, including as a result of the inability of a portfolio company to raise additional capital. In some circumstances, our lien could be subordinated to claims of other creditors. 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 that we will be able to collect on the loan should we be forced to enforce our remedies.

In addition, because we invest in technology-related companies, a substantial portion of the assets securing our investment may be in the form of intellectual property, if any, inventory and equipment and, to a lesser extent, cash and accounts receivable. Intellectual property, if any, that is securing our loan could lose value if, among other things, the company’s rights to the intellectual property are challenged or if the company’s license to the intellectual property is revoked or expires, the technology fails to achieve its intended results or a new technology makes the intellectual property functionally obsolete. Inventory may not be adequate to secure our loan if

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our valuation of the inventory at the time that we made the loan was not accurate or if there is a reduction in the demand for the inventory.

Similarly, any equipment securing our loan may not provide us with the anticipated security if there are changes in technology or advances in new equipment that render the particular equipment obsolete or of limited value, or if the company fails to adequately maintain or repair the equipment. Any one or more of the preceding factors could materially impair our ability to recover earned interest and principal in a foreclosure.

 

We may suffer a loss if a portfolio company defaults on a loan and the underlying collateral is not sufficient.

In the event of a default by a portfolio company on a secured loan, we will only have recourse to the assets collateralizing the loan. If the underlying collateral value is less than the loan amount, we will suffer a loss. In addition, we may make loans that are unsecured, which are subject to the risk that other lenders may be directly secured by the assets of the portfolio company. In the event of a default, those collateralized lenders would have priority over us with respect to the proceeds of a sale of the underlying assets. In cases described above, we may lack control over the underlying asset collateralizing our loan or the underlying assets of the portfolio company prior to a default, and as a result the value of the collateral may be reduced by acts or omissions by owners or managers of the assets.

In the event of bankruptcy of a portfolio company, we may not have full recourse to its assets in order to satisfy our loan, or our loan may be subject to “equitable subordination.” This means that depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we actually provided significant “managerial assistance,” if any, to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might re-characterize our debt holding and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors. In addition, certain of our loans are subordinate to other debt of the portfolio company. If a portfolio company defaults on our loan or on debt senior to our loan, or in the event of a portfolio company bankruptcy, our loan will be satisfied only after the senior debt receives payment. Where debt senior to our loan exists, the presence of intercreditor arrangements may limit our ability to amend our loan documents, assign our loans, accept prepayments, exercise our remedies (through “standstill” periods) and control decisions made in bankruptcy proceedings relating to the portfolio company. Bankruptcy and portfolio company litigation can significantly increase collection losses and the time needed for us to acquire the underlying collateral in the event of a default, during which time the collateral may decline in value, causing us to suffer losses.

If the value of collateral underlying our loan declines or interest rates increase during the term of our loan, a portfolio company may not be able to obtain the necessary funds to repay our loan at maturity through refinancing. Decreasing collateral value and/or increasing interest rates may hinder a portfolio company’s ability to refinance our loan because the underlying collateral cannot satisfy the debt service coverage requirements necessary to obtain new financing. If a borrower is unable to repay our loan at maturity, we could suffer a loss which may adversely impact our financial performance.

 

The credit ratings of certain of our investments may not be indicative of the actual credit risk of such rated instruments.

Rating agencies rate debt securities based upon their assessment of the likelihood of the receipt of principal and interest payments. Rating agencies do not consider the risks of fluctuations in market value or other factors that may influence the value of debt securities. Therefore, the credit rating assigned to a particular instrument may not fully reflect the true risks of an investment in such instrument. Credit rating agencies may change their methods of evaluating credit risk and determining ratings. These changes may occur quickly and often. While we may give some consideration to ratings, ratings may not be indicative of the actual credit risk of our investments in rated instruments.

 

Prepayments of our debt investments by our portfolio companies could adversely impact our results of operations and reduce our return on equity.

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 will generally reinvest these proceeds in temporary investments, pending their future investment in new portfolio companies. These temporary investments will typically have substantially lower yields than the debt being prepaid and we could experience significant delays in reinvesting these amounts.

Any future investment in a new portfolio company may also be at lower yields than the debt that was repaid. As a result, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our portfolio companies elect to prepay amounts owed to us. Additionally, prepayments, net of prepayment fees, could negatively impact our return on equity. This risk will be more acute when interest rates decrease, as we may be unable to reinvest at rates as favorable as when we made our initial investment.

 

A redemption of convertible securities held by us could have an adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective.

A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by us is called for redemption, we will be required to permit the issuer to redeem

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the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. Any of these actions could have an adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective.

 

To the extent original issue discount (OID) and payment-in-kind (PIK) interest income constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to risks associated with the deferred receipt of cash representing such income.

Our investments may include OID and PIK instruments. To the extent OID and PIK constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to risks associated with such income being required to be included in income for financial reporting purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and taxable income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:

 

 

Original issue discount instruments may have unreliable valuations because the accruals require judgments about collectability or deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral;

 

Original issue discount instruments may create heightened credit risks because the inducement to the borrower to accept higher interest rates in exchange for the deferral of cash payments typically represents, to some extent, speculation on the part of the borrower;

 

For U.S. GAAP purposes, cash distributions to shareholders that include a component of OID income do not come from paid-in capital, although they may be paid from the offering proceeds. Thus, although a distribution of OID income may come from the cash invested by the shareholders, the 1940 Act does not require that shareholders be given notice of this fact;

 

The presence of OID and PIK creates the risk of non-refundable cash payments to our Adviser in the form of incentive fees on income based on non-cash OID and PIK accruals that may never be realized; and

 

In the case of PIK, “toggle” debt, which gives the issuer the option to defer an interest payment in exchange for an increased interest rate in the future, the PIK election has the simultaneous effect of increasing the investment income, thus increasing the potential for realizing incentive fees.

 

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

Our strategy focuses on investing primarily in the debt of privately owned U.S. companies in a broad range of technology related industries with a focus on originated transactions sourced through the networks of our Adviser. Our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may entitle the holders to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments with respect to the debt instruments in which we invest. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, any holders of debt instruments ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution. After repaying such senior creditors, such portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt instruments in which we invest, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company and our portfolio company may not have sufficient assets to pay all equally ranking credit even if we hold senior, first-lien debt.

 

If we cannot obtain debt financing or equity capital on acceptable terms, our ability to acquire investments and to expand our operations will be adversely affected.

The net proceeds from the sale of our shares will be used for our investment opportunities, and, if necessary, the payment of operating expenses and the payment of various fees and expenses such as base management fees, incentive fees, other fees and distributions. Any working capital reserves we maintain may not be sufficient for investment purposes, and we may require additional debt financing or equity capital to operate. We are required to distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, to our shareholders to maintain our tax treatment as a RIC. Accordingly, in the event that we need additional capital in the future for investments or for any other reason we may need to access the capital markets periodically to issue debt or equity securities or borrow from financial institutions in order to obtain such additional capital. These sources of funding may not be available to us due to unfavorable economic conditions, which 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. Consequently, if we cannot obtain further debt or equity financing on acceptable terms, our ability to acquire additional investments and to expand our operations will be adversely affected. As a result, we would be less able to diversify our portfolio and achieve our investment objective, which may negatively impact our results of operations and reduce our ability to make distributions to our shareholders.

 


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Subordinated liens on collateral securing debt investments that we may make to 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 debt investments that we will make in portfolio companies will be secured on a second priority lien basis by the same collateral securing senior debt of such companies. We also make debt investments in portfolio companies secured on a first priority basis. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under the agreements governing the debt. In the event of a default, the holders of obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of and be entitled to receive proceeds from any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from the sale or sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the debt obligations secured by the first priority or second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. If such proceeds are not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the debt obligations secured by the first priority or second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the portfolio company’s remaining assets, if any.

We may also make unsecured debt investments in portfolio companies, meaning that such investments will not benefit from any interest in collateral of such companies. Liens on any such portfolio company’s collateral, if any, will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under its outstanding secured debt and may secure certain future debt that is permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under its secured debt agreements. The holders of obligations secured by such liens will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of such collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of such collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of such collateral would be sufficient to satisfy our unsecured debt obligations after payment in full of all secured debt obligations. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay the outstanding secured debt obligations, then our unsecured claims would rank equally with the unpaid portion of such secured creditors’ claims against the portfolio company’s remaining assets, if any.

The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing the debt investments we make in our portfolio companies with senior debt outstanding may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more inter-creditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of senior debt. Under such an inter-creditor agreement, at any time obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens: the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral; the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings; the approval of amendments to collateral documents; releases of liens on the collateral; and waivers of past defaults under collateral documents. We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if our rights are adversely affected.

 

Certain of our investments may be adversely affected by laws relating to fraudulent conveyance or voidable preferences.

Certain of our investments could be subject to federal bankruptcy law and state fraudulent transfer laws, which vary from state to state, if the debt obligations relating to certain investments were issued with the intent of hindering, delaying or defrauding creditors or, in certain circumstances, if the issuer receives less than reasonably equivalent value or fair consideration in return for issuing such debt obligations. If the debt proceeds are used for a buyout of shareholders, this risk is greater than if the debt proceeds are used for day-to-day operations or organic growth. If a court were to find that the issuance of the debt obligations was a fraudulent transfer or conveyance, the court could void or otherwise refuse to recognize the payment obligations under the debt obligations or the collateral supporting such obligations, further subordinate the debt obligations or the liens supporting such obligations to other existing and future indebtedness of the issuer or require us to repay any amounts received by us with respect to the debt obligations or collateral. In the event of a finding that a fraudulent transfer or conveyance occurred, we may not receive any repayment on such debt obligations.

Under certain circumstances, payments to us and distributions by us to our shareholders may be reclaimed if any such payment or distribution is later determined to have been a fraudulent conveyance, preferential payment or similar transaction under applicable bankruptcy and insolvency laws. Furthermore, investments in restructurings may be adversely affected by statutes relating to, among other things, fraudulent conveyances, voidable preferences, lender liability and the court’s discretionary power to disallow, subordinate or disenfranchise particular claims or recharacterize investments made in the form of debt as equity contributions.

 

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.

Although we intend to structure certain of our investments as senior debt, if one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we provided managerial assistance to that portfolio company or a representative of us or our Adviser sat on the board of directors of such portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might

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recharacterize our debt investment and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors. In situations where a bankruptcy carries a high degree of political significance, our legal rights may be subordinated to other creditors.

In addition, a number of U.S. judicial decisions have upheld judgments obtained by borrowers against lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively termed “lender liability.” Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has violated a duty (whether implied or contractual) of good faith, commercial reasonableness and fair dealing, or a similar duty owed to the borrower or has assumed an excessive degree of control over the borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or shareholders. Because of the nature of our investments in portfolio companies (including that, as a business development company, we may be required to provide managerial assistance to those portfolio companies if they so request upon our offer), we may be subject to allegations of lender liability.

 

We generally will not control the business operations of our portfolio companies and, due to the illiquid nature of our holdings in our portfolio companies, we may not be able to dispose of our interests in our portfolio companies.

We do not currently, and do not expect in the future to control most of our portfolio companies, although we may have board representation or board observation rights, and our debt agreements may impose certain restrictive covenants on our borrowers. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which we invest may make business decisions with which we disagree and the management of such company, as representatives of the holders of their common equity, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests as a debt investor. Due to the lack of liquidity for our investments in private companies, we may not be able to dispose of our interests in our portfolio companies as readily as we would like or at a favorable value. As a result, a portfolio company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our portfolio holdings.

 

We will be exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates.

General interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on our investments and investment opportunities and, accordingly, may have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective and the rate of return on invested capital. Because we may borrow money to make investments, our net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest these funds. As a result, there can be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income.

Many of our debt investments are based on floating interest rates, such as LIBOR, EURIBOR, the Federal Funds Rate or the Prime Rate, that reset on a periodic basis, and that many of our investments will be subject to interest rate floors. A reduction in the interest rates on new investments relative to interest rates on current investments could have an adverse impact on our net investment income, which also could be negatively impacted by our borrowers making prepayments on their loans. On the other hand, an increase in interest rates could increase the interest repayment obligations of our borrowers and result in challenges to their financial performance and ability to repay their obligations. In addition, our cost of funds likely will increase because the interest rates on the majority of amounts we may borrow are likely to be floating, which could reduce our net investment income to the extent any debt investments have fixed interest rates, and the interest rate on investments with an interest rate floor will not increase until interest rates exceed the applicable floor.

Trading prices for debt that pays a fixed rate of return tend to fall as interest rates rise. Trading prices tend to fluctuate more for fixed-rate securities that have longer maturities. Moreover, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make investment in our common stock less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate, which could reduce the value of our common stock. Federal Reserve policy, including with respect to certain interest rates and the decision to end its quantitative easing policy, may also adversely affect the value, volatility and liquidity of dividend- and interest-paying securities. Market volatility, rising interest rates and/or a return to unfavorable economic conditions could adversely affect our business.

We may enter into certain hedging transactions, such as interest rate swap agreements, in an effort to mitigate our exposure to adverse fluctuations in interest rates and we may increase our floating rate investments to position the portfolio for rate increases. However, we cannot assure you that such transactions will be successful in mitigating our exposure to interest rate risk or if we will enter into such interest rate hedges. Hedging transactions may also limit our ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to our portfolio investments.

We do not have a policy governing the maturities of our investments. This means that we are subject to greater risk (other things being equal) than a fund invested solely in shorter-term securities. A decline in the prices of the debt we own could adversely affect our net asset value. Also, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make an investment in our common stock less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate.

To the extent that we make floating rate debt investments, a rise in the general level of interest rates would lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates may result in an increase in the amount of the Incentive Fee payable to the Adviser.

 


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International investments create additional risks.

We may make investments in portfolio companies that are domiciled outside of the United States. Pursuant to our investment policies, we will not invest more than 20% of our total assets in companies whose principal place of business is outside the United States. Our investments in foreign portfolio companies are deemed “non-qualifying assets”, which means that, as required by the 1940 Act, such investments, along with other investments in non-qualifying assets, may not constitute more than 30% of our total assets at the time of our acquisition of any such asset, after giving effect to the acquisition. Notwithstanding the limitation on our ownership of foreign portfolio companies, such investments subject us to many of the same risks as our domestic investments, as well as certain additional risks, including the following:

 

 

foreign governmental laws, rules and policies, including those relating to taxation and bankruptcy and restricting the ownership of assets in the foreign country or the repatriation of profits from the foreign country to the United States and any adverse changes in these laws;

 

foreign currency devaluations that reduce the value of and returns on our foreign investments;

 

adverse changes in the availability, cost and terms of investments due to the varying economic policies of a foreign country in which we invest;

 

adverse changes in tax rates, the tax treatment of transaction structures and other changes in operating expenses of a particular foreign country in which we invest;

 

the assessment of foreign-country taxes (including withholding taxes, transfer taxes and value added taxes, any or all of which could be significant) on income or gains from our investments in the foreign country;

 

changes that adversely affect the social, political and/or economic stability of a foreign country in which we invest;

 

high inflation in the foreign countries in which we invest, which could increase the costs to us of investing in those countries;

 

deflationary periods in the foreign countries in which we invest, which could reduce demand for our assets in those countries and diminish the value of such investments and the related investment returns to us; and

 

legal and logistical barriers in the foreign countries in which we invest that materially and adversely limit our ability to enforce our contractual rights with respect to those investments.

 

In addition, we may make investments in countries whose governments or economies may prove unstable. Certain of the countries in which we may invest may have political, economic and legal systems that are unpredictable, unreliable or otherwise inadequate with respect to the implementation, interpretation and enforcement of laws protecting asset ownership and economic interests. In some of the countries in which we may invest, there may be a risk of nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, which may have an adverse effect on our portfolio companies in those countries and the rates of return that we are able to achieve on such investments. We may also lose the total value of any investment which is nationalized, expropriated or confiscated. The financial results and investment opportunities available to us, particularly in developing countries and emerging markets, may be materially and adversely affected by any or all of these political, economic and legal risks.

 

We expose ourselves to risks when we engage in hedging transactions.

 We may in the future enter, into hedging transactions, which may expose us to risks associated with such transactions. We may seek to utilize instruments such as forward contracts, currency options and interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates and the relative value of certain debt securities from changes in market interest rates. Use of these hedging instruments may include counter-party credit risk. To the extent we have non-U.S. investments, particularly investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies, our hedging costs will increase.

Hedging against a decline in the values of our portfolio positions would not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of such positions were to decline. However, such hedging can establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions may also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions were to increase. It also may not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that is so generally anticipated that we are not able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price.

The success of our hedging strategy will depend on our ability to correctly identify appropriate exposures for hedging. For a variety of reasons, we may not seek to (or be able to) establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the positions being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended hedge and expose us to risk of loss. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations. Income derived from hedging transactions also is not eligible to be distributed to non-U.S. stockholders free from withholding taxes. Changes to the regulations applicable to the financial instruments we use to accomplish our hedging strategy could affect the effectiveness of that strategy. See "—Risks Related to Our Investments—The new market structure applicable to

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derivatives imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act may affect our ability to use over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives." and "—Risks Related to Our Investments—We will be exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates."

 

The new market structure applicable to derivatives imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act may affect our ability to use over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives for hedging purposes.

The Dodd-Frank Act enacted, and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") and SEC have issued or proposed rules to implement, both broad new regulatory requirements and broad new structural requirements applicable to OTC derivatives markets and, to a lesser extent, listed commodity futures (and futures options) markets. Similar changes are in the process of being implemented in other major financial markets.

The CFTC and the SEC have issued final rules establishing that certain swap transactions are subject to CFTC regulation. Engaging in such swap or other commodity interest transactions such as futures contracts or options on futures contracts may cause us to fall within the definition of “commodity pool” under the Commodity Exchange Act and related CFTC regulations. The Adviser has claimed relief from CFTC registration and regulation as a commodity pool operator with respect to our operations, with the result that we are limited in our ability to use futures contracts or options on futures contracts or engage in swap transactions. Specifically, we are subject to strict limitations on using such derivatives other than for hedging purposes, whereby the use of derivatives not used solely for hedging purposes is generally limited to situations where (i) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish such positions does not exceed five percent of the liquidation value of our portfolio, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such contracts we have entered into; or (ii) the aggregate net notional value of such derivatives does not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of our portfolio.

The Dodd-Frank Act also imposed requirements relating to real-time public and regulatory reporting of OTC derivative transactions, enhanced documentation requirements, position limits on an expanded array of derivatives, and recordkeeping requirements. Taken as a whole, these changes could significantly increase the cost of using uncleared OTC derivatives to hedge risks, including interest rate and foreign exchange risk; reduce the level of exposure we are able to obtain for risk management purposes through OTC derivatives (including as the result of the CFTC imposing position limits on additional products); reduce the amounts available to us to make non-derivatives investments; impair liquidity in certain OTC derivatives; and adversely affect the quality of execution pricing obtained by us, all of which could adversely impact our investment returns.

 

Our ability to enter into transactions involving derivatives and financial commitment transactions may be limited.

In November 2019, the SEC published a proposed rule regarding the ability of a BDC (or a registered investment company) to use derivatives and other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations (except reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions). If adopted as proposed, BDCs that use derivatives would be subject to a value-at-risk leverage limit, certain other derivatives risk management program and testing requirements and requirements related to board reporting. These new requirements would apply unless the BDC qualified as a “limited derivatives user,” as defined in the SEC’s proposal. A BDC that enters into reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions would need to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness when calculating the BDC’s asset coverage ratio. Under the proposed rule, a BDC may enter into an unfunded commitment agreement that is not a derivatives transaction, such as an agreement to provide financing to a portfolio company, if the BDC has a reasonable belief, at the time it enters into such an agreement, that it will have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to meet its obligations with respect to all of its unfunded commitment agreements, in each case as it becomes due. If the BDC cannot meet this test, it is required to treat unfunded commitments as a derivatives transaction subject to the requirements of the rule. Collectively, these proposed requirements, if adopted, may limit our ability to use derivatives and/or enter into certain other financial contracts.

 

We may enter into total return swaps that would expose us to certain risks, including market risk, liquidity risk and other risks similar to those associated with the use of leverage.

A total return swap is a contract in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in the market value of the assets underlying the total return swap, which may include a specified security or loan, basket of securities or loans or securities or loan indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate. A total return swap is typically used to obtain exposure to a security, loan or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or loan or investing directly in such market. A total return swap may effectively add leverage to our portfolio because, in addition to our total net assets, we would be subject to investment exposure on the amount of securities or loans subject to the total return swap. A total return swap is also subject to the risk that a counterparty will default on its payment obligations thereunder or that we will not be able to meet our obligations to the counterparty. In addition, because a total return swap is a form of synthetic leverage, such arrangements are subject to risks similar to those associated with the use of leverage.

 

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Defaults by our portfolio companies could jeopardize a portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity investments that we hold which could harm our operating results.

A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its debt financing and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize a portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity investments that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants, with a defaulting portfolio company. In addition, some of the loans in which we may invest may be “covenant-lite” loans. We use the term “covenant-lite” loans to refer generally to loans that do not have a complete set of financial maintenance covenants. Generally, “covenant-lite” loans provide borrower companies more freedom to negatively impact lenders because their covenants are incurrence-based, which means they are only tested and can only be breached following an affirmative action of the borrower, rather than by a deterioration in the borrower’s financial condition. Accordingly, to the extent we invest in “covenant-lite” loans, we may have fewer rights against a borrower and may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants.

As part of our lending activities, we may in certain opportunistic circumstances originate loans to companies that are experiencing significant financial or business difficulties, including companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganization and liquidation proceedings. Any such investment would involve a substantial degree of risk. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a company that we fund, we may lose all or part of the amounts advanced to the borrower or may be required to accept collateral with a value less than the amount of the loan advanced by us to the borrower.

 

Our investment strategy focuses on technology-related companies, which are subject to many risks, including volatility, intense competition, shortened product life cycles, changes in regulatory and governmental programs and periodic downturns, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

We have adopted a policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of our assets in technology-related companies, many of which may have narrow product lines and small market shares, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as to general economic downturns. The revenues, income (or losses), and valuations of technology-related companies can and often do fluctuate suddenly and dramatically. In addition, technology-related industries are generally characterized by abrupt business cycles and intense competition. Overcapacity in technology-related industries, together with cyclical economic downturns, may result in substantial decreases in the market capitalization of many technology-related companies. Such decreases in market capitalization may occur again, and any future decreases in technology-related company valuations may be substantial and may not be temporary in nature. Therefore, our portfolio companies may face considerably more risk of loss than do companies in other industry sectors.

Because of rapid technological change, the average selling prices of products and some services provided by technology-related companies have historically decreased over their productive lives. As a result, the average selling prices of products and services offered by technology-related companies may decrease over time, which could adversely affect their operating results, their ability to meet obligations under their debt securities and the value of their equity securities. This could, in turn, materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may invest in technology-related companies that are reliant on U.S. and foreign regulatory and governmental programs. Any material changes or discontinuation, due to change in administration or U.S. Congress or otherwise could have a material adverse effect on the operations of a portfolio company in these industries and, in turn, impair our ability to timely collect principal and interest payments owed to us to the extent applicable.

 

Our investments in life sciences-related companies may be subject to extensive government regulation, litigation risk and certain other risks particular to that industry.

We intend to invest in life sciences-related that may be subject to extensive regulation by federal, state and other foreign agencies. If any of these portfolio companies fail to comply with applicable regulations, they could be subject to significant penalties and claims that could materially and adversely affect their operations. Portfolio companies that produce medical devices or drugs are subject to the expense, delay and uncertainty of the regulatory approval process for their products and, even if approved, these products may not be accepted in the marketplace. In addition, governmental budgetary constraints effecting the regulatory approval process, new laws, regulations or judicial interpretations of existing laws and regulations might adversely affect a portfolio company in this industry. Life sciences-related portfolio companies may also have a limited number of suppliers of necessary components or a limited number of manufacturers for their products, and therefore face a risk of disruption to their manufacturing process if they are unable to find alternative suppliers when needed. Any of these factors could materially and adversely affect the operations of a life sciences-related portfolio company and, in turn, impair our ability to timely collect principal and interest payments owed to us.

 

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Our portfolio may be focused on a limited number of portfolio companies or industries, which will subject us to a risk of significant loss if any of these companies defaults on its obligations under any of its debt instruments or if there is a downturn in a particular industry.

Beyond the asset diversification requirements associated with our qualification as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification. While we are not targeting any specific industries, our investments may be focused on relatively few industries. As a result, the aggregate returns we realize may be significantly adversely affected if a small number of investments perform poorly or if we need to write down the value of any one investment. Additionally, a downturn in any particular industry in which we are invested could significantly affect our aggregate returns.

 

We cannot guarantee that we will be able to obtain various required licenses in U.S. states or in any other jurisdiction where they may be required in the future.

We are required to have and may be required in the future to obtain various state licenses to, among other things, originate commercial loans, and may be required to obtain similar licenses from other authorities, including outside of the United States, in the future in connection with one or more investments. Applying for and obtaining required licenses can be costly and take several months. We cannot assure you that we will maintain or obtain all of the licenses that we need on a timely basis. We also are and will be subject to various information and other requirements to maintain and obtain these licenses, and we cannot assure you that we will satisfy those requirements. Our failure to maintain or obtain licenses that we require, now or in the future, might restrict investment options and have other adverse consequences.

 

An investment strategy focused primarily on privately held companies presents certain challenges, including the lack of available information about these companies.

We invest primarily in privately held companies. Investments in private companies pose certain incremental risks as compared to investments in public companies including that they:

 

 

have reduced access to the capital markets, resulting in diminished capital resources and ability to withstand financial distress;

 

may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt obligations that we hold, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of our realizing any guarantees we may have obtained in connection with our investment;

 

may have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and changing market conditions, as well as general economic downturns;

 

are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons and, therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on the company and, in turn, on us; and

 

generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence, and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position.

 

In addition, investments in private companies tend to be less liquid. The securities of private companies are not publicly traded or actively traded on the secondary market and are, instead, traded on a privately negotiated over-the-counter secondary market for institutional investors. These over-the-counter secondary markets may be inactive during an economic downturn or a credit crisis and in any event often have lower volumes than publicly traded securities even in normal market conditions. In addition, the securities in these companies will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than publicly traded securities. If there is no readily available market for these investments, we are required to carry these investments at fair value as determined by our Board. As a result, 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. We may also face other restrictions on our ability to liquidate an investment in a portfolio company to the extent that we, our Adviser or any of its affiliates have material nonpublic information regarding such portfolio company or where the sale would be an impermissible joint transaction under the 1940 Act. The reduced liquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to dispose of them at a favorable price, and, as a result, we may suffer losses.

Finally, little public information generally exists about private companies and these companies may not have third-party credit ratings or audited financial statements. We must therefore rely on the ability of our Adviser to obtain adequate information through due diligence to evaluate the creditworthiness and potential returns from investing in these companies, and to monitor the activities and performance of these investments. To the extent that we (or other clients of the Adviser) may hold a larger number of investments, greater demands will be placed on the Adviser’s time, resources and personnel in monitoring such investments, which may result in less attention being paid to any individual investment and greater risk that our investment decisions may not be fully informed. Additionally, these companies and their financial information will not generally be subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and

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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 investments.

 

Certain investment analyses and decisions by the Adviser may be required to be undertaken on an expedited basis.

Investment analyses and decisions by the Adviser may be required to be undertaken on an expedited basis to take advantage of certain investment opportunities. While we generally will not seek to make an investment until the Adviser has conducted sufficient due diligence to make a determination as to the acceptability of the credit quality of the investment and the underlying issuer, in such cases, the information available to the Adviser at the time of making an investment decision may be limited. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the Adviser will have knowledge of all circumstances that may adversely affect an investment. In addition, the Adviser may rely upon independent consultants in connection with its evaluation of proposed investments. No assurance can be given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by such independent consultants and we may incur liability as a result of such consultants’ actions, many of whom we will have limited recourse against in the event of any such inaccuracies.

 

We may not have the funds or ability to make additional investments in our portfolio companies.

After our initial investment in a portfolio company, we may be called upon from time to time to provide additional funds to such company or have the opportunity to increase our investment through the exercise of a warrant or other right to purchase common stock. There is no assurance that we will make, or will have sufficient funds to make, follow-on investments. Even if we do have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we may not want to increase our level of risk, we prefer other opportunities, we are limited in our ability to do so by compliance with business development company requirements or in order to maintain our RIC status. Our ability to make follow-on investments may also be limited by our Adviser’s allocation policies. Any decision not to make a follow-on investment or any inability on our part to make such an investment may have a negative impact on a portfolio company in need of such an investment, may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful investment or may reduce the expected return to us on the investment.

 

Because we have received the approval of our sole initial shareholder, we are subject to 150% Asset Coverage.

The 1940 Act generally prohibits us from incurring indebtedness unless immediately after such borrowing we have an asset coverage for total borrowings, the ratio of our total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness represented by senior securities) to our total indebtedness represented by senior securities plus preferred stock, if any, must be at least 200%. However, legislation enacted in March 2018 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. Because the Adviser, as our sole initial shareholder, has approved this proposal, the reduced asset coverage ratio is currently effective. 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 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 “— Risks Related to Our Business and Structure - To the extent that we borrow money, the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested in us will be magnified and may increase the risk of investing in us. Borrowed money may also adversely affect the return on our assets, reduce cash available to service our debt or for distribution to our shareholders, and result in losses.”

 

Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock

 

Our shares are not listed on an exchange or quoted through a quotation system and will not be listed for the foreseeable future, if ever. Therefore, our shareholders will have limited liquidity.

Our shares are illiquid investments for which there is not a secondary market nor is it expected that any such secondary market will develop in the future. Our common stock will not be registered under the Securities Act, or any state securities law and will be restricted as to transfer by law and the terms of our charter.  Shareholders generally may not sell, assign or transfer their shares without prior written consent of the Adviser, which the Adviser may grant or withhold in its sole discretion. Except in limited circumstances for legal or regulatory purposes, shareholders are not entitled to redeem their shares of our common stock. Shareholders must be prepared to bear the economic risk of an investment in us for an indefinite period of time.

We do not know at this time what circumstances will exist in the future and therefore we do not know what factors our Board will consider in determining whether to conduct an Exchange Listing. If we do undertake an Exchange Listing, we cannot assure you a public trading market will develop or, if one develops, that such trading market can be sustained. Shares of companies offered in an

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initial public offering often trade at a discount to the initial offering price due to underwriting discounts and related offering expenses. Also, shares of closed-end investment companies and business development companies frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share of common stock may decline. We cannot predict whether our common stock, if listed on a national securities exchange, will trade at, above or below net asset value.

 

A shareholder’s interest in us will be diluted if we issue additional shares, which could reduce the overall value of an investment in us.

Our shareholders do not have preemptive rights to purchase any shares we issue in the future. Our charter authorizes us to issue up to 500 million shares of common stock. Pursuant to our charter, a majority of our entire Board may amend our charter to increase the number of shares of common stock we may issue without shareholder approval. Our board may elect to sell additional shares in the future or issue equity interests in private offerings. To the extent we issue additional equity interests at or below net asset value, your percentage ownership interest in us may be diluted. In addition, depending upon the terms and pricing of any additional offerings and the value of our investments, you may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of your shares. Under the 1940 Act, we generally are prohibited from issuing or selling our common stock at a price below net asset value per share, which may be a disadvantage as compared with certain public companies. We may, however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options, or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the current net asset value of our common stock if our Board and independent directors determine that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our shareholders, and our shareholders, including a majority of those shareholders that are not affiliated with us, approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of our Board, closely approximates the fair value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). If we raise additional funds by issuing common stock or senior securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, our common stock, then the percentage ownership of our shareholders at that time will decrease and you will experience dilution.

 

Certain provisions of our charter and actions of our Board could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the value of shares of our common stock.

Our charter, as well as certain statutory and regulatory requirements, contain certain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging a third party from attempting to acquire us. Our Board is divided into three classes of directors serving staggered three-year terms, which could prevent shareholders from removing a majority of directors in any given election. Our Board may, without shareholder action, authorize the issuance of shares in one or more classes or series, including shares of preferred stock; and our Board may, without shareholder action, amend our charter to increase the number of shares of our common stock, of any class or series, that we will have authority to issue. These anti-takeover provisions may inhibit a change of control in circumstances that could give the holders of shares of our common stock the opportunity to realize a premium over the value of shares of our common stock.

