Runway Growth Finance (RWAY) 424B1Prospectus with pricing info

Under the 1940 Act, we are required to carry our portfolio investments at market value or, if there is no readily available market value, at fair value as determined by us with our Board having final responsibility for overseeing, reviewing and approving, in good faith, our estimate of fair value. Typically, there will not be a public market for the securities of the privately held companies in which we invest. As a result, we value these securities quarterly at fair value based on input from management, a third-party independent valuation firm and the audit committee of our Board (the “Audit Committee”) and with the oversight, review and approval of our Board. The fair value of such securities may meaningfully change between the date of the fair value determination by our Board, third-party independent valuation firms and the Audit Committee and the release of the financial results for the corresponding period or the next date at which fair value is determined.

The determination of fair value and consequently, the amount of unrealized gains and losses in our portfolio, are to a certain degree, subjective and dependent on a valuation process approved by our Board. Certain factors that may be considered in determining the fair value of our investments include external events, such as private mergers, sales and acquisitions involving comparable companies. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, they may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates. Our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these securities existed. Due to this uncertainty, our fair value determinations may cause our net asset value on a given date to materially understate or overstate the value that we may ultimately realize on one or more of our investments. As a result, investors purchasing our common stock based on an overstated net asset value would pay a higher price than the value of our investments might warrant. Conversely, investors selling shares of our common stock during a period in which the net asset value understates the value of our investments will receive a lower price for their shares of our common stock than the value of our investments might warrant.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic, or any other outbreak of epidemic disease, could have a significant adverse impact on the fair value of our investments, which may also cause the valuation of our investments to differ materially from the values that we may ultimately realize. Our valuations, and particularly valuations of private investments and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and are often based on estimates, comparisons and qualitative evaluations of private information that may not show the complete impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting measures taken in response thereto.

Our ability to achieve our investment objective depends on our ability to effectively manage and deploy capital, which depends, in turn, on Runway Growth Capital’s ability to identify, originate, evaluate and monitor, and our ability to finance and invest in, companies that meet our investment criteria.

Accomplishing our investment objective on a cost-effective basis is largely a function of Runway Growth Capital’s handling of the investment process, its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient services and our access to investments offering acceptable terms. In addition to monitoring the performance of our existing investments and other responsibilities under the Advisory Agreement, Runway Growth Capital’s

Even if we are able to grow and build upon our investment portfolio, any failure to manage our growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Our results of operations depend on many factors, including the availability of opportunities for investment, readily accessible short and long-term funding alternatives in the financial markets and economic conditions. Furthermore, if we cannot successfully operate our business or implement our investment policies and strategies as described herein, it could negatively impact our ability to pay dividends.

Our primary competitors for investments include both existing and newly formed debt, and to a lesser extent equity, focused public and private funds, other BDCs, commercial and investment banks, venture-oriented commercial banks, commercial financing companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity and hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, we believe some competitors may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments than we have, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than we can. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC or to the distribution and other requirements we must satisfy to maintain our ability to be subject to taxation as a RIC. These characteristics could allow our competitors to consider a wider variety of investments, establish more relationships and offer better pricing and more flexible structuring than we are able to offer. In recent years, substantial investor capital has been allocated to the private credit and direct lending asset classes, creating and increasing competition among lenders. Increased competition across all segments of the private credit and direct lending markets, has reduced credit spreads, and along with very low historically low interest rates, has reduced investment yields and resulted in more borrower friendly terms and conditions. For instance, typically when interest rates are low and a credit cycle extended, new entrants will enter traditionally higher yielding markets creating additional competition and pressures and temporarily compressing yields. We believe the credit markets, and in particular the market for our lending strategies, are presently experiencing such pressures. New competitors, including established private credit platforms in other segments, have entered the sponsored and non-sponsored growth lending market and a similar competitive dynamic is possible. While their entry may or may not be permanent, their entry could lead to competitive pressure on our investment yields and other terms and conditions in the short-term.

We do not compete primarily on the financing terms we offer and believe that some competitors make loans with rates that are comparable or lower than our rates. We may lose some investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. However, if we match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may experience decreased net interest income, lower yields and increased risk of credit loss. As a result of this competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to time, and we may not be able to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objective. The competitive pressures we face may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We depend upon Runway Growth Capital to maintain its relationships with venture capital firms, venture banks, institutional investors, entrepreneurs and other venture capital market participants, and we expect to rely to a significant extent upon these relationships to provide us with potential investment opportunities. If Runway Growth Capital fails to maintain such existing relationships, or to develop new relationships with other sources of investment opportunities, we may not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom Runway Growth Capital has relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and we can offer no assurance that these relationships will generate investment

We depend on the diligence, skill and investment acumen of R. David Spreng, our President, Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman of our Board, along with the other investment professionals at Runway Growth Capital, including our Chief Financial Officer, Thomas Raterman. Mr. Spreng also serves as the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of our Adviser, Runway Growth Capital, and the Chairman of its Investment Committee. Mr. Spreng, Mr. Raterman and the other members of Runway Growth Capital’s senior management evaluate, negotiate, structure, close and monitor our investments. Our future success depends on the continued service of these members of Runway Growth Capital’s senior management. We cannot assure you that unforeseen business, medical, personal or other circumstances would not lead any such individual to terminate his or her relationship with us. The loss of Mr. Spreng, in particular, Mr. Raterman and/or any of the other members of Runway Growth Capital’s senior management could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective as well as on our financial condition and results of operations.

