Chicago Atlantic BDC Inc

NOTE 1 — ORGANIZATION

Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc. (formerly, Silver Spike Investment Corp.) (an emerging growth company)(the “Company”, “we” or “our”)was formed on January 25, 2021 as a Maryland corporation structured as an externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company. The Company has elected to be treated as a business development company (“BDC”), under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). In addition, for U.S. federal income tax purposes the Company adopted an initial tax year end of December 31, 2021, and was taxed as a corporation for the tax period ended December 31, 2021. The Company adopted the tax year end of March 31 and elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) for the tax period January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022, as well as maintain such election in future taxable years. However, there is no guarantee that the Company will qualify to make such an election for any taxable year.

On February 4, 2022, the Company’s common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “SSIC,” and we completed our initial public offering of 6,214,286 shares of our common stock, par value $0.01, inclusive of an over-allotment option that was exercised on March 1, 2022 (“IPO”), for approximately $87 million.

The Company is managed by Chicago Atlantic BDC Advisers, LLC (formerly, Silver Spike Capital, LLC) (“Adviser”), a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Adviser has engaged SS&C Technologies, Inc. and ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“SS&C”), as sub-administrator, to perform administrative services necessary for the Company to operate.

The Company’s investment objective is to maximize risk-adjusted returns on equity for its shareholders. The Company seeks to drive return on equity by generating current income from debt investments and capital appreciation from equity and equity-related investments. The Company intends to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in private leveraged lower middle-market and middle-market companies in highly complex and highly regulated industries typically underserved by other capital providers, including investing across the cannabis ecosystem through investments in the form of direct loans to privately held cannabis companies. The Company’s debt investments are often secured by either a first or second priority lien on the assets of the portfolio company, can include either fixed or floating rate terms and will generally have a term of between three andsix years from the original investment date. Although the Company focuses on investments in the cannabis industry, the Company may also invest in growth capital and technology companies, esoteric and asset-based lending opportunities, and liquidity solutions opportunities.

On February 20, 2024, the Company announced that the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) unanimously approved an expansion of the Company’s investment strategy to permit investments in companies outside of the cannabis and health and wellness sectors that otherwise meet the Company’s investment criteria. The investment strategy change became effective on April 22, 2024.

On October 1, 2024, the Company completed its previously announced acquisition from Chicago Atlantic Loan Portfolio, LLC (“CALP”) of a portfolio of loans (the “Loan Portfolio”) in exchange for newly issued shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Loan Portfolio Acquisition”), pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, dated as of February 18, 2024, between the Company and CALP (the “Loan Portfolio Acquisition Agreement”). In accordance with the terms of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition Agreement, at the effective time of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition, the Company issued 16,605,372 shares of its common stock to CALP in exchange for the Loan Portfolio, which was determined by the Company to have a fair value of $219,621,125 as of September 28, 2024. See “Note 12 – Subsequent Events” for further information regarding the Loan Portfolio Acquisition.

On October 1, 2024, the Adviser and Chicago Atlantic BDC Holdings, LLC (together with its affiliates, “Chicago Atlantic”), the investment adviser of CALP, consummated a previously announced transaction pursuant to which a joint venture between Chicago Atlantic and the Adviser has been created to combine and jointly operate the Adviser’s, and a portion of Chicago Atlantic’s, investment management businesses (the “Joint Venture”). As the Joint Venture caused the automatic termination of the prior investment advisory agreement between the Company and the Adviser (the “Prior Investment Advisory Agreement”), a new investment advisory agreement between the Company and the Adviser (the “New Investment Advisory Agreement”), which was approved by the Board, upon the recommendation of its special committee, and the Company’s stockholders, took effect upon the closing of the Joint Venture. The New Investment Advisory Agreement has the same base management and incentive fee as, and otherwise does not materially differ from, the Prior Investment Advisory Agreement.

On October 1, 2024, in connection with the New Investment Advisory Agreement, the Company entered into a new license agreement (the “New License Agreement”) with the Adviser pursuant to which the Adviser has agreed to grant the Company a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to use the name “Chicago Atlantic.” Under the New License Agreement, the Company will have a right to use the “Chicago Atlantic” 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 “Chicago Atlantic” name. The New License Agreement does not materially differ from the prior license agreement between the Company and the Adviser, other than with respect to the licensed name.

On October 1, 2024, in connection with the New Investment Advisory Agreement, the Company and the Adviser entered into an expense limitation agreement (the “Expense Limitation Agreement”) pursuant to which the Adviser has agreed to cap the Company’s operating expenses (excluding base management fees, incentive fees, expenses related to the Loan Portfolio Acquisition, and litigation and indemnification expenses) at an annualized rate of 2.15% of the Company’s net assets through September 30, 2025.

