Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc.
For the period ended Mar 31, 2025. Filed May 14, 2025.
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Mar 31, 2025 · Filed May 14, 2025
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Notes to Financial Statements
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, and has maintained (and intends to continue to maintain) such election in subsequent taxable years. However, there is no guarantee that the Company will qualify to make such an election for any taxable year.
The Company is managed by Chicago Atlantic BDC Advisers, LLC (formerly, Silver Spike Capital, LLC) (the “Adviser”), a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). 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 is a specialty finance company focused on investing in 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. Although the Company focuses on investments in the cannabis industry, the Company may also invest in growth and technology companies, esoteric and asset-based lending opportunities, and liquidity solutions opportunities.
The Company’s investment objective is to maximize risk-adjusted returns on equity for its shareholders. The Company seeks to capitalize on, among other things, what it believes to be nascent cannabis industry growth, and drive return on equity by generating current income from its debt investments and capital appreciation from its equity and equity-related investments. The Company intends to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in secured debt, unsecured debt, equity warrants and direct equity investments in privately held businesses. The Company intends that its debt investments will often be 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.
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.
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”).
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”). The Company is an investment company following the accounting and reporting requirements set forth in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 946, Financial Services—Investment Companies and Articles 6 and 12 of Regulation S-X. The financial statements reflect all adjustments and reclassification that, in the opinion of management, are necessary for the fair presentation of results of operations and financial condition as of and for the periods presented. The current period’s results of operations are not necessarily indicative of results that may be achieved for the year ending December 31, 2025.
Reclassifications
Certain reclassifications have been made in the presentation of prior year financial statements and accompanying notes to conform to the presentation as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2025.
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 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.
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 March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, cash and cash equivalents consisted of $14.9 million and $23.9 million, respectively, all of which are held with high credit quality financial institutions, which are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Investment Transactions
Investment transactions are recorded on the 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 the fair value of investments are reflected as a component of the net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) from investments on the Statements of Operations. The net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) primarily reflects the change in fair value of investments 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 Statements of Assets and Liabilities.
Investment Valuation
The Company’s investments are recorded at their estimated fair value on the Statements 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, the Adviser 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 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 public company method (“GPC”) and the controlling transaction method (“CTM”). The GPC method 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 GPC. 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:
| • | 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; |
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| • | With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, the valuation process begins with the Adviser’s valuation committee establishing a preliminary valuation of each investment, which may be based on valuations, or ranges of valuations, provided by independent valuation firm(s); |
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| • | Preliminary valuations are documented and discussed by the Adviser’s valuation committee and, where appropriate, the independent valuation firm(s); and |
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| • | The Adviser determines the fair value of each investment. |
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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:
| • | Level 1 – Valuations based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that we have the ability to access at the measurement date; |
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| • | Level 2 – Valuations based on quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, or quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly; and |
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| • | Level 3 – Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. |
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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 portfolio companies as yield enhancements in connection with a related debt investment. 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.
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.
Revenue Recognition
Interest Income
Interest income is recorded on an 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.
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.
Dividend Income
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.
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).
Non-Accrual Policy
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 interest receivable is reversed from income in the period that a loan is placed on non-accrual status. However, the Company may make exceptions to this policy if the investment has sufficient collateral value and is in the process of collection. 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. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, there wereno investments placed on non-accrual status.
Unearned Revenue
The Company utilizes interest reserves on certain loans which are applied to future interest payments. Such reserves are established at the time of loan origination. The interest reserve is recorded as a liability as it represents unearned interest revenue. The interest reserve is relieved when the interest on the loan is earned, and interest income is recorded in the period when the interest is earned in accordance with the credit agreement. The interest payment is deducted from the interest reserve deposit balance on the date when the interest payment is due.
The decision to establish an interest reserve is made during the underwriting process and considers the creditworthiness and expertise of the borrower, and the debt coverage provided by the pledged collateral. It is the Company’s policy to recognize income for this interest component as long as the subject loan is performing as originally projected and if there has been no deterioration in the financial condition of the borrower. The Company’s standard accounting policies for interest income recognition are applied to all loans, including those with interest reserves. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company recorded $213,269 and $37,752, respectively, of prepaid interest reserves, which are presented as unearned interest income on the Statements 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 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 in subsequent years. The Company 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 months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024, the Company didnot accrue any excise tax. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, $0 and $88,709, respectively, of accrued excise taxes remained payable.