 

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk.

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

 

The net asset value of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.

The net asset value and liquidity, if any, 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:

 

 

changes in the value of our portfolio of investments and derivative instruments as a result of changes in market factors, such as interest rate shifts, and also portfolio specific performance, such as portfolio company defaults, among other reasons;

 

changes in regulatory policies or tax guidelines, particularly with respect to RICs or business development companies;

 

loss of RIC tax treatment or business development company status;

 

distributions that exceed our net investment income and net income as reported according to U.S. GAAP;

 

changes in earnings or variations in operating results;

 

changes in accounting guidelines governing valuation of our investments;

 

any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors;

 

departure of our Adviser or certain of its key personnel;

 

general economic trends and other external factors; and

 

loss of a major funding source.

 

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The amount of any distributions we may make is uncertain. We may pay distributions from offering proceeds, borrowings or the sale of assets to the extent our cash flows from operations, net investment income or earnings are not sufficient to fund declared distributions.

We may fund distributions from the uninvested proceeds of an offering, borrowings and expense reimbursements from our Adviser, which is subject to recoupment. We have not established limits on the amount of funds we may use from such proceeds or borrowings or expense reimbursements to make any such distributions. We may pay distributions from the sale of assets to the extent distributions exceed our earnings or cash flows from operations. Distributions from offering proceeds or from borrowings could reduce the amount of capital we ultimately invest in our investment portfolio.

 

Shareholders will experience dilution in their ownership percentage if they do not participate in our distribution reinvestment plan.

All distributions declared in cash payable to shareholders that are participants in our distribution reinvestment plan will generally be automatically reinvested in shares of our common stock if the investor opts in to the plan. As a result, shareholders that do not elect to participate in our distribution reinvestment plan will experience dilution over time. Shareholders who do not elect to participate in our distribution reinvestment plan may experience accretion to the net asset value of their shares if our shares are trading at a premium to net asset value and dilution if our shares are trading at a discount to net asset value. The level of accretion or discount would depend on various factors, including the proportion of our shareholders who participate in the plan, the level of premium or discount at which our shares are trading and the amount of the distribution payable to shareholders.

 

The existence of a large number of outstanding shares and shareholders prior to an Exchange Listing could negatively affect our stock price.

The ability of our shareholders to liquidate their investments will be limited. If we were to conduct an Exchange Listing in the future, a large volume of sales of our shares could decrease the prevailing market prices of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities in the future. The ability of our shareholders to liquidate their investments would be limited during the 270 day lock-up period following an Exchange Listing; however, the mere perception of the possibility of these sales could depress the market price of our common stock and have a negative effect on our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, anticipated downward pressure on our common stock price due to actual or anticipated sales of common stock from this market overhang could cause some institutions or individuals to engage in short sales of our common stock, which may itself cause the price of our stock to decline.

 

Preferred stock could be issued with rights and preferences that would adversely affect holders of our common stock.

Under the terms of our charter, our Board is authorized to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series without shareholder approval, which could potentially adversely affect the interests of existing shareholders.

 

If we issue preferred stock or convertible debt securities, the net asset value of our common stock may become more volatile.

We cannot assure you that the issuance of preferred stock and/or convertible debt securities would result in a higher yield or return to the holders of our common stock. The issuance of preferred stock or convertible debt would likely cause the net asset value of our common stock to become more volatile. If the dividend rate on the preferred stock, or the interest rate on the convertible debt securities, were to approach the net rate of return on our investment portfolio, the benefit of such leverage to the holders of our common stock would be reduced. If the dividend rate on the preferred stock, or the interest rate on the convertible debt securities, were to exceed the net rate of return on our portfolio, the use of leverage would result in a lower rate of return to the holders of common stock than if we had not issued the preferred stock or convertible debt securities. Any decline in the net asset value of our investment would be borne entirely by the holders of our common stock. Therefore, if the market value of our portfolio were to decline, the leverage would result in a greater decrease in net asset value to the holders of our common stock than if we were not leveraged through the issuance of preferred stock or debt securities. This decline in net asset value would also tend to cause a greater decline in the market price, if any, for our common stock.

There is also a risk that, in the event of a sharp decline in the value of our net assets, we would be in danger of failing to maintain required asset coverage ratios, which may be required by the preferred stock or convertible debt, or our current investment income might not be sufficient to meet the dividend requirements on the preferred stock or the interest payments on the convertible debt securities. In order to counteract such an event, we might need to liquidate investments in order to fund the redemption of some or all of the preferred stock or convertible debt. In addition, we would pay (and the holders of our common stock would bear) all costs and expenses relating to the issuance and ongoing maintenance of the preferred stock, convertible debt, or any combination of these securities. Holders of preferred stock or convertible debt may have different interests than holders of common stock and may at times have disproportionate influence over our affairs.

 


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Holders of any preferred stock that we may issue will have the right to elect certain members of the Board and have class voting rights on certain matters.

The 1940 Act requires that holders of shares of preferred stock must be entitled as a class to elect two directors at all times and to elect a majority of the directors if dividends on such preferred stock are in arrears by two years or more, until such arrearage is eliminated. In addition, certain matters under the 1940 Act require the separate vote of the holders of any issued and outstanding preferred stock, including changes in fundamental investment restrictions and conversion to open end status and, accordingly, preferred shareholders could veto any such changes. Restrictions imposed on the declarations and payment of dividends or other distributions to the holders of our common stock and preferred stock, both by the 1940 Act and by requirements imposed by rating agencies, might impair our ability to maintain our tax treatment as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

Federal Income Tax Risks

 

We cannot predict how tax reform legislation will affect us, our investments, or our shareholders, and any such legislation could adversely affect our business.

Legislative or other actions relating to taxes could have a negative effect on us. 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. In December 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed tax reform legislation, which the President signed into law. Such legislation has made many changes to the Internal Revenue Code, including 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 us, our shareholders, or our portfolio investments. New legislation and any U.S. Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions interpreting such legislation could significantly and negatively affect our ability to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC or the U.S. federal income tax consequences to us and our shareholders of such qualification, or could have other adverse consequences. Shareholders 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 our securities.

 

We will be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax if we are unable to maintain our tax treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code or if we make investments through taxable subsidiaries.

To maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code, we must meet the following minimum annual distribution, income source and asset diversification requirements. See “ITEM 1. BUSINESS – CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS.”

The Annual Distribution Requirement for a RIC will be satisfied if we distribute to our shareholders on an annual basis at least 90% of our “investment company taxable income,” which is generally our net ordinary income plus the excess, if any, of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses. In addition, a RIC may, in certain cases, satisfy the 90% distribution requirement by distributing dividends relating to a taxable year after the close of such taxable year under the “spillback dividend” provisions of Subchapter M. We would be taxed, at regular corporate rates, on retained income and/or gains, including any short-term capital gains or long-term capital gains. Because we may use debt financing, we are subject to (i) an asset coverage ratio requirement under the 1940 Act and may, in the future, be subject to (ii) certain financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, or choose or are required to retain a portion of our taxable income or gains, we could (1) be required to pay excise taxes and (2) fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment, and thus become subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income (including gains).

The income source requirement will be satisfied if we obtain at least 90% of our annual income from dividends, interest, gains from the sale of stock or securities, or other income derived from the business of investing in stock or securities.

The asset diversification requirement will be satisfied if we meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. Specifically, at least 50% of the value of our assets must consist of cash, cash equivalents (including receivables), U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other acceptable securities if such securities or any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of our assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer; and no more than 25% of the value of our assets can be invested in the securities, other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer, of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable Code rules, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or of certain “qualified publicly traded partnerships.” Failure to meet these requirements may result in 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 relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses.

If we fail to qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution, and the amount of our distributions.

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We may invest in certain debt and equity investments through taxable subsidiaries and the net taxable income of these taxable subsidiaries will be subject to federal and state corporate income taxes. We may invest in certain foreign debt and equity investments which could be subject to foreign taxes (such as income tax, withholding, and value added taxes).

 

We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which we do not receive a corresponding payment in cash. For example, since we will likely hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having OID (such as debt instruments with PIK, secondary market purchases of debt securities at a discount to par, interest or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or debt instruments that were issued with warrants), we must include in income each year a portion of the OID that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same taxable year. We may also have to include in income other amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as unrealized appreciation for foreign currency forward contracts and deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock. Furthermore, we may invest in non-U.S. corporations (or other non-U.S. entities treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that could be treated under the Code and U.S. Treasury regulations as “passive foreign investment companies” and/or “controlled foreign corporations.” The rules relating to investment in these types of non-U.S. entities are designed to ensure that U.S. taxpayers are either, in effect, taxed currently (or on an accelerated basis with respect to corporate-level events) or taxed at increased tax rates at distribution or disposition. In certain circumstances this could require us to recognize income where we do not receive a corresponding payment in cash, unrealized appreciation on derivatives, such as foreign currency forward contracts, may be included in taxable income while the receipt of cash may occur in a subsequent period when the related contract expires. Any unrealized depreciation on investments that the foreign currency forward contracts are designed to hedge are not currently deductible for tax purposes. This can result in increased taxable income whereby we may not have sufficient cash to pay distributions or we may opt to retain such taxable income and pay a 4% excise tax. In such cases we could still rely upon the “spillback provisions” to maintain RIC tax treatment.

 

We anticipate that a portion of our income may constitute OID or other income required to be included in taxable income prior to receipt of cash. Further, we may elect to amortize market discounts with respect to debt securities acquired in the secondary market and include such amounts in our taxable income in the current year, instead of upon disposition, as an election not to do so would limit our ability to deduct interest expenses for tax purposes. Because any OID or other amounts accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of the accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our shareholders in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, even if we will not have received any corresponding cash amount. As a result, we may have difficulty meeting the Annual Distribution Requirement necessary to maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code. 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, make a partial share distribution, or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, and choose not to make a qualifying share distribution, we may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax.

 

If we are not treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company,” as defined in the Code, certain U.S. shareholders will be treated as having received a dividend from us in the amount of such U.S. shareholders’ allocable share of the base management fee and incentive fees paid to the Adviser and some of our expenses, and these fees and expenses will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions of such U.S. shareholders.

A “publicly offered regulated investment company” is a RIC whose shares are either (i) continuously offered pursuant to a public offering within the meaning of Section 4 of the 1933 Act, (ii) regularly traded on an established securities market or (iii) held by at least 500 persons at all times during the taxable year. While we anticipate that we will constitute a publicly offered RIC, there can be no assurance that we will in fact so qualify for any of our taxable years. If we are not treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for any calendar year, each U.S. shareholder that is an individual, trust or estate will be treated as having received a dividend from us in the amount of such U.S. shareholder’s allocable share of the base management fee and incentive fees paid to the Adviser and certain of our other expenses for the calendar year, and these fees and expenses will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions of such U.S. shareholder. Individuals are not allowed to take miscellaneous itemized deductions for the 2018 through 2025 tax years, such deductions are not deductible for purposes of the alternative minimum tax and are subject to the overall limitation on itemized deductions under the Code.

 


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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

 

None.

 

 

Item 2. Properties.

 

Our corporate headquarters are located at 399 Park Avenue, 38th Floor, New York, New York 10022 and are provided by the Adviser in accordance with the terms of our Administration Agreement. We believe that our office facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as it is contemplated to be conducted.

 

 

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

 

We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, are any material legal proceeding threatened against us. From time to time, we may be a party to certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings relating to the enforcement of our rights under contracts with our portfolio companies. Our business is also subject to extensive regulation, which may result in regulatory proceedings against us. While the outcome of any such future legal or regulatory proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect that any such future proceedings will have a material effect upon our financial condition or results of operations.

 

 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

 

Not applicable.


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PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

 

Common Stock

Until an Exchange Listing, our common stock will be offered and sold in transactions exempt from registration under Section 4(a)(2) and Regulation D of the Securities Act. There is not currently a public market for our common stock, nor can we give any assurance that one will develop.

Our common stock may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise disposed of unless (i) if such transfer is prior to an Exchange Listing, our Adviser consents to such transfer and (ii) the common stock is registered under applicable securities laws or specifically exempted from registration (in which case the shareholder may, at our option, be required to provide us with a legal opinion, in form and substance satisfactory to us, that registration is not required). Accordingly, an investor must be willing to bear the economic risk of investment in the common stock for an indefinite period of time. No sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or other disposition, whether voluntary or involuntary, of the common stock may be made except by registration of the transfer on our books. Prior to an Exchange Listing, each transferee will be required to execute an instrument agreeing to be bound by these restrictions and the other restrictions imposed on our common stock and to execute such other instruments or certifications as we may reasonably require.

 

Sources of distributions, other than net investment income and realized gains on a U.S. GAAP basis, include required adjustments to U.S. GAAP net investment income in the current period to determine taxable income available for distributions.

 

Distributions declared during the year ended December 31, 2019 of $30.3 million were derived from ordinary income, determined on a tax basis. There were no distributions declared on shares of our common stock during the year ended December 31, 2018.

 

Holders

As of February 25, 2020, there were approximately 5,700 holders of our common stock.

 

Distribution Policy

To qualify for tax treatment as a RIC, we must distribute (or be treated as distributing) in each taxable year dividends of an amount equal to at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (which includes, among other items, dividends, interest, the

excess of any net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, as well as other taxable income, excluding any net capital gains reduced by deductible expenses) and 90% of our net tax-exempt income for that taxable year. As a RIC, we generally will not be

subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on our investment company taxable income and net capital gains that we distribute to shareholders. We may be subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax if we do not distribute (or are treated as distributing)

in each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of:

 

 

98% of our net ordinary income, excluding certain ordinary gains and losses, recognized during a calendar year;

 

98.2% of our capital gain net income, adjusted for certain ordinary gains and losses, recognized for the twelve-month period ending on October 31 of such calendar year; and

 

100% of any income or gains recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years.

 

We have previously incurred, and can be expected to incur in the future, such excise tax on a portion of our income and gains. While we intend to distribute income and capital gains to minimize exposure to the 4% excise tax, we may not be able to, or may not

choose to, distribute amounts sufficient to avoid the imposition of the tax entirely. In that event, we will be liable for the tax only on the amount by which we do not meet the foregoing distribution requirement. See “ITEM 1A RISK FACTORS – Federal Income Tax

Risks – We will be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax if we are unable to qualify and maintain our tax treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code or if we make investments through taxable subsidiaries.”

 

Distributions

We generally intend to distribute, out of assets legally available for distribution, substantially all of our available earnings, on a quarterly basis, as determined by our Board in its discretion. On February 19, 2020, our Board declared a distribution of 90% of estimated first quarter taxable income and net capital gains, if any, for shareholders of record on March 31, 2020, payable on or before May 15, 2020.

 

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The following table summarizes dividends declared for the year ended December 31, 2019:

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

Date Declared

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Distribution per Share

 

October 30, 2019

 

December 31, 2019

 

January 31, 2020

 

$

0.21

 

August 7, 2019

 

September 30, 2019

 

November 15, 2019

 

$

0.25

 

May 8, 2019

 

June 30, 2019

 

August 15, 2019

 

$

0.14

 

February 27, 2019

 

March 31, 2019

 

May 15, 2019

 

$

0.05

 

Total Distributions Declared

 

 

 

 

 

$

0.65

 

The dividends declared during the year ended December 31, 2019 were derived from ordinary income, determined on a tax basis.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Plan

We have adopted a dividend reinvestment plan, pursuant to which we will reinvest all cash distributions declared by the Board on behalf of our shareholders who do not elect to receive their distribution in cash as provided below. As a result, if the Board authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend or other distribution, then our shareholders who have not opted out of our dividend reinvestment plan will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock as described below, rather than receiving the cash dividend or other distribution. Any fractional share otherwise issuable to a participant in the dividend reinvestment plan will instead be paid in cash.

The number of shares to be issued to a shareholder under the dividend reinvestment plan will be determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the distribution payable to such shareholder by the net asset value per share of our common stock, as of the last day of the calendar quarter immediately preceding the date such distribution was declared. We intend to use newly issued shares to implement the plan.

No action is required on the part of a registered shareholder to have cash dividends or other distributions reinvested in shares of our common stock. A registered shareholder is able to elect to receive an entire cash dividend or other distribution in cash by notifying the Adviser in writing so that such notice is received by the Adviser no later than ten days prior to the record date for distributions to the shareholders.

There are no brokerage charges or other charges to shareholders who participate in the plan.

The plan is terminable by us upon notice in writing mailed to each shareholder of record at least 30 days prior to any record date for the payment of any distribution by us.

The following table reflects the common stock issued pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan during the year ended  December 31, 2019:

 

Date Declared

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Shares

 

August 7, 2019

 

September 30, 2019

 

November 15, 2019

 

 

224,683

 

May 8, 2019

 

June 30, 2019

 

August 15, 2019

 

 

122,495

 

February 27, 2019

 

March 31, 2019

 

May 15, 2019

 

 

32,953

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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Senior Securities

Information about our senior securities is shown in the following table as of the end of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019, and 2018.

Class and Period

 

Total Amount Outstanding Exclusive of Treasury Securities(1)

($ in thousands)

 

 

Asset Coverage per Unit(2)

 

 

Involuntary Liquidating Preference per Unit(3)

 

 

Average Market Value per Unit(4)

Revolving Credit Facility

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

$

185.0

 

 

 

1,935

 

 

 

 

 

N/A

Subscription Credit Facility

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

$

645.7

 

 

 

1,935

 

 

 

 

 

N/A

December 31, 2018

 

$

300.0

 

 

 

1,955

 

 

 

 

 

N/A

________________

(1)Total amount of each class of senior securities outstanding at the end of the period presented.

 

(2)

Asset coverage per unit is the ratio of the carrying value of our total assets, less all liabilities excluding indebtedness represented by senior securities in this table, to the aggregate amount of senior securities representing indebtedness. Asset coverage per unit is expressed in terms of dollar amounts per $1,000 of indebtedness and is calculated on a consolidated basis.

 

(3)

The amount to which such class of senior security would be entitled upon our involuntary liquidation in preference to any security junior to it. The "—" in this column indicates information that the SEC expressly does not require to be disclosed for certain types of senior securities.

(4)Not applicable because the senior securities are not registered for public trading.

 

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

The table below sets forth our selected consolidated historical financial data for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. The selected consolidated historical financial data has been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, which are included elsewhere in this Form 10-K and our SEC filings.

The selected consolidated financial information and other data presented below should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto and “ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS,” which are included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

 

($ in millions, except per share amounts)

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

 

Consolidated Statement of Operations Data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total investment income

 

$

83.7

 

 

$

2.6

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total expenses

 

 

52.5

 

 

 

4.7

 

 

Net investment income (loss) before income taxes

 

 

31.2

 

 

 

(2.1

)

 

Excise tax expense

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

 

 

Net investment income (loss) after income taxes

 

 

31.1

 

 

 

(2.1

)

 

Total change in net unrealized gain (loss)

 

 

(2.0

)

 

 

(1.1

)

 

Total net realized gain (loss)

 

 

1.6

 

 

 

 

 

Increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

 

$

30.7

 

 

$

(3.2

)

 

Earnings per common share – basic and diluted

 

$

0.84

 

 

$

(0.34

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

($ in millions, except per share amounts)

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash

 

$

142.4

 

 

$

323.0

 

 

Investments at fair value

 

 

1,475.9

 

 

 

262.8

 

 

Total assets

 

 

1,625.0

 

 

 

588.2

 

 

Total debt (net of unamortized debt issuance costs)

 

 

823.8

 

 

 

297.6

 

 

Total liabilities

 

 

847.8

 

 

 

301.5

 

 

Total net assets

 

$

777.2

 

 

$

286.7

 

 

Net asset value per share

 

$

14.70

 

 

$

14.53

 

 

Other Data:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of portfolio companies

 

29

 

 

6

 

 

Distributions Declared Per Share

 

$

0.65

 

 

$

-

 

 

Total return based on net asset value(2)

 

 

5.8

 

%

 

(3.2

)

%

Weighted average total yield of portfolio at fair value

 

 

7.9

 

%

 

8.0

 

%

Weighted average total yield of portfolio at amortized cost

 

 

7.9

 

%

 

8.0

 

%

Weighted average yield of debt and income producing

     securities at fair value

 

 

8.2

 

%

 

8.0

 

%

Weighted average yield of debt and income producing

     securities at amortized cost

 

 

8.2

 

%

 

8.0

 

%

Fair value of debt investments as a percentage of principal

 

 

98.5

 

%

 

98.5

 

%

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

(2)

Total return is calculated as the change in net asset value (“NAV”) per share during the period, plus distributions per share, if any, divided by the beginning NAV per share.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The information contained in this section should be read in conjunction with “ITEM 8. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA”.  This discussion contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or the future performance or financial condition of Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp. and involves numerous risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those described in “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS”. This discussion also should be read in conjunction with the “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements” set forth on page 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Actual results could differ materially from those implied or expressed in any forward-looking statements.  

Overview

Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp. (the “Company”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is a Maryland corporation formed on July 12, 2018. We were formed primarily to originate and make debt and equity investments in technology-related companies based primarily in the United States. We intend to originate and invest in senior secured or unsecured loans, subordinated loans or mezzanine loans, and equity-related securities including common equity, warrants, preferred stock and similar forms of senior equity, which may or may not be convertible into a portfolio company’s common equity. Our investment objective is to maximize total return by generating current income from our debt investments and other income producing securities, and capital appreciation from our equity and equity-linked investments.

We are managed by Owl Rock Technology Advisors LLC (“the Adviser” or “our Adviser”). The Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Subject to the overall supervision of our board of directors (the “Board”), the Adviser manages our day-to-day operations, and provides investment advisory and management services to us. The Adviser or its affiliates may engage in certain origination activities and receive attendant arrangement, structuring or similar fees. The Adviser is responsible for managing our business and activities, including sourcing investment opportunities, conducting research, performing diligence on potential investments, structuring our investments, and monitoring our portfolio companies on an ongoing basis through a team of investment professionals. The Board consists of seven directors, four of whom are independent.

We conduct private offerings (each, a “Private Offering”) of our common shares to accredited investors in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. At the closing of each Private Offering, each investor makes a capital commitment (a “Capital Commitment”) to purchase shares of our common stock pursuant to a subscription agreement entered into with us. Until the earlier of an Exchange Listing (as defined below) and the end of the Commitment Period (as defined below), investors are required to fund drawdowns to purchase shares of our common stock up to the amount of their respective Capital Commitment on an as-needed basis each time we deliver a drawdown notice to our investors. The initial closing of the Private Offering occurred on August 10, 2018 (the “Initial Closing”). As of December 31, 2019, we had $2.5 billion in total Capital Commitments from investors, of which $68.5 million is from entities affiliated with or related to our Adviser. Prior to the listing of our common stock on a national securities exchange (an “Exchange Listing”), the Adviser may, in its sole discretion, permit one or more additional closings (“Subsequent Closings”) as additional Capital Commitments are obtained (the conclusion of all Subsequent Closings, if any, the “Final Closing”). The “Commitment Period” will continue until the earlier of the (i) five year anniversary of the Final Closing and (ii) the seven year anniversary of the Initial Closing. If we have not consummated a listing of our common shares on a national securities exchange by the end of the Commitment Period, subject to extension for two additional one-year periods, in the sole discretion of the Board, the Board (subject to any necessary shareholder approvals and applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”)) will use its commercially reasonable efforts to wind down and/or liquidate and dissolve the Company in an orderly manner.

Placement activities are conducted by our officers and the Adviser. In addition, we may enter into agreements with placement agents or broker-dealers to solicit Capital Commitments. For example, the Company and the Adviser entered into a dealer manager agreement with Owl Rock Capital Securities LLC (“Owl Rock Securities”) pursuant to which Owl Rock Securities and certain participating broker-dealers will solicit Capital Commitments and the Company entered into a placement agent agreement with Owl Rock Securities pursuant to which employees of Owl Rock Securities may conduct placement activities. Owl Rock Securities, an affiliate of Owl Rock, is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. In addition, the Company, the Adviser and third party placement agents may enter into placement agreements from time to time, pursuant to which such placement agents will solicit Capital Commitments. Fees paid pursuant to these agreements will be paid by our Adviser.

Owl Rock Capital Advisors LLC (“ORCA”), an affiliate of the Adviser, serves as investment adviser to Owl Rock Capital Corporation (NYSE: ORCC) and Owl Rock Capital Corporation II, both of which were formed under the laws of the State of Maryland and, like us, have elected to be treated as business development companies (“BDC”) under the 1940 Act. Owl Rock Private Fund Advisors LLC (“ORPFA” and together with the Adviser and ORCA, the “Owl Rock Advisers”), an affiliate of the Adviser, services as investment adviser to Owl Rock First Lien Master Fund, L.P. The Adviser is under common control with ORCA and ORPFA, which are also investment advisers and indirect subsidiaries of Owl Rock Capital Partners. The Adviser, ORCA, ORPFA and Owl Rock Capital Partners are referred to, collectively, as “Owl Rock.”

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We may be prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our directors who are not interested persons and, in some cases, the prior approval of the SEC. We intend to rely on exemptive relief, that has been granted by the SEC to Owl Rock Capital Advisors LLC and certain of its affiliates, to permit us to co-invest with other funds managed by the Adviser or certain of its affiliates, including Owl Rock Capital Corporation and Owl Rock Capital Corporation II, in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. Pursuant to such exemptive relief, we generally are permitted to co-invest with certain of our affiliates if a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transactions, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our shareholders and do not involve overreaching by us or our shareholders on the part of any person concerned, (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our shareholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies, and (3) the investment by our affiliates would not disadvantage us, and our participation would not be on a basis different from or less advantageous than that on which our affiliates are investing. The Owl Rock Advisers’ investment allocation policy seeks to ensure equitable allocation of investment opportunities between us, Owl Rock Capital Corporation, Owl Rock Capital Corporation II, and/or other funds managed by our Adviser or its affiliates over time. As a result of the exemptive relief, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolio of Owl Rock Capital Corporation, Owl Rock Capital Corporation II and/or other funds established by the Adviser or its affiliates that could avail themselves of the exemptive relief.

On September 24, 2018, we formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, OR Tech Lending LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, which is intended to hold a California finance lenders license. OR Tech Lending LLC is intended to originate loans to borrowers headquartered in California. From time to time the Company may form wholly-owned subsidiaries to facilitate the normal course of business.

We have elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act and have elected to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) for tax purposes under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). As a result, we are required to comply with various statutory and regulatory requirements, such as:

 

the requirement to invest at least 70% of our assets in “qualifying assets”, as such term is defined in the 1940 Act;

 

source of income limitations;

 

asset diversification requirements; and

 

the requirement to distribute (or be treated as distributing) in each taxable year at least 90% of our investment company taxable income and tax-exempt interest for that taxable year.

In addition, we will not invest more than 20% of our total assets in companies whose principal place of business is outside the United States, although we do not generally intend to invest in companies whose principal place of business is in an emerging market and we have adopted a policy to invest, under normal circumstances at least 80% of the value of our total assets in “technology-related” business (as defined below).


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Our Investment Framework

We are a Maryland corporation organized primarily to originate and make debt and equity investments in technology-related companies based primarily in the United States. We originate and invest in senior secured or unsecured loans, subordinated loans or mezzanine loans, and equity-related securities including common equity, warrants, preferred stock and similar forms of senior equity, which may or may not be convertible into a portfolio company’s common equity. Our investment objective is to maximize total return by generating current income from debt investments and other income producing securities, and capital appreciation from our equity and equity-linked investments. Since our Adviser’s affiliates began investment activities in April 2016 through December 31, 2019, our Adviser or its affiliates have originated $19.0 billion aggregate principal amount of investments across multiple industries, of which $17.4 billion of aggregate principal amount of investments prior to any subsequent exits or repayments, was retained by either us or a corporation or fund advised by our Adviser or its affiliates.

We invest in a broad range of established and high growth technology and life sciences-related companies that are capitalizing on the large and growing demand for technology products and services.  These companies use technology extensively to improve their business processes, applications and opportunities or seek to grow through technological developments and innovations.  These companies operate in technology-related industries or sectors which include, but are not limited to, information technology, application or infrastructure software, financial services, data and analytics, security, cloud computing, communications, life sciences, healthcare, media, consumer electronics, semi-conductor, internet commerce and advertising, environmental, aerospace and defense industries and sectors.  Within each industry or sector, we intend to invest in companies that are developing or offering goods and services to businesses and consumers which utilize scientific knowledge, including techniques, skills, methods, devices and processes, to solve problems. We refer to all of these companies as “technology-related” companies and intend, under normal circumstances, to invest at least 80% of the value of our total assets in such businesses.

We expect that generally our portfolio composition will be majority debt or income producing securities, which may include “covenant-lite” loans (as defined below), with a lesser allocation to equity or equity-linked opportunities. In addition, we may invest a portion of our portfolio in opportunistic investments, which will not be our primary focus, but will be intended to enhance returns to our Shareholders. These investments may include high-yield bonds and broadly-syndicated loans. In addition, we generally do not intend to invest more than 20% of our total assets in companies whose principal place of business is outside the United States, although we do not generally intend to invest in companies whose principal place of business is in an emerging market. Our portfolio composition may fluctuate from time to time based on market conditions and interest rates.

Covenants are contractual restrictions that lenders place on companies to limit the corporate actions a company may pursue. Generally, the loans in which we expect to invest will have financial maintenance covenants, which are used to proactively address materially adverse changes in a portfolio company’s financial performance. However, to a lesser extent, we may invest in “covenant-lite” loans. We use the term “covenant-lite” to refer generally to loans that do not have a complete set of financial maintenance covenants. Generally, “covenant-lite” loans provide borrower companies more freedom to negatively impact lenders because their covenants are incurrence-based, which means they are only tested and can only be breached following an affirmative action of the borrower, rather than by a deterioration in the borrower’s financial condition. Accordingly, to the extent we invest in “covenant-lite” loans, we may have fewer rights against a borrower and may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants.

We classify our debt investments as “traditional financing” or “growth capital” based on a number of factors. Traditional financing typically means a senior secured loan provided to a portfolio company that is owned by a private-equity firm, has a mature business model, and is underwritten primarily on the basis of a multiple of EBITDA or cash flow. Growth capital typically means an investment in an established, but rapidly growing business that is owned by, or received an equity investment from, one or more growth equity or venture capital firms, and is underwritten on the basis of something other than a multiple of EBITDA (for example, a multiple of recurring revenue).

As of December 31, 2019, our average investment size in each of our portfolio companies was approximately $50.9 million based on fair value. As of December 31, 2019, investments we classify as traditional financing represented 65.7% of our total debt portfolio based on fair value and these portfolio companies had weighted average annual revenue of $271 million, weighted average annual EBITDA of $97 million and a weighted average enterprise value of $1.5 billion. As of December 31, 2019, investments we classify as growth capital represented 34.3% of our total debt portfolio based on fair value and these portfolio companies had weighted average annual revenue of $259 million and a weighted average enterprise value of $1.2 billion.

The companies in which we invest use our capital to support their growth, acquisitions, market or product expansion, refinancings and/or recapitalizations. The debt in which we invest typically is not rated by any rating agency, but if these instruments were rated, they would likely receive a rating of below investment grade (that is, below BBB- or Baa3), which is often referred to as “high yield” or “junk”.


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Key Components of Our Results of Operations

Investments

We focus primarily on the direct origination of loans to middle market, technology-related companies domiciled in the United States.

Our level of investment activity (both the number of investments and the size of each investment) can and will vary substantially from period to period depending on many factors, including the amount of debt and equity capital available to middle market companies, the level of merger and acquisition activity for such companies, the general economic environment and the competitive environment for the types of investments we make.

In addition, as part of our risk strategy on investments, we may reduce the levels of certain investments through partial sales or syndication to additional lenders.

Revenues

We generate revenues primarily in the form of interest income from the investments we hold. In addition, we may generate income from dividends on either direct equity investments or equity interests obtained in connection with originating loans, such as options, warrants or conversion rights. Our debt investments typically have a term of three to ten years. As of December 31, 2019, 100.0% of our debt investments based on fair value bear interest at a floating rate, subject to interest rate floors, in certain cases. Interest on our debt investments is generally payable either monthly or quarterly.