In connection with the Loan Portfolio Acquisition and the Joint Venture, the Board and the officers of the Company have changed as follows: (i) Frederick C. Herbst (Independent Director), John Mazarakis (Partner at Chicago Atlantic), and Jason Papastavrou (Independent Director) have joined the Board, to serve until the 2025, 2026, and 2027 annual meetings of stockholders, respectively, and until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified; (ii) Andreas Bodmeier (Partner at Chicago Atlantic) has replaced Mr. Gordon as Chief Executive Officer of the Company; (iii) Mr. Gordon has become Executive Chairman of the Board and Co-Chief Investment Officer of the Company; (iv) Umesh Mahajan has become Co-Chief Investment Officer of the Company in addition to remaining Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Company; and (v) Dino Colonna (Partner at the Adviser) has become the President of the Company.

In addition, in connection with the Loan Portfolio Acquisition and the Joint Venture, the Company has been renamed “Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc.,” and its ticker symbol has been changed to “LIEN,” and the Adviser has been renamed “Chicago Atlantic BDC Advisers, LLC.” The changes to the Company’s name and ticker symbol became effective in the market at the open of business on October 2, 2024.

NOTE 2 — SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The Company’s financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), including the requirements under ASC 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies and Articles 6 and 12 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management, all adjustments of a normal recurring nature considered necessary for the fair presentation of the financial statements for the interim period presented have been made, and such adjustments are normal and recurring in nature. The current period’s results of operations are not necessarily indicative of results that may be achieved for the year.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions affecting reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements(i.e. fair value of investments)and the reported amounts of income, expenses, and gains and losses during the reported period. These estimates are based on the information that is currently available to the Company and on various other assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates under different assumptions and conditions.

Investment Valuation

The Company’s investments are recorded at their estimated fair value on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Investments for which market quotations are readily available will typically be 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 are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, as the Company’s valuation designee (the “Valuation Designee”), based on inputs that may include valuations, or ranges of valuations, provided by independent third-party valuation firm(s) engaged by the Adviser. Generally, the valuation approach used for debt investments is the income approach. The approach derives a value based on either determining the present value of a projected level of cash flow, including a terminal value, or by the capitalization of a normalized measure of future cash flow. The discounted cash flow (“DCF”) method, one of the methodologies under the income approach, involves estimating future cash flows under various scenarios and discounting them to the measurement date. The discount rate represents a return required by a market participant in order to make an investment in the subject company.

Alternatively, the market approach or asset approach may be used. The market approach is a way of determining a value indication by using one or more methods that compare the portfolio company to similar businesses. Value indicators are applied to relevant financial information of the entity being valued to estimate its fair value. There are two methodologies to consider under the market approach: the guideline company method (“GCM”) and the controlling transaction method (“CTM”). The GCM is based on the premise that the pricing multiples of comparable publicly traded companies can be used as a tool to value privately held companies. The publicly traded companies’ ratios and business enterprise value provide guidance in the valuation process. Considerations of factors such as size, growth, profitability and return on investment are also analyzed and compared to the subject business. The CTM is based on the same premise as the GCM. Guideline transactions include change-of-control transactions involving public or private businesses for companies engaged in similar lines of business or with similar economic characteristics. The valuation considers the price at which the merger or acquisition took place to other factors in order to create a pricing multiple that can be used to determine an estimate of value for the subject company.

The asset approach provides an indication of the portfolio company’s value by developing a valuation-based balance sheet. This approach requires adjusting the historical assets and liabilities listed on the U.S. GAAP-based balance sheet to estimated fair values. The excess of assets over liabilities represents the tangible value of the business enterprise. The asset approach does not consider the relevant earnings capacity of a going concern business.

Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Board designated the Adviser as the Valuation Designee to perform the fair value determinations for the Company, subject to the oversight of the Board and certain Board reporting and other requirements.

As part of the valuation process, the Adviser 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. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, the Adviser considers whether the pricing indicated by the external event corroborates its valuation.

The Adviser undertakes a multi-step valuation process, which includes, among other procedures, the following:

We conduct this valuation process on a quarterly basis.

We apply Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 820, Fair Value Measurement (“ASC 820”), 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 the 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:

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 previously.

Equity Securities and Warrants

The Company may be issued warrants by issuers as yield enhancements. These warrants are recorded as assets at estimated fair value on the grant date. The Company determines the cost basis of the warrants or other equity securities received based upon their respective fair values on the date of receipt in proportion to the total fair value of the debt and warrants or other equity securities received. Depending on the facts and circumstances, the Company generally utilizes a combination of one or several forms of the market approach and contingent claim analyses (a form of option analysis) to estimate the fair value of the securities as of the measurement date and determines the cost basis using a relative fair value methodology. As part of its application of the market approach, the Company estimates the enterprise value of a portfolio company utilizing customary pricing multiples, based on the development stage of the underlying issuers, or other appropriate valuation methods, such as considering recent transactions in the equity securities of the portfolio company or third-party valuations that are assessed to be indicative of fair value of the respective portfolio company. If appropriate, based on the facts and circumstances, the Company performs an allocation of the enterprise value to the equity securities utilizing a contingent claim analysis and/or other waterfall calculation by which it allocates the enterprise value across the portfolio company’s warrants and other equity securities in order of their preference relative to one another.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consists of funds deposited with financial institutions and short-term (maturity of 90 days or less) liquid investments and money market funds. Funds held in money market funds are considered Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy in accordance with ASC 820. Cash held in demand deposit accounts may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insured limit. The Company has not incurred any losses on these accounts, and the credit risk exposure is mitigated by the financial strength of the banking institution where the accounts are held. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, cash and cash equivalents consisted of $30.11 million and $32.61 million, respectively, of which $30.11 million and $32.61 million, respectively, was held in the State Street Institutional U.S. Government Money Market Fund.