During the quarter ended March 31, 2025, the Company determined that it had overpaid its estimated federal excise tax liability for the prior fiscal year by $26,648. This overpayment resulted in a deferred tax asset and is included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. The Company has evaluated the realizability of the deferred tax asset and believes it is more likely than not that the benefit will be realized in future periods through either a refund or application against future excise tax liabilities. Accordingly, no valuation allowance has been recorded against this deferred tax asset.
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 March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024. The Company does not anticipate any significant increase or decrease in unrecognized tax benefits for the next twelve months. The Company identifies its major tax jurisdiction as the United States. As of March 31, 2025, the tax years that remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service are from 2022 (commencement of operations) forward.
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 on a quarterly basis 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 issuances of the Company’s common stock, including the preparation of the Company’s registration statement, registration fees, transfer agent expenses, and other expenses relating to the offering. Offering costs are capitalized as deferred offering costs and, if any, are included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Deferred offering costs were $49,998 as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
The deferred offering costs were charged to capital upon the issuance of shares subsequent to the completion of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, $0 of offering costs were charged to capital. For the year ended December 31, 2024, $1,214,375 of offering costs were charged to capital. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, there were $0 and $989,645, 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 through March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 were $6,053,043 and $6,053,043, respectively, and consisted primarily of legal fees and valuation fees.
For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024, the Company incurred transaction expenses related to the Loan Portfolio Acquisition of $0 and $2,106,050, respectively. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, $0 and $2,945,125, respectively, of transaction expenses related to the Loan Portfolio Acquisition remained payable, and are included in transaction fees payable on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.
Deferred Financing Costs
Deferred financing costs consist of origination expenses incurred in connection with the closing, or anticipated closing, of a credit facility, and may include legal, accounting, and other related expenses. These costs are deferred and amortized as interest expense using the straight-line method over the term of the applicable credit facility. In addition to origination expenses, the Company pays an annual upfront fee related to the credit facility. These fees are deferred and amortized as interest expense using the straight-line method over aone-year term. Deferred financing costs are included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, deferred financing costs payable were $114,548 and $47,881, respectively.
New Accounting Standards
On January 1, 2025, the Company adopted ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which requires, among other things, greater disaggregation of information in the income tax rate reconciliation and for paid income taxes to be disaggregated by jurisdiction. This ASU affects financial statement disclosure only, which is not required until year end 2025 and, as a result, does not affect our results of operations or financial condition.
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income - Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40). ASU No. 2024-03 requires disaggregated disclosure of certain costs and expenses, including purchase of inventory, employee compensation, depreciation, amortization and depletion, within relevant income statement captions. ASU 2024-03 is effective for annual years beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption and retrospective application are permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU No. 2024-03.
NOTE 3 — INVESTMENTS
The Company’s investments in portfolio companies are primarily in the form of debt investments, but may include equity warrants received in connection with debt investments, equity investments and derivative investments.
In the tables presented below for the Company’s debt investments, the amortized cost represents the original cost adjusted for any accretion of discounts, amortization of premiums and PIK interest or dividends.