Our investment portfolio consists primarily of floating rate loans. Macro trends in base interest rates like London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) may affect our net investment income over the long term. However, because we generally intend to originate loans to a small number of portfolio companies each quarter, and those investments may vary in size, our results in any given period, including the interest rate on investments that may be sold or repaid in a period compared to the interest rate of new investments made during that period, may be idiosyncratic, and reflect the characteristics of the particular portfolio companies that we invested in or exited during the period and not necessarily any trends in our business or macro trends.

Loan origination fees, original issue discount and market discount or premium are capitalized, and we accrete or amortize such amounts as interest income using the effective yield method for term instruments and the straight-line method for revolving or delayed draw instruments. Repayments of our debt investments can reduce interest income from period to period. The frequency or volume of these repayments may fluctuate significantly. We record prepayment premiums on loans as interest income.  We may also generate revenue in the form of commitment, loan origination, structuring, or due diligence fees, fees for providing managerial assistance to our portfolio companies and possibly consulting fees. Certain of these fees may be capitalized and amortized as additional interest income over the life of the related loan.

Dividend income on equity investments is recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies or on the ex-dividend date for publicly traded companies.

Our portfolio activity will also reflect the proceeds from sales of investments. We will recognize realized gains or losses on investments based on the difference between the net proceeds from the disposition and the amortized cost basis of the investment without regard to unrealized gains or losses previously recognized. We record current period changes in fair value of investments that are measured at fair value as a component of the net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Expenses

Our primary operating expenses include the payment of the management fee, the incentive fee, and expenses reimbursable under the Administration Agreement and Investment Advisory Agreement. The management fee and incentive fee compensate our Adviser for work in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, closing, monitoring and realizing our investments.

Except as specifically provided below, we anticipate that all investment professionals and staff of the Adviser, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory and management services to us, and the base compensation, bonus and benefits, and the routine overhead expenses, of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Adviser. In addition, the Adviser shall be solely responsible for any placement or “finder’s” fees payable to placement agents engaged by the Company or its affiliates in connection with the offering of securities by the Company. We will bear our allocable portion of the costs of the compensation, benefits and related administrative expenses (including travel expenses) of our officers who provide operational and administrative services hereunder, their respective staffs and other professionals who provide services to us (including, in each case, employees of the Adviser or an affiliate) who assist with the preparation, coordination, and administration of the foregoing or provide other “back office” or “middle office” financial or operational services to us. We shall reimburse the Adviser (or its affiliates) for an allocable portion of the compensation paid by the Adviser (or its affiliates) to such individuals (based on a percentage of time such individuals devote, on an estimated basis, to our business affairs and in acting on our behalf). We also will bear all other costs and expenses of our operations, administration and transactions, including, but not limited to (i) investment advisory fees, including

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Management Fees and Incentive Fees, to the Adviser, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement; (ii) our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by the Adviser in performing its administrative obligations under the Investment Advisory Agreement and (iii) all other costs and expenses of our operations and transactions including, without limitation, those relating to:

 

the cost of our organization and any offerings;

 

the cost of calculating our net asset value, including the cost of any third-party valuation services;

 

the cost of effecting any sales and repurchases of the Common Stock and other securities;

 

fees and expenses payable under any dealer manager agreements, if any;

 

debt service and other costs of borrowings or other financing arrangements;

 

costs of hedging;

 

expenses, including travel expense, incurred by the Adviser, or members of the investment team, or payable to third parties, performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies and, if necessary, enforcing our rights;

 

escrow agent, transfer agent and custodial fees and expenses;

 

fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts;

 

federal and state registration fees, any stock exchange listing fees and fees payable to rating agencies;

 

federal, state and local taxes;

 

independent directors’ fees and expenses, including certain travel expenses;

 

costs of preparing financial statements and maintaining books and records and filing reports or other documents with the SEC (or other regulatory bodies) and other reporting and compliance costs, including registration fees, listing fees and licenses, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the preparation of the foregoing;

 

the costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to our shareholders (including printing and mailing costs);

 

the costs of any shareholder or director meetings and the compensation of personnel responsible for the preparation of the foregoing and related matters;

 

commissions and other compensation payable to brokers or dealers;

 

research and market data;

 

fidelity bond, directors and officers errors and omissions liability insurance and other insurance premiums;

 

direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone and staff;

 

fees and expenses associated with independent audits, outside legal and consulting costs;

 

costs of winding up;

 

costs incurred in connection with the formation or maintenance of entities or vehicles to hold our assets for tax or other purposes;

 

extraordinary expenses (such as litigation or indemnification); and

 

costs associated with reporting and compliance obligations under the 1940 Act and applicable federal and state securities laws.

We expect, but cannot ensure, that our general and administrative expenses will increase in dollar terms during periods of asset growth, but will decline as a percentage of total assets during such periods.

Leverage

The amount of leverage we use in any period depends on a variety of factors, including cash available for investing, the cost of financing and general economic and market conditions. We generally will be permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of stock senior to the common stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, would at least be equal to 200% immediately after each such issuance. 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. The reduced asset coverage requirement would permit a BDC to double the amount of leverage it can incur. For example, under a 150% asset coverage ratio the Company may borrow $2 for investment purposes of every $1 of investor equity whereas under a 200% asset coverage ratio the Company may only borrow $1 for investment purposes for every $1 of investor equity. On August 7, 2018, our Adviser, as our sole initial shareholder, has approved a proposal that allows us to reduce our

71


 

asset coverage ratio to 150% and in connection with their subscription agreements, our investors are required to acknowledge our ability to operate with an asset coverage ratio that may be as low as 150%.

In any period, our interest expense will depend largely on the extent of our borrowing and we expect interest expense will increase as we increase our leverage over time subject to the limits of the 1940 Act. In addition, we may dedicate assets to financing facilities.

Market Trends

We believe the technology investment lending environment provides opportunities for us to meet our goal of making investments that generate an attractive total return based on a combination of the following factors:

Limited Availability of Capital for Technology Companies. We believe that technology companies have limited access to capital, driven by a reduction in activity from commercial and investment banks, and a lack of dedicated pools of capital focused on

technology companies. Traditional lenders, such as commercial and investment banks, generally do not have flexible product offerings that meet the needs of technology-related companies. In recent years, many commercial and investment banks have focused their efforts and resources on lending to large corporate clients and managing capital markets transactions rather than lending to technology-related companies. In addition, these lenders may be constrained in their ability to underwrite and hold loans and high yield securities, as well as their ability to provide equity financing, as they seek to meet existing and future regulatory capital requirements. We also believe that there is a lack of scaled market participants that are willing to provide and hold meaningful amounts of a customized financing solution for technology companies. As a result, we believe our focus on technology-related companies and our ability to invest across the capital structure, coupled with a limited supply of capital providers, presents an attractive opportunity to invest in technology companies.

Capital Markets Have Been Unable to Fill the Void Left by Banks. While underwritten bond and syndicated loan markets have been robust in recent years, many technology companies are less able to access these markets for reasons including the following:

High Yield Market – Many technology companies generally are not issuing debt in an amount large enough to be an attractively sized bond. High yield bonds are generally purchased by institutional investors who, among other things, are highly focused on the liquidity characteristics of the bond being issued. For example, mutual funds and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) are significant buyers of underwritten bonds. However, mutual funds and ETFs generally require the ability to liquidate their investments quickly in order to fund investor redemptions and/or comply with regulatory requirements. Accordingly, the existence of an active secondary market for bonds is an important consideration in these entities’ initial investment decision. Because there is typically little or no active secondary market for the debt of U.S. middle market companies, mutual funds and ETFs generally do not provide debt capital to technology companies. We believe this is likely to be a persistent problem and creates an advantage for those like us who have a more stable capital base and have the ability to invest in illiquid assets.

Syndicated Loan Market – Loan issue size and liquidity are key drivers of institutional appetite and, correspondingly, underwriters’ willingness to underwrite the loans. Loans arranged through a bank are done either on a “best efforts” basis or are underwritten with terms plus provisions that permit the underwriters to change certain terms, including pricing, structure, yield and tenor, otherwise known as “flex”, to successfully syndicate the loan, in the event the terms initially marketed are insufficiently attractive to investors. Loans provided by companies such as ours provide certainty to issuers in that we can commit to a given amount of debt on specific terms, at stated coupons and with agreed upon fees. As we are the ultimate holder of the loans, we do not require market “flex” or other arrangements that banks may require when acting on an agency basis.

Robust Demand for Debt Capital. According to S&P Capital IQ, there was approximately $1.2 trillion of mergers and acquisitions activity in the technology and software industries from 2013 through 2017. We believe technology companies will continue to require access to capital to refinance existing debt, support growth and finance acquisitions. In addition, we believe the large amount of uninvested capital held by funds of private equity firms, estimated by Preqin Ltd., an alternative assets industry data and research company, to be $1.3 trillion as of March 2019, coupled with a growing focus on technology investing by private equity sponsors, will continue to drive deal activity. We expect that technology companies, private equity sponsors, venture capital firms, and entrepreneurs will continue to seek partners to provide flexible financing for their businesses with debt and equity investments provided by companies such as us.

Technology Spend is Large and Increasing. According to Gartner, a research and advisory company, global technology spend was $3.7 trillion in 2019 and is expected to grow to more than $4.3 trillion by 2023. We believe global demand for technology products and services will continue to grow rapidly, and that that growth will stimulate demand for capital from technology companies.

Attractive Investment Dynamics. An imbalance between the supply of, and demand for, capital creates attractive pricing dynamics. With respect to the debt investments in technology companies, we believe the directly negotiated nature of such financings generally provides more favorable terms to the lender, including stronger covenant and reporting packages, better call protection, and lender protective change of control provisions. Further, we believe that historical default rates for technology and software companies have been lower, and recovery rates have been higher, as compared to the broader leveraged finance market, leading to lower

72


 

cumulative losses. With respect to equity and equity-linked investments, we will seek to structure these investments with meaningful shareholder protections, including, but not limited to, anti-dilution, anti-layering, and liquidation preferences, which we believe will create the potential for meaningful risk-adjusted long-term capital gains in connection with the future liquidity events of these technology companies.

Compelling Business Models. We believe that the products and services that technology companies provide often have high switching costs and are fundamental to the operations and success of their customers. As a result, technology companies have attributes that make them compelling investments, including strong customer retention rates, and highly recurring and predictable revenue. Further, technology companies are typically highly capital efficient, with limited capital expenditures and high free cash flow conversion.

Attractive Opportunities in Investments in Technology Companies. We invest in the debt and equity of technology companies. We believe that opportunities in the debt of technology companies are significant because of the floating rate structure of most senior secured debt issuances and because of the strong defensive characteristics of these types of investments. Given the current low interest rate environment, we believe that debt issues with floating interest rates offer a superior return profile as compared with fixed-rate investments, since floating rate structures are generally less susceptible to declines in value experienced by fixed-rate securities in a rising interest rate environment. Senior secured debt also provides strong defensive characteristics. Senior secured debt has priority in payment among an issuer’s security holders whereby holders are due to receive payment before junior creditors and equity holders. Further, these investments are generally secured by the issuer’s assets, which may provide protection in the event of a default.

We believe that opportunities in the equity of technology companies are significant because of the potential to generate meaningful capital appreciation by participating in the growth in the portfolio company and the demand for its products and services. Moreover, we believe that the high-growth profile of a technology company will generally make it a more attractive candidate for a liquidity event than a company in a non-high growth industry.

Portfolio and Investment Activity

As of December 31, 2019, based on fair value, our portfolio consisted of 93.6% first lien senior secured debt investments, 2.5% second lien senior secured debt investments and 3.9% equity investments.

As of December 31, 2019, our weighted average total yield of the portfolio at fair value and amortized cost was 7.9% and 7.9%, respectively, and our weighted average yield of debt and income producing securities at fair value and amortized cost was 8.2% and 8.2%, respectively.

As of December 31, 2019, we had investments in 29 portfolio companies with an aggregate fair value of $1.5 billion.

Based on current market conditions, the pace of our investment activities may vary.

73


 

Our investment activity for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 is presented below (information presented herein is at par value unless otherwise indicated).

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

($ in thousands)

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

New investment commitments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross originations

 

$

1,517,163

 

 

$

332,000

 

Less: Sell downs

 

 

(87,130

)

 

 

-

 

Total new investment commitments

 

$

1,430,033

 

 

$

332,000

 

Principal amount of investments funded:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First-lien senior secured debt investments

 

$

1,141,864

 

 

$

211,731

 

Second-lien senior secured debt investments

 

 

16,450

 

 

 

20,000

 

Unsecured debt investments

 

 

 

 

 

30,000

 

Equity investments

 

 

57,160

 

 

 

 

Total principal amount of investments funded

 

$

1,215,474

 

 

$

261,731

 

Principal amount of investments sold or repaid:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First-lien senior secured debt investments

 

$

(60,743

)

 

$

 

Second-lien senior secured debt investments

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unsecured debt investments

 

 

(30,000

)

 

 

 

Equity investments

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total principal amount of investments sold or repaid

 

$

(90,743

)

 

$

 

Number of new investment commitments in new portfolio companies(2)

 

25

 

 

6

 

Average new investment commitment amount

 

$

54,928

 

 

$

55,333

 

Weighted average term for new debt investment commitments (in years)

 

 

6.1

 

 

 

6.6

 

Percentage of new debt investment commitments at

   floating rates

 

 

100.0

%

 

 

91.0

%

Percentage of new debt investment commitments at

   fixed rates

 

 

0.0

%

 

 

9.0

%

Weighted average interest rate of new debt investment commitments(3)

 

 

8.0

%

 

 

7.8

%

Weighted average spread over LIBOR of new floating rate debt investment commitments

 

 

6.1

%

 

 

5.0

%

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

(2)

 Number of new investment commitments represents commitments to a particular portfolio company.

 

(3)

Assumes each floating rate commitment is subject to the greater of the interest rate floor (if applicable) or 3-month LIBOR, which was 1.9% and 2.8% as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, our investments consisted of the following:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

($ in thousands)

 

Amortized Cost

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

Amortized Cost

 

 

Fair Value

 

First-lien senior secured debt investments(1)

 

$

1,385,386

 

 

$

1,382,256

 

 

$

214,274

 

 

$

214,348

 

Second-lien senior secured debt investments

 

 

36,147

 

 

 

36,236

 

 

 

19,611

 

 

 

19,550

 

Unsecured debt investments

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

30,000

 

 

 

28,935

 

Equity investments

 

 

57,303

 

 

 

57,453

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Total Investments

 

$

1,478,836

 

 

$

1,475,945

 

 

$

263,885

 

 

$

262,833

 

________________

 

(1)

44% of which we consider unitranche loans.

 


74


 

The table below describes investments by industry composition based on fair value as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

Aerospace and defense

 

 

-

 

%

 

9.4

 

%

Buildings and real estate

 

 

3.0

 

 

 

5.4

 

 

Business services

 

 

26.9

 

 

 

-

 

 

Data and information services

 

 

5.8

 

 

 

-

 

 

eCommerce and digital marketplaces

 

 

0.3

 

 

 

-

 

 

Education

 

 

16.4

 

 

 

34.0

 

 

Financial services

 

 

1.4

 

 

 

-

 

 

Healthcare providers and services

 

 

3.1

 

 

 

-

 

 

Healthcare technology

 

 

17.0

 

 

 

12.0

 

 

Insurance

 

 

2.9

 

 

 

-

 

 

Internet and digital media

 

 

8.7

 

 

 

-

 

 

Leisure and entertainment

 

 

4.5

 

 

 

-

 

 

Oil and gas

 

 

5.7

 

 

 

-

 

 

Professional services

 

 

3.5

 

 

 

28.2

 

 

Technology infrastructure

 

 

0.8

 

 

 

-

 

 

Transportation

 

 

-

 

 

 

11.0

 

 

Total

 

 

100.0

 

%

 

100.0

 

%

 

The table below describes investments by geographic composition based on fair value as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

United States:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midwest

 

 

6.9

 

%

 

-

 

%

Northeast

 

 

35.9

 

 

 

40.1

 

 

South

 

 

34.7

 

 

 

39.5

 

 

West

 

 

17.3

 

 

 

20.4

 

 

Canada

 

 

3.1

 

 

 

-

 

 

Ireland

 

 

2.1

 

 

 

-

 

 

Total

 

 

100.0

 

%

 

100.0

 

%

 

The weighted average yields and interest rates of our investments at fair value as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

Weighted average total yield of portfolio

 

 

7.9

 

%

 

8.0

 

%

Weighted average total yield of debt and income producing

   securities

 

 

8.2

 

%

 

8.0

 

%

Weighted average interest rate of debt securities

 

 

7.9

 

%

 

7.7

 

%

Weighted average spread over LIBOR of all floating rate

   investments

 

 

6.0

 

%

 

5.1

 

%

 

 

The weighted average yield of our debt and income producing securities is not the same as a return on investment for our shareholders but, rather, relates to a portion of our investment portfolio and is calculated before the payment of all of our and our subsidiaries’ fees and expenses. The weighted average yield was computed using the effective interest rates as of each respective date, including accretion of original issue discount and loan origination fees, but excluding investments on non-accrual status, if any. There can be no assurance that the weighted average yield will remain at its current level.

Our Adviser monitors our portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. It monitors the financial trends of each portfolio company to determine if they are meeting their respective business plans and to assess the appropriate course of action with respect to each portfolio company. Our Adviser has several methods of evaluating and monitoring the performance and fair value of our investments, which may include the following:

75


 

 

assessment of success of the portfolio company in adhering to its business plan and compliance with covenants;

 

periodic and regular contact with portfolio company management and, if appropriate, the financial or strategic sponsor, to discuss financial position, requirements and accomplishments;

 

comparisons to other companies in the portfolio company’s industry; and

 

review of monthly or quarterly financial statements and financial projections for portfolio companies.

As part of the monitoring process, our Adviser employs an investment rating system to categorize our investments.  In addition to various risk management and monitoring tools, our Adviser rates the credit risk of all investments on a scale of 1 to 5. This system is intended primarily to reflect the underlying risk of a portfolio investment relative to our initial cost basis in respect of such portfolio investment (i.e., at the time of origination or acquisition), although it may also take into account the performance of the portfolio company’s business, the collateral coverage of the investment and other relevant factors. The rating system is as follows:

 

Investment Rating

 

Description

1

 

Investments with a rating of 1 involve the least amount of risk to our initial cost basis. The borrower is performing above expectations, and the trends and risk factors for this investment since origination or acquisition are generally favorable;

 

2

 

Investments rated 2 involve an acceptable level of risk that is similar to the risk at the time of origination or acquisition. The borrower is generally performing as expected and the risk factors are neutral to favorable. All investments or acquired investments in new portfolio companies are initially assessed a rate of 2;

 

3

 

Investments rated 3 involve a borrower performing below expectations and indicates that the loan’s risk has increased somewhat since origination or acquisition;

 

4

 

Investments rated 4 involve a borrower performing materially below expectations and indicates that the loan’s risk has increased materially since origination or acquisition.  In addition to the borrower being generally out of compliance with debt covenants, loan payments may be past due (but generally not more than 120 days past due); and

 

5

 

Investments rated 5 involve a borrower performing substantially below expectations and indicates that the loan’s risk has increased substantially since origination or acquisition.  Most or all of the debt covenants are out of compliance and payments are substantially delinquent.  Loans rated 5 are not anticipated to be repaid in full and we will reduce the fair value of the loan to the amount we anticipate will be recovered.

Our Adviser rates the investments in our portfolio at least quarterly and it is possible that the rating of a portfolio investment may be reduced or increased over time. For investments rated 3, 4 or 5, our Adviser enhances its level of scrutiny over the monitoring of such portfolio company.

The following table shows the composition of our portfolio on the 1 to 5 rating scale as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

Investment Rating

 

Investments

at Fair Value

 

 

Percentage of

Total Portfolio

 

 

Investments

at Fair Value

 

 

Percentage of

Total Portfolio

 

 

($ in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

$

 

 

 

 

%

$

 

 

 

 

%

2

 

 

1,475,945

 

 

 

100.0

 

 

 

262,833

 

 

 

100.0

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

$

1,475,945

 

 

 

100.0

 

%

$

262,833

 

 

 

100.0

 

%

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The following table shows the amortized cost of our performing and non-accrual debt investments as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

($ in thousands)

 

Amortized Cost

 

 

Percentage

 

 

Amortized Cost

 

 

Percentage

 

 

Performing

 

$

1,421,533

 

 

 

100.0

 

%

$

263,885

 

 

 

100.0

 

%

Non-accrual

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

$

1,421,533

 

 

 

100.0

 

%

$

263,885

 

 

 

100.0

 

%

 

Loans are generally placed on non-accrual status when there is reasonable doubt that principal or interest will be collected in full. Accrued interest is generally reversed when a loan is placed on non-accrual status.  Interest payments received on non-accrual loans may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon management’s judgment regarding collectability. Non-accrual loans are restored to accrual status when past due principal and interest is paid current and, in management’s judgment, are likely to remain current. Management may make exceptions to this treatment and determine to not place a loan on non-accrual status if the loan has sufficient collateral value and is in the process of collection.

 

Results of Operations

The following table represents the operating results for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

($ in millions)

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

Total Investment Income

 

$

83.7

 

 

$

2.6

 

Less: Expenses

 

 

52.5

 

 

 

4.7

 

Net Investment Income (Loss) Before Taxes

 

$

31.2

 

 

$

(2.1

)

Less:  Income taxes, including excise taxes

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

 

Net Investment Income (Loss) After Taxes

 

$

31.1

 

 

$

(2.1

)

Net change in unrealized gain (loss)

 

 

(2.0

)

 

 

(1.1

)

Net realized gain (loss)

 

 

1.6

 

 

 

 

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

 

$

30.7

 

 

$

(3.2

)

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations can vary from period to period as a result of various factors, including the level of new investment commitments, expenses, the recognition of realized gains and losses and changes in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on the investment portfolio. Additionally, we were initially capitalized on August 7, 2018 and commenced investing activities in September 2018. As a result, comparative period of time information is not meaningful.

Investment Income

Investment income for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

($ in millions)

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

Interest income from investments

 

$

81.3

 

 

$

2.6

 

Other income

 

 

2.4

 

 

 

 

Total investment income

 

$

83.7

 

 

$

2.6

 

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

We generate revenues primarily in the form of interest income from the investments we hold. In addition, we may generate income from dividends on either direct equity investments or equity interests obtained in connection with originating loans, such as options, warrants or conversion rights.

 

Investment income increased to $81.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 from $2.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 due to an increase in interest income as a result of an increase in our investment portfolio and other income earned

77


 

during the year ended December 31, 2019. Other income, which consists of fees that are generally available to us as a result of closing investments and normally paid at the time of closing, was $2.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. We did not earn other income during the year ended December 31, 2018.

 

Expenses

Expenses for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

($ in millions)

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

Initial organization

 

$

 

 

$

0.4

 

Interest expense

 

 

21.7

 

 

 

0.5

 

Management fees

 

 

22.1

 

 

 

2.1

 

Incentive fees

 

 

2.6

 

 

 

 

Professional fees

 

 

3.3

 

 

 

0.9

 

Directors' fees

 

 

0.6

 

 

 

0.2

 

Other general and administrative

 

 

2.2

 

 

 

0.6

 

Total expenses

 

$

52.5

 

 

$

4.7

 

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

Under the terms of the Administration Agreement, we reimburse the Adviser for services performed for us. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Adviser may delegate its obligations under the Administration Agreement to an affiliate or to a third party and we reimburse the Adviser for any services performed for us by such affiliate or third party.

 

Total expenses increased by $47.8 million from the year ended December 31, 2018 to the year ended December 31, 2019 due to

an increase in management and incentive fees, interest expense and other expenses of $22.6 million, $21.2 million and $4.4 million, respectively, partially offset by initial organization expenses incurred during the year ended December 31, 2018 of $0.4 million. The increase in management fees was driven by growth in the portfolio and growth in unfunded capital commitments period over period. The increase in interest expense was driven by an increase in average daily borrowings to $479 million from $36 million period over period.

 

Income Taxes, Including Excise Taxes

We have elected to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, and we intend to operate in a manner so as to continue to qualify for the tax treatment applicable to RICs. To qualify for tax treatment as a RIC, we must, among other things, distribute to our shareholders in each taxable year generally at least 90% of our investment company taxable income, as defined by the Code, and net tax-exempt income for that taxable year. To maintain our tax treatment as a RIC, we, among other things, intend to make the requisite distributions to our shareholders, which generally relieves us from corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes.

Depending on the level of taxable income earned in a tax year, we can be expected to carry forward taxable income (including net capital gains, if any) in excess of current year dividend distributions from the current tax year into the next tax year and pay a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax on such taxable income, as required. To the extent that we determine that our estimated current year annual taxable income will be in excess of estimated current year dividend distributions from such income, we will accrue excise tax on estimated excess taxable income.

For the year ended December 31, 2019, we accrued U.S. federal excise tax of $107 thousand. For the year ended December 31, 2018, we did not accrue U.S. federal excise tax.

 


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Net Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses)

We fair value our portfolio investments quarterly and any changes in fair value are recorded as unrealized gains or losses.  During the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, net change in unrealized gains (losses) was comprised of the following:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

($ in millions)

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investments

 

$

(2.0

)

 

$

(1.1

)

Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized gain (loss)

 

$

(2.0

)

 

$

(1.1

)

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2019, the net unrealized loss was primarily driven by a decrease in the fair value of our debt investments compared to December 31, 2018. As of December 31, 2019, the fair value of our debt investments as a percentage of principal was 98.5% on our $1.5 billion portfolio, compared to 98.5% on our $0.3 billion portfolio as of December 31, 2018.

Net Realized Gains (Losses)

 

The realized gains and losses on fully exited portfolio companies, partially exited portfolio companies and foreign currency transactions during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 were comprised of the following:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

($ in millions)

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

Net realized gain (loss) on investments

 

$

1.6

 

 

$

 

Net realized gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net realized gain (loss) on investments

 

$

1.6

 

 

$

 

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our liquidity and capital resources are generated primarily from the proceeds of capital drawdowns of our privately placed Capital Commitments, cash flows from interest, dividends and fees earned from our investments and principal repayments, and our credit facilities. The primary uses of our cash are (i) investments in portfolio companies and other investments and to comply with certain portfolio diversification requirements, (ii) the cost of operations (including paying or reimbursing our Adviser) and (iii) cash distributions to the holders of our shares.

We may from time to time enter into additional debt facilities, increase the size of our existing credit facilities or issue additional debt securities. Additional financings could include SPV drop down facilities and unsecured notes. Any such incurrence or issuance would be subject to prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual and regulatory restrictions and other factors. In accordance with the 1940 Act, with certain limited exceptions, we are only allowed to incur borrowings, issue debt securities or issue preferred stock, if immediately after the borrowing or issuance, the ratio of total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness) to total indebtedness plus preferred stock, is at least 150%. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, our asset coverage ratio was 193% and 195%, respectively. We seek to carefully consider our unfunded commitments for the purpose of planning our ongoing financial leverage. Further, we maintain sufficient borrowing capacity within the 150% asset coverage limitation to cover any outstanding unfunded commitments we are required to fund.

Cash as of December 31, 2019, taken together with our uncalled Capital Commitments of $1.7 billion and available debt capacity of $223.4 million, is expected to be sufficient for our investing activities and to conduct our operations in the near term.

As of December 31, 2019, we had $142.4 million in cash. During the period ended December 31, 2019, we used $1,175.6 million in cash for operating activities, primarily as a result of funding portfolio investments of $1,396.8 million, partially offset by sales of portfolio investments of $186.4 million, and other operating activities of $34.8 million. Lastly, cash provided by financing activities was $994.9 million during the period, which was the result of proceeds from the issuance of shares, net of offering costs paid, of $483.9 million and proceeds from net borrowing on our credit facilities, net of debt issuance costs, of $523.9 million, net of $12.9 million of distributions paid.

 

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Equity

Subscriptions and Drawdowns

In connection with our formation, we have the authority to issue 500,000,000 common shares at $0.01 per share par value.

On August 7, 2018, we issued 100 common shares for $1,500 to Owl Rock Technology Advisors LLC, which subsequently became our Adviser on August 10, 2018.

We have entered into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) with investors providing for the private placement of our common shares. Under the terms of the Subscription Agreements, investors are required to fund drawdowns to purchase our common shares up to the amount of their respective Capital Commitment on an as-needed basis each time we deliver a capital call notice to its investors.

During the year ended December 31, 2019, we delivered the following capital call notices to investors:

 

Capital Drawdown Notice Date

 

Common Share Issuance Date

 

Number of Common Shares Issued

 

 

Aggregate Offering Price

($ in millions)

 

November 7, 2019

 

November 22, 2019

 

 

6,756,466

 

 

$

100.0

 

September 16, 2019

 

September 27, 2019

 

 

4,025,213

 

 

 

59.9

 

May 15, 2019

 

May 29, 2019

 

 

10,112,871

 

 

 

149.5

 

March 15, 2019

 

March 28, 2019

 

 

11,838,390

 

 

 

175.0

 

Total

 

 

 

 

32,732,940

 

 

$

484.4

 

 

On December 30, 2019, the Company delivered a capital drawdown notice to its investors relating to the sale of approximately 4,209,097 shares of the company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, expected to close on or about January 13, 2020, for an aggregate offering price of $62.0 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2018, we delivered the following capital call notices to investors:

 

Capital Drawdown Notice Date

 

Common Share Issuance Date

 

Number of Common Shares Issued

 

 

Aggregate Offering Price

($ in millions)

 

November 26, 2018

 

December 7, 2018

 

 

8,904,151

 

 

$

129.9

 

September 13, 2018

 

September 26, 2018

 

 

8,168,133

 

 

 

120.0

 

August 20, 2018

 

August 30, 2018

 

 

2,666,667

 

 

 

40.0

 

Total

 

 

 

 

19,738,951

 

 

$

289.9

 

 

Distributions

The following table reflects the distributions declared on shares of our common stock during the year ended December 31, 2019:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

Date Declared

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Distribution per Share

 

October 30, 2019

 

December 31, 2019

 

January 31, 2020

 

$

0.21

 

August 7, 2019

 

September 30, 2019

 

November 15, 2019

 

$

0.25

 

May 8, 2019

 

June 30, 2019

 

August 15, 2019

 

$

0.14

 

February 27, 2019

 

March 31, 2019

 

May 15, 2019

 

$

0.05

 

 

On February 19, 2020, our Board declared a distribution of 90% of estimated first quarter taxable income and net capital gains, if any, for shareholders of record on March 31, 2020, payable on or before May 15, 2020.

 

There were no distributions declared on shares of our common stock during the year ended December 31, 2018.

 

Dividend Reinvestment

With respect to distributions, we adopted an “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan for common shareholders. As a result, in the event of a declared distribution, each shareholder that has not “opted out” of the dividend reinvestment plan will have their dividends or distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock rather than receiving cash distributions.

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Shareholders who receive distributions in the form of shares of common stock will be subject to the same U.S. federal, state and local tax consequences as if they received cash distributions.

The following table reflects the common stock issued pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan during the year ended December 31, 2019:

 

Date Declared

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Shares

 

August 7, 2019

 

September 30, 2019

 

November 15, 2019

 

 

224,683

 

May 8, 2019

 

June 30, 2019

 

August 15, 2019

 

 

122,495

 

February 27, 2019

 

March 31, 2019

 

May 15, 2019

 

 

32,953

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was no common stock issued pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan during the year ended December 31, 2018.

Debt

Aggregate Borrowings

Debt obligations consisted of the following as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

($ in thousands)

 

Aggregate Principal Committed

 

 

Outstanding Principal

 

 

Amount Available(1)

 

 

Net Carrying Value(2)(3)

 

Subscription Credit Facility

 

$

900,000

 

 

$

645,712

 

 

$

103,399

 

 

$

641,739

 

Revolving Credit Facility

 

 

305,000

 

 

 

185,000

 

 

 

120,000

 

 

 

182,058

 

Total Debt

 

$

1,205,000

 

 

$

830,712

 

 

$

223,399

 

 

$

823,797

 

________________

 

(1)

The amount available reflects any limitations related to each credit facility’s borrowing base.

 

(2)

The carrying value of our Subscription Credit Facility is presented net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $4.0 million.

 

(3)

The carrying value of our Revolving Credit Facility is presented net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $2.9 million.

