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Business Development Companies

Business Development Companies


Venture capital funds historically restricted access to institutions and affluent individuals through private placements to avoid concerns related to the Investment Company Act of 1940. This was achieved by limiting participation to 100 or fewer investors or individuals meeting specific wealth criteria, referred to as "qualified purchasers."

Lately, venture capitalists have shown a growing interest in attracting public investors. Companies aiming to secure venture capital funding from the public, while avoiding the restrictions of the 1940 Act, typically opt for one of the following approaches:


Venture capital funds can avoid being categorized as investment companies through:

  1. Rule 3a-1 Exclusion: This rule states that a company won't be considered an investment company if no more than 45% of its asset value comprises "investment securities," and no more than 45% of its after-tax net income is derived from such securities.

  2. SEC Exemptive Order: A venture capital fund may obtain an exemptive order from the SEC under Section 3(b)(2) of the 1940 Act, declaring the entity to be primarily engaged in a non-investment company business, thus exempting it from the provisions of the 1940 Act.

Companies relying on Rule 3a-1 or an SEC exemptive order are exempt from the provisions of the 1940 Act. However, they must adhere to the specific constraints of the chosen exemption. Rule 3a-1 imposes numerical limitations, while companies with exemptive orders must comply with the conditions outlined in the granted order.

Another option for venture capital companies seeking public market access is to opt for regulation under the 1940 Act as a business development company (BDC).

Regulating Business Development Companies

The provisions of the 1940 Act regulating business development companies (BDCs) can be categorized into two groups. The first category promotes investment in developing businesses, including lower asset coverage requirements for borrowing, mandatory investment in small businesses, and relaxed restrictions on affiliated transactions. The second category focuses on compensating BDC employees in line with venture capital industry practices, allowing the issuance of certain equity-based compensation and facilitating loans to employees for purchasing company securities. These provisions aim to encourage venture capitalists to establish public funds for private investment while complying with 1940 Act regulations.


In order to qualify as a Business Development Company (BDC), a company must generally engage in providing capital and offering substantial managerial assistance to businesses that lack ready access to capital through traditional financial channels. Specifically, to be eligible for BDC status, a company must:


To be eligible for BDC status, a company must:

  1. Be a domestic company.

  2. Have registered a class of its securities or filed a registration statement with the SEC under Section 12 of the Exchange Act.

  3. Operate with the purpose of investing in the securities of eligible portfolio companies, including less seasoned or emerging companies and those recovering from financial distress.

  4. Offer substantial managerial assistance to eligible portfolio companies.

  5. File a proper notice of election with the SEC (or, under specific circumstances, intend to file).

Under the 1940 Act, BDCs are subject to various regulations, including:

  1. Limitations on the issuance of senior equities and debt securities.

  2. Restrictions on the issuance of warrants and options.

  3. Prohibitions on certain transactions with affiliates, requiring SEC exemptive relief.

  4. Approval from stockholders for changes in the nature of business or fundamental investment policies.

  5. Valuation of portfolio investments at market value or fair value if market value is not readily available.

  6. Adherence to a new regulatory structure

Election And 1934 Act Registration

A BDC is subject to Sections 54 through 65 of the 1940 Act, known as the BDC provisions. To qualify for the exemption, a closed-end investment company must elect BDC status and file a notice on Form N-54A with the SEC. Notably, a company making the BDC election must have a class of equity securities registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (1934 Act). Consequently, BDC shares are typically listed for trading on public exchanges. Unlike closed-end funds, BDCs must file periodic reports (e.g., Forms 10-Q, 10-K) and other reports (e.g., Form 8-K), similar to publicly traded operating companies. Management personnel must report stock trading, facing restrictions on obtaining short swing profits within a six-month period. BDCs, like other 1934 Act registrants, are subject to the proxy solicitation requirements of Section 14 of the 1934 Act

Required Investments

The Business Development Company (BDC) is mandated by Section 55(a) to allocate a minimum of 70% of its investments toward eligible assets. Within the context of Section 55(a), eligible assets encompass various categories, including:

  1. Securities of an "eligible portfolio company": These are securities acquired through private transactions with the said company.

  2. Securities obtained by the BDC in connection with its ownership of securities of an "eligible portfolio company": This refers to securities received as a result of the BDC's ownership of securities in a company deemed eligible for the portfolio.

  3. Cash, cash items, government securities, or high-quality debt securities with a maturity of one year or less from the time of investment: This category includes liquid assets such as cash, government securities, or debt securities of exceptional quality, provided they mature within a year from the time of investment.

These provisions under Section 55(a) outline the specific types of assets that contribute to the required 70% investment threshold for a BDC, emphasizing a focus on eligible portfolio companies and certain specified financial instruments.

An eligible portfolio company is described as an entity organized in the United States with its primary business location in the country. It excludes investment companies, except for small business investment companies entirely owned by the BDC. Additionally, it must not possess any category of publicly traded securities for which a broker could provide credit. In summary, the definition outlines specific criteria, ensuring that eligible portfolio companies are U.S.-based, not standard investment firms unless wholly owned by the BDC, and lack publicly traded securities conducive to broker credit extension.