The following tables summarize the composition of the Company’s portfolio investments by investment type as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
| Investment Type | Principal Balance | Percentage at Principal Balance | Amortized Cost | Percentage at Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Percentage at Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Lien Senior Secured Debt | $255,921,337 | 87.9% | $252,972,860 | 87.7% | $253,722,547 | 87.7% |
| Senior Secured Notes | 35,212,194 | 12.1 | 34,686,433 | 12.0 | 34,852,194 | 12.0 |
| Preferred Stock | - | - | 500,000 | 0.2 | 500,000 | 0.2 |
| Warrants | - | - | 242,826 | 0.1 | 188,000 | 0.1 |
| Total | $291,133,531 | 100.0% | $288,402,119 | 100.0% | $289,262,741 | 100.0% |
| Investment Type | Principal Balance | Percentage at Principal Balance | Amortized Cost | Percentage at Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Percentage at Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Lien Senior Secured Loans | $242,269,725 | 87.3% | $239,036,463 | 87.1% | $239,860,206 | 87.1% |
| Senior Secured Notes | 35,147,669 | 12.7 | 34,567,422 | 12.6 | 34,656,192 | 12.6 |
| Preferred Stock | - | - | 500,000 | 0.2 | 500,000 | 0.2 |
| Warrants | - | - | 242,826 | 0.1 | 225,000 | 0.1 |
| Total | $277,417,394 | 100.0% | $274,346,711 | 100.0% | $275,241,398 | 100.0% |
The following tables summarize the composition of the Company’s debt portfolio based on rate characteristics as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
| Rate Type | Principal Balance | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Time to Maturity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed-rate loans | $69,139,797 | $68,188,312 | $68,423,406 | 2.6 years |
| Floating-rate loans (SOFR) | 16,852,192 | 16,499,325 | 16,727,820 | 1.5 years |
| Floating-rate loans (Prime) | 205,141,542 | 202,971,656 | 203,423,515 | 1.6 years |
| Total Debt Instruments | $291,133,531 | $287,659,293 | $288,574,741 |
| Rate Type | Principal Balance | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Time to Maturity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed-rate loans | $56,819,862 | $55,954,923 | $56,158,027 | 2.6 years |
| Floating-rate loans (SOFR) | 15,543,708 | 15,134,388 | 15,209,230 | 1.5 years |
| Floating-rate loans (Prime) | 205,053,824 | 202,514,574 | 203,149,141 | 1.8 years |
| Total Debt Instruments | $277,417,394 | $273,603,885 | $274,516,398 |
The Company’s portfolio investments are primarily in companies conducting business in or supporting the cannabis industry. The Company uses NAICS for classifying the industry groupings of its portfolio companies, excluding any portfolio company operating in the cannabis industry. The following tables summarize the composition of the Company’s portfolio investments by industry as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
| Industry | Amortized Cost | Percentage at Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Percentage at Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis | $228,247,308 | 79.2% | $228,955,592 | 79.2% |
| Finance and Insurance | 29,826,074 | 10.3 | 29,943,347 | 10.4 |
| Information | 14,696,510 | 5.1 | 14,618,084 | 5.1 |
| Public Administration | 10,155,006 | 3.5 | 10,241,792 | 3.5 |
| Retail Trade | 3,298,843 | 1.1 | 3,374,875 | 1.2 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 2,178,378 | 0.8 | 2,129,051 | 0.6 |
| Total | $288,402,119 | 100.0% | $289,262,741 | 100.0% |
| Industry | Amortized Cost | Percentage at Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Percentage at Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis | $210,144,841 | 76.6% | $211,007,307 | 76.7% |
| Finance and Insurance | 30,866,942 | 11.3 | 30,907,369 | 11.2 |
| Information | 14,873,810 | 5.4 | 14,754,624 | 5.4 |
| Public Administration | 10,273,444 | 3.7 | 10,322,928 | 3.8 |
| Retail Trade | 3,285,390 | 1.2 | 3,275,125 | 1.2 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,753,852 | 1.0 | 2,796,946 | 1.0 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 2,148,432 | 0.8 | 2,177,099 | 0.7 |
| Total | $274,346,711 | 100.0% | $275,241,398 | 100.0% |
The geographic composition is determined by the location of the principal place of business of each portfolio company. 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 geographic region as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
| Geographic Region | Amortized Cost | Percentage at Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Percentage at Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States: | ||||
| Midwest | $89,535,926 | 31.0% | $90,035,384 | 31.1% |
| West | 88,049,450 | 30.5 | 88,042,574 | 30.4 |
| Northeast | 55,578,825 | 19.3 | 55,854,173 | 19.3 |
| Southwest | 21,981,425 | 7.6 | 22,000,000 | 7.6 |
| Southeast | 20,345,551 | 7.1 | 20,424,344 | 7.1 |
| International: | ||||
| Canada | 12,910,942 | 4.5 | 12,906,266 | 4.5 |
| Total | $288,402,119 | 100.0% | $289,262,741 | 100.0% |
| Geographic Region | Amortized Cost | Percentage at Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Percentage at Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States: | ||||
| Midwest | $88,999,405 | 32.4% | $89,624,122 | 32.6% |
| West | 86,686,279 | 31.6 | 86,660,218 | 31.5 |
| Northeast | 52,963,212 | 19.3 | 53,223,047 | 19.3 |
| Southwest | 21,980,052 | 8.0 | 22,000,000 | 8.0 |
| Southeast | 20,703,496 | 7.6 | 20,749,887 | 7.5 |
| International: | ||||
| Canada | 3,014,267 | 1.1 | 2,984,124 | 1.1 |