 

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

($ in thousands)

 

Aggregate Principal Committed

 

 

Outstanding Principal

 

 

Amount Available(1)

 

 

Net Carrying Value(2)

 

Subscription Credit Facility

 

$

350,000

 

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

50,000

 

 

$

297,555

 

Total Debt

 

$

350,000

 

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

50,000

 

 

$

297,555

 

________________

 

(1)

The amount available reflects any limitations related to each credit facility’s borrowing base.

 

(2)

The carrying value of our Subscription Credit Facility is presented net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $2.4 million.

 

For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, the components of interest expense were as follows:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

 

($ in thousands)

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

 

Interest expense

 

$

19,478

 

 

$

349

 

 

Amortization of debt issuance costs

 

 

2,202

 

 

 

102

 

 

Total Interest Expense

 

$

21,680

 

 

$

451

 

 

Average interest rate

 

 

3.76

 

%

 

5.91

 

%

Average daily borrowings

 

$

479,115

 

 

$

36,163

 

 

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

 


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Subscription Credit Facility

On November 19, 2018 (the “Closing Date”), we entered into a revolving credit facility (the “Subscription Credit Facility”) with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (“Wells Fargo”) as administrative agent (the “Administrative Agent”), and Wells Fargo, PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC”), and State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”), as lenders.

 The maximum principal amount of the Subscription Credit Facility is $900 million (increased from $800 million on December 19, 2019; previously increased from $700 million to $800 million on August 20, 2019, $500 million to $700 million on June 24, 2019, $450 million to $500 million on March 8, 2019 and from $350 million to $450 million on February 25, 2019), subject to availability under the borrowing base, which is based on unused capital commitments. The Subscription Credit Facility includes a provision permitting us to further increase the size of the Subscription Credit Facility under certain circumstances up to a maximum principal amount not to exceed $1 billion, if the existing or new lenders agree to commit to such further increase.  Borrowings under the Subscription Credit Facility bear interest, at the Company’s election at the time of drawdown, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of LIBOR rate loans, an adjusted LIBOR rate for the applicable interest period plus 1.50% or (ii) in the case of reference rate loans, the greatest of (A) a prime rate plus 0.50%, (B) the federal funds rate plus 1.00%, and (C) one-month LIBOR plus 1.50%.  We generally borrow utilizing LIBOR loans, generally electing one-month LIBOR upon borrowing. Loans may be converted from one rate to another at any time at the Company’s election, subject to certain conditions. We also will pay an unused commitment fee of 0.25% per annum on the unused commitments.

 The Subscription Credit Facility will mature upon the earliest of: (i) the date three (3) years from the Closing Date (the “Stated Maturity Date”); (ii) the date upon which the Administrative Agent declares the obligations under the Subscription Credit Facility due and payable after the occurrence of an event of default; (iii) forty-five (45) days prior to the scheduled termination of the commitment period under our subscription agreements; (iv) forty-five (45) days prior to the date of any listing of our common stock on a national securities exchange; (v) the termination of the commitment period under our subscription agreements (if earlier than the scheduled date); and (vi) the date we terminate the commitments pursuant to the Subscription Credit Facility. At our option, the Stated Maturity Date may be extended by up to 364 days, subject to satisfaction of customary conditions.

The Subscription Credit Facility is secured by a perfected first priority security interest in our right, title, and interest in and to the capital commitments of our private investors, including our right to make capital calls, receive and apply capital contributions, enforce remedies and claims related thereto together with capital call proceeds and related rights, and a pledge of the collateral account into which capital call proceeds are deposited.

The Subscription Credit Facility contains customary covenants, including certain limitations on the incurrence by us of additional indebtedness and on our ability to make distributions to our shareholders, or redeem, repurchase or retire shares of stock, upon the occurrence of certain events, and customary events of default (with customary cure and notice provisions).  

Transfers of interests by our investors must comply with certain sections of the Subscription Credit Facility and we shall notify the Administrative Agent before such transfers take place. Such transfers may trigger mandatory prepayment obligations.

 

Revolving Credit Facility

On March 15, 2019, we entered into a Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement (the “Revolving Credit Facility”). The parties to the Revolving Credit Facility include us (the “Borrower”), the lenders from time to time parties thereto (each a “Lender” and collectively, the “Lenders”) and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. and ING Capital LLC as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners, and SunTrust Bank as Administrative Agent.

The Revolving Credit Facility is guaranteed by OR Tech Lending LLC, our subsidiary, and will be guaranteed by certain of our domestic subsidiaries that are formed or acquired by us in the future (collectively, the “Guarantors”). Proceeds of the Revolving Credit Facility may be used for general corporate purposes, including the funding of portfolio investments.

The maximum principal amount of the Revolving Credit Facility is $305 million (increased from $280 million on July 26, 2019; previously increased on May 2, 2019 from $240 million to $280 million), subject to availability under the borrowing base, which is based on our portfolio investments and other outstanding indebtedness. Maximum capacity under the Revolving Credit Facility may be increased to $750 million through the exercise by the Borrower of an uncommitted accordion feature through which existing and new lenders may, at their option, agree to provide additional financing. The Revolving Credit Facility includes a $50 million limit for swingline loans and is secured by a perfected first-priority interest in substantially all of the portfolio investments held by us and each Guarantor, subject to certain exceptions.  

The availability period under the Revolving Credit Facility will terminate on March 15, 2022 (“Commitment Termination Date”) and the Revolving Credit Facility will mature on March 15, 2023 (“Maturity Date”). During the period from the Commitment Termination Date to the Maturity Date, we will be obligated to make mandatory prepayments under the Revolving Credit Facility out of the proceeds of certain asset sales and other recovery events and equity and debt issuances. 

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We may borrow amounts in U.S. dollars or certain other permitted currencies. Amounts drawn under the Revolving Credit Facility will bear interest at either LIBOR plus 2.00%, or base rate plus 1.00%. We generally borrow utilizing LIBOR loans, generally electing one-month LIBOR upon borrowing. We may elect either the LIBOR or prime rate at the time of drawdown, and loans may be converted from one rate to another at any time at our option, subject to certain conditions. We will also pay a fee of 0.375% on undrawn amounts under the Revolving Credit Facility.

The Revolving Credit Facility includes customary covenants, including certain limitations on our incurrence of additional indebtedness and on our ability to make distributions to our shareholders, or redeem, repurchase or retire shares of stock, upon the occurrence of certain events and certain financial covenants related to asset coverage and liquidity and other maintenance covenants, as well as customary events of default.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Portfolio Company Commitments

From time to time, we may enter into commitments to fund investments. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, we had the following outstanding commitments to fund investments in current portfolio companies:

 

Portfolio Company

 

Investment

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

($ in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3ES Innovation Inc. (dba Aucerna)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

$

4,580

 

 

$

 

Acquia Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

14,158

 

 

 

 

Apptio, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

3,269

 

 

 

 

Certify, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

3,422

 

 

 

 

Certify, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

1,939

 

 

 

 

Reef (fka Cheese Acquisition, LLC)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

 

 

 

31,039

 

Reef (fka Cheese Acquisition, LLC)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

4,545

 

 

 

4,545

 

ConnectWise, LLC

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

13,904

 

 

 

 

Definitive Healthcare Holdings, LLC

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

21,739

 

 

 

 

Definitive Healthcare Holdings, LLC

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

5,435

 

 

 

 

Dude Solutions Holdings, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

6,923

 

 

 

 

Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

3,647

 

 

 

5,203

 

GS Acquisitionco, Inc. (dba insightsoftware)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

12,159

 

 

 

 

GS Acquisitionco, Inc. (dba insightsoftware)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

684

 

 

 

 

Integrity Marketing Acquisition, LLC

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

4,179

 

 

 

 

Integrity Marketing Acquisition, LLC

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

8,206

 

 

 

 

Integrity Marketing Acquisition, LLC

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

3,736

 

 

 

 

Interoperability Bidco, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

10,000

 

 

 

 

Interoperability Bidco, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

5,000

 

 

 

 

Kaseya Traverse Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

1,050

 

 

 

 

Kaseya Traverse Inc.

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

3,045

 

 

 

 

Lightning Midco, LLC (dba Vector Solutions)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

1,309

 

 

 

14,356

 

Lightning Midco, LLC (dba Vector Solutions)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

3,946

 

 

 

9,914

 

Litera Bidco LLC

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

8,250

 

 

 

 

 

MINDBODY, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

7,143

 

 

 

 

Paysimple, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

10,432

 

 

 

 

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Portfolio Company

 

Investment

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

Project Power Buyer, LLC (dba PEC-Veriforce)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

3,750

 

 

 

 

RxSense Holdings, LLC

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

1,415

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Unfunded Portfolio Company Commitments

 

 

 

 

 

$

167,865

 

 

$

65,057

 

 

We maintain sufficient borrowing capacity along with undrawn Capital Commitments to cover outstanding unfunded portfolio company commitments that we may be required to fund. We seek to carefully construct our unfunded portfolio company commitments for purposes of planning our ongoing financial leverage. Further, we maintain sufficient borrowing capacity within the 150% asset coverage ratio, along with undrawn Capital Commitments from our investors, to cover any outstanding portfolio company unfunded commitments we are required to fund.

 

Investor Commitments

As of December 31, 2019, we had $2.5 billion in total Capital Commitments from our investors ($1.7 billion undrawn), of which $68.5 million is from an affiliate of our Adviser ($48.2 million undrawn). These undrawn Capital Commitments will no longer remain in effect following the completion of an initial public offering of our common stock.

As of December 31, 2018, we had $1.8 billion in total Capital Commitments from investors ($1.5 billion undrawn), of which $65.0 million is from entities affiliated with or related to the Adviser ($58.4 million undrawn). These undrawn Capital Commitments will no longer remain in effect following the completion of an initial public offering of the Company’s common stock.

 

Other Commitments and Contingencies

From time to time, we may become a party to certain legal proceedings incidental to the normal course of our business. At December 31, 2019, management was not aware of any pending or threatened litigation.

Contractual Obligations

A summary of our contractual payment obligations under our credit facilities as of December 31, 2019, is as follows:

 

 

 

Payments Due by Period

 

($ in millions)

 

Total

 

 

Less than 1 year

 

 

1-3 years

 

 

3-5 years

 

 

After 5 years

 

Subscription Credit Facility

 

$

645.7

 

 

$

 

 

$

645.7

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Revolving Credit Facility

 

 

185.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

185.0

 

 

 

 

Total Contractual Obligations

 

$

830.7

 

 

$

 

 

$

645.7

 

 

$

185.0

 

 

$

 

Related-Party Transactions

We have entered into a number of business relationships with affiliated or related parties, including the following:

 

the Investment Advisory Agreement;

 

the Administration Agreement;

 

the Dealer Manager Agreement;

 

the Placement Agent Agreement; and

 

the License Agreement.

In addition to the aforementioned agreements, we intend to rely on exemptive relief that has been granted to ORCA and certain of its affiliates to permit us to co-invest with other funds managed by our Adviser or certain of its affiliates including Owl Rock Capital Corporation and Owl Rock Capital Corporation II in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. See “ITEM 1. – Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Note 3. Agreements and Related Party Transactions” for further details.

 


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Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Changes in the economic environment, financial markets, and any other parameters used in determining such estimates could cause actual results to differ.  Our critical accounting policies should be read in connection with our risk factors as described in “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.

 

Investments at Fair Value

Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Realized gains or losses are measured by the difference between the net proceeds received (excluding prepayment fees, if any) and the amortized cost basis of the investment using the specific identification method without regard to unrealized gains or losses previously recognized, and include investments charged off during the period, net of recoveries. The net change in unrealized gains or losses primarily reflects the change in investment values, including the reversal of previously recorded unrealized gains or losses with respect to investments realized during the period.

Investments for which market quotations are readily available are typically valued at the bid price of those market quotations. To validate market quotations, we utilize a number of factors to determine if the quotations are representative of fair value, including the source and number of the quotations. Debt and equity securities that are not publicly traded or whose market prices are not readily available, as is the case for substantially all of our investments, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by our Board, based on, among other things, the input of the Adviser, our audit committee and independent third-party valuation firm(s) engaged at the direction of the Board.

As part of the valuation process, the Board takes into account relevant factors in determining the fair value of our investments, including: the estimated enterprise value of a portfolio company (i.e., the total fair value of the portfolio company’s debt and equity), the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments based on its earnings and cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, a comparison of the portfolio company’s securities to any similar publicly traded securities, and overall changes in the interest rate environment and the credit markets that may affect the price at which similar investments may be made in the future. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, the Board considers whether the pricing indicated by the external event corroborates its valuation.

The Board undertakes a multi-step valuation process, which includes, among other procedures, the following:

 

With respect to investments for which market quotations are readily available, those investments will typically be valued at the bid price of those market quotations;

 

With respect to investment for which market quotations are not readily available, the valuation process begins with the independent valuation firm(s) providing a preliminary valuation of each investment to the Adviser’s valuation committee;

 

Preliminary valuation conclusions are documented and discussed with the Adviser’s valuation committee. Agreed upon valuation recommendations are presented to the Audit Committee;

 

The Audit Committee reviews the valuations recommendations and recommends values for each investment to the Board; and

 

The Board reviews the recommended valuations and determines the fair value of each investment.

We conduct this valuation process on a quarterly basis.

We apply Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 820, Fair Value Measurements (“ASC 820”), as amended, which establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with U.S. GAAP and required disclosures of fair value measurements. ASC 820 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for an investment in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date.  Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market (which may be a hypothetical market) that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact.  In accordance with ASC 820, we consider its principal market to be the market that has the greatest volume and level of activity. ASC 820 specifies a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes and ranks the level of observability of inputs used in determination of fair value.  In accordance with ASC 820, these levels are summarized below:

 

Level 1 – Valuations based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that we have the ability to access.

 

Level 2 – Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

 

Level 3 – Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

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Transfers between levels, if any, are recognized at the beginning of the quarter in which the transfer occurred. In addition to using the above inputs in investment valuations, we apply the valuation policy approved by our Board that is consistent with ASC 820.  Consistent with the valuation policy, we evaluate the source of the inputs, including any markets in which our investments are trading (or any markets in which securities with similar attributes are trading), in determining fair value. When an investment is valued based on prices provided by reputable dealers or pricing services (that is, broker quotes), we subject those prices to various criteria in making the determination as to whether a particular investment would qualify for treatment as a Level 2 or Level 3 investment. For example, we, or the independent valuation firm(s), review pricing support provided by dealers or pricing services in order to determine if observable market information is being used, versus unobservable inputs.

Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of our investments may fluctuate from period to period. Additionally, the fair value of such investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market existed for such investments and may differ materially from the values that may ultimately be realized. Further, such investments are generally less liquid than publicly traded securities and may be subject to contractual and other restrictions on resale. If we were required to liquidate a portfolio investment in a forced or liquidation sale, it could realize amounts that are different from the amounts presented and such differences could be material.

In addition, changes in the market environment and other events that may occur over the life of the investments may cause the gains or losses ultimately realized on these investments to be different than the unrealized gains or losses reflected herein.

Interest and Dividend Income Recognition

Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis and includes amortization of discounts or premiums. Discounts and premiums to par value on securities purchased are amortized into interest income over the contractual life of the respective security using the effective yield method.  The amortized cost of investments represents the original cost adjusted for the amortization of discounts or premiums, if any. Upon prepayment of a loan or debt security, any prepayment premiums, unamortized upfront loan origination fees and unamortized discounts are recorded as interest income in the current period.

Loans are generally placed on non-accrual status when there is reasonable doubt that principal or interest will be collected in full. Accrued interest is generally reversed when a loan is placed on non-accrual status.  Interest payments received on non-accrual loans may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon management’s judgment regarding collectability. Non-accrual loans are restored to accrual status when past due principal and interest is paid current and, in management’s judgment, are likely to remain current. Management may make exceptions to this treatment and determine to not place a loan on non-accrual status if the loan has sufficient collateral value and is in the process of collection.

Dividend income on preferred equity securities is recorded on the accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are payable by the portfolio company and are expected to be collected. Dividend income on common equity securities is recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies or on the ex-dividend date for publicly-traded portfolio companies.

Distributions

We have elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. To obtain and maintain our tax treatment as a RIC, we must distribute (or be deemed to distribute) in each taxable year distribution for tax purposes equal to at least 90 percent of the sum of our:

 

investment company taxable income (which is generally our ordinary income plus the excess of realized short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses), determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid, for such taxable year; and

 

net tax-exempt interest income (which is the excess of our gross tax-exempt interest income over certain disallowed deductions) for such taxable year.

As a RIC, we (but not our shareholders) generally will not be subject to U.S. federal tax on investment company taxable income and net capital gains that we distribute to our shareholders.

We intend to distribute annually all or substantially all of such income. To the extent that we retain our net capital gains or any investment company taxable income, we generally will be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax. We can be expected to carry forward our net capital gains or any investment company taxable income in excess of current year dividend distributions, and pay the U.S. federal excise tax as described below.


86


 

Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax payable by us. We may be subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax if we do not distribute (or are treated as distributing) during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of:

 

98% of our net ordinary income excluding certain ordinary gains or losses for that calendar year;

 

98.2% of our capital gain net income, adjusted for certain ordinary gains and losses, recognized for the twelve-month period ending on October 31 of that calendar year; and

 

100% of any income or gains recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years.

While we intend to distribute any income and capital gains in the manner necessary to minimize imposition of the 4% U.S. federal excise tax, sufficient amounts of our taxable income and capital gains may not be distributed and as a result, in such cases, the excise tax will be imposed. In such an event, we will be liable for this tax only on the amount by which we do not meet the foregoing distribution requirement.

We intend to pay quarterly distributions to our shareholders out of assets legally available for distribution. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of our Board and will depend on our earnings, financial condition, maintenance of our tax treatment as a RIC, compliance with applicable BDC regulations and such other factors as our Board may deem relevant from time to time.

To the extent our current taxable earnings for a year fall below the total amount of our distributions for that year, a portion of those distributions may be deemed a return of capital to our shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Thus, the source of a distribution to our shareholders may be the original capital invested by the shareholder rather than our income or gains. Shareholders should read written disclosure carefully and should not assume that the source of any distribution is our ordinary income or gains.

We have adopted an “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan for our common shareholders. As a result, if we declare a cash dividend or other distribution, each shareholder that has not “opted out” of our dividend reinvestment plan will have their dividends or distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock rather than receiving cash distributions. Shareholders who receive distributions in the form of shares of common stock will be subject to the same U.S. federal, state and local tax consequences as if they received cash distributions.

Income Taxes

We have elected to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. We also have elected to be treated as a RIC under the Code beginning with the taxable period ending December 31, 2018 and intend to qualify as a RIC for the taxable year ending December 31, 2019. So long as we maintain our tax treatment as a RIC, we generally will not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that we distribute at least annually to our shareholders as dividends. Instead, any tax liability related to income earned and distributed by us represents obligations of our investors and will not be reflected in our consolidated financial statements.

To qualify as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. In addition, to qualify for RIC tax treatment, we must distribute to its shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of our “investment company taxable income” for that year, which is generally our ordinary income plus the excess of our realized net short-term capital gains over our realized net long-term capital losses. In order for us not to be subject to U.S. federal excise taxes, we must distribute annually an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of our net ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of our capital gains in excess of capital losses for the one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year and (iii) any net ordinary income and capital gains in excess of capital losses for preceding years that were not distributed during such years. We, at our discretion, may carry forward taxable income in excess of calendar year dividends and pay a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on this income.

We evaluate tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing our consolidated financial statements to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold are reserved and recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. All penalties and interest associated with income taxes are included in income tax expense. Conclusions regarding tax positions are subject to review and may be adjusted at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, on-going analyses of tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof. There were no material uncertain tax positions through December 31, 2019.

 

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

We are subject to financial market risks, including valuation risk and interest rate risk.

Valuation Risk

We have invested, and plan to continue to invest, primarily in illiquid debt and equity securities of private companies. Most of our investments will not have a readily available market price, and therefore, we will value these investments at fair value as determined in good faith by our Board, based on, among other things, the input of the Adviser, our Audit Committee and independent third-party valuation firm(s) engaged at the direction of the Board, and in accordance with our valuation policy. There is no single standard for

87


 

determining fair value. As a result, determining fair value requires that judgment be applied to the specific facts and circumstances of each portfolio investment while employing a consistently applied valuation process for the types of investments we make. If we were required to liquidate a portfolio investment in a forced or liquidation sale, we may realize amounts that are different from the amounts presented and such differences could be material.

Interest Rate Risk

Interest rate sensitivity refers to the change in earnings that may result from changes in the level of interest rates. We intend to fund portions of our investments with borrowings, and at such time, our net investment income will be affected by the difference between the rate at which we invest and the rate at which we borrow. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income.

As of December 31, 2019, 100.0% of our debt investments based on fair value in our portfolio were at floating rates.

Based on our Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of December 31, 2019, the following table shows the annualized impact on net income of hypothetical base rate changes in interest rates on our debt investments (considering interest rate floors for floating rate instruments) assuming each floating rate investment is subject to 3-month LIBOR and there are no changes in our investment and borrowing structure:

 

($ in millions)

 

Interest Income

 

 

Interest Expense

 

 

Net Income

 

Up 300 basis points

 

$

43.2

 

 

$

24.9

 

 

$

18.3

 

Up 200 basis points

 

$

28.8

 

 

$

16.6

 

 

$

12.2

 

Up 100 basis points

 

$

14.4

 

 

$

8.3

 

 

$

6.1

 

Down 100 basis points

 

$

(13.2

)

 

$

(8.3

)

 

$

(4.9

)

Down 200 basis points

 

$

(14.0

)

 

$

(16.0

)

 

$

2.0

 

Down 300 basis points

 

$

(14.0

)

 

$

(17.9

)

 

$

3.9

 

We may in the future hedge against interest rate fluctuations by using hedging instruments such as interest rate swaps, futures, options, and forward contracts. While hedging activities may mitigate our exposure to adverse fluctuations in interest rates, certain hedging transactions that we may enter into in the future, such as interest rate swap agreements, may also limit our ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to our portfolio investments.

Currency Risk

From time to time, we may make investments that are denominated in a foreign currency. These investments are translated into U.S. dollars at each balance sheet date, exposing us to movements in foreign exchange rates. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we cannot assure you that such strategies will be effective or without risk to us. We may seek to utilize instruments such as, but not limited to, forward contracts to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates. We also have the ability to borrow in certain foreign currencies under our credit facilities. Instead of entering into a foreign currency forward contract in connection with loans or other investments we have made that are denominated in a foreign currency, we may borrow in that currency to establish a natural hedge against our loan or investment. To the extent the loan or investment is based on a floating rate other than a rate under which we can borrow under our credit facilities, we may seek to utilize interest rate derivatives to hedge our exposure to changes in the associated rate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

88


 

 

 

 

 

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 


F-1


 

Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of assets and liabilities, including the consolidated schedules of investments, of Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp. and its subsidiary (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in net assets and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2019 and for the period July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, and the results of its operations, changes in its net assets and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2019 and for the period July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.  

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audits of these consolidated financial statements in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 by correspondence with the custodian, administrative agents and portfolio companies.  We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

 

 

/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

 

New York, New York

February 25, 2020

 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F-2


 

Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-controlled/non-affiliated investments at fair value (amortized cost of $1,478,836

     and $263,885, respectively)

 

$

1,475,945

 

 

$

262,833

 

Cash

 

 

142,363

 

 

 

323,035

 

Interest receivable

 

 

6,127

 

 

 

1,792

 

Prepaid expenses and other assets

 

 

562

 

 

 

575

 

Total Assets

 

$

1,624,997

 

 

$

588,235

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debt (net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $6,915 and $2,445, respectively)

 

$

823,797

 

 

$

297,555

 

Management fee payable

 

 

6,811

 

 

 

1,948

 

Distribution payable

 

 

11,776

 

 

 

 

Incentive fee payable

 

 

1,379

 

 

 

 

Payables to affiliates

 

 

1,159

 

 

 

916

 

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

 

 

2,903

 

 

 

1,106

 

Total Liabilities

 

$

847,825

 

 

$

301,525

 

Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common shares $0.01 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized; 52,852,122 and

   19,739,051 shares issued and outstanding, respectively

 

$

529

 

 

$

197

 

Additional paid-in-capital

 

 

776,603

 

 

 

287,922

 

Total distributable earnings (losses)

 

 

40

 

 

 

(1,409

)

Total Net Assets

 

$

777,172

 

 

$

286,710

 

Total Liabilities and Net Assets

 

$

1,624,997

 

 

$

588,235

 

Net Asset Value Per Share

 

$

14.70

 

 

$

14.53

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 


F-3


 

Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

 

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

Investment Income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment income from non-controlled, non-affiliated investments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest income

 

$

81,346

 

 

$

2,561

 

Other income

 

 

2,366

 

 

 

44

 

Total investment income from non-controlled, non-affiliated investments:

 

 

83,712

 

 

 

2,605

 

Total Investment Income

 

 

83,712

 

 

 

2,605

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Initial organization

 

$

 

 

$

397

 

Interest expense

 

 

21,680

 

 

 

451

 

Management fees

 

 

22,085

 

 

 

2,147

 

Incentive fees

 

 

2,622

 

 

 

 

Professional fees

 

 

3,308

 

 

 

930

 

Directors' fees

 

 

622

 

 

 

194

 

Other general and administrative

 

 

2,215

 

 

 

600

 

Total Expenses

 

 

52,532

 

 

 

4,719

 

Net Investment Income (Loss) Before Taxes

 

 

31,180

 

 

 

(2,114

)

Excise tax expense

 

 

107

 

 

 

 

Net Investment Income (Loss) After Taxes

 

 

31,073

 

 

 

(2,114

)

Net Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-controlled, non-affiliated investments

 

$

(1,948

)

 

$

(1,052

)

Translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies

 

 

(5

)

 

 

 

Total Net Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss)

 

 

(1,953

)

 

 

(1,052

)

Net Realized Gain (Loss):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-controlled, non-affiliated investments

 

$

1,560

 

 

$

 

Foreign currency transactions

 

 

56

 

 

 

 

Total Net Realized Gain (Loss)

 

 

1,616

 

 

 

 

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

 

$

30,736

 

 

$

(3,166

)

Earnings (Loss) Per Share - Basic and Diluted

 

$

0.84

 

 

$

(0.34

)

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding - Basic and Diluted

 

 

36,696,078

 

 

 

9,344,401

 

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F-4


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Consolidated Schedule of Investments

As of December 31, 2019

(Amounts in thousands, except share amounts)


  

Company(1)(15)

 

Investment

 

Interest

 

Maturity Date

 

Par / Units

 

 

Amortized Cost(2)(3)

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

Percentage of Net Assets

 

 

Non-controlled/non-affiliated portfolio company debt investments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buildings and real estate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reef (fka Cheese Acquisition, LLC)(4)(6)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 4.75%

 

11/28/2024

 

$

37,498

 

 

$

37,017

 

 

$

36,936

 

 

 

4.8

 

%

Reef (fka Cheese Acquisition, LLC)(4)(9)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 4.75%

 

11/28/2023

 

 

-

 

 

 

(44

)

 

 

(68

)

 

 

-

 

%

Imperial Parking Canada(4)(8)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

C + 5.00%

 

11/28/2024

 

 

7,639

 

 

 

7,421

 

 

 

7,524

 

 

 

1.0

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

45,137

 

 

 

44,394

 

 

 

44,392

 

 

 

5.8

 

%

Business services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apptio, Inc.(4)(5)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 7.25%

 

1/10/2025

 

 

49,091

 

 

 

48,225

 

 

 

48,478

 

 

 

6.2

 

%

Apptio, Inc.(4)(9)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 7.25%

 

1/10/2025

 

 

-

 

 

 

(55

)

 

 

(41

)

 

 

-

 

%

Certify, Inc.(4)(5)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

2/28/2024

 

 

50,194

 

 

 

49,636

 

 

 

49,566

 

 

 

6.4

 

%

Certify, Inc.(4)(5)(11)(13)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

2/28/2020

 

 

3,422

 

 

 

3,355

 

 

 

3,362

 

 

 

0.4

 

%

Certify, Inc.(4)(5)(11)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

2/28/2024

 

 

342

 

 

 

318

 

 

 

314

 

 

 

-

 

%

Circle Internet Services, Inc.(4)(5)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 8.00%

 

5/17/2023

 

 

25,000

 

 

 

24,863

 

 

 

24,313

 

 

 

3.1

 

%

ConnectWise, LLC(4)(6)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 6.00%

 

2/28/2025

 

 

127,975

 

 

 

126,548

 

 

 

126,375

 

 

 

16.2

 

%

ConnectWise, LLC(4)(9)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 6.00%

 

2/28/2025

 

 

-

 

 

 

(151

)

 

 

(174

)

 

 

-

 

%

Hyland Software, Inc.(4)(5)(10)

 

Second lien senior secured loan

 

L + 7.00%

 

7/7/2025

 

 

16,450

 

 

 

16,501

 

 

 

16,636

 

 

 

2.1

 

%

GS Acquisitionco, Inc. (dba insightsoftware)(4)(5)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

5/24/2024

 

 

17,077

 

 

 

16,879

 

 

 

16,863

 

 

 

2.2

 

%

GS Acquisitionco, Inc. (dba insightsoftware)(4)(5)(11)(13)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

8/2/2021

 

 

1,289

 

 

 

1,204

 

 

 

1,197

 

 

 

0.2

 

%

GS Acquisitionco, Inc. (dba insightsoftware)(4)(5)(11)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

5/24/2024

 

 

1,216

 

 

 

1,194

 

 

 

1,192

 

 

 

0.2

 

%

Kaseya Traverse Inc.(4)(6)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.50%  (1.00% PIK)

 

5/3/2025

 

 

29,174

 

 

 

28,649

 

 

 

28,517

 

 

 

3.7

 

%

Kaseya Traverse Inc.(4)(5)(11)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 6.50%

 

5/3/2025

 

 

1,400

 

 

 

1,356

 

 

 

1,345

 

 

 

0.2

 

%

Kaseya Traverse Inc.(4)(7)(11)(13)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

L + 5.50%  (1.00% PIK)

 

5/3/2021

 

 

456

 

 

 

420

 

 

 

407

 

 

 

0.1

 

%

Paysimple, Inc.(4)(5)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.50%

 

8/23/2025

 

 

45,187

 

 

 

44,434

 

 

 

44,396

 

 

 

5.7

 

%

Paysimple, Inc.(4)(5)(11)(13)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

L + 5.50%

 

8/23/2020

 

 

4,258

 

 

 

4,173

 

 

 

4,183

 

 

 

0.5

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

372,531

 

 

 

367,549

 

 

 

366,929

 

 

 

47.2

 

%

Data and information services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Litera Bidco LLC(4)(6)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

5/29/2026

 

 

86,626

 

 

 

85,480

 

 

 

85,542

 

 

 

11.0

 

%

Litera Bidco LLC(4)(9)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

5/30/2025

 

 

-

 

 

 

(95

)

 

 

(103

)

 

 

-

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

86,626

 

 

 

85,385

 

 

 

85,439

 

 

 

11.0

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F-5


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Consolidated Schedule of Investments

As of December 31, 2019

(Amounts in thousands, except share amounts)


Company(1)(15)

 

Investment

 

Interest

 

Maturity Date

 

Par / Units

 

 

Amortized Cost(2)(3)

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

Percentage of Net Assets

 

 

Education

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2U, Inc.(4)(5)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

5/22/2024

 

 

85,000

 

 

 

83,857

 

 

 

83,300

 

 

 

10.6

 

%

Dude Solutions Holdings, Inc.(4)(5)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 7.00%

 

6/14/2025

 

 

53,077

 

 

 

51,968

 

 

 

51,750

 

 

 

6.7

 

%

Dude Solutions Holdings, Inc.(4)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 7.00%

 

6/14/2025

 

 

-

 

 

 

(141

)

 

 

(173

)

 

 

-

 

%

Lightning Midco, LLC (dba Vector Solutions)(4)(6)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.50%

 

11/21/2025

 

 

84,405

 

 

 

83,673

 

 

 

83,140

 

 

 

10.7

 

%

Lightning Midco, LLC (dba Vector Solutions)(4)(6)(9)(11)(13)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

L + 5.50%

 

11/23/2020

 

 

18,391

 

 

 

18,225

 

 

 

18,096

 

 

 

2.3

 