Earnings per share

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividingnet increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operationsby the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Other potentially dilutive common shares, and the related impact to earnings are considered when calculating earnings per share on a diluted basis using the treasury stock method.

Investment Transactions

Investment transactions are recorded on trade date. Realized gains or losses are recognized as 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 written off during the period, net of recoveries. Current-period changes in fair value of investments are reflected as a component of the net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments on the Statements of Operations. The net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) primarily reflects the change in investment fair values as of the last business day of the reporting period, including the reversal of previously recorded unrealized gains or losses with respect to investments realized during the period.

Investments traded but not yet settled, if any, are reported in payable for investments purchased and receivable for investments sold on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

Interest and Dividend Income

Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis and includes accretion and amortization of discounts or premiums, respectively. Discounts and premiums to par value on securities purchased are accreted and amortized, respectively, into interest income over the contractual life of the respective security using the effective yield method. The amortized cost of investments includes the original cost adjusted for the accretion and amortization of discounts and premiums, respectively. Upon prepayment of a loan or debt security, any prepayment premiums and unamortized discounts or premiums are recorded as interest income in the current period.

When a debt security becomes 90 days or more past due, or if management otherwise does not expect that principal, interest, and other obligations due will be collected in full, the Company will generally place the debt security on non-accrual status and cease recognizing interest income on that debt security until all principal and interest due has been paid or the Company believes the borrower has demonstrated the ability to repay its current and future contractual obligations. Any uncollected interest is reversed from income in the period that collection of the interest receivable is determined to be doubtful. However, the Company may make exceptions to this policy if the investment has sufficient collateral value and is in the process of collection. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, there wereno loan investments in the portfolio placed on non-accrual status.

Interest income earned, excluding accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums, was $2,534,647 and $7,702,298 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively. Interest income earned, excluding accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums, was $2,756,231 and $7,674,961 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, $1,635,943 and $1,755,360, respectively, were recorded as interest receivable.

As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company had $42,550 and $0, respectively, of unearned interest income, which represents interest received in advance but not yet earned. This amount is recorded as a liability on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities and will be recognized as income over the remaining term of the respective loans.

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.

Certain investments may have contractual PIK interest or dividends. PIK interest or dividends represents accrued interest or dividends that is added to the principal amount of the investment on the respective interest or dividend payment dates rather than being paid in cash and generally becomes due at maturity. If PIK interest or dividends are not expected to be realized by the Company, the investment generating PIK interest or dividends will be placed on non-accrual status. When an investment with PIK is placed on non-accrual status, the accrued, uncapitalized interest or dividends are generally reversed through interest or dividend income, respectively.

Fee Income

All transaction fees earned in connection with our investments are recognized as fee income and are generally non-recurring. Such fees typically include fees for services, including administrative, structuring (including with respect to amendments) and advisory services, provided to portfolio companies. We recognize income from fees for providing such structuring and advisory services when the services are rendered or the transactions are completed, and payment is received (generally immediately).

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company earned $489,176 and $813,926, respectively, in fee income. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company earned $31,250 and $162,500, respectively, in fee income. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, $401,313 and $0, respectively, of fee income is included as Other receivable in the Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

Income Taxes

The Company adopted an initial tax year end of December 31, 2021 and was taxed as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes for the tax period ended December 31, 2021. The Company adopted the tax year end of March 31, 2022 and elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code for the tax period January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022, and intends to maintain such election in the current and future taxable years. To maintain its tax treatment as a RIC, the Company must meet specified source-of-income and asset diversification requirements and timely distribute to its stockholders for each taxable year at least 90% of its investment company taxable income. 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 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 (subject to the requirement to distribute 90% of its investment company taxable income as described above), may carry forward taxable income in excess of calendar year dividends and pay a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on this income. If the Company chooses to do so, this generally would increase expenses and reduce the amount available to be distributed to stockholders. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company recorded $31,314 for excise tax. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company didnot accrue any excise tax. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, $0 and $10,655, respectively, of accrued excise taxes remained payable.

The Company evaluates tax positions taken in the course of preparing the Company’s tax returns to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the applicable tax authority in accordance with ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). Tax benefits of positions not deemed to meet the more-likely-than-not threshold, or uncertain tax positions, would be recorded as tax expense in the current year. It is the Company’s policy to recognize accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax benefits in income tax expense.

Based on the analysis of the Company’s tax position, the Company hasno uncertain tax positions that met the recognition or measurement criteria as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023. The Company does not anticipate any significant increase or decrease in unrecognized tax benefits for the next twelve months. All of the Company’s tax returns remain subject to examination by U.S. federal and state tax authorities.