| Total | $274,346,711 | 100.0% | $275,241,398 | 100.0% |
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 includes 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:
| • | The cannabis industry is extremely speculative and raises a host of legality issues, making it subject to inherent risk; |
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| • | The manufacture, distribution, sale, or possession of cannabis that is not in compliance with the U.S. Controlled Substances Act is illegal under U.S. federal law. Strict enforcement of U.S. federal laws regarding cannabis would likely result in our portfolio companies’ inability to execute a business plan in the cannabis industry, and could result in the loss of all or part of any of our loans; |
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| • | The current Presidential Administration’s or specifically the U.S. Department of Justice’s change in policies or enforcement with respect to U.S. federal cannabis laws could negatively impact our portfolio companies’ ability to pursue their prospective business operations and/or generate revenues; |
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| • | U.S. federal courts may refuse to recognize the enforceability of contracts pertaining to any business operations that are deemed illegal under U.S. federal law, including cannabis companies operating legally under state law; |
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| • | Consumer complaints and negative publicity regarding cannabis-related products and services could lead to political pressure on states to implement new laws and regulations that are adverse to the cannabis industry, to not modify existing, restrictive laws and regulations, or to reverse current favorable laws and regulations relating to cannabis; |
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| • | Assets collateralizing loans to cannabis businesses may be forfeited to the U.S. federal government in connection with government enforcement actions under U.S. federal law; |
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| • | U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation of cannabis and the possible registration of facilities where cannabis is grown could negatively affect the cannabis industry, which could directly affect our financial condition and the financial condition of our portfolio companies; |
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| • | Due to our proposed strategy of investing in portfolio companies engaged in the regulated cannabis industry, our portfolio companies may have a difficult time obtaining the various insurance policies that are needed to operate such businesses, which may expose us and our portfolio companies to additional risks and financial liabilities; |
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| • | The cannabis industry may face significant opposition from other industries that perceive cannabis products and services as competitive with their own, including but not limited to the pharmaceutical industry, adult beverage industry and tobacco industry, all of which have powerful lobbying and financial resources; |
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| • | Many national and regional banks have been resistant to doing business with cannabis companies because of the uncertainties presented by federal law and, as a result, we or our portfolio companies may have difficulty borrowing from or otherwise accessing the service of banks, which may inhibit our ability to open bank accounts or otherwise utilize traditional banking services; |
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| • | Due to our proposed strategy of investing in portfolio companies engaged in the regulated cannabis industry, we or our portfolio companies may have a difficult time obtaining financing in connection with our investment strategy; and |
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| • | Laws and regulations affecting the regulated cannabis industry are varied, broad in scope and subject to evolving interpretations, and may restrict the use of the properties our portfolio companies acquire or require certain additional regulatory approvals, which could materially adversely affect our investments in such portfolio companies. |
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As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we hadthree portfolio companies that represented 42.9% and 45.1%, respectively, of the fair values of our portfolio. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, our largest portfolio company represented 17.9% and 18.9%, respectively, of the total fair values of our investments in portfolio companies.
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 its 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 March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2023, the Company’s portfolio investments consisted primarily of investments in senior 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 the use of 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 March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 were as follows:
| Fair Value Measurements at March 31, 2025 Using | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investment Type · Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) · Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) · Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) · Total | ||||||
| First Lien Senior Secured Loans | $ | - | $ | - | $253,722,547 | $253,722,547 |