%

Lightning Midco, LLC (dba Vector Solutions)(4)(6)(9)(11)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 5.50%

 

11/21/2023

 

 

5,968

 

 

 

5,891

 

 

 

5,819

 

 

 

0.7

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

246,841

 

 

 

243,473

 

 

 

241,932

 

 

 

31.0

 

%

Financial services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transact Holdings, Inc.(4)(5)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 4.75%

 

4/30/2026

 

 

8,978

 

 

 

8,852

 

 

 

8,798

 

 

 

1.1

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8,978

 

 

 

8,852

 

 

 

8,798

 

 

 

1.1

 

%

Healthcare providers and services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RxSense Holdings, LLC(4)(5)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 6.00%

 

2/15/2024

 

 

45,400

 

 

 

44,821

 

 

 

44,606

 

 

 

5.7

 

%

RxSense Holdings, LLC(4)(5)(9)(11)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 6.00%

 

2/15/2024

 

 

1,415

 

 

 

1,380

 

 

 

1,366

 

 

 

0.2

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

46,815

 

 

 

46,201

 

 

 

45,972

 

 

 

5.9

 

%

Healthcare technology

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VVC Holding Corp. (dba Athenahealth, Inc.)(4)(6)(9)(10)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 4.50%

 

2/11/2026

 

 

39,700

 

 

 

38,981

 

 

 

39,851

 

 

 

5.1

 

%

Bracket Intermediate Holding Corp.(4)(6)(9)

 

Second lien senior secured loan

 

L + 8.13%

 

9/7/2026

 

 

20,000

 

 

 

19,646

 

 

 

19,600

 

 

 

2.5

 

%

Definitive Healthcare Holdings, LLC(4)(6)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.50%

 

7/16/2026

 

 

98,243

 

 

 

97,316

 

 

 

97,260

 

 

 

12.5

 

%

Definitive Healthcare Holdings, LLC(4)(9)(11)(12)(13)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

L + 5.50%

 

7/16/2021

 

 

-

 

 

 

(102

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

%

Definitive Healthcare Holdings, LLC(4)(9)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 5.50%

 

7/16/2024

 

 

-

 

 

 

(49

)

 

 

(54

)

 

 

-

 

%

Interoperability Bidco, Inc.(4)(5)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

6/25/2026

 

 

96,018

 

 

 

94,886

 

 

 

94,577

 

 

 

12.2

 

%

Interoperability Bidco, Inc.(4)(9)(11)(12)(13)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

6/25/2021

 

 

-

 

 

 

(12

)

 

 

(38

)

 

 

-

 

%

Interoperability Bidco, Inc.(4)(9)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

6/25/2024

 

 

-

 

 

 

(56

)

 

 

(75

)

 

 

-

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

253,961

 

 

 

250,610

 

 

 

251,121

 

 

 

32.3

 

%

Insurance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Integrity Marketing Acquisition, LLC(4)(6)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

8/27/2025

 

 

34,487

 

 

 

33,995

 

 

 

33,970

 

 

 

4.4

 

%

Integrity Marketing Acquisition, LLC(4)(6)(9)(11)(13)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

2/29/2020

 

 

9,392

 

 

 

9,182

 

 

 

9,251

 

 

 

1.2

 

%

Integrity Marketing Acquisition, LLC(4)(9)(11)(12)(13)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

2/27/2021

 

 

-

 

 

 

(48

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

%

Integrity Marketing Acquisition, LLC(4)(9)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

8/27/2025

 

 

-

 

 

 

(53

)

 

 

(56

)

 

 

-

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

43,879

 

 

 

43,076

 

 

 

43,165

 

 

 

5.6

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F-6


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Consolidated Schedule of Investments

As of December 31, 2019

(Amounts in thousands, except share amounts)


Company(1)(15)

 

Investment

 

Interest

 

Maturity Date

 

Par / Units

 

 

Amortized Cost(2)(3)

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

Percentage of Net Assets

 

 

Internet and digital media

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acquia Inc.(4)(6)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 7.00%

 

11/1/2025

 

 

130,377

 

 

 

128,904

 

 

 

128,683

 

 

 

16.5

 

%

Acquia Inc.(4)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 7.00%

 

11/1/2025

 

 

-

 

 

 

(161

)

 

 

(184

)

 

 

-

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

130,377

 

 

 

128,743

 

 

 

128,499

 

 

 

16.5

 

%

Leisure and entertainment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MINDBODY, Inc.(4)(5)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 7.00%

 

2/14/2025

 

 

67,857

 

 

 

67,257

 

 

 

67,179

 

 

 

8.6

 

%

MINDBODY, Inc.(4)(9)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 7.00%

 

2/14/2025

 

 

-

 

 

 

(61

)

 

 

(71

)

 

 

-

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

67,857

 

 

 

67,196

 

 

 

67,108

 

 

 

8.6

 

%

Oil and gas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3ES Innovation Inc. (dba Aucerna)(4)(7)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

5/13/2025

 

 

47,214

 

 

 

46,673

 

 

 

46,269

 

 

 

6.0

 

%

3ES Innovation Inc. (dba Aucerna)(4)(9)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

5/13/2025

 

 

-

 

 

 

(51

)

 

 

(92

)

 

 

-

 

%

Project Power Buyer, LLC (dba PEC-Veriforce)(4)(6)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

5/14/2026

 

 

38,556

 

 

 

38,108

 

 

 

37,882

 

 

 

4.9

 

%

Project Power Buyer, LLC (dba PEC-Veriforce)(4)(9)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 5.75%

 

5/14/2025

 

 

-

 

 

 

(42

)

 

 

(66

)

 

 

-

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

85,770

 

 

 

84,688

 

 

 

83,993

 

 

 

10.9

 

%

Professional services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.(4)(5)(9)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 4.25%

 

12/12/2024

 

 

51,836

 

 

 

51,396

 

 

 

51,190

 

 

 

6.6

 

%

Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.(4)(9)(11)(12)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 4.25%

 

12/12/2024

 

 

-

 

 

 

(30

)

 

 

(46

)

 

 

-

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

51,836

 

 

 

51,366

 

 

 

51,144

 

 

 

6.6

 

%

Total non-controlled/non-affiliated portfolio company debt investments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

1,440,608

 

 

$

1,421,533

 

 

$

1,418,492

 

 

 

182.5

 

%

Non-controlled/non-affiliated portfolio company equity investments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circle Internet Services, Inc.(14)

 

Series D Preferred Stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,934,961

 

 

$

15,000

 

 

$

15,000

 

 

 

1.9

 

%

Circle Internet Services, Inc.(14)

 

Warrants

 

 

 

 

 

 

244,580

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

424

 

 

 

0.1

 

%

SLA Eclipse Co-Invest, L.P.(14)(16)

 

Series B Preferred Stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,641,929

 

 

 

15,125

 

 

 

15,385

 

 

 

1.9

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4,821,470

 

 

 

30,125

 

 

 

30,809

 

 

 

3.9

 

%

eCommerce and digital marketplaces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poshmark, Inc. (14)

 

LLC Interest

 

 

 

 

 

 

303,529

 

 

 

5,162

 

 

 

4,644

 

 

 

0.6

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

303,529

 

 

 

5,162

 

 

 

4,644

 

 

 

0.6

 

%

Financial services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

eShares, Inc. (dba Carta)(14)

 

Series E Preferred Stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

186,904

 

 

 

2,008

 

 

 

2,000

 

 

 

0.3

 

%

Remitly Global, Inc (14)

 

Series E Preferred Stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,678,810

 

 

 

10,008

 

 

 

10,000

 

 

 

1.3

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,865,714

 

 

 

12,016

 

 

 

12,000

 

 

 

1.6

 

%

Technology infrastructure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Algolia, Inc.(14)

 

Series C Preferred Stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

323,427

 

 

 

10,000

 

 

 

10,000

 

 

 

1.3

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

323,427

 

 

 

10,000

 

 

 

10,000

 

 

 

1.3

 

%

Total non-controlled/non-affiliated portfolio company equity investments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

57,303

 

 

$

57,453

 

 

 

7.4

 

%

Total Investments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

1,478,836

 

 

$

1,475,945

 

 

 

189.9

 

%

F-7


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Consolidated Schedule of Investments

As of December 31, 2019

(Amounts in thousands, except share amounts)


________________

 

(1)

Unless otherwise indicated, all investments are considered Level 3 investments.

 

(2)

The amortized cost represents the original cost adjusted for the amortization of discounts and premiums, as applicable, on debt investments using the effective interest method.

 

(3)

The tax cost of the Company’s investments approximates their amortized cost.

 

(4)

Loan contains a variable rate structure and may be subject to an interest rate floor. Variable rate loans bear interest at a rate that may be determined by reference to either the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR” or “L”) (which can include one-, two-, three- or six-month LIBOR) or an alternate base rate (which can include the Federal Funds Effective Rate or the Prime Rate), at the borrower’s option, and which reset periodically based on the terms of the loan agreement.

 

(5)

The interest rate on these loans is subject to 1 month LIBOR, which as of December 31, 2019 was 1.8%.

 

(6)

The interest rate on these loans is subject to 3 month LIBOR, which as of December 31, 2019 was 1.9%.

 

(7)

The interest rate on these loans is subject to 6 month LIBOR, which as of December 31, 2019 was 1.9%.

 

(8)

The interest rate on these loans is subject to 3 month Canadian Dollar Offered Rate (“CDOR” or “C”), which as of December 31, 2019 was 2.1%.

 

(9)

Represents co-investment made with the Company’s affiliates in accordance with the terms of the exemptive relief that the Company received from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. See Note 3 “Agreements and Related Party Transactions.”

 

(10)

Level 2 investment.

 

(11)

Position or portion thereof is an unfunded loan commitment. See Note 7 “Commitments and Contingencies”.

 

(12)

The negative cost is the result of the capitalized discount being greater than the principal amount outstanding on the loan. The negative fair value is the result of the capitalized discount on the loan.

 

(13)

The date disclosed represents the commitment period of the unfunded term loan. Upon expiration of the commitment period, the funded portion of the term loan may be subject to a longer maturity date.

 

(14)

Security acquired in transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, and may be deemed to be “restricted securities” under the Securities Act. As of December 31, 2019, the aggregate fair value of these securities is $57.5 million or 7.4% of the Company’s net assets. The acquisition dates of the restricted securities are as follows:

Portfolio Company

 

Investment

 

Acquisition Date

Algolia, Inc.

 

Series C Preferred Stock

 

August 30, 2019

Circle Internet Services, Inc.

 

Series D Preferred Stock

 

May 20, 2019

Circle Internet Services, Inc.

 

Warrants

 

May 20, 2019

eShares, Inc. (dba Carta)

 

Series E Preferred Stock

 

August 1, 2019

SLA Eclipse Co-Invest, L.P.

 

Series B Preferred Stock

 

September 30, 2019

Poshmark, Inc.

 

LLC Interest

 

February 28, 2019

Remitly Global, Inc

 

Series E Preferred Stock

 

May 30, 2019

 

 

(15)

Unless otherwise indicated, the Company’s portfolio companies are pledged as collateral supporting the amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility.  See Note 6 “Debt”.

 

(16)

Series B Preferred Stock is held indirectly through ownership in SLA Eclipse Co-Invest, L.P.

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-8


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Consolidated Schedule of Investments

As of December 31, 2018

(Amounts in thousands, except share amounts)

 

Company(1)

 

Investment

 

Interest

 

 

Maturity Date

 

Par / Units

 

 

Amortized Cost(2)(3)

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

Percentage of Net Assets

 

 

Non-controlled/non-affiliated portfolio company debt investments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aerospace and defense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Space Exploration Technologies Corp.(4)(5)(8)(13)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 4.25%

 

 

11/21/2025

 

$

25,000

 

 

$

24,751

 

 

$

24,750

 

 

 

8.6

 

%

Buildings and real estate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheese Acquisition, LLC(4)(6)(8)(13)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 4.75%

 

 

11/28/2024

 

 

14,416

 

 

 

14,238

 

 

 

14,235

 

 

 

5.0

 

%

Cheese Acquisition, LLC(4)(8)(10)(11)(12)(13)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

L + 4.75%

 

 

4/19/2020

 

 

-

 

 

 

(172

)

 

 

(39

)

 

 

-

 

%

Cheese Acquisition, LLC(4)(8)(10)(11)(13)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 4.75%

 

 

11/28/2023

 

 

-

 

 

 

(56

)

 

 

(57

)

 

 

-

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14,416

 

 

 

14,010

 

 

 

14,139

 

 

 

5.0

 

%

Education

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lightning Midco, LLC (dba Vector Solutions)(4)(6)(8)(13)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 5.50%

 

 

11/21/2025

 

 

85,258

 

 

 

84,419

 

 

 

84,407

 

 

 

29.4

 

%

Lightning Midco, LLC (dba Vector Solutions)(4)(7)(8)(10)(12)(13)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

P + 4.50%

 

 

11/23/2020

 

 

5,472

 

 

 

5,277

 

 

 

5,274

 

 

 

1.9

 

%

Lightning Midco, LLC (dba Vector Solutions)(4)(8)(10)(11)(13)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 5.50%

 

 

11/21/2023

 

 

-

 

 

 

(97

)

 

 

(99

)

 

 

-

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

90,730

 

 

 

89,599

 

 

 

89,582

 

 

 

31.3

 

%

Healthcare technology

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bracket Intermediate Holding Corp.(4)(6)(8)(13)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 4.25%

 

 

9/5/2025

 

 

11,970

 

 

 

11,912

 

 

 

11,880

 

 

 

4.1

 

%

Bracket Intermediate Holding Corp.(4)(6)(8)(13)

 

Second lien senior secured loan

 

L + 8.13%

 

 

9/5/2026

 

 

20,000

 

 

 

19,611

 

 

 

19,550

 

 

 

6.8

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31,970

 

 

 

31,523

 

 

 

31,430

 

 

 

10.9

 

%

Professional services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.(4)(6)(8)(13)

 

First lien senior secured loan

 

L + 4.25%

 

 

12/12/2024

 

 

74,797

 

 

 

74,054

 

 

 

74,049

 

 

 

25.8

 

%

Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.(4)(8)(10)(11)(13)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

L + 4.25%

 

 

12/12/2024

 

 

-

 

 

 

(52

)

 

 

(52

)

 

 

-

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

74,797

 

 

 

74,002

 

 

 

73,997

 

 

 

25.8

 

%

Transportation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uber Technologies, Inc.(8)(9)(13)(14)

 

Unsecured notes

 

7.50%

 

 

11/1/2023

 

 

12,000

 

 

 

12,000

 

 

 

11,588

 

 

 

4.0

 

%

Uber Technologies, Inc.(8)(9)(13)(14)

 

Unsecured notes

 

8.00%

 

 

11/1/2026

 

 

18,000

 

 

 

18,000

 

 

 

17,347

 

 

 

6.1

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30,000

 

 

 

30,000

 

 

 

28,935

 

 

 

10.1

 

%

Total non-controlled/non-affiliated portfolio company debt investments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

266,913

 

 

 

263,885

 

 

 

262,833

 

 

 

91.7

 

%

Total Investments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

266,913

 

 

$

263,885

 

 

$

262,833

 

 

 

91.7

 

%

________________

 

 

(1)

Unless otherwise indicated, all investments are considered Level 3 investments.

 

(2)

The amortized cost represents the original cost adjusted for the amortization of discounts and premiums, as applicable, on debt investments using the effective interest method.

 

(3)

The tax cost of the Company’s investments approximates their amortized cost.

 

(4)

Loan contains a variable rate structure and may be subject to an interest rate floor. Variable rate loans bear interest at a rate that may be determined by reference to either the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR” or “L”) which can include one-, two-, three- or six-month LIBOR) or an alternate base rate (which can include the Federal Funds Effective Rate or the Prime Rate), at the borrower’s option, and which reset periodically based on the terms of the loan agreement.  

 

(5)

The interest rate on these loans is subject to 1 month LIBOR, which as of December 31, 2018 was 2.50%.

 

(6)

The interest rate on these loans is subject to 3 month LIBOR, which as of December 31, 2018 was 2.81%.

 

(7)

The interest rate on these loans is subject to Prime, which as of December 31, 2018 was 5.50%.

 

(8)

Represents co-investment made with the Company’s affiliates in accordance with the terms of the exemptive relief that the Company received from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. See Note 3 “Agreements and Related Party Transactions”.

 

(9)

Level 2 investment.

F-9


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Consolidated Schedule of Investments

As of December 31, 2018

(Amounts in thousands, except share amounts)

 

 

(10)

Position or portion thereof is an unfunded loan commitment. See Note 7 “Commitments and Contingencies”.

 

(11)

The negative cost is the result of the capitalized discount being greater than the principal amount outstanding on the loan. The negative fair value is the result of the capitalized discount on the loan.

 

(12)

The date disclosed represents the commitment period of the unfunded term loan. Upon expiration of the commitment period, the funded portion of the term loan may be subject to a longer maturity date.

 

(13)

Represents co-investment made with the Company’s affiliates in accordance with the terms of the exemptive relief received from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. See Note 3 “Agreements and Related Party Transactions”.

 

(14)

Security acquired in transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, and may be deemed to be “restricted securities under the Securities Act. As of December 31, 2018, the aggregate fair value of these securities is $28.9 million or 10.1% of the Company’s net assets.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-10


 

 

Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Net Assets

(Amounts in thousands)

 

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net investment income (loss)

 

$

31,073

 

 

$

(2,114

)

Net change in unrealized gain (loss)

 

 

(1,953

)

 

 

(1,052

)

Realized gain (loss)

 

 

1,616

 

 

 

 

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

 

 

30,736

 

 

 

(3,166

)

Distributions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distributions declared from earnings

 

 

(30,296

)

 

 

 

Net Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Shareholders' Distributions

 

 

(30,296

)

 

 

 

Capital Share Transactions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issuance of common shares

 

 

484,440

 

 

 

289,876

 

Reinvestment of distributions

 

 

5,582

 

 

 

 

Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Capital Share Transactions

 

 

490,022

 

 

 

289,876

 

Total Increase in Net Assets

 

 

490,462

 

 

 

286,710

 

Net Assets, at beginning of period

 

 

286,710

 

 

 

 

Net Assets, at end of period

 

$

777,172

 

 

$

286,710

 

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 


F-11


 

 

Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Amounts in thousands)

 

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

 

$

30,736

 

 

$

(3,166

)

Adjustments to reconcile net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations to net cash used in operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchases of investments, net

 

 

(1,396,849

)

 

 

(264,133

)

Proceeds from investments, net

 

 

186,431

 

 

 

290

 

Net amortization of discount on investments

 

 

(2,187

)

 

 

(42

)

Net change in unrealized (gain) loss on investments

 

 

1,948

 

 

 

1,052

 

Net change in unrealized (gains) losses on translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

Net realized (gain) loss

 

 

(1,560

)

 

 

 

Paid-in-kind interest

 

 

(786

)

 

 

 

Amortization of debt issuance costs

 

 

2,202

 

 

 

102

 

Amortization of offering costs

 

 

903

 

 

 

227

 

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Increase) decrease in interest receivable

 

 

(4,335

)

 

 

(1,792

)

(Increase) decrease in prepaid expenses and other assets

 

 

(403

)

 

 

(41

)

Increase (decrease) in management fee payable

 

 

4,863

 

 

 

1,948

 

Increase (decrease) in incentive fee payable

 

 

1,379

 

 

 

 

Increase (decrease) in payables to affiliates

 

 

243

 

 

 

916

 

Increase (decrease) in accrued expenses and other liabilities

 

 

1,797

 

 

 

1,106

 

Net cash used in operating activities

 

 

(1,175,613

)

 

 

(263,533

)

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Borrowings on debt

 

 

1,751,565

 

 

 

305,000

 

Payments on debt

 

 

(1,220,972

)

 

 

(5,000

)

Debt issuance costs

 

 

(6,672

)

 

 

(2,547

)

Proceeds from issuance of common shares

 

 

484,440

 

 

 

289,876

 

Offering costs paid

 

 

(482

)

 

 

(761

)

Distributions paid

 

 

(12,938

)

 

 

 

Net cash provided by financing activities

 

 

994,941

 

 

 

586,568

 

Net increase (decrease) in cash

 

 

(180,672

)

 

 

323,035

 

Cash, beginning of period

 

 

323,035

 

 

 

 

Cash, end of period

 

$

142,363

 

 

$

323,035

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplemental and Non-Cash Information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense paid

 

$

17,988

 

 

$

4

 

Distribution payable

 

$

11,776

 

 

$

 

Reinvestment of distributions during the period

 

$

5,582

 

 

$

 

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 


F-12


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

Note 1. Organization

Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp. (the “Company”) is a Maryland corporation formed on July 12, 2018. The Company was formed primarily to originate and make debt and equity investments in technology-related companies based primarily in the United States. The Company intends to originate and invest in senior secured or unsecured loans, subordinated loans or mezzanine loans, and equity-related securities including common equity, warrants, preferred stock and similar forms of senior equity, which may or may not be convertible into a portfolio company’s common equity. The Company’s investment objective is to maximize total return by generating current income from its debt investments and other income producing securities, and capital appreciation from its equity and equity-linked investments. The Company intends to invest in a broad range of established and high growth technology and life sciences-related companies that are capitalizing on the large and growing demand for technology products and services.  These companies use technology extensively to improve their business processes, applications and opportunities or seek to grow through technological developments and innovations.  These companies operate in technology-related industries or sectors which include, but are not limited to, information technology, application or infrastructure software, financial services, data and analytics, security, cloud computing, communications, life sciences, healthcare, media, consumer electronics, semi-conductor, internet commerce and advertising, environmental, aerospace and defense industries and sectors.  Within each industry or sector, the Company intends to invest in companies that are developing or offering goods and services to businesses and consumers which utilize scientific knowledge, including techniques, skills, methods, devices and processes, to solve problems.  The Company refers to all of these companies as “technology-related” companies and intends, under normal circumstances, to invest at least 80% of the value of its total assets in such businesses.

The Company has elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). In addition, for tax purposes, the Company is treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Because the Company has elected to be regulated as a BDC and qualifies as a RIC under the Code, the Company’s portfolio is subject to diversification and other requirements.

On September 24, 2018, the Company formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, OR Tech Lending LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. From time to time the Company may form wholly-owned subsidiaries to facilitate the normal course of business.

Owl Rock Technology Advisors LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the Company’s investment adviser. The Adviser is an indirect subsidiary of Owl Rock Capital Partners LP (“Owl Rock Capital Partners”). The Adviser is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Subject to the overall supervision of the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”), the Adviser manages the day-to-day operations of, and provides investment advisory and management services to, the Company.  

The Company conducts private offerings (each, a “Private Offering”) of its common shares to accredited investors in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. At the closing of each Private Offering, each investor makes a capital commitment (a “Capital Commitment”) to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock pursuant to a subscription agreement entered into with the Company. Until the earlier of an Exchange Listing (as defined below) or the end of the Commitment Period (as defined below), investors are required to fund drawdowns to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock up to the amount of their respective Capital Commitment on an as-needed basis each time the Company delivers a drawdown notice to its investors. The initial closing of the Private Offering occurred on August 10, 2018 (the “Initial Closing”). Prior to the listing of our common stock on a national securities exchange (an “Exchange Listing”), the Adviser may, in its sole discretion, permit one or more additional closings (“Subsequent Closings”) as additional Capital Commitments are obtained (the conclusion of all Subsequent Closings, if any, the “Final Closing”). The “Commitment Period” will continue until the earlier of the (i) five year anniversary of the Final Closing and (ii) the seven year anniversary of the Initial Closing. If the Company has not consummated an Exchange Listing by the end of the Commitment Period, subject to extension of two additional one-year periods, in the sole discretion of the Board, the Board (subject to any necessary shareholder approvals and applicable requirements of the 1940 Act) will use its commercially reasonable efforts to wind down and/or liquidate and dissolve the Company in an orderly manner.

As of August 10, 2018, the Company commenced its loan origination and investment activities contemporaneously with the initial drawdown from investors in the Private Offering. In September 2018, the Company made its first portfolio company investment.

F-13


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The Company is an investment company and, therefore, applies the specialized accounting and reporting guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for the fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements have been included. The Company was initially capitalized on August 7, 2018 and commenced operations on August 10, 2018. The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31. The year ended December 31, 2018 as presented in the consolidated financial statements represents the period July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements. Actual amounts could differ from those estimates and such differences could be material.

Cash

Cash consists of deposits held at a custodian bank. Cash is carried at cost, which approximates fair value. The Company deposits its cash with highly-rated banking corporations and, at times, may exceed the insured limits under applicable law.

Investments at Fair Value

Investment transactions are recorded on the trade date. Realized gains or losses are measured by the difference between the net proceeds received and the amortized cost basis of the investment using the specific identification method without regard to unrealized gains or losses previously recognized, and include investments charged off during the period, net of recoveries. The net change in unrealized gains or losses primarily reflects the change in investment values, including the reversal of previously recorded unrealized gains or losses with respect to investments realized during the period.

Investments for which market quotations are readily available are typically valued at the bid price of those market quotations. To validate market quotations, the Company utilizes a number of factors to determine if the quotations are representative of fair value, including the source and number of the quotations. Debt and equity securities that are not publicly traded or whose market prices are not readily available, as is the case for substantially all of the Company’s investments, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board, based on, among other things, the input of the Adviser, the Company’s audit committee and independent third-party valuation firm(s) engaged at the direction of the Board.

As part of the valuation process, the Board takes into account relevant factors in determining the fair value of the Company’s investments, including: the estimated enterprise value of a portfolio company (i.e., the total fair value of the portfolio company’s debt and equity), the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments based on its earnings and cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, a comparison of the portfolio company’s securities to any similar publicly traded securities, and overall changes in the interest rate environment and the credit markets that may affect the price at which similar investments may be made in the future. When an external event such as a purchase or sale transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, the Board considers whether the pricing indicated by the external event corroborates its valuation.

The Board undertakes a multi-step valuation process, which includes, among other procedures, the following:

 

With respect to investments for which market quotations are readily available, those investments will typically be valued at the bid price of those market quotations;

 

With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, the valuation process begins with the independent valuation firm(s) providing a preliminary valuation of each investment to the Adviser’s valuation committee;

 

Preliminary valuation conclusions are documented and discussed with the Adviser’s valuation committee. Agreed upon valuation recommendations are presented to the Audit Committee;

 

The Audit Committee reviews the valuation recommendations and recommends values for each investment to the Board; and

 

The Board reviews the recommended valuations and determines the fair value of each investment.

F-14


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

The Company conducts this valuation process on a quarterly basis.

The Company applies Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 820, Fair Value Measurements (“ASC 820”), as amended, which establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with U.S. GAAP and required disclosures of fair value measurements. ASC 820 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for an investment in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date.  Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market (which may be a hypothetical market) that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact.  In accordance with ASC 820, the Company considers its principal market to be the market that has the greatest volume and level of activity. ASC 820 specifies a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes and ranks the level of observability of inputs used in determination of fair value.  In accordance with ASC 820, these levels are summarized below:

 

Level 1 – Valuations based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access.

 

Level 2 – Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

 

Level 3 – Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement.

Transfers between levels, if any, are recognized at the beginning of the quarter in which the transfer occurs. In addition to using the above inputs in investment valuations, the Company applies the valuation policy approved by its Board that is consistent with ASC 820.  Consistent with the valuation policy, the Company evaluates the source of the inputs, including any markets in which its investments are trading (or any markets in which securities with similar attributes are trading), in determining fair value. When an investment is valued based on prices provided by reputable dealers or pricing services (such as broker quotes), the Company subjects those prices to various criteria in making the determination as to whether a particular investment would qualify for treatment as a Level 2 or Level 3 investment. For example, the Company, or the independent valuation firm(s), reviews pricing support provided by dealers or pricing services in order to determine if observable market information is being used, versus unobservable inputs.

Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of the Company’s investments may fluctuate from period to period. Additionally, the fair value of such investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a ready market existed for such investments and may differ materially from the values that may ultimately be realized. Further, such investments are generally less liquid than publicly traded securities and may be subject to contractual and other restrictions on resale. If the Company were required to liquidate a portfolio investment in a forced or liquidation sale, it could realize amounts that are different from the amounts presented and such differences could be material.

In addition, changes in the market environment and other events that may occur over the life of the investments may cause the gains or losses ultimately realized on these investments to be different than the unrealized gains or losses reflected herein.

Foreign Currency

Foreign currency amounts are translated into U.S. dollars on the following basis:

 

cash, fair value of investments, outstanding debt, other assets and liabilities: at the spot exchange rate on the last business day of the period; and

 

purchases and sales of investments, borrowings and repayments of such borrowings, income and expenses: at the rates of exchange prevailing on the respective dates of such transactions.

The Company includes net changes in fair values on investments held resulting from foreign exchange rate fluctuations with the change in unrealized gains (losses) on translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company’s current approach to hedging the foreign currency exposure in its non-U.S. dollar denominated investments is primarily to borrow the par amount in local currency under the Company’s Revolving Credit Facility to fund these investments.  Fluctuations arising from the translation of foreign currency borrowings are included with the net change in unrealized gains (losses) on translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Investments denominated in foreign currencies and foreign currency transactions may involve certain considerations and risks not typically associated with those of domestic origin, including unanticipated movements in the value of the foreign currency relative to the U.S. dollar.

 

F-15


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

Interest and Dividend Income Recognition

Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis and includes amortization of discounts or premiums. Discounts and premiums to par value on securities purchased are amortized into interest income over the contractual life of the respective security using the effective yield method.  The amortized cost of investments represents the original cost adjusted for the amortization of discounts or premiums, if any. Upon prepayment of a loan or debt security, any prepayment premiums, unamortized upfront loan origination fees and unamortized discounts are recorded as interest income in the current period.

Loans are generally placed on non-accrual status when there is reasonable doubt that principal or interest will be collected in full. Accrued interest is generally reversed when a loan is placed on non-accrual status. Interest payments received on non-accrual loans may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon management’s judgment regarding collectability. Non-accrual loans are restored to accrual status when past due principal and interest is paid current and, in management’s judgment, are likely to remain current. Management may make exceptions to this treatment and determine to not place a loan on non-accrual status if the loan has sufficient collateral value and is in the process of collection. As of December 31, 2019, no investments are on non-accrual status.

Dividend income on preferred equity securities is recorded on the accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are payable by the portfolio company and are expected to be collected. Dividend income on common equity securities is recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies or on the ex-dividend date for publicly-traded portfolio companies.

Other Income

From time to time, the Company may receive fees for services provided to portfolio companies. These fees are generally only available to the Company as a result of closing investments, are normally paid at the closing of the investments, are generally non-recurring and are recognized as revenue when earned upon closing of the investment. The services that the Adviser provides vary by investment, but can include closing, work, diligence or other similar fees and fees for providing managerial assistance to our portfolio companies.

Organization Expenses

Costs associated with the organization of the Company are expensed as incurred. These expenses consist primarily of legal fees and other costs of organizing the Company.

Offering Expenses

Costs associated with the offering of common shares of the Company are capitalized as deferred offering expenses and are included in prepaid expenses and other assets in the Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities and are amortized over a twelve-month period beginning with commencement of operations. Expenses for any additional offerings are deferred and amortized as incurred. These expenses consist primarily of legal fees and other costs incurred in connection with the Company’s share offerings, the preparation of the Company’s registration statement, and registration fees.

Debt Issuance Costs

The Company records origination and other expenses related to its debt obligations as debt issuance costs. These expenses are deferred and amortized utilizing the straight-line method, which approximates the effective yield method, over the life of the related debt instrument. Debt issuance costs are presented on the Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as a direct deduction from the debt liability. In circumstances in which there is not an associated debt liability amount recorded in the consolidated financial statements when the debt issuance costs are incurred, such debt issuance costs will be reported on the Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities as an asset until the debt liability is recorded.

Reimbursement of Transaction-Related Expenses

The Company may receive reimbursement for certain transaction-related expenses in pursuing investments. Transaction-related expenses, which are generally expected to be reimbursed by the Company’s portfolio companies, are typically deferred until the transaction is consummated and are recorded in prepaid expenses and other assets on the date incurred. The costs of successfully completed investments not otherwise reimbursed are borne by the Company and are included as a component of the investment’s cost basis.

Cash advances received in respect of transaction-related expenses are recorded as cash with an offset to accrued expenses and other liabilities. Accrued expenses and other liabilities are relieved as reimbursable expenses are incurred.