Distributions to common stockholders are recorded on the record date. The amount of taxable income to be paid out as a distribution is determined by our Board each quarter and is generally based upon the future taxable income estimated by management. Capital gains, if any, are distributed at least annually, although the Company may decide to retain all or some of those capital gains for investment and pay U.S. federal income tax at corporate rates on those retained amounts. If the Company chooses to do so, this generally will increase expenses and reduce the amount available to be distributed to stockholders. Our distributions may exceed our earnings, and therefore, portions of the distributions that we make may be a return of the money originally invested and represent a return of capital distribution to shareholders for tax purposes.

Offering Costs

These costs 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.

Costs associated with the offering of common shares of the Company are capitalized as deferred offering and, if any, are included in deferred offering costs on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, deferred offering costs were $1,125,739 and $0, respectively. The deferred offering costs will be charged to capital upon the issuance of shares subsequent to the completion of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, no offering costs were charged to capital. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, there were $986,806 and $0, respectively, of offering costs payable by the Company.

Transaction expenses related to the Loan Portfolio Acquisition

Cumulative transaction expenses related to the Loan Portfolio Acquisition at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 were $5,780,326 and $711,264, respectively, and consisted primarily of legal fees incurred related to the Loan Portfolio Acquisition. See “Note 12 – Subsequent Events” for further information regarding the Loan Portfolio Acquisition.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company incurred transaction expenses related to the Loan Portfolio Acquisition of $2,429,993 and $5,069,062, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company didnot incur any transaction expenses related to the Loan Portfolio Acquisition. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, there were $4,795,549 and $711,264, respectively, of transaction expenses related to the Loan Portfolio Acquisition payable by the Company.

Deferred Financing Costs

Deferred financing costs consist of origination expenses incurred in connection with the anticipated closing of a credit facility, and may include legal, accounting, and other related expenses. These costs are deferred and will be amortized using the straight-line method over the term of the applicable credit facility.

New Accounting Standards

In November 2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280), which improves reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. The amendment is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. We do not believe that the Company will be materially impacted by the adoption of ASU 2023-07.

In December 2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) No. 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (“ASU 2023-09”),” which improves the transparency of income tax disclosures. ASU 2023-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024 and is to be adopted on a prospective basis with the option to apply retrospectively. We are currently evaluating the impact this ASU will have on our financial position and disclosures, but we do not believe that the Company will be materially impacted by the adoption of ASU 2023-09.

NOTE 3 — INVESTMENTS

The Company’s investments in portfolio companies are primarily in the form of debt investments (secured and unsecured), but may include equity warrants, direct equity investments and derivative investments.

Debt Investments

The Company’s debt investments typically pay interest with some amortization of principal. As of September 30, 2024,76.5% of the debt investments (based on amortized cost) pay interest on a floating rate basis with a PRIME floor, and 23.5% of the debt investments (based on amortized cost) pay fixed interest. As of December 31, 2023,84.9% of the debt investments (based on amortized cost) pay interest on a floating rate basis with a PRIME floor, and 15.1% of the debt investments (based on amortized cost) pay fixed interest. We will generally seek to obtain security interests in the assets of our portfolio companies that serve as collateral in support of the repayment of these debt investments. This collateral may take the form of first or second priority liens on the assets of a portfolio company.

We expect that our debt investments will typically have final maturities ofthree tosix years. However, we expect that our portfolio companies often may repay these debt investments early, generally within three years from the date of initial investment.

Warrant Investments

In connection with the Company’s debt investments, the Company may receive warrants in the portfolio company. Warrants received in connection with a debt investment typically include a potentially discounted contract price to exercise, and thus, as a portfolio company appreciates in value, the Company may achieve additional investment return from this equity interest. The warrants typically contain provisions that protect the Company as a minority-interest holder, as well as secured or unsecured put rights, or rights to sell such securities back to the portfolio company, upon the occurrence of specified events. In certain cases, the Company may also obtain follow-up rights in connection with these equity interests, which allow the Company to participate in future financing rounds.

Equity Investments

In specific circumstances, the Company may seek to make direct equity investments in situations where it is appropriate to align the interests of the Company with key management and stockholders of the portfolio company, and to allow for participation in the appreciation in the equity values of the portfolio company. These equity investments are generally made in connection with debt investments.

Derivative Investments

A portion of our portfolio may be comprised of derivatives, including total return swaps. No such derivative instruments were held as of September 30, 2024 or December 31, 2023.

Portfolio Composition

The Company’s portfolio investments are primarily in companies conducting business in or supporting the cannabis industries. The following tables summarize the composition of the Company’s portfolio investments by industry at amortized cost and fair value and as a percentage of the total portfolio as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

The geographic composition is determined by the location of headquarters of the portfolio company. The following tables summarize the composition of the Company’s portfolio investments by geographic region of the United States at amortized cost and fair value and as a percentage of the total portfolio as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023. Geographic regions are defined as: West, for the states of WA, OR, ID, MT, WY, CO, AK, HI, UT, NV and CA; Midwest, for the states ND, SD, NE, KS, MO, IA, MN, WI, MI, IL, IN and OH; Northeast, for the states PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH and ME; Southeast, for the states of AR, LA, MS, TN, KY, AL, FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, DE, WV and MD; and Southwest, for the states of AZ, NM, TX and OK.