| Senior Secured Notes | - | - | 34,852,194 | 34,852,194 | ||
| Preferred Stock | - | - | 500,000 | 500,000 | ||
| Warrants | - | - | 188,000 | 188,000 | ||
| Total | $ | - | $ | - | $289,262,741 | $289,262,741 |
| Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2024 Using | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investment Type · Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) · Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) · Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) · Total | ||||||
| First Lien Senior Secured Loans | $ | - | $ | - | $239,860,206 | $239,860,206 |
| Senior Secured Notes | - | - | 34,656,192 | 34,656,192 | ||
| Preferred Stock | - | - | 500,000 | 500,000 | ||
| Warrants | - | - | 225,000 | 225,000 | ||
| Total | $ | - | $ | - | $275,241,398 | $275,241,398 |
The following tables provide a summary of the significant unobservable inputs used to fair value the Level 3 portfolio investments as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024. 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, SOFR and/or Treasuries, as applicable, for senior secured first lien term loans, as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
| Investment Type · Fair Value as of March 31, 2025 · Valuation Techniques/ Methodologies · Unobservable Input · Range · Weighted Average (1) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Lien Senior Secured Loans | $253,722,547 | Discounted Cash Flow | Discount Rate | 9.60% - 28.60% | 12.70% | ||
| Senior Secured Notes | 34,852,194 | Discounted Cash Flow | Discount Rate | 7.60% - 17.20% | 11.57% | ||
| Preferred Stock | 500,000 | Market Approach | Current Value | 2.5 | x | 2.5 | x |
| Warrants | 188,000 | Option Pricing Model | Volatility Factor | 39.50% | 39.50% | ||
| Total | $289,262,741 | ||||||
| Investment Type · Fair Value as of December 31, 2024 · Valuation Techniques/ Methodologies · Unobservable Input · Range · Weighted Average (1) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Lien Senior Secured Loans | $239,860,206 | Discounted Cash Flow | Discount Rate | 9.1% - 28.6% | 13.4% | ||
| Senior Secured Notes | 34,656,192 | Discounted Cash Flow | Discount Rate | 7.4% - 17.2% | 11.5% | ||
| Preferred Stock | 500,000 | Market Approach | Current Value | 2.5 | x | 2.5 | x |
| Warrants | 225,000 | Option Pricing Model | Volatility Factor | 47.2% | 47.2% | ||
| Total | $275,241,398 | ||||||
(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 three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024:
| First Lien Senior Secured Loans · Senior Secured Notes · Preferred Stock · Warrants · Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Value as of December 31, 2024 | $239,860,206 | $34,656,192 | $500,000 | $225,000 | $275,241,398 | |
| Purchases | 20,601,132 | - | - | - | 20,601,132 | |
| Accretion of discount and fees (amortization of premium), net | 468,421 | 54,486 | - | - | 522,907 | |
| PIK interest | 508,850 | 64,525 | - | - | 573,375 | |
| Proceeds from sales of investments and principal repayments | (7,642,007) | - | - | - | (7,642,007) | |
| Net realized gain (loss) on investments | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments | (74,055) | 76,991 | - | (37,000) | (34,064) | |
| Balance as of March 31, 2025 | $253,722,547 | $34,852,194 | $500,000 | $188,000 | $289,262,741 | |
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on Level 3 investments still held as of March 31, 2025 | $(74,055) | $76,991 | $ | - | $(37,000) | $(34,064) |
| First Lien Senior Secured Loans · Senior Secured Notes · Preferred Stock · Warrants · Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Value as of December 31, 2023 | $46,006,000 | $8,114,000 | $ | - | $ | - | $54,120,000 |
| Purchases | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Accretion of discount and fees (amortization of premium), net | 83,022 | 58,407 | - | - | 141,429 | ||
| PIK interest | 52,951 | - | - | - | 52,951 | ||
| Proceeds from sales of investments and principal repayments | (63,000) | - | - | - | (63,000) | ||
| Net realized gain (loss) on investments | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments | 548,027 | 51,593 | - | - | 599,620 | ||
| Balance as of March 31, 2024 | $46,627,000 | $8,224,000 | $ | - | $ | - | $54,851,000 |
| Net change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on Level 3 investments still held as of March 31, 2024 | $548,027 | $51,593 | $ | - | $ | - | $599,620 |
NOTE 5 – DEBT
Credit Agreement
On February 11, 2025, the Company entered into a senior secured revolving credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) among the Company, as borrower, Western Alliance Trust Company, N.A. (“WATC”), as administrative agent, Western Alliance Bank, as an issuing bank and as the initial lender, and the other lenders party thereto from time to time.
Under the Credit Agreement, the lenders have agreed to extend credit to the Company on a revolving basis in an initial aggregate amount of up to $100,000,000 with an option for the Company to request additional commitments, in a minimum amount of $5,000,000, at one or more times from existing and/or new lenders (the “Revolving Line of Credit”). The Credit Agreement also provides for the issuance of letters of credit in an aggregate face amount of up to $5,000,000.
Availability under the Credit Agreement (the “Revolving Period”) will terminate on February 11, 2027, and the Credit Agreement has a scheduled maturity date of March 31, 2028.
Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest at the annual rate ofone-month term Secured Overnight Financing Rate plus 3.00%, subject to a minimum interest rate of 6.00%. The Company will pay a commitment fee of 0.50% per annum on the average daily unused portion of commitments under the Credit Agreement during the Revolving Period. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the company recorded $66,667 of commitment fees which are included in interest expense on the Statements of Operations. The Company also will be required to pay letter of credit participation fees and a fronting fee on the average daily amount of the lenders’ exposure with respect to any letters of credit issued at the request of the Company under the Credit Agreement.
The Company incurred $871,248 of financing costs in connection with the origination of the Revolving Line of Credit. As of March 31, 2025, the balance of $725,867 of deferred financing costs is included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, $145,381 of such costs were amortized and included in interest expense on the Statements of Operations.
As of March 31, 2025, the Company hadno outstanding borrowings and $100,000,000 available under the Revolving Line of Credit.
NOTE 6 — RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Investment Advisory Agreement
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 months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024, the Company incurred management fee expenses of $1,260,875 and $246,131, respectively. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, $1,339,250 and $758,362, respectively, remained payable.
For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024, the Company incurred income-based incentive fee expenses of $1,916,277 and $0, respectively. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, $2,122,865 and $1,998,945, respectively, remained payable.
For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024, the Company incurred capital gains incentive fee expenses of $(6,813) and $119,924, respectively. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, $115,074 and $121,887, respectively, remained payable.
Expense Limitation Agreement
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 the period ending September 30, 2025.
On February 14, 2025, the Board approved a clarification, as proposed by the Company and the Adviser, of the Expense Limitation Agreement, that any interest expense, fees, and other costs associated with raising debt and/or equity capital for the Company are not subject to, and do not count towards, the expense cap of 2.15% per annum under the Expense Limitation Agreement.
For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024, $316,000 and $0 of the Company’s operating expenses were waived by the Adviser pursuant to the Expense Limitation Agreement.
Administration Agreement
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).
License Agreement
The Company has also entered into a 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 this 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.
Related Party Fees & Expenses
The following table summarizes the related parties fees and expenses incurred by the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024.
| For the Three Months Ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| March 31, 2025 · March 31, 2024 | |||
| Affiliate Payments | |||
| Management fee | $1,916,277 | $ | - |
| Income based incentive fees | 1,260,875 | 246,131 | |
| Capital gains incentive fees | (6,813) | 119,924 | |
| Total management and incentive fees earned | 3,170,339 | 366,055 | |
| General and administrative expenses | 974,477 | - | |
| Expense limitation agreement | (316,000) | - | |
| General and administrative expenses waiver | (658,477) | - | |
| General and administrative expenses reimbursable to the Adviser | - | - | |
| Total affiliate payments | $3,170,339 | $366,055 | |
General administrative expenses reimbursable to the Adviser are included in due to affiliates on the accompanying Statements of Assets and Liabilities as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024. Total amounts payable to the Adviser and its affiliates as of March 31, 2025 are $197,344, of which $72,344 and $125,000, represent general and administrative expenses reimbursable to the Adviser and amounts due to Chicago Atlantic Admin, LLC, respectively. Total amounts payable to the Adviser and its affiliates as of December 31, 2024 are $905,129, of which $820,797 and $84,332, represent general and administrative expenses reimbursable to the Adviser and amounts due to Chicago Atlantic Admin, LLC, respectively.
For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Adviser voluntarily and irrevocably waived approximately $658,477 of general and administrative expenses incurred by the Adviser that would have otherwise been reimbursed and payable by the Company. The expenses waived for the three months ended March 31, 2025 are not subject to recoupment by the Adviser or future reimbursement by the Company.
Affiliated Loan Administrative and Collateral Agent
Chicago Atlantic Admin, LLC (the “Loan Administrator”), serves as a loan administrator and collateral agent for certain loans within the Company’s investment portfolio. Among other customary responsibilities as described in each respective loan document, the Loan Administrator is responsible for: (a) the collection of interest, loan fees, and principal payments from portfolio companies, and (b) the subsequent disbursement of the allocable portion of such collections to the lender(s), including the Company. The Loan Administrator is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chicago Atlantic Group, LP.
Interest and principal payments from our portfolio companies which were received by the Loan Administrator prior to March 31, 2025, but which were not remitted to the Company until after March 31, 2025, are included in due from affiliates on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. As of March 31, 2025, the due from affiliates balance of $5,202,278 consists of $1,812,561 and $3,389,717 in interest and principal payments receivable, respectively. The amounts due from affiliate as of March 31, 2025 were collected in April 2025.