F-16


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

Income Taxes

The Company has elected to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. The Company has elected to be treated as a RIC under the Code beginning with its taxable period ending December 31, 2018 and intends to qualify as a RIC for the taxable year ending December 31, 2019. So long as the Company maintains its tax treatment as a RIC, it generally will not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its shareholders as dividends. Instead, any tax liability related to income earned and distributed by the Company represents obligations of the Company’s investors and will not be reflected in the consolidated financial statements of the Company.

To qualify as a RIC, the Company must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. In addition, to qualify for RIC tax treatment, the Company must distribute to its shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of its “investment company taxable income” for that year, which is generally its ordinary income plus the excess of its realized net short-term capital gains over its realized net long-term capital losses. In order for the Company not to be subject to U.S. federal excise taxes, it must distribute annually an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of its net ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of capital losses for the one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year and (iii) any net ordinary income and capital gains in excess of capital losses for preceding years that were not distributed during such years. The Company, at its discretion, may carry forward taxable income in excess of calendar year dividends and pay a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on this income.

The Company evaluates tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing its financial statements to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold are reserved and recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. All penalties and interest associated with income taxes are included in income tax expense. Conclusions regarding tax positions are subject to review and may be adjusted at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, on-going analyses of tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof. There were no material uncertain tax positions through December 31, 2019.  

Distributions to Common Shareholders

Distributions to common shareholders are recorded on the record date. The amount to be distributed is determined by the Board and is generally based upon the earnings estimated by the Adviser. Net realized long-term capital gains, if any, would be generally distributed at least annually, although the Company may decide to retain such capital gains for investment.

The Company has adopted a dividend reinvestment plan that provides for reinvestment of any cash distributions on behalf of shareholders, unless a shareholder elects to receive cash. As a result, if the Board authorizes and declares a cash distribution, then the shareholders who have not “opted out” of the dividend reinvestment plan will have their cash distribution automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Company’s common stock, rather than receiving the cash distribution. The Company expects to use newly issued shares to implement the dividend reinvestment plan.

Consolidation

As provided under Regulation S-X and ASC Topic 946 - Financial Services - Investment Companies, the Company will generally not consolidate its investment in a company other than a wholly-owned investment company or controlled operating company whose business consists of providing services to the Company. Accordingly, the Company consolidated the accounts of the Company's wholly-owned subsidiaries in its consolidated financial statements.  All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). The guidance in this ASU supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Revenue Recognition (Topic 605). Under the updated guidance, an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The amendments in ASU No. 2014-09 are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that reporting period.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations, which clarifies the guidance in ASU No. 2014-09 and has the same effective date as the original standard.

In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, an update on identifying performance obligations and accounting for licenses of intellectual property.

F-17


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which includes amendments for enhanced clarification of the guidance.

In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), the amendments in this update are of a similar nature to the items typically addressed in the technical corrections and improvements project.

Fair Valuation

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Subtopic 820): Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, an update to improve the effectiveness of disclosures in the notes to financial statements by facilitating clear communication of the information required by U.S. GAAP. The amendments in ASU No. 2018-13 are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within that reporting period.

The Company has adopted the aforementioned guidance and it does not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

Note 3. Agreements and Related Party Transactions

Administration Agreement

On August 10, 2018, the Company entered into an Administration Agreement (the “Administration Agreement”) with the Adviser. Under the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Adviser performs, or oversees the performance of, required administrative services, which include providing office space, equipment and office services, maintaining financial records, preparing reports to shareholders and reports filed with the SEC, and managing the payment of expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered by others.

The Administration Agreement also provides that the Company reimburses the Adviser for certain organization costs incurred prior to the commencement of the Company’s operations, and for certain offering costs.

The Company reimburses the Adviser for services performed for it pursuant to the terms of the Administration Agreement. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Adviser may delegate its obligations under the Administration Agreement to an affiliate or to a third party and the Company will reimburse the Adviser for any services performed for it by such affiliate or third party.

Unless earlier terminated as described below, the Administration Agreement will remain in effect until August 9, 2020 and from year to year thereafter if approved annually by a majority of the Board or by the holders of a majority of the Company’s outstanding voting securities and, in each case, a majority of the independent directors. The Administration Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on 60 days’ written notice, by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act), or by the vote of a majority of the Board or by the Adviser.

No person who is an officer, director, or employee of the Adviser or its affiliates and who serves as a director of the Company receives any compensation from the Company for his or her services as a director. However, the Company reimburses the Adviser (or its affiliates) for an allocable portion of the compensation paid by the Adviser or its affiliates to the Company’s officers who provide operational and administrative services, as well as their respective staffs and other professionals who provide services to the Company, who assist with the preparation, coordination and administration of the foregoing or provide other “back office” or “middle office”, financial or operational services to the Company (based on the percentage of time those individuals devote, on an estimated basis, to the business and affairs of the Company). Directors who are not affiliated with the Adviser receive compensation for their services and reimbursement of expenses incurred to attend meetings.

For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company incurred expenses of approximately $1.6 million and $0.6 million, respectively, for costs and expenses reimbursable to the Adviser under the terms of the Administration Agreement.

As of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, amounts reimbursable to the Adviser pursuant to the Administration Agreement were $1.2 million and $0.9 million, respectively.

Investment Advisory Agreement

On August 10, 2018, the Company entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”) with the Adviser. Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is responsible for managing the Company’s business and activities, including sourcing investment opportunities, conducting research, performing diligence on potential investments, structuring its investments, and monitoring its portfolio companies on an ongoing basis through a team of investment professionals.

F-18


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

The Adviser’s services under the Investment Advisory Agreement are not exclusive, and it is free to furnish similar services to other entities so long as its services to the Company are not impaired.

Unless earlier terminated as described below, the Investment Advisory Agreement will remain in effect until August 9, 2020 and will remain in effect from year-to-year thereafter if approved annually by a majority of the Board or by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities and, in each case, by a majority of independent directors.

The Investment Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate within the meaning of the 1940 Act and related SEC guidance and interpretations in the event of its assignment. In accordance with the 1940 Act, without payment of any penalty, the Investment Advisory Agreement may be terminated by the vote of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act), or by the vote of a majority of the Board.  In addition, without payment of any penalty, the Adviser may generally terminate the Investment Advisory Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice.

From time to time, the Adviser may pay amounts owed by the Company to third-party providers of goods or services, including the Board, and the Company will subsequently reimburse the Adviser for such amounts paid on its behalf. Amounts payable to the Adviser are settled in the normal course of business without formal payment terms.

Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Company will pay the Adviser a base management fee and may also pay to it certain incentive fees. The cost of both the management fee and the incentive fee will ultimately be borne by the Company’s shareholders.

The management fee (“Management Fee”) is payable quarterly in arrears. Prior to the future quotation or listing of the Company’s securities on a national securities exchange (an “Exchange Listing”) or the future quotation or listing of its securities on any other public trading market, the Management Fee is payable at an annual rate of 0.90% of the Company’s (i) average gross assets, excluding cash and cash equivalents but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts, at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters; provided, however, that no Management Fee will be charged on the value of gross assets (excluding cash and cash- equivalents but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts) that is below an asset coverage ratio of 200% calculated in accordance with Sections 18 and 61 of the 1940 Act; plus (ii) the average of any remaining unfunded Capital Commitments at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters. Following an Exchange Listing, the Management Fee is payable at an annual rate of (x) 1.50% of the Company’s average gross assets (excluding cash and cash equivalents but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts) that is above an asset coverage ratio of 200% calculated in accordance with Sections 18 and 61 of the 1940 Act and (y) 1.00% of the Company’s average gross assets (excluding cash and cash equivalents but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts) that is below an asset coverage ratio of 200% calculated in accordance with Sections 18 and 61 of the 1940 Act, in each case, at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters payable quarterly in arrears. The Management Fee will be appropriately prorated and adjusted (based on the actual number of days elapsed relative to the total number of days in such calendar quarter) for any share issuances or repurchases during the relevant calendar quarters. The Management Fee for any partial month or quarter, as the case may be, will be appropriately prorated and adjusted (based on the actual number of days elapsed relative to the total number of days in such calendar quarter). For purposes of the Investment Advisory Agreement, gross assets means the Company’s total assets determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, excluding cash and cash equivalents, but including assets purchased with borrowed amounts.

For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, management fees were $22.1 million and $2.1 million, respectively.  

Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is entitled to an incentive fee (“Incentive Fee”), which consists of two components that are independent of each other, with the result that one component may be payable even if the other is not.

The portion of the Incentive Fee based on income is determined and paid quarterly in arrears commencing with the first calendar quarter following the initial closing date, and equals (i) prior to an Exchange Listing, 100% of the pre- Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of a 1.5% quarterly “hurdle rate”, until the Adviser has received 10% of the total pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for that calendar quarter and, for pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of 1.67% quarterly, 10% of all remaining pre- Incentive Fee net investment income for that calendar quarter, and (ii) subsequent to an Exchange Listing, 100% of the pre- Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of a 1.5% quarterly “hurdle rate,” until the Adviser has received 17.5% of the total pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for that calendar quarter and, for pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of 1.82% quarterly, 17.5% of all remaining pre-Incentive Fee net investment income for that calendar quarter. The 100% “catch-up” provision for pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of the 1.5% “hurdle rate” is intended to provide the Adviser with an Incentive Fee of (i) prior to an Exchange Listing, 10% on all pre- Incentive Fee net investment income when that amount equals 1.67% in a calendar quarter (6.67% annualized), and (ii) subsequent to an Exchange Listing, 17.5% on all pre-Incentive Fee net investment income when that amount equals 1.82% in a calendar quarter (7.27% annualized), which, in each case, is the rate at which catch-up is achieved. Once the “hurdle rate” is reached and catch-up is achieved, (i) prior to an Exchange Listing, 10% of any pre-Incentive Fee

F-19


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

net investment income in excess of 1.67% in any calendar quarter is payable to the Adviser, and (ii) subsequent to an Exchange Listing, 17.5% of any pre-Incentive Fee net investment income in excess of 1.82% in any calendar quarter is payable to the Adviser.

For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company incurred incentive fees based on net investment income of $2.6 million. The Company did not incur incentives fees based on net investment income for the year ended December 31, 2018.  

The second component of the Incentive Fee, the “Capital Gains Incentive Fee,” payable at the end of each calendar year in arrears, equals, (i) prior to an Exchange Listing, 10% of cumulative realized capital gains from the initial closing date to the end of each calendar year, less cumulative realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation from the initial closing date to the end of each calendar year, and (ii) subsequent to an Exchange Listing, 17.5% of cumulative realized capital gains from the Listing Date to the end of each calendar year, less cumulative realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation from the Listing Date to the end of each calendar year. Each year, the fee paid for the Capital Gains Incentive Fee is net of the aggregate amount of any previously paid Capital Gains Incentive Fee for prior periods. We will accrue, but will not pay, a Capital Gains Incentive Fee with respect to unrealized appreciation because a Capital Gains Incentive Fee would be owed to the Adviser if we were to sell the relevant investment and realize a capital gain. The fees that are payable under the Investment Advisory Agreement for any partial period will be appropriately prorated. For the sole purpose of calculating the Capital Gains Incentive Fee, the cost basis as of the initial closing date for all of the Company’s investments made prior to the initial closing date will be equal to the fair value of such investments as of the last day of the calendar quarter in which the initial closing date occurs; provided, however, that in no event will the Capital Gains Fee payable pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement be in excess of the amount permitted by the Advisers Act, including Section 205 thereof.

There were no incentive fees based on capital gains accrued for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.

Dealer Manager Agreement

On November 6, 2018, the Company and the Adviser entered into a dealer manager agreement (the “Dealer Manager Agreement”) with Owl Rock Capital Securities LLC (“Owl Rock Securities”), pursuant to which Owl Rock Securities and certain participating broker-dealers will solicit Capital Commitments in the Private Offerings. In addition, we have entered into a placement agent agreement (the “Placement Agent Agreement”) with Owl Rock Securities pursuant to which employees of Owl Rock Securities may conduct placement activities.

Owl Rock Securities, an affiliate of Owl Rock (as defined below), is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Fees paid pursuant to these agreements will be paid by the Adviser.

Affiliated Transactions

The Company may be prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with its affiliates without prior approval of the directors who are not interested persons, and in some cases, the prior approval of the SEC. The Company intends to rely on exemptive relief that has been granted by the SEC to Owl Rock Capital Advisors LLC (“ORCA”) and certain of its affiliates to permit the Company to co-invest with other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates, in a manner consistent with the Company’s investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. Pursuant to such exemptive relief, the Company generally is permitted to co-invest with certain of its affiliates if a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of the Board make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to the Company and its shareholders and do not involve overreaching of the Company or its shareholders on the part of any person concerned, (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of the Company’s shareholders and is consistent with its investment objective and strategies, and (3) the investment by its affiliates would not disadvantage the Company, and the Company’s participation would not be on a basis different from or less advantageous than that on which its affiliates are investing. The Adviser is under common control with ORCA and Owl Rock Private Fund Advisors LLC (“ORPFA”), which are also investment advisers and indirect subsidiaries of Owl Rock Capital Partners. The Adviser, ORCA, ORPFA and Owl Rock Capital Partners are referred to, collectively, as “Owl Rock.” Owl Rock’s investment allocation policy seeks to ensure equitable allocation of investment opportunities between the Company, Owl Rock Capital Corporation and Owl Rock Capital Corporation II, both of which are BDCs advised by ORCA, and/or other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. As a result of exemptive relief, there could be significant overlap in the Company’s investment portfolio and investment portfolios of Owl Rock Capital Corporation, Owl Rock Capital Corporation II and/or other funds established by the Adviser or its affiliates that could avail themselves of the exemptive relief.

License Agreement

On August 10, 2018, the Company entered into a license agreement (the “License Agreement”) pursuant to which an affiliate of Owl Rock Capital Partners LP has granted the Company a non-exclusive license to use the name “Owl Rock.” Under the License Agreement, the Company has a right to use the Owl Rock name for so long as the Adviser or one of its affiliates remains the Company’s investment adviser. Other than with respect to this limited license, the Company will have no legal right to the “Owl Rock” name or logo.

F-20


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

 

 

Note 4. Investments

Under the 1940 Act, the Company is required to separately identify non-controlled investments where it owns 5% or more of a portfolio company’s outstanding voting securities and/or had the power to exercise control over the management or policies of such portfolio company as investments in “affiliated” companies. In addition, under the 1940 Act, the Company is required to separately identify investments where it owns more than 25% of a portfolio company’s outstanding voting securities and/or had the power to exercise control over the management or policies of such portfolio company as investments in “controlled” companies. Under the 1940 Act, "non-affiliated investments" are defined as investments that are neither controlled investments nor affiliated investments. Detailed information with respect to the Company’s non-controlled, non-affiliated; non-controlled, affiliated; and controlled affiliated investments is contained in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, including the consolidated schedule of investments. The information in the tables below is presented on an aggregate portfolio basis, without regard to whether they are non-controlled non-affiliated, non-controlled affiliated or controlled affiliated investments.

Investments at fair value and amortized cost consisted of the following as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

($ in thousands)

 

Amortized Cost

 

 

Fair Value

 

 

Amortized Cost

 

 

Fair Value

 

First-lien senior secured debt investments(1)

 

$

1,385,386

 

 

$

1,382,256

 

 

$

214,274

 

 

$

214,348

 

Second-lien senior secured debt investments

 

 

36,147

 

 

 

36,236

 

 

 

19,611

 

 

 

19,550

 

Unsecured debt investments

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

30,000

 

 

 

28,935

 

Equity investments

 

 

57,303

 

 

 

57,453

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Total Investments

 

$

1,478,836

 

 

$

1,475,945

 

 

$

263,885

 

 

$

262,833

 

 

The industry composition of investments based on fair value as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

Aerospace and defense

 

 

-

 

%

 

9.4

 

%

Buildings and real estate

 

 

3.0

 

 

 

5.4

 

 

Business services

 

 

26.9

 

 

 

-

 

 

Data and information services

 

 

5.8

 

 

 

-

 

 

eCommerce and digital marketplaces

 

 

0.3

 

 

 

-

 

 

Education

 

 

16.4

 

 

 

34.0

 

 

Financial services

 

 

1.4

 

 

 

-

 

 

Healthcare providers and services

 

 

3.1

 

 

 

-

 

 

Healthcare technology

 

 

17.0

 

 

 

12.0

 

 

Insurance

 

 

2.9

 

 

 

-

 

 

Internet and digital media

 

 

8.7

 

 

 

-

 

 

Leisure and entertainment

 

 

4.5

 

 

 

-

 

 

Oil and gas

 

 

5.7

 

 

 

-

 

 

Professional services

 

 

3.5

 

 

 

28.2

 

 

Technology infrastructure

 

 

0.8

 

 

 

-

 

 

Transportation

 

 

-

 

 

 

11.0

 

 

Total

 

 

100.0

 

%

 

100.0

 

%

 

F-21


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

The geographic composition of investments based on fair value as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

United States:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midwest

 

 

6.9

 

%

 

-

 

%

Northeast

 

 

35.9

 

 

 

40.1

 

 

South

 

 

34.7

 

 

 

39.5

 

 

West

 

 

17.3

 

 

 

20.4

 

 

Canada

 

 

3.1

 

 

 

-

 

 

Ireland

 

 

2.1

 

 

 

-

 

 

Total

 

 

100.0

 

%

 

100.0

 

%

 

 

Note 5. Fair Value of Investments

Investments

The following tables present the fair value hierarchy of investments as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of December 31, 2019

 

($ in thousands)

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

 

Total

 

First-lien senior secured debt investments

 

$

 

 

$

39,851

 

 

$

1,342,405

 

 

$

1,382,256

 

Second-lien senior secured debt investments

 

 

 

 

 

16,636

 

 

 

19,600

 

 

 

36,236

 

Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

57,453

 

 

 

57,453

 

Total Investments at fair value

 

$

 

 

$

56,487

 

 

$

1,419,458

 

 

$

1,475,945

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Value Hierarchy as of December 31, 2018

 

($ in thousands)

 

Level 1

 

 

Level 2

 

 

Level 3

 

 

Total

 

First-lien senior secured debt investments

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

214,348

 

 

$

214,348

 

Second-lien senior secured debt investments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19,550

 

 

 

19,550

 

Unsecured debt investments

 

 

 

 

 

28,935

 

 

 

 

 

 

28,935

 

Total Investments at fair value

 

$

 

 

$

28,935

 

 

$

233,898

 

 

$

262,833

 

F-22


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

The following tables present changes in the fair value of investments for which Level 3 inputs were used to determine the fair value as of and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

 

As of and for the Year Ended December 31, 2019

 

($ in thousands)

 

First-lien senior secured debt investments

 

 

Second-lien senior secured debt investments

 

 

Equity

 

 

Total

 

Fair value, beginning of period

 

$

214,348

 

 

$

19,550

 

 

$

 

 

$

233,898

 

Purchases of investments, net(2)

 

 

1,284,622

 

 

 

 

 

 

57,303

 

 

 

1,341,925

 

Proceeds from investments, net

 

 

(154,652

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(154,652

)

Net change in unrealized gain (loss)

 

 

(4,068

)

 

 

15

 

 

 

150

 

 

 

(3,903

)

Net realized gains (losses)

 

 

77

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

77

 

Net amortization of discount on investments

 

 

2,078

 

 

 

35

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,113

 

Transfers into (out of) Level 3(1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair value, end of period

 

$

1,342,405

 

 

$

19,600

 

 

$

57,453

 

 

$

1,419,458

 

 

________________

 

(1)

Transfers between levels, if any, are recognized at the beginning of the quarter in which the transfers occur.

 

(2)

Purchases may include payment-in-kind ("PIK").

 

 

 

 

As of and for the Year Ended December 31, 2018(3)

 

($ in thousands)

 

First-lien senior secured debt investments

 

 

Second-lien senior secured debt investments

 

 

Total

 

Fair value, beginning of period

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Purchases of investments, net(2)

 

 

214,533

 

 

 

19,600

 

 

 

234,133

 

Proceeds from investments, net

 

 

(290

)

 

 

 

 

 

(290

)

Net change in unrealized gain (loss)

 

 

74

 

 

 

(61

)

 

 

13

 

Net amortization of discount on investments

 

 

31

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

42

 

Transfers into (out of) Level 3(1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair value, end of period

 

$

214,348

 

 

$

19,550

 

 

$

233,898

 

 

________________

 

(1)

Transfers between levels, if any, are recognized at the beginning of the quarter in which the transfers occur.

 

(2)

Purchases may include payment-in-kind ("PIK").

 

(3)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

F-23


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

 

 

The following tables present information with respect to net change in unrealized gains (losses) on investments for which Level 3 inputs were used in determining the fair value that are still held by the Company for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

($ in thousands)

 

Net change in unrealized gain (loss) for the Year Ended December 31, 2019 on Investments Held at December 31, 2019

 

 

Net change in unrealized gain (loss) for the Year Ended December 31, 2018 on Investments Held at December 31, 2018(1)

 

First-lien senior secured debt investments

 

$

(4,103

)

 

$

74

 

Second-lien senior secured debt investments

 

 

15

 

 

 

(61

)

Equity investments

 

 

150

 

 

 

 

Total Investments

 

$

(3,938

)

 

$

13

 

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

 

The following tables present quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs of the Company’s Level 3 investments as of December 31, 2019 and 2018. The weighted average range of unobservable inputs is based on fair value of investments. The tables are not intended to be all-inclusive but instead capture the significant unobservable inputs relevant to the Company’s determination of fair value.

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2019

($ in thousands)

 

Fair Value

 

 

Valuation Technique

 

Unobservable Input

 

Range (Weighted Average)

 

Impact to Valuation from an Increase in Input

First-lien senior secured debt investments

 

$

1,087,705

 

 

Yield Analysis

 

Market Yield

 

6.8%-11.7% (8.7%)

 

Decrease

 

 

 

254,700

 

 

Recent Transaction

 

Transaction Price

 

98.7%-98.8% (98.7%)

 

Increase

Second-lien senior secured debt investments

 

$

19,600

 

 

Yield Analysis

 

Market Yield

 

11.8%        (11.8%)

 

Decrease

Equity

 

$

15,385

 

 

Market Approach

 

EBITDA Multiple

 

21.5x         (21.5x)

 

Increase

 

 

 

42,068

 

 

Market Approach

 

Revenue Multiple

 

4.7x-18.8x (8.1x)

 

Increase

 

 

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2018

($ in thousands)

 

Fair Value

 

 

Valuation Technique

 

Unobservable Input

 

Range (Weighted Average)

 

Impact to Valuation from an Increase in Input

First-lien senior secured debt investments

 

$

11,880

 

 

Yield Analysis

 

Market Yield

 

7.5% (7.5%)

 

Decrease

 

 

 

202,468

 

 

Recent Transaction

 

Transaction Price

 

98.8%-99.0% (99.0%)

 

Increase

Second-lien senior secured debt investments

 

$

19,550

 

 

Yield Analysis

 

Market Yield

 

12.4% (12.4%)

 

Decrease

 

F-24


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

The Company typically determines the fair value of its performing Level 3 debt investments utilizing a yield analysis. In a yield analysis, a price is ascribed for each investment based upon an assessment of current and expected market yields for similar investments and risk profiles. Additional consideration is given to the expected life, portfolio company performance since close, and other terms and risks associated with an investment. Among other factors, a determinant of risk is the amount of leverage used by the portfolio company relative to its total enterprise value, and the rights and remedies of the Company’s investment within the portfolio company’s capital structure.

Significant unobservable quantitative inputs typically used in the fair value measurement of the Company’s Level 3 debt investments primarily include current market yields, including relevant market indices, but may also include quotes from brokers, dealers, and pricing services as indicated by comparable investments. For the Company’s Level 3 equity investments, a market approach, based on comparable publicly-traded company and comparable market transaction multiples of revenues, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) or some combination thereof and comparable market transactions typically would be used.

 

Financial Instruments Not Carried at Fair Value

The fair value of the Company’s credit facilities, which would be categorized as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, approximates their carrying value. The carrying amounts of the Company’s assets and liabilities, other than investments at fair value, approximate fair value due to their short maturities or close proximity of the originations to the measurement date.

 

Note 6. Debt

 

In accordance with the 1940 Act, with certain limitations, the Company is allowed to borrow amounts such that its asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least 150% after such borrowing. The Company’s asset coverage was 193% and 195% as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Debt obligations consisted of the following as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

($ in thousands)

 

Aggregate Principal Committed

 

 

Outstanding Principal

 

 

Amount Available(1)

 

 

Net Carrying Value(2)(3)

 

Subscription Credit Facility

 

$

900,000

 

 

$

645,712

 

 

$

103,399

 

 

$

641,739

 

Revolving Credit Facility

 

 

305,000

 

 

 

185,000

 

 

 

120,000

 

 

 

182,058

 

Total Debt

 

$

1,205,000

 

 

$

830,712

 

 

$

223,399

 

 

$

823,797

 

________________

 

(1)

The amount available reflects any limitations related to each credit facility’s borrowing base.

 

(2)

The carrying value of our Subscription Credit Facility is presented net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $4.0 million.

 

(3)

The carrying value of our Revolving Credit Facility is presented net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $2.9 million.

 

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

($ in thousands)

 

Aggregate Principal Committed

 

 

Outstanding Principal

 

 

Amount Available(1)

 

 

Net Carrying Value(2)

 

Subscription Credit Facility

 

$

350,000

 

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

50,000

 

 

$

297,555

 

Total Debt

 

$

350,000

 

 

$

300,000

 

 

$

50,000

 

 

$

297,555

 

________________

 

(1)

The amount available reflects any limitations related to each credit facility’s borrowing base.

 

(2)

The carrying value of our Subscription Credit Facility is presented net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $2.4 million.

 


F-25


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, the components of interest expense were as follows:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

 

($ in thousands)

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

 

Interest expense

 

$

19,478

 

 

$

349

 

 

Amortization of debt issuance costs

 

 

2,202

 

 

 

102

 

 

Total Interest Expense

 

$

21,680

 

 

$

451

 

 

Average interest rate

 

 

3.76

 

%

 

5.91

 

%

Average daily borrowings

 

$

479,115

 

 

$

36,163

 

 

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

Subscription Credit Facility

On November 19, 2018 (the “Closing Date”), the Company entered into a revolving credit facility (the “Subscription Credit Facility”) with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (“Wells Fargo”) as administrative agent (the “Administrative Agent”), and Wells Fargo, PNC Bank, National Association (“PNC”), and State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”), as lenders.

The maximum principal amount of the Subscription Credit Facility is $900 million (increased from $800 million on December 19, 2019; previously increased from $700 million to $800 million on August 20, 2019, $500 million to $700 million on June 24, 2019, $450 million to $500 million on March 8, 2019 and from $350 million to $450 million on February 25, 2019), subject to availability under the borrowing base, which is based on unused capital commitments. The Subscription Credit Facility includes a provision permitting the Company to further increase the size of the Subscription Credit Facility under certain circumstances up to a maximum principal amount not to exceed an agreed amount, if the existing or new lenders agree to commit to such further increase, which is referred to as the accordion feature.

On June 6, 2019, the Company entered into the First Amendment to the Subscription Credit Facility. Among other changes, the Amendment (a) increased the accordion feature from $1 billion to $1.1 billion; (b) added a financial covenant requiring that the fair market value of the Company’s investments be equal to or greater than 85% of the aggregate cost assigned to such investments on the Company’s financial statements, and (c) added a financial covenant requiring that from June 30, 2019 until the earlier of (i) the “Final Closing Date” as such term is defined in the form of subscription agreement for the Company and (ii) June 30, 2020 (or such later date as requested by the Company and agreed to by the Administrative Agent), the value of the Company’s total assets over its total liabilities be greater than $500 million.

Borrowings under the Subscription Credit Facility bear interest, at the Company’s election at the time of drawdown, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of LIBOR rate loans, an adjusted LIBOR rate for the applicable interest period plus 1.50% or (ii) in the case of reference rate loans, the greatest of (A) a prime rate plus 0.50%, (B) the federal funds rate plus 1.00%, and (C) one-month LIBOR plus 1.50%.  The Company generally borrows utilizing LIBOR loans, generally electing one-month LIBOR upon borrowing. Loans may be converted from one rate to another at any time at the Company’s election, subject to certain conditions. The Company also will pay an unused commitment fee of 0.25% per annum on the unused commitments.

 The Subscription Credit Facility will mature upon the earliest of: (i) the date three (3) years from the Closing Date (the “Stated Maturity Date”); (ii) the date upon which the Administrative Agent declares the obligations under the Subscription Credit Facility due and payable after the occurrence of an event of default; (iii) forty-five (45) days prior to the scheduled termination of the commitment period under the Company’s subscription agreements; (iv) forty-five (45) days prior to the date of any listing of the Company’s common stock on a national securities exchange; (v) the termination of the commitment period under the Company’s subscription agreements (if earlier than the scheduled date); and (vi) the date the Company terminates the commitments pursuant to the Subscription Credit Facility. At our option, the Stated Maturity Date may be extended by up to 364 days subject to satisfaction of customary conditions.

The Subscription Credit Facility is secured by a perfected first priority security interest in the Company’s right, title, and interest in and to the capital commitments of the Company’s private investors, including the Company’s right to make capital calls, receive and apply capital contributions, enforce remedies and claims related thereto together with capital call proceeds and related rights, and a pledge of the collateral account into which capital call proceeds are deposited.

The Subscription Credit Facility contains customary covenants, including certain limitations on the incurrence by us of additional indebtedness and on our ability to make distributions to our shareholders, or redeem, repurchase or retire shares of stock, upon the occurrence of certain events, and customary events of default (with customary cure and notice provisions).  

F-26


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

Transfers of interests in the Company by investors must comply with certain sections of the Subscription Credit Facility and we shall notify the Administrative Agent before such transfers take place. Such transfers may trigger mandatory prepayment obligations.

 

Revolving Credit Facility

On March 15, 2019, the Company, entered into a Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement (the “Revolving Credit Facility”). The parties to the Revolving Credit Facility include the Company, as Borrower, the lenders from time to time parties thereto (each a “Lender” and collectively, the “Lenders”) and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. and ING Capital LLC as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners, and SunTrust Bank as Administrative Agent.

The Revolving Credit Facility is guaranteed by OR Tech Lending LLC and will be guaranteed by certain domestic subsidiaries of the Company that are formed or acquired by the Company in the future (collectively, the “Guarantors”).

The maximum principal amount of the Revolving Credit Facility is $305 million (increased from $280 million on July 26, 2019; previously increased on May 2, 2019 from $240 million to $280 million), subject to availability under the borrowing base, which is based on the Company’s portfolio investments and other outstanding indebtedness. Maximum capacity under the Revolving Credit Facility may be increased to $750 million through the exercise by the Borrower of an uncommitted accordion feature through which existing and new lenders may, at their option, agree to provide additional financing. The Revolving Credit Facility includes a $50 million limit for swingline loans and is secured by a perfected first-priority interest in substantially all of the portfolio investments held by the Company and each Guarantor, subject to certain exceptions.

The availability period under the Revolving Credit Facility will terminate on March 15, 2022 (“Commitment Termination Date”) and the Facility will mature on March 15, 2023 (“Maturity Date”). During the period from the Commitment Termination Date to the Maturity Date, the Company will be obligated to make mandatory prepayments under the Facility out of the proceeds of certain asset sales and other recovery events and equity and debt issuances. 

The Company may borrow amounts in U.S. dollars or certain other permitted currencies. Amounts drawn under the Revolving Credit Facility will bear interest at either LIBOR plus 2.00%, or base rate plus 1.00%. The Company may elect either the LIBOR or prime rate at the time of drawdown, and loans may be converted from one rate to another at any time at the Company’s option, subject to certain conditions. The Company generally borrows utilizing LIBOR loans, generally electing one-month LIBOR upon borrowing. The Company will also pay a fee of 0.375% on undrawn amounts under the Revolving Credit Facility.

The Revolving Credit Facility includes customary covenants, including certain limitations on the incurrence by the Company of additional indebtedness and on the Company’s ability to make distributions to its shareholders, or redeem, repurchase or retire shares of stock, upon the occurrence of certain events and certain financial covenants related to asset coverage and liquidity and other maintenance covenants, as well as customary events of default.