The following tables summarize the composition of the Company’s portfolio investments by investment type at amortized cost and fair value and as a percentage of the total portfolio as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

Certain Risk Factors

In the ordinary course of business, the Company manages a variety of risks including market risk, concentration risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, interest rate risk, prepayment risk, risks associated with financial, economic and other global market developments and disruptions, including those arising from war, terrorism, market manipulation, government interventions, defaults and shutdowns, political changes or diplomatic developments, public health emergencies (such as the spread of infectious diseases, pandemics and epidemics) and natural/environmental disasters, which can all negatively impact the securities markets generally. These events can also impair the technology and other operational systems upon which the Company’s service providers rely and could otherwise disrupt the Company’s service providers’ ability to fulfill their obligations to the Company. The Company identifies, measures and monitors risk through various control mechanisms, including trading limits and diversifying exposures and activities across a variety of instruments, markets and counterparties.

Market risk is the risk of potential adverse changes to the value of financial instruments because of changes in market conditions, including as a result of changes in the credit quality of a particular issuer, credit spreads, interest rates, and other movements and volatility in security prices or commodities. In particular, the Company may invest in issuers that are experiencing or have experienced financial or business difficulties (including difficulties resulting from the initiation or prospect of significant litigation or bankruptcy proceedings), which involves significant risks. The Company manages its exposure to market risk through the use of risk management strategies and various analytical monitoring techniques.

Concentration risk is the risk that the Company’s focus on investments in cannabis companies may subject the Company to greater price volatility and risk of loss as a result of adverse economic, business or other developments affecting cannabis companies than funds investing in a broader range of industries or sectors. At times, the performance of investments in cannabis companies will lag the performance of other industries or sectors or the broader market as a whole. Investing in portfolio companies involved in the cannabis industry subjects us to the following risks:

Any of the foregoing could have an adverse impact on our and our portfolio companies’ businesses, financial condition and results of operations.

Credit risk is the risk that a decline in the credit quality of an investment could cause the Company to lose money. The Company could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a portfolio security fails to make timely payment or otherwise honor its obligations. Fixed income securities rated below investment grade (high-yield bonds) involve greater risks of default or downgrade and are generally more volatile than investment grade securities. Below investment grade securities involve greater risk of price declines than investment grade securities due to actual or perceived changes in an issuer’s creditworthiness. In addition, issuers of below investment grade securities may be more susceptible than other issuers to economic downturns. Such securities are subject to the risk that the issuer may not be able to pay interest or dividends and ultimately to repay principal upon maturity. Discontinuation of these payments could substantially adversely affect the market value of the security.

The Company’s investments may, at any time, include securities and other financial instruments or obligations that are illiquid or thinly traded, making purchase or sale of such securities and financial instruments at desired prices or in desired quantities difficult. Furthermore, the sale of any such investments may be possible only at substantial discounts, and it may be extremely difficult to value any such investments accurately.

Interest rate risk refers to the change in earnings that may result from changes in the level of interest rates. To the extent that the Company borrows money to make investments, including under any credit facility, net investment income (loss) will be affected by the difference between the rate at which the Company borrows funds and the rate at which the Company invests these funds. In periods of rising interest rates, the Company’s cost of borrowing funds would increase, which may reduce net investment income (loss). As a result, there can be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on net investment income (loss).

Prepayment risk is the risk that a loan in the Company’s portfolio will prepay due to the existence of favorable financing market conditions that allow the portfolio company the ability to replace existing financing with less expensive capital. As market conditions change, prepayment may be possible for each portfolio company. In some cases, the prepayment of a loan may reduce the Company’s achievable yield if the capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater expected yields, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

NOTE 4 — FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

ASC 820 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and establishes a fair value hierarchy based on the quality of inputs used to measure fair value and enhances disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The Company accounts for its investments at fair value. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company’s portfolio investments consisted primarily of investments in secured loans and secured notes. The fair value amounts have been measured as of the reporting date and have not been reevaluated or updated for purposes of these financial statements subsequent to that date. As such, the fair values of these financial instruments subsequent to the reporting date may be different than amounts reported.

The fair value determination of each portfolio investment categorized as Level 3 required one or more unobservable inputs.

The use of significant unobservable inputs creates uncertainty in the measurement of fair value as of the reporting date. The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company’s debt investments may vary and may include debt investments’ yield (i.e. discount rate) and volatility assumptions. The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company’s equity and warrant investments may vary and may include EBITDA multiples, revenue multiples and asset multiples.

The Company’s investments measured at fair value by investment type on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 were as follows:

The following tables provide a summary of the significant unobservable inputs used to fair value the Level 3 portfolio investments as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023. The methodology for the determination of the fair value of the Company’s investments is discussed in “Note 2 – Significant Accounting Policies”. Discount rate ranges are shown as spread over PRIME and Treasuries, respectively, for Senior Secured First Lien Term Loans, as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

(1) The weighted average is calculated based on the fair value of each investment.

Significant increases (decreases) in discount rate in isolation would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value assessment. Significant increases (decreases) in volatility in isolation would result in a significantly lower (higher) fair value assessment.