Interest and principal payments from our portfolio companies which were received by the Loan Administrator prior to December 31, 2024, but which were not remitted to the Company until after December 31, 2024, are included in due from affiliates on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. As of December 31, 2024, the due from affiliates balance of $2,361,019 consists of $1,559,758 and $801,261 in interest and principal payments receivable, respectively. The amounts due from affiliate as of December 31, 2024 were collected in January 2025.
Co-Investments
From time to time, the Company may co-invest with other investment vehicles managed by its affiliates, in accordance with the Company’s co-investment exemptive order and the Adviser’s co-investment allocation policies. The Company is not obligated to provide, nor has it provided, any financial support to the other managed investment vehicles. As such, the Company’s risk is limited to the carrying value of its investment in any such co-investment. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, $245,658,531 and $272,816,695, respectively, of the Company’s investments were co-investments with affiliates of the Company.
Other Related Party Transactions
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. The Adviser does 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 its 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 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 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, its 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.
During the three months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024, the Adviser and certain related parties received dividend distributions from the Company relating to their shares held. Refer to “Note 8 – Common Stock” for further details on the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan and the distributions declared.
NOTE 7 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Company’s commitments and contingencies include unfunded commitments to extend credit, typically in the form of delayed draw term 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 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 March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company had the following unfunded commitments on existing loans:
| As of March 31, 2025 | As of December 31, 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Unfunded delayed draw loan commitments | $12,785,714 | $1,250,000 |
| Total undrawn commitments | $12,785,714 | $1,250,000 |
The Company did not have any other off-balance sheet commitments or liabilities as of March 31, 2025 or December 31, 2024. 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.
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 March 31, 2025, there were no material legal matters or material litigation pending of which the Company is aware.
NOTE 8 — COMMON STOCK
As of March 31, 2025,100,000,000 shares of $0.01 par value common stock were authorized.
Loan Portfolio Acquisition
On October 1, 2024, the Company completed its previously announced acquisition of a portfolio of loans (the “Loan Portfolio”) from Chicago Atlantic Loan Portfolio, LLC (“CALP”) 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 following table summarizes distributions declared by the Company during the three months ended March 31, 2025:
| Declaration Date | Type | Record Date | Payment Date | Per Share Amount | Dividends Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 14, 2025 | Quarterly | March 28, 2025 | April 11, 2025 | $0.34 | $7,758,931 |
The following table summarizes distributions declared and paid by the Company during the three months ended March 31, 2024:
| Declaration Date | Type | Record Date | Payment Date | Per Share Amount | Dividends Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 8, 2024 | Quarterly | March 20, 2024 | March 28, 2024 | $0.25 | $1,553,736 |
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 three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company didnot issue any shares of common stock under the DRIP.
During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company issued the following shares of common stock under the DRIP:
| Declaration Date | Type | Record Date | Payment Date | Shares |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 8, 2024 | Quarterly | March 20, 2024 | March 28, 2024 | 8 |
NOTE 9 — 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.
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.
NOTE 10 — 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 resulting from operations for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024:
| For the Three Months Ended | ||
|---|---|---|
| March 31, 2025 | March 31, 2024 | |
| Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations | $7,614,357 | $519,811 |
| Weighted Average Shares Outstanding - basic and diluted | 22,820,386 | 6,214,941 |
| Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations- basic and diluted | $0.33 | $0.08 |
NOTE 11 — 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 (loss) 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 March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
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. RICs 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, 2025, the Company’s most recent tax year end, the Company had a net short-term capital loss carryforward of $210,767 and a net long-term capital loss carryforward of $74,483, each of which may be carried forward for an indefinite period.