 

 

F-27


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

Note 7. Commitments and Contingencies

Portfolio Company Commitments

From time to time, the Company may enter into commitments to fund investments. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company had the following outstanding commitments to fund investments in current portfolio companies:

 

Portfolio Company

 

Investment

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

($ in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3ES Innovation Inc. (dba Aucerna)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

$

4,580

 

 

$

 

Acquia Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

14,158

 

 

 

 

Apptio, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

3,269

 

 

 

 

Certify, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

3,422

 

 

 

 

Certify, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

1,939

 

 

 

 

Reef (fka Cheese Acquisition, LLC)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

 

 

 

31,039

 

Reef (fka Cheese Acquisition, LLC)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

4,545

 

 

 

4,545

 

ConnectWise, LLC

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

13,904

 

 

 

 

Definitive Healthcare Holdings, LLC

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

21,739

 

 

 

 

Definitive Healthcare Holdings, LLC

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

5,435

 

 

 

 

Dude Solutions Holdings, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

6,923

 

 

 

 

Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

3,647

 

 

 

5,203

 

GS Acquisitionco, Inc. (dba insightsoftware)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

12,159

 

 

 

 

GS Acquisitionco, Inc. (dba insightsoftware)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

684

 

 

 

 

Integrity Marketing Acquisition, LLC

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

4,179

 

 

 

 

Integrity Marketing Acquisition, LLC

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

8,206

 

 

 

 

Integrity Marketing Acquisition, LLC

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

3,736

 

 

 

 

Interoperability Bidco, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

10,000

 

 

 

 

Interoperability Bidco, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

5,000

 

 

 

 

Kaseya Traverse Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

1,050

 

 

 

 

Kaseya Traverse Inc.

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

3,045

 

 

 

 

Lightning Midco, LLC (dba Vector Solutions)

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

1,309

 

 

 

14,356

 

Lightning Midco, LLC (dba Vector Solutions)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

3,946

 

 

 

9,914

 

Litera Bidco LLC

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

8,250

 

 

 

 

 

MINDBODY, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

7,143

 

 

 

 

Paysimple, Inc.

 

First lien senior secured delayed draw term loan

 

 

10,432

 

 

 

 

Project Power Buyer, LLC (dba PEC-Veriforce)

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

3,750

 

 

 

 

RxSense Holdings, LLC

 

First lien senior secured revolving loan

 

 

1,415

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Unfunded Portfolio Company Commitments

 

 

 

 

 

$

167,865

 

 

$

65,057

 

 

F-28


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

The Company maintains sufficient borrowing capacity along with undrawn Capital Commitments to cover outstanding unfunded portfolio company commitments that the Company may be required to fund.

 

Investor Commitments

As of December 31, 2019, the Company had $2.5 billion in total Capital Commitments from investors ($1.7 billion undrawn), of which $68.5 million is from entities affiliated with or related to the Adviser ($48.2 million undrawn). These undrawn Capital Commitments will no longer remain in effect following the completion of an initial public offering of the Company’s common stock.

As of December 31, 2018, the Company had $1.8 billion in total Capital Commitments from investors ($1.5 billion undrawn), of which $65.0 million is from entities affiliated with or related to the Adviser ($58.4 million undrawn). These undrawn Capital Commitments will no longer remain in effect following the completion of an initial public offering of the Company’s common stock.

 

Other Commitments and Contingencies

From time to time, the Company may become a party to certain legal proceedings incidental to the normal course of its business. At December 31, 2019, management was not aware of any pending or threatened litigation.

 

Note 8. Net Assets

Subscriptions and Drawdowns

In connection with its formation, the Company has the authority to issue 500,000,000 common shares at $0.01 per share par value.

On August 7, 2018, the Company issued 100 common shares for $1,500 to Owl Rock Technology Advisors LLC, which subsequently became the Company’s Adviser on August 10, 2018.

The Company has entered into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) with investors providing for the private placement of the Company’s common shares. Under the terms of the Subscription Agreements, investors are required to fund drawdowns to purchase the Company’s common shares up to the amount of their respective Capital Commitment on an as-needed basis each time the Company delivers a capital call notice to its investors.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company delivered the following capital call notices to investors:

 

Capital Drawdown Notice Date

 

Common Share Issuance Date

 

Number of Common Shares Issued

 

 

Aggregate Offering Price

($ in millions)

 

November 7, 2019

 

November 22, 2019

 

 

6,756,466

 

 

$

100.0

 

September 16, 2019

 

September 27, 2019

 

 

4,025,213

 

 

 

59.9

 

May 15, 2019

 

May 29, 2019

 

 

10,112,871

 

 

 

149.5

 

March 15, 2019

 

March 28, 2019

 

 

11,838,390

 

 

 

175.0

 

Total

 

 

 

 

32,732,940

 

 

$

484.4

 

 

On December 30, 2019, the Company delivered a capital drawdown notice to its investors relating to the sale of approximately 4,209,097 shares of the company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, expected to close on or about January 13, 2020, for an aggregate offering price of $62.0 million.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company delivered the following capital call notices to investors:

 

Capital Drawdown Notice Date

 

Common Share Issuance Date

 

Number of Common Shares Issued

 

 

Aggregate Offering Price

($ in millions)

 

November 26, 2018

 

December 7, 2018

 

 

8,904,151

 

 

$

129.9

 

September 13, 2018

 

September 26, 2018

 

 

8,168,133

 

 

 

120.0

 

August 20, 2018

 

August 30, 2018

 

 

2,666,667

 

 

 

40.0

 

Total

 

 

 

 

19,738,951

 

 

$

289.9

 

 

F-29


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

Distributions

The following table reflects the distributions declared on shares of the Company’s common stock during the year ended December 31, 2019:

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

Date Declared

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Distribution per Share

 

October 30, 2019

 

December 31, 2019

 

January 31, 2020

 

$

0.21

 

August 7, 2019

 

September 30, 2019

 

November 15, 2019

 

$

0.25

 

May 8, 2019

 

June 30, 2019

 

August 15, 2019

 

$

0.14

 

February 27, 2019

 

March 31, 2019

 

May 15, 2019

 

$

0.05

 

 

On February 19, 2020, the Board declared a distribution of 90% of estimated fourth quarter taxable income and net capital gains, if any, for shareholders of record on March 31, 2020, payable on or before May 15, 2020.

 

There were no distributions declared of the Company’s common stock during the year ended December 31, 2018.

 

Dividend Reinvestment

With respect to distributions, the Company has adopted an “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan for common shareholders. As a result, in the event of a declared distribution, each shareholder that has not “opted out” of the dividend reinvestment plan will have their dividends or distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock rather than receiving cash distributions. Shareholders who receive distributions in the form of shares of common stock will be subject to the same U.S. federal, state and local tax consequences as if they received cash distributions.

The following table reflects the common stock issued pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan during the year ended December 31, 2019:

 

Date Declared

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Shares

 

August 7, 2019

 

September 30, 2019

 

November 15, 2019

 

 

224,683

 

May 8, 2019

 

June 30, 2019

 

August 15, 2019

 

 

122,495

 

February 27, 2019

 

March 31, 2019

 

May 15, 2019

 

 

32,953

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was no common stock issued pursuant to the dividend reinvestment plan during the year ended December 31, 2018.

 

 

Note 9. Earnings Per Share

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for the years ended  December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

 

($ in thousands, except per share amounts)

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

 

Increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

 

$

30,736

 

 

$

(3,166

)

 

Weighted average shares of common stock

   outstanding—basic and diluted

 

 

36,696,078

 

 

 

9,344,401

 

 

Earnings (loss) per common share-basic and diluted

 

$

0.84

 

 

$

(0.34

)

 

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

F-30


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

Note 10. Income Tax

Taxable income generally differs from increase in net assets resulting from operations due to temporary and permanent differences in the recognition of income and expenses, and generally excludes net unrealized gains or losses, as unrealized gains or losses are generally not included in taxable income until they are realized.

The Company makes certain adjustments to the classification of net assets as a result of permanent book-to-tax differences, which include differences in the book and tax basis of certain assets and liabilities, and nondeductible federal taxes or losses among other items. To the extent these differences are permanent, they are charged or credited to additional paid in capital or total distributable earnings (losses), as appropriate.

The following reconciles the increase in net assets resulting from operations for the fiscal periods ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 to undistributed taxable income at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

($ in millions)

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

Increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

 

$

30.7

 

 

$

(3.2

)

Adjustments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net unrealized gain (loss)

 

 

2.0

 

 

 

1.1

 

Deferred organization costs

 

 

0.0

 

 

 

0.4

 

Excise tax

 

 

0.1

 

 

 

-

 

Other book-tax differences

 

 

0.9

 

 

 

0.2

 

Net operating losses

 

 

-

 

 

 

1.5

 

Taxable Income

 

$

33.7

 

 

$

-

 

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2019

Total distributions declared during the year ended December 31, 2019 of $30.3 million were derived from ordinary income, determined on a tax basis. For the calendar year ended December 31, 2019, the Company had $3.4 million of undistributed ordinary income, as well as $(3.1) million of net unrealized losses on investments and $(0.3) million of other temporary differences. For the year ended December 31, 2019, 91.6% of distributed ordinary income qualified as interest related dividend which is exempt from U.S. withholding tax applicable to non-U.S. shareholders.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company increased the total distributable earnings (losses) and decreased additional paid in capital. These permanent differences were principally related to $0.9 million of non-deductible offering costs and $0.1 million of U.S. federal excise taxes.

 

For the period ended December 31, 2018

For the period ended December 31, 2018, the Company had $(1.0) million of net unrealized losses on investments and $(0.4) million of other temporary differences.

 

During the period ended December 31, 2018, the Company increased the total distributable earnings (losses) and decreased additional paid in capital. These permanent differences were principally related to $1.5 million of non-deductible net operating losses and $0.3 million of non-deductible offering costs.

F-31


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

 

Note 11. Financial Highlights

The following are the financial highlights for a common share outstanding during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

 

($ in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

 

Per share data:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net asset value, beginning of period

 

$

14.53

 

 

$

 

 

Net investment income (loss)(2)

 

 

0.85

 

 

 

(0.23

)

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

 

 

(0.03

)

 

 

(0.11

)

 

Total from operations

 

 

0.82

 

 

 

(0.34

)

 

Issuance of common stock

 

 

 

 

 

14.87

 

 

Distributions declared from net investment income(3)

 

 

(0.65

)

 

 

 

 

Total increase in net assets

 

 

0.17

 

 

 

14.53

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

 

$

14.70

 

 

$

14.53

 

 

Shares outstanding, end of period

 

 

52,852,122

 

 

 

19,739,051

 

 

Total Return(4)

 

 

5.8

 

%

 

(3.2

)

%

Ratios / Supplemental Data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratio of total expenses to average net assets(5)

 

 

9.3

 

%

 

7.7

 

%

Ratio of net investment income to average net assets(5)

 

 

5.5

 

%

 

(3.2

)

%

Net assets, end of period

 

$

777,172

 

 

$

286,710

 

 

Weighted-average shares outstanding

 

 

36,696,078

 

 

 

9,344,401

 

 

Total capital commitments, end of period

 

$

2,519,921

 

 

$

1,813,178

 

 

Ratio of total contributed capital to total committed capital, end of period

 

 

30.7

 

%

 

16.0

 

%

Portfolio turnover rate

 

 

18.4

 

%

 

0.0

 

%

Year of formation

 

2018

 

 

2018

 

 

________________

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

 

(2)

The per share data was derived using the weighted average shares outstanding during the period.

 

(3)

The per share data was derived using actual shares outstanding at the date of the relevant transactions.  

 

(4)

Total return is calculated as the change in net asset value (“NAV”) per share during the period, plus distributions per share (assuming dividends and distributions, if any, are reinvested in accordance with the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan), if any, divided by the beginning NAV per share.

 

(5)

The ratio reflects an annualized amount, except in the case of non-recurring expenses (e.g. initial organization expenses).  

 

F-32


Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - Continued

 

 

 

 

Note 12. Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

 

 

 

For the three months ended

 

($ in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

March 31, 2019

 

 

June 30, 2019

 

 

September 30, 2019

 

 

December 31, 2019

 

Investment income

 

$

9,123

 

 

$

17,098

 

 

$

27,175

 

 

$

30,316

 

Net expenses

 

$

8,083

 

 

$

10,889

 

 

$

15,765

 

 

$

17,902

 

Net investment income (loss)

 

$

1,040

 

 

$

6,209

 

 

$

11,410

 

 

$

12,414

 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

$

2,873

 

 

$

475

 

 

$

(3,792

)

 

$

107

 

Increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

 

$

3,913

 

 

$

6,684

 

 

$

7,618

 

 

$

12,521

 

Net asset value per share as of the end of the quarter

 

$

14.70

 

 

$

14.74

 

 

$

14.66

 

 

$

14.70

 

Earnings (loss) per share - basic and diluted

 

$

0.19

 

 

$

0.19

 

 

$

0.18

 

 

$

0.26

 

 

 

 

 

For the three months ended

 

(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

March 31, 2018(1)

 

 

June 30, 2018(1)

 

 

September 30, 2018(1)

 

 

December 31, 2018(1)

 

Investment income

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

200

 

 

$

2,405

 

Net expenses

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,054

 

 

$

3,665

 

Net investment income (loss)

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

(854

)

 

$

(1,260

)

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

(2

)

 

$

(1,050

)

Increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

(856

)

 

$

(2,310

)

Net asset value per share as of the end of the quarter

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

14.68

 

 

$

14.53

 

Earnings (loss) per share - basic and diluted

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

(0.35

)

 

$

(0.17

)

 

________________

 

(1)

The Company was formed on July 12, 2018 and commenced operations on August 10, 2018.

 

 

Note 13. Subsequent Events

The Company’s management evaluated subsequent events through the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements.  Other than those previously disclosed, there have been no subsequent events that occurred during such period that would require disclosure in, or would be required to be recognized in, these consolidated financial statements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

F-33


 

 

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

 

There are not and have not been any disagreements between the Company and its accountant on any matter of accounting principles, practices, or financial statement disclosure.

 

 

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

 

 

(a)

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

In accordance with Rules 13a-15(b) and 15d-15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), we, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K and determined that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of the end of the period covered by the Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

 

(b)

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act). Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 COSO Framework). Based on our evaluation under the framework in Internal Control—Integrated Framework, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2019.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

This annual report does not include an attestation report of the company’s independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

 

(c)

Changes in Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting

 

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our most recently completed fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

Item 9B. Other Information.

 

None.


89


 

 

PART III

 

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

 

Our Board of Directors

Our Board consists of seven members. The Board is divided into three classes, with the members of each class serving staggered, three-year terms. The terms of our Class I directors will expire at the 2020 annual meeting of shareholders; the terms of our Class II directors will expire at the 2021 annual meeting of shareholders; and the terms of our Class III directors will expire at the 2022 annual meeting of shareholders.

Messrs. Finn and Kaye serve as Class I directors (with terms expiring in 2020). Messrs. Temple and Ostrover serve as Class II directors (with terms expiring in 2021). Messrs. D'Alelio, Packer, and Kirshenbaum serve as Class III directors (with terms expiring in 2022).

 

Biographical Information

Brief biographies of the members of the Board are set forth below. Also included below following each biography is a brief discussion of the specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills that led our Board to conclude that the applicable director should serve on our Board at this time. In addition, set forth further below is a biography of each of our executive officers who is not a director.

Name, Address, and Age(1)

 

Position(s) Held with the Company

 

Principal

Occupation(s)

During the Past

5 Years

 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served(2)

 

Number of

Companies in

Fund

Complex(3)

Overseen by

Director

 

Other Directorships

Held by Director or

Nominee for Director

Independent Directors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian Finn, 59

 

Director

 

Private Investor

 

Class I Director since 2018; Term expires in 2020

 

3

 

Owl Rock Capital Corporation (“ORCC”)

 

 

 

 

Chief Executive Officer, Asset Management Finance Corporation (through 2013)

 

 

 

 

 

Owl Rock Capital Corporation II (“ORCC II”)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Scotts Miracle Gro Company

Eric Kaye, 56

 

Director

 

Founder of Kayezen, LLC (formerly ARQ^EX Fitness Systems)

 

Class I Director since 2018; Term expires in 2020

 

3

 

ORCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ORCC II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

90


 

 

Name, Address, and Age(1)

 

Position(s) Held with the Company

 

Principal

Occupation(s)

During the Past

5 Years

 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served(2)

 

Number of

Companies in

Fund

Complex(3)

Overseen by

Director

 

Other Directorships

Held by Director or

Nominee for Director

Christopher M. Temple, 52

 

Director

 

President of DelTex Capital LLC

 

Class II Director since 2018; Term expires in 2021

 

3

 

ORCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ORCC II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plains All American Pipeline Company

Edward D'Alelio, 67

 

Chairman of the Board, Director

 

Retired

 

Class III Director since 2018; Term expires in 2022

 

3

 

ORCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ORCC II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blackstone/GSO Long Short Credit Fund

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blackstone/GSO Sen. Flt Rate Fund

Interested Directors(4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas I. Ostrover, 57

 

Director

 

Co Founder and

Chief Executive

Officer of Owl Rock

Capital Partners

 

Class II Director

since 2018; Term

expires in 2021

 

3

 

ORCC

 

 

 

 

Co-Chief Investment

Officer of the

Adviser, ORCA and

ORPFA

 

 

 

 

 

ORCC II

 

 

 

 

Co-Founder GSO

Capital Partners

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craig W. Packer, 53

 

Chief Executive Officer, President and Director

 

Co Founder of Owl Rock Capital Partners

 

Class III Director since 2018; Term expires in 2022

 

3

 

ORCC

 

 

 

 

Co-Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser, ORCA, and ORPFA

 

 

 

 

 

ORCC II

91


 

 

Name, Address, and Age(1)

 

Position(s) Held with the Company

 

Principal

Occupation(s)

During the Past

5 Years

 

Term of Office

and Length of

Time Served(2)

 

Number of

Companies in

Fund

Complex(3)

Overseen by

Director

 

Other Directorships

Held by Director or

Nominee for Director

 

 

 

 

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, ORCC and ORCC II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Co Head of Leveraged Finance in the Americas, Goldman Sachs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alan Kirshenbaum, 48

 

Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director

 

Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Owl Rock Capital Partners, the Adviser, ORCA, ORPFA, the Company and ORCC;

 

Class III Director since 2018; Term expires in 2022

 

3

 

ORCC

 

 

 

 

Chief Operating Officer of ORCC II

 

 

 

 

 

ORCC II

 

 

 

 

Chief Financial Officer of TPG Specialty Lending, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

The address for each director is c/o Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp., 399 Park Avenue, 38th Floor, New York, New York 10022.

(2)

Directors serve for three‑year terms until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified.

(3)

The term “Fund Complex” refers to the Company, and Owl Rock Capital Corporation, and Owl Rock Capital Corporation II., each business development company whose adviser is affiliated with the Adviser. Directors and officers who oversee the funds in the Fund Complex are noted.

(4)

"Interested person" of the Company as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"). Messrs. Ostrover, Packer, and Kirshenbaum are "interested persons" because of their affiliation with the Adviser.

 

Independent Directors

Mr. Kaye is the founder of Kayezen, LLC (formerly ARQ^EX Fitness Systems), a physical therapy and fitness equipment design company. Prior to founding Kayezen, Mr. Kaye served as a Vice Chairman and Managing Director of UBS Investment Bank, and a member of the division’s Global Operating and U.S. Executive Committees, from June 2001 to May 2012. For the majority of Mr. Kaye’s tenure with UBS, he was a Managing Director and led the firm’s Exclusive Sales and Divestitures Group, where he focused on advising middle market companies. Prior to joining UBS, Mr. Kaye has served as Global Co‑Head of Mergers & Acquisitions for Robertson Stephens, an investment banking firm, from February 1998 to June 2001. Mr. Kaye joined Robertson Stephens from PaineWebber where he served as Executive Director and head of the firm’s Technology Mergers & Acquisitions team. Since 2016 he has served on the boards of ORCC and ORCC II, since 2018 he has served on the board of the Company and since 2020 he has served on the board of Owl Rock Capital Corporation III (“ORCC III”). Mr. Kaye holds a B.A. from Union College and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

We believe Mr. Kaye’s management positions and experiences in the middle market provide the Board with valuable insight.

92


 

 

 

Mr. Finn served as the Chief Executive Officer of Asset Management Finance Corporation from 2009 to March 2013 and as its Chairman from 2008 to March 2013. From 2004 to 2008, Mr. Finn was Chairman and Head of Alternative Investments at Credit Suisse Group. Mr. Finn has held many positions within Credit Suisse and its predecessor firms, including President of Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB), President of Investment Banking, Co‑President of Institutional Securities, Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse USA and a member of the Office of the Chairman of CSFB. He was also a member of the Executive Board of Credit Suisse. Mr. Finn served as principal and partner of private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice from 1997 to 2002. Mr. Finn currently serves as Chairman of Covr Financial Technologies Corp., a director of The Scotts Miracle Gro Company, and WaveGuide Corporation, Chairman of Star Mountain Capital, a lower middle market credit investment firm, and Investment Partner of Nyca Partners, a financial technology venture capital firm and a director of Sarcos Robotics. Since 2016 he has served on the boards of ORCC and ORCC II, since 2018 he has served on the board of the Company and since 2020 he has served on the board of ORCC III. Mr. Finn received a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

We believe Mr. Finn’s numerous management positions and broad experiences in the financial services sector provide him with skills and valuable insight in handling complex financial transactions and issues, all of which make him well qualified to serve on the Board.

Mr. Temple has served as President of DelTex Capital LLC (a private investment firm) since its founding in 2010. Mr. Temple has served as an Operating Executive/Consultant for Tailwind Capital, LLC, a New York based middle market private equity firm, since June 2011. Prior to forming DelTex Capital, Mr. Temple served as President of Vulcan Capital, the investment arm of Vulcan Inc., from May 2009 until December 2009 and as Vice President of Vulcan Capital from September 2008 to May 2009. Prior to joining Vulcan in September 2008, Mr. Temple served as a managing director at Tailwind Capital, LLC from May to August 2008. Prior to joining Tailwind, Mr. Temple was a managing director at Friend Skoler & Co., Inc. from May 2005 to May 2008. From April 1996 to December 2004, Mr. Temple was a managing director at Thayer Capital Partners. Mr. Temple started his career in the audit and tax departments of KPMG’s Houston office and was a licensed CPA from 1989 to 1993. Mr. Temple has served on the board of directors of GP Holdings, L.P., the general partner of Plains All American Pipeline Company since November 2016 and as a director of Plains All American Pipeline, L.P.'s ("PAA") general partner from May 2009 to November 2016. He was a member of the PAA Audit Committee from 2009 to 2016. Prior public board service includes board and audit committee service for Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings from April 2011 to May 2016 and on the board and audit committee of Charter Communications Inc. from November 2009 through January 2011. In addition to public boards, as part of his role with Tailwind, Mr. Temple has served on private boards including Brawler Industries, and National HME and currently serves on the boards of Loenbro, Inc. Since 2016 he has served on the boards of ORCC and ORCC II, since 2018 he has served on the board of the Company and since 2020 he has served on the board of ORCC III. Mr. Temple holds a B.B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Texas and an M.B.A. from Harvard.

We believe Mr. Temple’s broad investment management background, together with his financial and accounting knowledge, brings important and valuable skills to the Board.

Mr. D’Alelio was formerly a Managing Director and CIO for Fixed Income at Putnam Investments, Boston, where he served from 1989 until he retired in 2002. While at Putnam, he served on the Investment Policy Committee, which was responsible for oversight of all investments. He also sat on various Committees including attribution and portfolio performance. Prior to joining Putnam, he was a portfolio manager at Keystone Investments and prior to that, he was an Investment Analyst at The Hartford Ins. Co. Since 2002, Mr. D’Alelio has served as an Executive in Residence at the University of Mass., Boston—School of Management. He is also chair of the investment committee of the UMass Foundation and chair of the UMass Memorial Hospital investment committee and serves on its corporate board. He serves on the Advisory Committees of Ceres Farms. Since September 2009 Mr. D’Alelio has served as director of Vermont Farmstead Cheese. Since January 2008 he has served on the board of Blackstone/GSO Long Short Credit Fund. & Blackstone/GSO Sen. Flt Rate Fund. Since 2016 he has served on the boards of ORCC and ORCC II, since 2018 he has served on the board of the Company and since 2020 he has served on the board of ORCC III. Mr. D’Alelio’s previous corporate board assignments include Archibald Candy, Doane Pet Care and Trump Entertainment Resorts. Mr. D’Alelio is a graduate of the Univ. of Mass Boston and has an M.B.A. from Boston University.

We believe Mr. D’Alelio’s numerous management positions and broad experiences in the financial services sector provide him with skills and valuable insight in handling complex financial transactions and issues, all of which make him well qualified to serve on the Board.

 


93


 

 

Interested Directors

Mr. Ostrover is a Co‑Founder of Owl Rock Capital Partners LP and also serves as Chief Executive Officer and Co‑Chief Investment Officer of the Owl Rock Advisers, and is a member of the Investment Committee of each of the Company, ORCC and ORCC II (the “Owl Rock BDCs”). In addition, Mr. Ostrover has served on the boards of ORCC and ORCC II since 2016, on the board of the Company since 2018 and on the board of ORCC III since 2020. Prior to co‑founding Owl Rock, Mr. Ostrover was one of the founders of GSO Capital Partners (GSO), Blackstone’s alternative credit platform, and a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone until 2015. Prior to co‑founding GSO in 2005, Mr. Ostrover was a Managing Director and Chairman of the Leveraged Finance Group of Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB). Prior to his role as Chairman, Mr. Ostrover was Global Co‑Head of CSFB’s Leveraged Finance Group, during which time he was responsible for all of CSFB’s origination, distribution and trading activities relating to high yield securities, leveraged loans, high yield credit derivatives and distressed securities. Mr. Ostrover was a member of CSFB’s Management Council and the Fixed Income Operating Committee. Mr. Ostrover joined CSFB in November 2000 when CSFB acquired Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (“DLJ”), where he was a Managing Director in charge of High Yield and Distressed Sales, Trading and Research. Mr. Ostrover had been a member of DLJ’s high yield team since he joined the firm in 1992. Mr. Ostrover is actively involved in non‑profit organizations including serving on the Board of Directors of the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Mr. Ostrover is also a board member of the Brunswick School. Mr. Ostrover received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from New York University Stern School of Business.

We believe Mr. Ostrover’s depth of experience in corporate finance, capital markets and financial services, gives the Board valuable industry‑specific knowledge and expertise on these and other matters, and his history with us and the Adviser, provide an important skillset and knowledge base to the Board.

Mr. Packer is a Co‑Founder of Owl Rock Capital Partners LP and also serves as Co‑Chief Investment Officer of the Owl Rock Advisers and President and Chief Executive Officer of each of the Owl Rock BDCs and ORCC III and is a member of the Investment Committee of each of the Owl Rock BDCs. In addition, Mr. Packer has served on the boards of ORCC and ORCC II since 2016, on the board of the Company since 2018 and on the board of ORCC III since 2020. Prior to co‑founding Owl Rock, Mr. Packer was Co‑Head of Leveraged Finance in the Americas at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he served on the Firmwide Capital Committee, Investment Banking Division (“IBD”) Operating Committee, IBD Client and Business Standards Committee and the IBD Risk Committee. Mr. Packer joined Goldman, Sachs & Co. as a Managing Director and Head of High Yield Capital Markets in 2006 and was named partner in 2008. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Mr. Packer was the Global Head of High Yield Capital Markets at Credit Suisse First Boston, and before that he worked at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Mr. Packer serves as Treasurer and member of the Board of Trustees of Greenwich Academy, and Co‑Chair of the Honorary Board of Kids in Crisis, a nonprofit organization that serves children in Connecticut, and on the Advisory Board for the McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia. Mr. Packer earned a B.S. from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

We believe Mr. Packer’s depth of experience in corporate finance, capital markets and financial services gives the Board valuable industry‑specific knowledge and expertise on these and other matters, and his history with us and the Adviser provide an important skillset and knowledge base to the Board.

Mr. Kirshenbaum is Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Owl Rock Capital Partners LP and also serves as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Owl Rock Advisers, ORCC and the Company, and the Chief Operating Officer of ORCC II and ORCC III. In addition, Mr. Kirshenbaum has served on the board of ORCC since 2015, on the board of ORCC II since 2016, on the board of the Company since 2018 and on the board of ORCC III since 2020. Prior to Owl Rock, Mr. Kirshenbaum was Chief Financial Officer of TPG Specialty Lending, Inc., a business development company traded on the NYSE (TSLX). Mr. Kirshenbaum was responsible for building and overseeing TSLX’s finance, treasury, accounting and operations functions from 2011 through 2015, including during its initial public offering in March 2014. From 2011 to 2013, Mr. Kirshenbaum was also Chief Financial Officer of TPG Special Situations Partners. From 2007 to 2011, Mr. Kirshenbaum was the Chief Financial Officer of Natsource, a private investment firm and, prior to that, Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of MainStay Investments. Mr. Kirshenbaum joined Bear Stearns Asset Management (“BSAM”) in 1999 and was BSAM’s Chief Financial Officer from 2003 to 2006. Before joining BSAM, Mr. Kirshenbaum worked in public accounting at KPMG and J.H. Cohn. Mr. Kirshenbaum is actively involved in a variety of non‑profit organizations including the Boy Scouts of America and as trustee for the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ. Mr. Kirshenbaum is also a member of the Rutgers University Dean’s Cabinet. Mr. Kirshenbaum received a B.S. from Rutgers University and an M.B.A. from New York University Stern School of Business.

We believe Mr. Kirshenbaum’s finance and operations experience, including serving as chief financial officer for a publicly traded business development company and prior experience going through the initial public offering process, as well as a history with us and the Adviser, provide an important skillset and knowledge base to the Board.

94


 

 

Meetings and Attendance

The Board met four times during 2019 and acted on various occasions by written consent. Each director attended all meetings of the Board (held during the period for which he has been a director).

Board Attendance at the Annual Meeting

Our policy is to encourage our directors to attend each annual meeting; however, such attendance is not required at this time. All of our directors attended the 2019 annual meeting of shareholders.

Board Leadership Structure and Role in Risk Oversight

Overall responsibility for our oversight rests with the Board. We have entered into the Investment Advisory Agreement pursuant to which the Adviser will manage the Company on a day-to-day basis. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Adviser and our other service providers in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, applicable provisions of state and other laws and our charter. The Board is currently composed of seven members, four of whom are directors who are not "interested persons" of the Company or the Adviser as defined in the 1940 Act. The Board meets in person at regularly scheduled quarterly meetings each year. In addition, the Board may hold special in-person or telephonic meetings or informal conference calls to discuss specific matters that may arise or require action between regular meetings. As described below, the Board has established a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and an Audit Committee, and may establish ad hoc committees or working groups from time to time, to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities. The Board has appointed Edward D’Alelio, an independent director, to serve in the role of Chairman of the Board. The Chairman’s role is to preside at all meetings of the Board and to act as a liaison with the Adviser, counsel and other directors generally between meetings. The Chairman serves as a key point person for dealings between management and the directors. The Chairman also may perform such other functions as may be delegated by the Board from time to time. The Board reviews matters related to its leadership structure annually. The Board has determined that the Board’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to exercise informed and independent judgment over the matters under its purview and it allocates areas of responsibility among committees of directors and the full Board in a manner that enhances effective oversight.

We are subject to a number of risks, including investment, compliance, operational and valuation risks, among others. Risk oversight forms part of the Board’s general oversight of the Company and is addressed as part of various Board and committee activities. Day‑to‑day risk management functions are subsumed within the responsibilities of the Adviser and other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk), which carry out our investment management and business affairs. The Adviser and other service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various events or circumstances that give rise to risks, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each of the Adviser and other service providers has their own independent interest in risk management, and their policies and methods of risk management will depend on their functions and business models. The Board recognizes that it is not possible to identify all of the risks that may affect the Company or to develop processes and controls to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. As part of its regular oversight of the Company, the Board interacts with and reviews reports from, among others, the Adviser, our chief compliance officer, our independent registered public accounting firm and counsel, as appropriate, regarding risks faced by the Company and applicable risk controls. The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight.