The following tables provide a summary of changes in the fair value of the Company’s Level 3 portfolio investments for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023:

NOTE 5 — RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement between the Company and the Adviser (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), fees payable to the Adviser are equal to (a) a base management fee of 1.75% of the average value of the Company’s gross assets at the end of thetwo most recent quarters (i.e., total assets held before deduction of any liabilities), which includes investments acquired with the use of leverage and excludes cash and cash equivalents and (b) an incentive fee based on the Company’s performance. The incentive fee consists of two parts. The first part is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears and equals 20% of the Company’s “Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income” for the quarter, subject to a preferred return, or “hurdle,” of 1.75% per quarter (7% annualized), and a “catch-up” feature. The second part is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each fiscal year (or upon termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement) and equals 20% of the Company’s realized capital gains on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of the fiscal year, if any, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gain incentive fee (the “Incentive Fee on Capital Gains”).

While the Investment Advisory Agreement neither includes nor contemplates the inclusion of unrealized gains in the calculation of the Incentive Fee on Capital Gains, as required by U.S. GAAP, we accrue the Incentive Fee on Capital Gains on unrealized capital appreciation exceeding unrealized depreciation. This accrual reflects the Incentive Fee on Capital Gains that would be payable to the Adviser if the Company’s entire investment portfolio was liquidated at its fair value as of the balance sheet date even though the Adviser is not entitled to an Incentive Fee on Capital Gains with respect to unrealized capital appreciation unless and until such gains are actually realized.

The management fee is payable quarterly in arrears. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company incurred management fee expenses of $253,421 and $745,876, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company incurred management fee expenses of $264,565 and $760,473, respectively. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, $253,421 and $257,121, respectively, remained payable.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company incurred income-based incentive fee expenses of $0 and $328,503, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company incurred income-based incentive fee expenses of $405,247 and $1,051,741, respectively. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, $0 and $1,511,253, respectively, remained payable.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company incurred capital gains incentive fee expenses of $(35,904) and $37,465, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company incurred capital gains incentive fee expenses of $(5,000) and $0, respectively. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, $125,048 and $87,583, respectively, remained payable.

Pursuant to the administration agreement between the Company and the Adviser (the “Administration Agreement”), the Company is to reimburse the Adviser for the costs and expenses incurred by the Adviser in performing its obligations, including but not limited to maintaining and keeping all books and records and providing personnel and facilities. This includes costs and expenses incurred by the Adviser in connection with the delegation of its obligations to SS&C, the sub-administrator. The Company is generally not responsible for the compensation of the Adviser’s employees or any overhead expenses. However, we may reimburse the Adviser for an allocable portion of the compensation paid by the Adviser to our CCO and CFO and their respective staffs (based on a percentage of time such individuals devote, on an estimated basis, to our business affairs). For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Adviser has waived any expense reimbursement, other than those associated with the delegation of its obligations to the sub-administrator and the use of temporary accounting services.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company paid $499 and $499, respectively, for expenses paid on the Company’s behalf. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company paid $4,993 and $6,192, respectively, as reimbursement tothe Adviser for expenses paid on the Company’s behalf. Due to affiliate in the accompanying Statements of Assets and Liabilities in the amount of $51,142 and $0 as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, is due to the Adviser for expenses paid on the Company’s behalf.

The Adviser was the seed investor of the Company and provided initial funding to the Company by purchasing approximately 4.5 million shares of the Company’s common stock in the Company’s initial public offering. The Adviser provided this “seed capital” to the Company for the purpose of facilitating the launch and initial operation of the Company, as opposed to for long term investment purposes. In addition, CALP purchased approximately 16.6 million shares of the Company’s common stock in connection with the Loan Portfolio Acquisition with the intention of distributing such shares of the Company’s common stock to CALP’s members withinsix months of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition. The Adviser and CALP do not expect to hold the Company’s common stock indefinitely, and may sell the Company’s common stock, or distribute the Company’s common stock to their members (who may, in turn, sell the Company’s common stock subject to certain holding period requirements), at a future point in time. In order for the Adviser’s or CALP’s sales of the shares of the Company not to be deemed to have been made “on the basis of” material nonpublic information, such sales may be made pursuant to a pre-approved trading plan that complies with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act and that may obligate the Adviser or CALP to make recurring sales of the Company’s common stock on a periodic basis. Sales of substantial amounts of the Company’s common stock, including by the Adviser, CALP, their members or other large stockholders, or the availability of such common stock for sale, could adversely affect the prevailing market prices for the Company’s common stock. If this occurs and continues for a sustained period of time, it could impair the Company’s ability to raise additional capital through the sale of securities, should the Company desire to do so.

As of November 5, 2024, the Adviser and CALP collectively hold approximately 83% of the Company’s voting stock and have the ability to exercise substantial control over all corporate actions requiring stockholder approval, including the election and removal of directors, certain amendments of the Company’s charter, the Company’s ability to issue its common stock at a price below NAV per share, and the approval of any merger or other extraordinary corporate action.