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 tax years ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024, the Company reclassified for book purposes amounts arising from permanent book to tax differences primarily related to non-deductible excise tax paid.
| March 31, 2025 | March 31, 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Increase (decrease) in additional paid in capital | $(120,003) | $(10,676) |
| Increase (decrease) in distributable earnings (accumulated loss) | 120,003 | 10,676 |
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 tax year ended March 31, 2025 and the tax year ended March 31, 2024, were as follows:
| For the Tax Year from April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025 | For the Tax Year from April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary income | $18,625,335 | $9,819,273 |
| Long-term Capital Gain | - | - |
| Return of Capital | - | - |
| Total Distributions | $18,625,335 | $9,819,273 |
As of March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024, 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, and distributions payable.
| March 31, 2025 | March 31, 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Undistributed ordinary income | $9,344,744 | 1,782,017 |
| Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments | (3,210,239) | 1,248,303 |
| Capital Loss Carry Forwards | (285,250) | (210,767) |
| Other temporary differences | (8,211,487) | (3,393,536) |
| Total | $(2,362,232) | $(573,983) |
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 March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024:
| March 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax cost of investments and cash equivalents | $307,394,719 | $298,279,117 |
| Unrealized appreciation | 1,286,665 | 1,285,099 |
| Unrealized depreciation | (4,496,904) | (390,412) |
| Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) from investments and cash equivalents | $(3,210,239) | $894,687 |
NOTE 12 — FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The following presents financial highlights for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2024:
| For the Three Months Ended | ||
|---|---|---|
| March 31, 2025 | March 31, 2024 | |
| Per share data: | ||
| Net asset value at beginning of period | $13.20 | $13.77 |
| Net investment income (loss) (1) | 0.34 | (0.01) |
| Net realized and unrealized gains/(losses) on investments (1) | (0.01) | 0.09 |
| Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations (1) | 0.33 | 0.08 |
| Distributions from net investment income (loss) (2) | (0.34) | (0.25) |
| Net asset value at end of period | $13.19 | $13.60 |
| Net assets at end of period | $301,018,004 | $84,518,767 |
| Shares outstanding at end of period | 22,820,386 | 6,214,949 |
| Weighted average net assets | $301,160,972 | $85,541,257 |
| Per share market value at end of period | $11.25 | $9.61 |
| Total return based on market value (3) | (4.97)% | 16.82% |
| Total return based on net asset value (3) | 2.90% | 1.33% |
| Ratio/Supplemental data: | ||
| Ratio of expenses to average net assets (4) | 1.42% | 3.32% |
| Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (4) | 2.54% | (0.09)% |
| Ratio of total operating expenses to average net assets (4) | 1.74% | - |
| Ratio of waived expenses to average net assets(4) | (0.32)% | - |
| Ratio of net operating expenses to average net assets (4) | 1.42% | - |
| Portfolio turnover (4) | 2.71% | 0.10% |
| (1) | The per share data was derived by using the weighted average shares outstanding during the periods presented. |
| (2) | The amount shown may not correspond for the period as it includes the effect of the timing of the distribution and the issuance of common stock. |
| (3) | Total return based on market value is based on the change in market price per share between the beginning and ending market prices per share in each period and assumes that common stock dividends are reinvested in accordance with our common stock dividend reinvestment plan. Total return based on net asset value is based upon the change in net asset value per share between the beginning and ending net asset values per share in each period and assumes that dividends are reinvested in accordance with our common stock dividend reinvestment plan. For periods less than a year, total return is not annualized. |
| (4) | Ratio is not annualized. |
NOTE 13 — SEGMENT REPORTING
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (“ASC 280”): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. ASC 280 establishes standards for reporting information about operating segments on a basis consistent with the Company’s internal organizational structure as well as information about geographical areas, business segments and major customers in financial statements for details of the Company’s business segments.
The Company uses the management approach to determine reportable operating segments. The Company operates through asingle operating and reporting segment with an investment objective of maximizing risk-adjusted returns on equity for its shareholders. The management approach considers the internal organization and reporting used by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Co-Chief Investment Officers, which comprise the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) for making decisions, allocating resources and assessing performance. The CODM assesses the performance of, and makes operating decisions for, the Company primarily based on the Company’s net asset value, net investment income, and net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations. These measures of segment performance are the same as those presented in the Company’s Statements of Assets and Liabilities and Statements of Operations, prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In addition to other factors and metrics, the CODM utilizes net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations, as reported on the Statements of Operations, as a key determinant of the amount of dividends to be distributed to the Company’s stockholders.
As the Company’s operations comprise of asingle reporting segment, the segment assets are reflected on the accompanying Statements of Assets and Liabilities as “total assets” and the significant segment expenses are listed on the accompanying Statements of Operations.
NOTE 14 — 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.
On May 12, 2025, the Board approved a cash dividend of $0.34/share. The dividend is payable on July 11, 2025 to stockholders of record on June 27, 2025.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.