The members of Runway Growth Capital’s senior management are and may in the future become affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us, and may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time. Runway Growth Capital may also manage and sub-advise private investment funds and accounts, and may manage other such funds and accounts in the future, which have investment mandates that are similar, in whole and in part, with ours. Accordingly, Runway Growth Capital’s senior management may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which might not be in the best interests of us or our stockholders. For example, Runway Growth Capital’s senior management may face conflicts of interest in the allocation of investment opportunities to us and such other existing and future funds and accounts.

Our growth requires that Runway Growth Capital retains and attracts new investment and administrative personnel in a competitive market. Its ability to attract and retain personnel with the requisite credentials, experience and skills depends on several factors including, but not limited to, its ability to offer competitive wages, benefits and professional growth opportunities. Many of the entities, including investment funds (such as venture capital, private equity funds and mezzanine funds) and traditional financial services companies, with which Runway Growth Capital competes for experienced personnel have greater resources than it possesses, which could have a negative impact on Runway Growth Capital’s ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and, as a result, have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

The compensation we pay to Runway Growth Capital and our Administrator was not determined on an arm’s-length basis with an unaffiliated third party. As a result, the form and amount of such compensation may be less favorable to us than they might have been had the respective agreements been entered into through arm’s-length transactions with an unaffiliated third party. In addition, we may choose not to enforce, or to enforce less vigorously, our respective rights and remedies under the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement because of our desire to maintain our ongoing relationship with Runway Growth Capital, our Administrator and their respective affiliates. Any such decision, however, could cause us to breach our fiduciary obligations to our stockholders.

The management fee payable by us to Runway Growth Capital may create an incentive for Runway Growth Capital to purchase assets with borrowed funds when it is unwise to do so or to pursue investments on

Runway Growth Capital receives the incentive fee based, in part, upon net capital gains realized on our investments. Under the incentive fee structure, Runway Growth Capital may benefit when we recognize capital gains and, because Runway Growth Capital, in certain circumstances, will determine when to sell a holding, Runway Growth Capital will control the timing of the recognition of such capital gains. As a result, in certain situations Runway Growth Capital may have a tendency to invest more capital in investments that are likely to result in capital gains as compared to income producing securities. Such a practice could result in our investing in more speculative securities than would otherwise be the case, which could result in higher investment losses, particularly during economic downturns.

Given the structure of the Advisory Agreement, any general increase in interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments and will likely have the effect of making it easier for Runway Growth Capital to meet the quarterly hurdle rate for payment of income incentive fees under the Advisory Agreement without any additional increase in relative performance on the part of Runway Growth Capital. This may occur without a corresponding increase in distributions to our stockholders. In addition, in view of the catch-up provision applicable to income incentive fees under the Advisory Agreement, Runway Growth Capital could potentially receive a significant portion of the increase in our investment income attributable to such a general increase in interest rates. If that were to occur, our increase in net earnings, if any, would likely be significantly smaller than the relative increase in Runway Growth Capital’s income incentive fee resulting from such a general increase in interest rates.

Runway Growth Capital has the right, under the Advisory Agreement, to resign at any time upon not more than 60 days’ written notice, regardless of whether we have found a replacement. Similarly, our Administrator has the right under the Administration Agreement to resign at any time upon not more than 60 days’ written notice, regardless of whether we have found a replacement. If Runway Growth Capital or our Administrator were to resign, we may not be able to find a new investment adviser or administrator or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms prior to the resignation of Runway Growth Capital or our Administrator, or at all. If we are unable to do so quickly, our operations are likely to experience a disruption, our financial condition, business and results of operations, as well as our ability to pay distributions, are likely to be materially and adversely affected. In addition, the coordination of our internal management and investment or administrative activities, as applicable, are likely to suffer if we are unable to identify and reach an agreement with a single institution or group of executives having the expertise possessed by Runway Growth Capital, our Administrator and their respective affiliates. Even if we are able to retain comparable management, whether internal or external, the integration of such management and their lack of familiarity with our investment objective may result in additional costs and time delays in future investments that may adversely affect our financial condition, business, results of operations and cash flows.

We may need additional capital to fund growth in our investments. A reduction in the availability of new capital could limit our ability to grow. We must distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income to our stockholders to maintain our tax treatment as a RIC. As a result, any such cash earnings may not be available to fund investment originations. We may, in the future, borrow under debt facilities from

In addition, shares of BDCs have recently traded at discounts to their net asset values. If our common stock trades below its net asset value, we will not be able to issue additional shares of our common stock at its market price without first obtaining the approval for such issuance from our stockholders and our independent directors. If additional funds are not available to us, we could be forced to curtail or cease new lending and investment activities and our net asset value could decline.