The Adviser absorbed $1.23 million, representing the cost of the sales load (i.e., underwriting discounts and commissions) incurred by the Company in connection with the initial public offering of its common stock. The Company will not incur any additional expenses with this transaction.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Adviser and certain related parties received dividend distributions from the Company relating to their shares held. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Adviserand certain related parties received dividend distributions from the Company relating to their shares held. Refer to “Note 7 – Common Stock” for further details on the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan and the distributions declared.

NOTE 6 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Unfunded Commitments

The Company’s commitments and contingencies include unfunded commitments to extend credit in the form of loans to the Company’s portfolio companies. A portion of these unfunded contractual commitments are generally dependent upon the portfolio company reaching certain milestones before the debt commitment becomes available. Furthermore, the Company’s credit agreements with its portfolio companies generally contain customary lending provisions that allow the Company relief from funding obligations for previously made commitments in instances where the underlying portfolio company experiences materially adverse events that affect the financial condition or business outlook of the company. Since a portion of these commitments may expire without being drawn, unfunded contractual commitments do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. As such, the Company’s disclosure of unfunded contractual commitments as of September 30, 2024 includes only those commitments that are available at the request of the portfolio company and are unencumbered by milestones or additional lending provisions. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had outstanding commitments to fund investments totaling $1.5 million. The Company has identifiedno unfunded commitments as of December 31, 2023.

The Company did not have any other off-balance sheet financings or liabilities as of September 30, 2024 or December 31, 2023. The Company will fund its unfunded commitments, if any, from the same sources it uses to fund its investment commitments that are funded at the time they are made (which are typically through existing cash and cash equivalents) and maintains adequate liquidity to fund its unfunded commitments through these sources.

In the normal course of business, the Company enters into contracts that provide a variety of representations and warranties, and general indemnifications. Such contracts include those with certain service providers, brokers and trading counterparties. Any exposure to the Company under these arrangements is unknown as it would involve future claims that may be made against the Company; however, based on the Company’s experience, the risk of loss is remote and no such claims are expected to occur. As such, the Company has not accrued any liability in connection with such indemnifications.

Legal Proceedings

The Company may, from time to time, be involved in litigation arising out of its operations in the normal course of business or otherwise. Furthermore, third parties may try to seek to impose liability on the Company in connection with the activities of its portfolio companies. As of September 30, 2024, there are no material legal matters or material litigation pending of which the Company is aware.

NOTE 7 — COMMON STOCK

As of September 30, 2024,100,000,000 shares of $0.01 par value common stock were authorized.

The following table summarizes distributions declared and paid by the Company during the nine months ended September 30, 2024:

The following table summarizes distributions declared and paid by the Company during the nine months ended September 30, 2023:

The Company’s dividend reinvestment plan (“DRIP”) provides for the reinvestment of distributions in the form of common stock on behalf of its stockholders, unless a stockholder has elected to receive distributions in cash. As a result, if the Company declares a cash distribution, its stockholders who have not “opted out” of the DRIP by the opt out date will have their cash distribution automatically reinvested into additional shares of the Company’s common stock. The share requirements of the DRIP may be satisfied through the issuance of common shares or through open market purchases of common shares by the DRIP plan administrator.

The Company’s DRIP is administered by its transfer agent on behalf of the Company’s record holders and participating brokerage firms. Brokerage firms and other financial intermediaries may decide not to participate in the Company’s DRIP but may provide a similar dividend reinvestment plan for their clients. During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company issued the following shares of common stock under the DRIP:

Duringthe nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company issued the following shares of common stock under the DRIP:

NOTE 8 — INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Company’s organizational documents, the Company’s officers and directors are indemnified against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the Company. In addition, in the normal course of business the Company enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations which provide general indemnifications. The Company’s maximum exposure under these agreements cannot be known; however, the Company expects any risk of loss to be remote.

NOTE 9 — EARNINGS PER SHARE

The following table sets forth the computation of the weighted average basic and diluted net increase (decrease) in net assets per share from operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023:

NOTE 10 — INCOME TAXES

The Company adopted a tax year end of March 31 and elected to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Subchapter M of the Code. However, there is no guarantee that the Company will qualify to make such an election for any taxable year. As a RIC, the Company generally will not pay corporate-level income tax if it distributes to stockholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (“ICTI”) (which is generally its net ordinary taxable income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses) and 90% of its tax-exempt income to maintain its RIC status. Depending on the level of ICTI earned in a tax year, the Company may choose to carry forward ICTI in excess of the current year distribution into the next tax year. Any such carryover ICTI must be distributed before the end of that next tax year through a dividend declared prior to filing the final tax return related to the year which generated such ICTI. The amount to be paid out as a distribution is determined by the Board each quarter and is based upon the annual earnings estimated by the management of the Company. To the extent the Company’s earnings fall below the amount of dividend distributions declared, however, a portion of the total amount of the Company’s distributions for the tax year may be deemed a return of capital for tax purposes to the Company’s stockholders.

The amounts and sources of distributions reported are only estimates and are not being provided for U.S. federal income tax reporting purposes. The timing and character of distributions for U.S. federal income tax purposes will be determined in accordance with the U.S. federal tax rules which may differ from GAAP. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2024 will be made after the tax year-end and the amounts represented may be materially different from the amounts disclosed in the final Form 1099-DIV notice. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Company’s investment performance and may be subject to change based on tax regulations.