Managerial Assistance

Business Development Companies (BDCs) are obligated to offer substantial managerial assistance to the companies within their investment portfolios. This assistance is deemed significant when the BDC is actively involved in providing substantial guidance and advice related to the management, operations, and business goals and policies of a portfolio company. This involvement may take various forms, including but not limited to activities such as facilitating financing arrangements, overseeing relationships with sources of financing, participating in the recruitment of management personnel, and assessing potential opportunities for acquisitions and divestitures. In essence, significant managerial assistance involves a hands-on approach by the BDC in helping shape and enhance the strategic and operational aspects of its portfolio companies.

Capital Structure

Unlike other investment companies, BDCs are able to issue options, warrants and rights to convert to voting securities to their officers, employees and board members.

Any issuance of derivative securities requires the approval of the company’s board of directors and authorization by the company’s shareholders. The company also may not issue derivative securities to its nonemployee directors unless it first obtains an exemptive order from the SEC.

In broad terms, Business Development Companies (BDCs) are subject to a restriction wherein the total amount of voting securities resulting from the exercise of all derivative securities issued by the BDC at the time of issuance cannot surpass 25% of the outstanding voting securities of the BDC. However, there's a nuanced provision: if the derivative securities issued to management personnel as part of their compensation constitute 15% of the BDC's outstanding shares, then the overall limit on the issuance of derivative securities, measured as a percentage of total outstanding shares, is reduced to 20%. This stipulation emphasizes a balance between allowing the issuance of derivative securities and maintaining reasonable limits to ensure prudent corporate governance and investor protection within the BDC framework.

Leverage

Business Development Companies (BDCs) enjoy more flexibility in terms of the level of debt they can carry compared to closed-end funds. Typically, a BDC is permitted to issue a class of senior security representing indebtedness, but with a crucial requirement: immediately after such issuance or sale, the BDC must maintain at least double the asset coverage.

For instance, if a BDC possesses $1 million in assets, it has the leeway to borrow up to $1 million. This borrowing would lead to a scenario where the BDC holds assets worth $2 million and incurs a debt of $1 million. This doubles the asset coverage, providing the BDC with a reasonable level of financial leverage.

This stands in contrast to other types of investment companies, which are subject to more stringent regulations. In the case of other investment companies, they are typically required to have triple the asset coverage for any class of senior security representing indebtedness. The relatively lower asset coverage requirement for BDCs reflects a regulatory distinction designed to provide them with greater flexibility in managing their capital structure.

Operational Considerations

As with any other company subject to the 1940 Act, a BDC must adhere to certain substantive regulatory requirements with respect to its operations.

Composition Of Board of Directors

A majority of the directors of a BDC must be persons who are not “interested persons” of the BDC. The 1940 Act defines interested persons to include, among others:

Officers, directors and employees – however, no person is deemed to be interested solely by reason of being a member of the board of directors

A 5% or more voting shareholder of the company

A person who is a member of the immediate family of an affiliate of the company

Legal counsel for the company

Any natural person whom the SEC determines to have had a material business relationship in the past two completed fiscal years with the company or its CEO

Indemnification

A BDC is prohibited from protecting any director or officer from any liability to the company – or its security holders – arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office. This prohibition also applies to the company’s investment adviser, if it is externally managed.

Valuation

The board of directors of a BDC is required to value portfolio assets on a quarterly basis in connection with filing certain required periodic reports. Assets must be valued on the basis of market value, if available; in the absence of a readily ascertainable market value for an asset, the board must in good faith determine the “fair value.”

Transactions With Related Persons

Transactions involving a BDC and certain persons related to it, including, among others, officers, directors, employees, members of an advisory board, the investment adviser, the principal underwriter, and persons controlling or under common control with the BDC, are generally prohibited, absent an SEC exemptive order. Transactions involving a BDC and companies that it controls (i.e., those in which it owns more than 25% of the voting securities) generally are not subject to this limitation.

Code Of Ethics

Officers and directors of a BDC and its external investment adviser (if any) are subject to general fiduciary duties with respect to the conduct of their duties as they impact the BDC. A BDC (and its investment adviser) must adopt a code of ethics and institute procedures reasonably necessary to ensure that its employees and certain affiliates adhere to the code.

Fidelity Bond

A BDC must provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect the company against larceny and embezzlement. The bond must cover each officer and employee with access to securities and funds of the company with the required coverage tied to the amount of the company’s assets.

Taxation

A BDC may elect to be taxed either as a C corporation (like typical operating companies) or as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. As a regulated investment company (RIC), a BDC can avoid taxation at the company level on that portion of income and capital gains distributed to shareholders. To qualify for RIC treatment, in general, at least 90% of the BDC’s income must consist of interest, dividends, gains from sales of securities, and similar types of income and gains, and the BDC must distribute to its stockholders for each taxable year at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (consisting generally of net investment income from interest and dividends and net short-term capital gains). The RIC provisions also require a BDC to comply with certain requirements with respect to its portfolio diversification.

Gayatri Gupta