Communications with Directors

Shareholders and other interested parties may contact any member (or all members) of the Board by mail. To communicate with the Board, any individual directors or any group or committee of directors, correspondence should be addressed to the Board or any such individual directors or group or committee of directors by either name or title. All such correspondence should be sent to Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp., 399 Park Avenue, 38th Floor, New York, New York 10022, Attention: Secretary.

Committees of the Board

The Board has an Audit Committee and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and may form additional committees in the future. A brief description of each committee is included in this Form 10-K and the charters of the Audit and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees can be accessed on the Company’s website at www.owlrock.com.

As of the date of this Form 10-K, the members of each of the Board’s committees are as follows (the names of the respective committee chairperson are bolded):

95


 

 

Audit

Committee

 

Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee

 

Edward D’Alelio

Edward D’Alelio

Brian Finn

Brian Finn

Eric Kaye

Eric Kaye

Christopher M. Temple

Christopher M. Temple

 

Audit Committee Governance, Responsibilities and Meetings

In accordance with its written charter adopted by the Board, the Audit Committee:

(a)assists the Board’s oversight of the integrity of our financial statements, the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and the performance of our independent registered public accounting firm;

(b)prepares an Audit Committee report, if required by the SEC, to be included in our annual proxy statement;

(c)oversees the scope of the annual audit of our financial statements, the quality and objectivity of our financial statements, accounting and financial reporting policies and internal controls;

(d)determines the selection, appointment, retention and termination of our independent registered public accounting firm, as well as approving the compensation thereof;

(e)pre‑approves all audit and non‑audit services provided to us and certain other persons by such independent registered public accounting firm; and

(f)acts as a liaison between our independent registered public accounting firm and the Board.

The Audit Committee had eight formal meetings in 2019. Each member of the Audit Committee (during the period for which he has been a member of the committee) who served on such committee during the 2019 fiscal year attended all of the meetings held during 2019, except for Mr. Kaye who did not attend one meeting of the Audit Committee and Mr. D’Alelio who did not attend two meetings of the Audit Committee.

Each member of the Audit Committee simultaneously serves on the audit committees of three or more public companies, and the Board has determined that each member’s simultaneous service on the audit committees of other public companies does not impair such member’s ability to effectively serve on the Audit Committee.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Governance, Responsibilities and Meetings

In accordance with its written charter adopted by the Board, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee:

(a)recommends to the Board persons to be nominated by the Board for election at the Company’s meetings of our shareholders, special or annual, if any, or to fill any vacancy on the Board that may arise between shareholder meetings;

(b)makes recommendations with regard to the tenure of the directors;

(c)is responsible for overseeing an annual evaluation of the Board and its committee structure to determine whether the structure is operating effectively; and

(d)recommends to the Board the compensation to be paid to the independent directors of the Board.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider for nomination to the Board candidates submitted by our shareholders or from other sources it deems appropriate.

96


 

 

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee had two formal meeting in 2019. Each member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (during the period for which he has been a member of the committee) who served on such committee during the 2019 fiscal year attended all of the meetings held during 2019.

Director Nominations

Nomination for election as a director may be made by, or at the direction of, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee or by shareholders in compliance with the procedures set forth in our bylaws.

Shareholder proposals or director nominations to be presented at the annual meeting of shareholders, other than shareholder proposals submitted pursuant to the SEC's Rule 14a-8, must be submitted in accordance with the advance notice procedures and other requirements set forth in our bylaws. These requirements are separate from the requirements discussed above to have the shareholder nomination or other proposal included in our proxy statement and form of proxy/voting instruction card pursuant to the SEC's rules.

Our bylaws require that the proposal or recommendation for nomination must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Company not earlier than the 150th day prior to the one year anniversary of the date the Company's proxy statement for the preceding year's annual meeting, or later than the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the preceding year's annual meeting. If the date of the annual meeting has changed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year's annual meeting, shareholder proposals or director nominations must be so received not earlier than the 150th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made.

In evaluating director nominees, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers, among others, the following factors:

 

whether the individual possesses high standards of character and integrity, relevant experience, a willingness to ask hard questions and the ability to work well with others;

 

 

whether the individual is free of conflicts of interest that would violate applicable law or regulation or interfere with the proper performance of the responsibilities of a director;

 

 

whether the individual is willing and able to devote sufficient time to the affairs of the Company and be diligent in fulfilling the responsibilities of a director and Board Committee member;

 

 

whether the individual has the capacity and desire to represent the balanced, best interests of the shareholder as a whole and not a special interest group or constituency; and

 

 

whether the individual possesses the skills, experiences (such as current business experience or other such current involvement in public service, academia or scientific communities), particular areas of expertise, particular backgrounds, and other characteristics that will help ensure the effectiveness of the Board and Board committees.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee's goal is to assemble a board that brings to the Company a variety of perspectives and skills derived from high-quality business and professional experience.

Other than the foregoing, there are no stated minimum criteria for director nominees, although the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may also consider other factors as they may deem are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The Board also believes it appropriate for certain key members of our management to participate as members of the Board.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee identifies nominees by first evaluating the current members of the Board willing to continue in service. Current members of the Board with skills and experience that are relevant to our business and who are willing to continue in service are considered for re-nomination. If any member of the Board does not wish to continue in service or if the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee decides not to re-nominate a member for re-election, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee identify the desired skills and experience of a new nominee in light of the criteria above. The members of the Board are polled for suggestions as to individuals meeting the aforementioned criteria. Research may also be performed to identify qualified individuals. To date, we have not engaged third parties to identify or evaluate or assist in identifying potential nominees, although we reserve the right in the future to retain a third-party search firm, if necessary.

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The Board has not adopted a formal policy with regard to the consideration of diversity in identifying director nominees. In determining whether to recommend a director nominee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers and discusses diversity, among other factors, with a view toward the needs of the Board as a whole. The Board generally conceptualizes diversity expansively to include, without limitation, concepts such as race, gender, national origin, differences of viewpoint, professional experience, education, skill and other qualities that contribute to the Board, when identifying and recommending director nominees. The Board believes that the inclusion of diversity as one of many factors considered in selecting director nominees is consistent with the Board's goal of creating a Board that best serves the needs of the Company and the interests of its shareholders.

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, the Company’s directors and executive officers, and any persons holding more than 10% of its shares, are required to report their beneficial ownership and any changes therein to the SEC and the Company. Specific due dates for those reports have been established, and the Company is required to report herein any failure to file such reports by those due dates. Based on the Company’s review of Forms 3, 4, and 5 filed by such persons and information provided by the Company’s directors and officers, the Company believes that during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to such persons were timely filed.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics which applies to our executive officers, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as well as every officer, director and employee of the Company. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics can be accessed on our website at www.owlrock.com.

There have been no material changes to our corporate code of ethics or material waivers of the code that apply to our Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer. If we make any substantive amendment to, or grant a waiver from, a provision of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, we will promptly disclose the nature of the amendment or waiver on our website at www.owlrock.com as well as file a Form 8‑K with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Information about Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors

The following sets forth certain information regarding the executive officers of the Company who are not directors of the Company.

Name

 

Age

 

 

Position

 

Officer Since

Karen Hager

 

 

47

 

 

Chief Compliance Officer

 

2018

Bryan Cole

 

 

35

 

 

Controller

 

2018

Alexis Maged

 

 

54

 

 

Vice President

 

2018

Neena Reddy

 

 

41

 

 

Vice President

 

2019

The address for each of our executive officers is c/o Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp., 399 Park Avenue, 38th Floor, New York, New York 10022.

Ms. Hager is a Managing Director of Owl Rock Capital Partners LP and also serves as the Chief Compliance Officer of each of the Owl Rock Advisers and each of the Owl Rock BDCs and ORCC III. Prior to joining Owl Rock in 2018, Ms. Hager was Chief Compliance Officer at Abbott Capital Management. Previous to Abbott, Ms. Hager worked as SVP, Director of Global Compliance and Chief Compliance Officer at The Permal Group, and as Director of Compliance at Dominick & Dominick Advisors LLC. Prior to joining Dominick & Dominick Advisors LLC, Ms. Hager was a Senior Securities Compliance Examiner/Staff Accountant at the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Ms. Hager received a B.S. in Accounting from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.

Mr. Cole is a Managing Director of Owl Rock Capital Partners and serves as the Chief Accounting Officer and Controller of each of the Company and ORCC, and as Chief Financial Officer of each of ORCC II and ORCC III. Prior to joining Owl Rock in 2016, Mr. Cole was Assistant Controller of Business Development Corporation of America, a non‑traded business development company, where he was responsible for overseeing the finance, accounting, financial reporting, operations and internal controls functions. Preceding that role, Mr. Cole worked within the Financial Services—Alternative Investments practice of PwC where he specialized in financial reporting, fair valuation of illiquid investments and structured products, internal controls and other technical accounting matters pertaining to alternative investment advisors, hedge funds, business development companies and private equity funds. Mr. Cole received a B.S. in Accounting from Fordham University and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in New York.

98


 

 

Mr. Maged is a Managing Director of Owl Rock Capital Partners LP and also serves as the Head of Underwriting and Portfolio Management for each of the Owl Rock Advisers and as Vice President of each of the Owl Rock BDCs and is a member of the Investment Committee of each of the Owl Rock BDCs and ORCC III. Prior to joining Owl Rock in 2016, Mr. Maged was Chief Financial Officer of Barkbox, Inc., a New York‑based provider of pet‑themed products and technology, from 2014 to 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Maged was a Managing Director with Goldman Sachs & Co. from 2007 until 2014. At Goldman Sachs & Co., Mr. Maged held several leadership positions, including Chief Operating Officer of the investment bank’s Global Credit Finance businesses, Co‑Chair of the Credit Markets Capital Committee and a member of the Firmwide Capital Committee. Prior to assuming that role in 2011, Mr. Maged served as Chief Underwriting Officer for the Americas and oversaw the U.S. Bank Debt Portfolio Group and US Loan Negotiation Group. From mid‑2007 to the end of 2008, Mr. Maged was Head of Bridge Finance Capital Markets in the Americas Financing Group’s Leveraged Finance Group, where he coordinated the firm’s High Yield Bridge Lending and Syndication business. Prior to joining Goldman, Sachs & Co, Mr. Maged was Head of the Bridge Finance Group at Credit Suisse and also worked in the Loan Capital Markets Group at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette. Upon DLJ’s merger with Credit Suisse in 2000, Mr. Maged joined Credit Suisse’s Syndicated Loan Group and, in 2003, founded its Bridge Finance Group. Earlier in his career, Mr. Maged was a member of the West Coast Sponsor Coverage Group at Citigroup and the Derivatives Group at Republic National Bank, as well as a founding member of the Loan Syndication Group at Swiss Bank Corporation. Mr. Maged received a B.A. from Vassar College and an M.B.A. from New York University Stern School of Business.

Ms. Reddy is a Managing Director of Owl Rock Capital Partners LP, General Counsel of each of the Owl Rock Advisors and also serves as Vice President and Secretary of each of the Owl Rock BDCs and ORCC III. Prior to joining Owl Rock in 2019, Ms. Reddy was counsel at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, where she was responsible for direct alternative products, including private credit. Previously, Ms. Reddy was an attorney at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. Ms. Reddy received a B.A. in English from Georgetown University and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. Prior to becoming an attorney, Ms. Reddy was a financial analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

 

We do not currently have any employees and do not expect to have any employees. Services necessary for our business are provided by individuals who are employees of the Adviser or its affiliates, pursuant to the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement, as applicable. Our day‑to‑day investment and administrative operations are managed by the Adviser. Most of the services necessary for the origination and administration of our investment portfolio will be provided by investment professionals employed by the Adviser or its affiliates.

None of our executive officers will receive direct compensation from us. We will reimburse the Adviser the allocable portion of the compensation paid by the Adviser (or its affiliates) to our chief compliance officer and chief financial officer and their respective staffs (based on the percentage of time such individuals devote, on an estimated basis, to our business and affairs). The members of the Investment Committee, through their financial interests in the Adviser, are entitled to a portion of the profits earned by the Adviser, which includes any fees payable to the Adviser under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, less expenses incurred by the Adviser in performing its services under the Investment Advisory Agreement.

Director Compensation

No compensation is expected to be paid to our directors who are “interested persons,” as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Our directors who do not also serve in an executive officer capacity for us or the Adviser are entitled to receive annual cash retainer fees, fees for participating in in‑person board and committee meetings and annual fees for serving as a committee chairperson, determined based on our net assets as of the end of each fiscal quarter. These directors are Edward D’Alelio, Christopher M. Temple, Eric Kaye and Brian Finn. We pay each independent director the following amounts for serving as a director:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annual Committee Chair Cash Retainer

 

 

 

 

 

Annual Cash Retainer

 

 

Board Meeting Fee

 

 

Chair of the Board

 

 

Audit

 

 

Committee Chair

 

 

Committee Meeting Fee

 

$

150,000

 

 

$

2,500

 

 

$

25,000

 

 

$

15,000

 

 

$

5,000

 

 

$

1,000

 

 

We also reimburse each of the directors for all reasonable and authorized business expenses in accordance with our policies as in effect from time to time, including reimbursement of reasonable out‑of‑pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending each board meeting and each committee meeting not held concurrently with a board meeting.

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The table below sets forth the compensation received by each director from the Company and the Fund Complex for service during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019:

Name of Director

 

Fees Earned and Paid in Cash by the Company

 

 

Total Compensation from the Company

 

 

Total Compensation from the Fund Complex

 

Edward D'Alelio

 

$

168,000

 

 

$

168,000

 

 

$

506,271

 

Christopher M. Temple

 

$

160,000

 

 

$

160,000

 

 

$

490,271

 

Eric Kaye

 

$

149,000

 

 

$

149,000

 

 

$

465,771

 

Brian Finn

 

$

145,000

 

 

$

145,000

 

 

$

440,271

 

 

 

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters.

 

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. These rules generally provide that a person is the beneficial owner of securities if such person has or shares the power to vote or direct the voting thereof, or to dispose or direct the disposition thereof or has the right to acquire such powers within 60 days. The following table sets forth, as of February 14, 2020 the beneficial ownership as indicated in the Company’s books and records of each current director, the nominees for director, the Company’s executive officers, the executive officers and directors as a group, and each person known to us to beneficially own 5% or more of the outstanding shares of our common stock.

The percentage ownership is based on 57,288,774 shares of our common stock outstanding as of February 14, 2020. To our knowledge, except as indicated in the footnotes to the table, each of the shareholders listed below has sole voting and/or investment power with respect to shares of our common stock beneficially owned by such shareholder.

Name and Address

 

Number of Shares Owned

 

 

Percentage of Class Outstanding

 

5% Owners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regents of the University of California(1)

 

 

9,752,026

 

 

 

17

%

Interested Directors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas I. Ostrover(2)

 

 

1,308,808

 

 

 

2

%

Craig W. Packer(2)

 

 

1,308,808

 

 

 

2

%

Alan Kirshenbaum(2)

 

 

1,308,808

 

 

 

2

%

Independent Directors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian Finn

 

 

 

 

 

0

%

Edward D'Alelio

 

 

10,098

 

 

*

 

Eric Kaye

 

 

 

 

 

0

%

Christopher M. Temple

 

 

 

 

 

0

%

Executive Officers

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

%

Karen Hager

 

 

 

 

 

0

%

Bryan Cole

 

 

 

 

 

0

%

Alexis Maged

 

 

 

 

 

0

%

Neena Reddy

 

 

 

 

 

0

%

All officers and directors as a group (11 persons)(3)

 

 

1,318,906

 

(4)

 

2

%

*

Less than 1%.

(1)

Includes 4,876,013 shares held by The Regents of the University of California, as Trustee for the University of California Retirement Plan and 4,876,013 shares held by The Regents of the University of California. The address of Regents of the University of California is 1111 Broadway, 21st Floor, Oakland, CA 94607.

(2)

Shares are held by Owl Rock FIC Tech BDC LLC. Messrs. Ostrover, Packer and Kirshenbaum disclaim beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of their pecuniary interest therein.

(3)

The address for each of the directors and officers is c/o Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp., 399 Park Avenue, 38th Floor, New York, New York 10022.

(4)

Includes a total of 1,308,808 shares held by Owl Rock FIC Tech BDC LLC.

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Dollar Range of Equity Securities Beneficially Owned by Directors

The table below shows the dollar range of equity securities of the Company and the aggregate dollar range of equity securities of the Fund Complex that were beneficially owned by each director as of the Record Date stated as one of the following dollar ranges: None; $1‑$10,000; $10,001‑ $50,000; $50,001‑$100,000; or Over $100,000. For purposes of this Form 10-K, the term “Fund Complex” is defined to include the Company, Owl Rock Capital Corporation and Owl Rock Capital Corporation II.

Name of Director

 

Dollar Range of Equity Securities in Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp(1)(2)

 

 

Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund Complex(1)(3)

 

Interested Directors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas I. Ostrover

 

over $100,000

 

(4)

over $100,000

 

Craig W. Packer

 

over $100,000

 

(4)

over $100,000

 

Alan Kirshenbaum

 

over $100,000

 

(4)

over $100,000

 

Independent Directors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian Finn

 

 

 

 

over $100,000

 

Edward D'Alelio

 

over $100,000

 

 

over $100,000

 

Eric Kaye

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christopher M. Temple

 

 

 

 

over $100,000

 

(1)

Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance with Rule 16a‑1(a)(2) of the Exchange Act.

(2)

The dollar range of equity securities of the Company beneficially owned by directors of the Company, if applicable, is calculated by multiplying the net asset value per share of the Company as of December 31, 2019, times the number of shares of the Company's common stock beneficially owned.

(3)

The dollar range of Equity Securities in the Fund Complex beneficially owned by directors of the Company, if applicable, is the sum of (x) the product obtained by multiplying the current net offering price of Owl Rock Capital Corporation II, times the number of shares of Owl Rock Capital Corporation II beneficially owned, (y) the product obtained by multiplying the closing price of Owl Rock Capital Corporation common stock of $15.90 as of February 14, 2020 by the number of shares of Owl Rock Capital Corporation beneficially owned, and (z) the total dollar range of equity securities in the Company beneficially owned by the director.

(4)

Reflects the shares held by Owl Rock FIC Tech BDC LLC. Each of Messrs. Ostrover, Packer, and Kirshenbaum disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of his respective pecuniary interest therein.


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Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

 

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

We have entered into both the Investment Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement with the Adviser. Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, we will pay the Adviser a base management fee and an incentive fee. See “ITEM 1. BUSINESS —Investment Advisory Agreement” for a description of how the fees payable to the Adviser will be determined. Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, we will reimburse the Adviser for expenses necessary to perform services related to our administration and operations. In addition, the Adviser or its affiliates may engage in certain origination activities and receive attendant arrangement, structuring or similar fees.

Our executive officers, certain of our directors and certain other finance professionals of Owl Rock Capital Partners also serve as executives of the Owl Rock Advisers and officers and directors of the Company and certain professionals of Owl Rock Technology Partners and the Adviser are officers of Owl Rock Capital Securities LLC. In addition, our executive officers and directors and the members of the Adviser and members of its investment committee serve or may serve as officers, directors or principals of entities that operate in the same, or a related, line of business as we do (including the Owl Rock Advisers) including serving on their respective investment committees and/or on the investment committees of investments funds, accounts or other investment vehicles managed by our affiliates which may have investment objective similar to our investment objective. At time we may compete with these other entities managed by the other Owl Rock Advisers, including ORCC, ORCC II, and Owl Rock First Lien Master Fund L.P. (the “Owl Rock Clients”), for capital and investment opportunities. As a result, we may not be given the opportunity to participate in certain investments made by the Owl Rock Clients. This can create a potential conflict when allocating investment opportunities among us and such other Owl Rock Clients. An investment opportunity that is suitable for multiple clients of the Adviser and its affiliates may not be capable of being shared among some or all of such clients and affiliates due to the limited scale of the opportunity or other factors, including regulatory restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act. However, in order for the Adviser and its affiliates to fulfill their fiduciary duties to each of their clients, the Owl Rock Advisers have put in place an investment allocation policy that seeks to ensure the fair and equitable allocation of investment opportunities over time and addresses the co-investment restrictions set forth under the 1940 Act.

 

Allocation of Investment Opportunities

The Owl Rock Advisers intend to allocate investment opportunities in a manner that is fair and equitable over time and is consistent with its allocation policy, so that no client of the Adviser or its affiliates is disadvantaged in relation to any other client of the Adviser or its affiliates, taking into account such factors as the relative amounts of capital available for new investments, cash on hand, existing commitments and reserves, the investment programs and portfolio positions of the participating investment accounts, the clients for which participation is appropriate, targeted leverage level, targeted asset mix and any other factors deemed appropriate.

The Owl Rock Advisers have put in place an investment allocation policy that seeks to ensure the equitable allocation of investment opportunities and addresses the co-investment restrictions set forth under the 1940 Act. When we engage in co-investments as permitted by the exemptive relief described below, we will do so in a manner consistent with the Owl Rock Advisers' allocation policy. In situations where co-investment with other entities managed by the Adviser or its affiliates is not permitted or appropriate, such as when there is an opportunity to invest in different securities of the same issuer, a committee comprised of certain executive officers of the Owl Rock Advisers (including executive officers of the Adviser) along with other officers and employees, will need to decide whether we or such other entity or entities will proceed with the investment. The allocation committee will make these determinations based on the Owl Rock Advisers' allocation policy, which generally requires that such opportunities be offered to eligible accounts in a manner that will be fair and equitable over time.

The Owl Rock Advisers' allocation policy is designed to manage the potential conflicts of interest between the Adviser's fiduciary obligations to us and its or its affiliates' similar fiduciary obligations to other clients, including ORCC, ORCC II and Owl Rock First Lien Master Fund; however, there can be no assurance that the Owl Rock Advisers’ efforts to allocate any particular investment opportunity fairly among all clients for whom such opportunity is appropriate will result in an allocation of all or part of such opportunity to us. Not all conflicts of interest can be expected to be resolved in our favor.

The allocation of investment opportunities among us and any of the other investment funds sponsored or accounts managed by the Adviser or its affiliates may not always, and often will not, be proportional. In general, pursuant to the Owl Rock Advisers' allocation policy, the process for making an allocation determination includes an assessment as to whether a particular investment opportunity (including any follow-on investment in, or disposition from, an existing portfolio company held by the Company or another investment fund or account) is suitable for us or another investment fund or account including ORCC, ORCC II and Owl Rock First Lien Master Fund. In making this assessment, the Owl Rock Advisers may consider a variety of factors, including, without limitation: the investment objectives, guidelines and strategies applicable to the investment fund or account; the nature of the investment, including its risk-return profile and expected holding period; portfolio diversification and concentration concerns; the liquidity needs of the investment fund or account; the ability of the investment fund or account to accommodate structural, timing and other aspects of the investment process;

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the life cycle of the investment fund or account; legal, tax and regulatory requirements and restrictions, including, as applicable, compliance with the 1940 Act (including requirements and restrictions pertaining to co-investment opportunities discussed below); compliance with existing agreements of the investment fund or account; the available capital of the investment fund or account; diversification requirements for BDCs or RICs; the gross asset value and net asset value of the investment fund or account; the current and targeted leverage levels for the investment fund or account; and portfolio construction considerations. The relevance of each of these criteria will vary from investment opportunity to investment opportunity. In circumstances where the investment objectives of multiple investment funds or accounts regularly overlap, while the specific facts and circumstances of each allocation decision will be determinative, the Owl Rock Advisers may afford prior decisions precedential value.

Pursuant to the Owl Rock Advisers' allocation policy, if through the foregoing analysis, it is determined that an investment opportunity is appropriate for multiple investment funds or accounts, the Owl Rock Advisers generally will determine the appropriate size of the opportunity for each such investment fund or account. If an investment opportunity falls within the mandate of two or more investment funds or accounts, and there are no restrictions on such funds or accounts investing with each other, then each investment fund or account will receive the amount of the investment that it is seeking, as determined based on the criteria set forth above.

Certain allocations may be more advantageous to us relative to one or all of the other investment funds, or vice versa. While the Owl Rock Advisers will seek to allocate investment opportunities in a way that it believes in good faith is fair and equitable over time, there can be no assurance that our actual allocation of an investment opportunity, if any, or terms on which the allocation is made, will be as favorable as they would be if the conflicts of interest to which the Adviser may be subject did not exist.

 

Exemptive Relief

We, the Adviser and certain of our affiliates have been granted exemptive relief by the SEC to co-invest with other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates in a manner consistent with our investment objective, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent factors. Pursuant to such exemptive relief, we generally are permitted to co-invest with certain of our affiliates if a "required majority" (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our shareholders and do not involve overreaching of us or our shareholders on the part of any person concerned, (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our shareholders and is consistent with our investment objective and strategies, and (3) the investment by our affiliates would not disadvantage us, and our participation would not be on a basis different from or less advantageous than that on which our affiliates are investing. The Owl Rock Advisers' investment allocation policy incorporates the conditions of the exemptive relief. As a result of the exemptive relief, there could be significant overlap in our investment portfolio and the investment portfolio of Owl Rock Capital Corporation, Owl Rock Capital Corporation II and/or other funds established by the Adviser or its affiliates that could avail themselves of the exemptive relief.

 

Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons

The Audit Committee is required to review and approve any transactions with related persons (as such term is defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K)

 

License Agreement

We have entered into a license agreement (the “License Agreement”), pursuant to which an affiliate of Owl Rock Capital Partners has granted us a non‑exclusive license to use the name “Owl Rock.” Under the License Agreement, we have a right to use the Owl Rock name for so long as the Adviser or one of its affiliates remains our investment adviser. Other than with respect to this limited license, we have no legal right to the “Owl Rock” name or logo.

 

Material Non‑Public Information

Our senior management, members of the Adviser’s investment committee and other investment professionals from the Adviser may serve as directors of, or in a similar capacity with, companies in which we invest or in which we are considering making an investment. Through these and other relationships with a company, these individuals may obtain material non‑public information that might restrict our ability to buy or sell the securities of such company under the policies of the company or applicable law.

 

Director Independence

Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, a majority of the Board will at all times consist of directors who are not “interested persons” of us, of the Adviser, or of any of our or its respective affiliates, as defined in the 1940 Act. We refer to these directors as our “Independent Directors.”

 

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Consistent with these considerations, after review of all relevant transactions and relationships between each director, or any of his or her family members, and the Company, the Adviser, or of any of their respective affiliates, the Board has determined that each of Messrs. Finn, Kaye, Temple, and D'Alelio is independent, has no material relationship with the Company, and is not an “interested person” (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) of the Company. Messrs. Ostrover, Packer, and Kirshenbaum are considered "interested persons" (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company since they are employed by the Adviser.

 

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, New York, New York, has been appointed by the Board to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP acted as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2019. The Company knows of no direct financial or material indirect financial interest of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in the Company. A representative of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will be available to answer questions during the Annual Meeting and will have an opportunity to make a statement if he or she desires to do so.

Fees

Set forth in the table below are audit fees, audit‑related fees, tax fees and all other fees billed to the Company by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for professional services performed for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2019

 

 

2018(1)

 

Audit Fees

 

$

700,000

 

 

$

250,000

 

Audit-Related Fees(2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tax Fees

 

 

52,500

 

 

 

58,000

 

All Other Fees(3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Fees

 

$

752,500

 

 

$

308,000

 

(1)

Reflects the period from July 12, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2018.

(2)

“Audit‑Related Fees” are those fees billed to the Company by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for services provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

(3)

“All Other Fees” are those fees, if any, billed to the Company by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in connection with permitted non‑audit services.

Pre‑Approval Policies and Procedures

The Audit Committee has established a pre‑approval policy that describes the permitted audit, audit‑related, tax and other services to be provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. The policy requires that the Audit Committee pre‑approve the audit and non‑audit services performed by the independent auditor in order to assure that the provision of such service does not impair the auditor’s independence.

Any requests for audit, audit‑related, tax and other services that have not received general pre‑approval must be submitted to the Audit Committee for specific pre‑approval, irrespective of the amount, and cannot commence until such approval has been granted. Normally, pre‑approval is provided at regularly scheduled meetings of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee does not delegate its responsibilities to pre‑approve services performed by the independent registered public accounting firm to management.

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Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.

The following documents are filed as part of this annual report:

 

(1)

Financial Statements – Financial statements are included in Item 8. See the Index to the Consolidated Financial Statements on page F-1 of this annual report on Form 10-K.

 

(2)

Financial Statement Schedules – None. We have omitted financial statement schedules because they are not required or are not applicable, or the required information is shown in the consolidated statements or notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this annual report on Form 10-K.

 

(3)

Exhibits – The following is a list of all exhibits filed as a part of this annual report on Form 10-K, including those incorporated by reference

Please note that the agreements included as exhibits to this Form 10-K are included to provide information regarding their terms and are not intended to provide any other factual or disclosure information about us or the other parties to the agreements. The agreements contain representations and warranties by each of the parties to the applicable agreement that have been made solely for the benefit of the other parties to the applicable agreement and may not describe the actual state of affairs as of the date they were made or at any other time.

The following exhibits are filed as part of this report or hereby incorporated by reference to exhibits previously filed with the SEC:

 

Exhibit

Number

 

 

Description of Exhibits

 

3.1

 

Articles of Amendment and Restatement, dated August 9, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, filed on August 10, 2018).

 

 

 

3.2

 

Bylaws, dated July 18, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, filed on August 10, 2018).

 

 

 

4.1

 

Form of Subscription Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10, filed on September 17, 2018).

 

 

 

4.2*

 

Description of Registrant’s Securities.

 

 

 

10.1

 

Investment Advisory Agreement between the Company and the Adviser, dated August 10, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 filed on August 10, 2018).

 

 

 

10.2

 

Administration Agreement between the Company and the Adviser, dated August 10, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 filed on August 10, 2018).

 

 

 

10.3

 

Dividend Reinvestment Plan effective as of August 10, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 filed on August 10, 2018).

 

 

 

10.4

 

Custody Agreement by and between the Company and State Street Bank and Trust Company, dated August 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 filed on August 10, 2018).

 

 

 

10.5

 

License Agreement between the Company and Owl Rock Capital Partners LP, dated August 10, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 filed on August 10, 2018).

 

 

 

105


 

 

Exhibit

Number

 

 

Description of Exhibits

 

10.6

 

Revolving Credit Agreement dated November 19, 2018, between Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp. as the Initial borrower, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as the Administrative Agent, Letter of Credit Issuer and a Lender, and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as the Sole Bookrunner and the Sole Lead Arranger (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed on November 21, 2018).

 

 

 

10.7

 

Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement dated as of March 15, 2019, between Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp., as Borrower, the lenders from time to time parties thereto, SunTrust Bank as Administrative Agent and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. and ING Capital LLC as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's current report on Form 8-K, filed on March 19, 2019).

 

 

 

10.8

 

First Amendment to Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of June 6, 2019, by and among Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp., as the Initial Borrower, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as the Administrative Agent for the Secured Parties and as a Lender (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed on August 7, 2019).

 

 

 

10.9*

 

Second Amendment to Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of December 19, 2019, by and among Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp., as the Initial Borrower, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as the Administrative Agent for the Secured Parties and as a Lender.

 

 

 

21.1*

 

Subsidiaries.

 

 

 

24

 

Power of attorney (included on the signature page hereto).

 

 

 

31.1*

 

Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

31.2*

 

Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

32.1**

 

Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

 

 

32.2**

 

Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

________________

*Filed herein

**Furnished herein.

 

 

 

Item 16. Form 10-K Summary

Not applicable.

106


 

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

Owl Rock Technology Finance Corp.

 

 

 

 

 

Date: February 25, 2020

 

By:

 

/s/ Alan Kirshenbaum

 

 

 

 

Alan Kirshenbaum

 

 

 

 

Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

 

Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Craig W. Packer and Alan Kirshenbaum, and each of them, such person’s true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and revocation, for such person and in such person’s name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign one or more Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal December 31, 2019, and any and all amendments thereto, and to file same with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as such person might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents and each of them, or their or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant in the capacities indicated on February 25, 2020.

 

Name

 

Title

 

 

 

 

/s/ Craig W. Packer

 

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Craig W. Packer

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Alan Kirshenbaum

 

Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director

Alan Kirshenbaum

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Douglas I. Ostrover

 

Director

Douglas I. Ostrover

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Edward D’Alelio

 

Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors

Edward D’Alelio

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Christopher M. Temple

 

Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee

Christopher M. Temple

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Eric Kaye

 

Director and Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Eric Kaye

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Brian Finn

 

Director

Brian Finn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

107