Because federal income tax regulations differ from GAAP, distributions in accordance with tax regulations may differ from net investment income and realized gains recognized for financial reporting purposes. Differences may be permanent or temporary in nature. Permanent differences are reclassified among the capital accounts in the financial statements to reflect their appropriate tax character. Temporary differences arise when certain items of income, expense, gain or loss are recognized in different periods for book and tax purposes.

The Company has not recorded a liability for any uncertain tax positions pursuant to the provisions of ASC 740, Income Taxes, as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to examination by federal and certain state and local tax regulators.

For tax purposes, net realized capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. Funds are permitted to carry forward capital losses for an indefinite period, and such losses will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses. As of March 31, 2024, the Company’s most recent tax year end, the Company had $210,767 of capital loss carryforwards, all of which is short-term.

The Company’s taxable income for each period is an estimate and will not be finally determined until the Company files its tax return for each year. Therefore, the final taxable income earned in each year and carried forward for distribution in the following year may be different than this estimate.

For the most recent tax year ended March 31, 2024, the Company reclassified $10,676 from distributable earnings to additional paid-in-capital on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities arising from permanent book to tax differences primarily related to non-deductible expenses. For the tax year ended March 31, 2023, the Company reclassified $121,099 from distributable earnings to additional paid-in-capital on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities arising from permanent book to tax differences primarily related to prior year post-financial statement updates and non-deductible excise tax.

For income tax purposes, distributions paid to shareholders are reported as ordinary income, return of capital, long-term capital gains, or a combination thereof. The tax character of distributions paid for the six months ended September 30, 2024 and the tax year ended March 31, 2024, were as follows:

As of March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis detailed below differ from the amounts reflected in the Company’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities by temporary book or tax differences primarily arising from the tax treatment of organizational costs, the tax treatment of transaction expenses related to the Loan Portfolio Acquisition, and the tax treatment of uncrystallized capital gain incentive fees.

The following table sets forth the tax cost basis and the estimated aggregate gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation from investments and cash equivalents for federal income tax purposes as of September 30, 2024, March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

NOTE 11 — FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

The following presents financial highlights for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023:

NOTE 12 — SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

The Company’s management evaluated subsequent events through the date on which the financial statements were issued. Other than the item listed below, there have been no subsequent events that occurred during such period that have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.

Loan Portfolio Acquisition

On October 1, 2024, the Company completed its previously announced acquisition from Chicago Atlantic Loan Portfolio, LLC (“CALP”) of a portfolio of loans (the “Loan Portfolio”) in exchange for newly issued shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Loan Portfolio Acquisition”), pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, dated as of February 18, 2024, between the Company and CALP (the “Loan Portfolio Acquisition Agreement”). In accordance with the terms of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition Agreement, at the effective time of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition, the Company issued 16,605,372 shares of its common stock to CALP in exchange for the Loan Portfolio, which was determined by the Company to have a fair value of $219,621,125 as of September 28, 2024. Upon the closing of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition, there were 22,820,367 shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding.

The Loan Portfolio Acquisition will be accounted for as an asset acquisition by the Company, with the Loan Portfolio accounted for at fair value both at the acquisition date and prospectively. The transaction costs incurred by the Company for the asset acquisition were expensed as incurred, because the acquired assets consist of a loan portfolio that is accounted for prospectively at fair value. In addition to transaction costs, there were deferred offering costs associated with the issuance of equity securities which were capitalized and charged to capital upon the issuance of shares of the Company’s common stock concurrently with the completion of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition.

The following table sets forth certain unaudited information, as of September 28, 2024, for each debt investment added to the Company’s portfolio upon the closing of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition.

The transaction fair value determinations in the above table were made pursuant to the requirements of, and solely for the purposes of, the Loan Portfolio Acquisition Agreement. The transaction fair value information was not audited or reviewed or approved for purposes of financial statement preparation or as part of a comprehensive statement of the Company’s financial results. In that regard, there can be no assurance that the Company’s final results for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024 will not differ materially from this information. The information presented in the above table should not be viewed as a substitute for interim financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”). The financial data included in the above table has been prepared by, and is the responsibility of, the Company’s management.

Subsequent Investments

On October 4, 2024, the Company exited its debt investment in Story of Maryland, LLC. The Company received payment in full of $9.01 million on its first lien senior secured delayed draw term loan.

On October 11, 2024, the Company invested an additional $6.82 million in STIIIZY, Inc.’s first lien senior secured term loan maturing on May 26, 2027 for a net consideration of $6.68 million.

On October 23, 2024, the Company funded the $5.00 million unfunded commitment that the Company assumed in connection with the Loan Portfolio Acquisition with respect to Deep Roots Harvest, Inc.’s first lien senior secured term loan maturing on August 15, 2027 for a net consideration of $4.86 million.

On November 4, 2024, the Company invested $3.00 million in Tulip.IO Inc.’s first lien senior secured term loan maturing on November 4, 2028 for a net consideration of $2.97 million.