A reduction in the availability of new capital or an inability on our part to access the capital markets successfully could limit our ability to grow our business and execute our business strategy fully and decrease our earnings, if any, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

If we issue preferred stock, the preferred stock would rank “senior” to common stock in our capital structure, preferred stockholders would have separate voting rights on certain matters and might have other rights, preferences, or privileges more favorable than those of our common stockholders, and the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in your best interest.

We are generally not able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. We may, however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current net asset value per share of our common stock if our Board determines that such sale is in the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of our Board, closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). If we raise additional funds by issuing more common stock or senior securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, our common stock, then the percentage ownership of our stockholders at that time will decrease, and you may experience dilution.

The use of leverage magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and, therefore, increases the risks associated with investing in our securities. We may borrow from and issue senior debt securities to banks, insurance companies and other lenders in the future. Holders of these senior securities will have fixed dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders, and we would expect such lenders to seek recovery against our assets in the event of a default. If the value of our assets increases, then leveraging would cause the net asset value attributable to our common stock to increase more sharply than it would have had we not leveraged. Conversely, if the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged. Similarly, any increase in our income in excess of interest payable on the borrowed funds would cause our net investment income to increase more than it would without the leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could also negatively affect our ability to make dividend payments on our common stock, scheduled debt payments or other payments related to our securities. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique. Our ability to service any debt that we incur will depend largely on our financial performance and will be subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures. In addition, our common stockholders will bear the burden of any increase in our expenses, including our interest expense, as a result of leverage.

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

General interest rate fluctuations and changes in credit spreads on floating rate loans may have a substantial negative impact on our investments and investment opportunities and, accordingly, may have a material adverse effect on our rate of return on invested capital, our net investment income and our net asset value. Substantially all of our debt investments have variable interest rates that reset periodically based on benchmarks such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and the U.S. prime rate (“Prime Rate”), so an increase in interest rates from their relatively low present levels may make it more difficult for our portfolio companies to service their obligations under the debt investments that we will hold.

Alternatively, a decrease in interest rates or interest rate benchmarks, including a reduction of LIBOR to zero, may negatively affect our net interest income if our interest-earning assets reprice sooner than our interest-bearing debt investments. In a low or falling interest rate environment, prepayments may be more likely. We would then be forced to invest unanticipated proceeds at lower interest or dividend rates, resulting in a decline in our net investment income.

In addition, to the extent we borrow money to make investments, our net investment income depends, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest those funds. As a result, we can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income to the extent we use debt to finance our investments. In periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds would increase, which could reduce our net investment income. In addition, in a prolonged low interest rate environment, including a reduction of LIBOR to zero, the difference between the total interest income earned on interest earning assets and the total interest expense incurred on interest bearing liabilities may be compressed, reducing our net interest income and potentially adversely affecting our operating results.

In addition, a rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle rate and may result in a substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to Runway Growth Capital with respect to our pre-incentive fee net investment income.

We generally evaluate the capital structure of portfolio companies on the basis of financial projections prepared by the management of such portfolio companies. These projected operating results are normally based primarily on judgments of the management of the portfolio companies. In all cases, projections are only estimates of future results that are based upon assumptions made at the time that the projections are developed. General economic conditions, which are not predictable with accuracy, along with other macroeconomic factors and specific factors of the portfolio company, may cause actual performance to fall short of the financial projections that were used to establish a given portfolio company’s capital structure. Because of the leverage that is typically employed by our portfolio companies, this could cause a substantial decrease in the value of our investment in the portfolio company. The inaccuracy of financial projections of portfolio companies could thus cause our investment performance to fall short of our expectations.

A large percentage of our portfolio investments are in the form of debt investments that are not publicly traded. The fair value of these securities is not readily determinable. We value these investments on at least a quarterly basis in accordance with our valuation policy, which is at all times consistent with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). Our Board utilizes the services of certain third-party valuation firms to aid it in determining the fair value of these investments. The Board discusses valuations and determines the fair value in good faith based on the input of Runway Growth Capital, the Audit Committee and the applicable third-party valuation firm. The participation of Runway Growth Capital in our valuation process could result in a conflict of interest, since the management fees are based in part on our gross assets and also because Runway Growth Capital is receiving performance-based incentive fees. The factors that are considered in the fair value pricing of our investments include the nature and realizable value

Our net asset value as of a particular date may be materially greater than or less than the value that would be realized if our assets were to be liquidated as of such date. For example, if we were required to sell a certain asset or all or a substantial portion of our assets on a particular date, the actual price that we would realize upon the disposition of such asset or assets could be materially less than the value of such asset or assets as reflected in our net asset value. Volatile market conditions could also cause reduced liquidity in the market for certain assets, which could result in liquidation values that are materially less than the values of such assets as reflected in our net asset value.

Our Board has the authority to modify or waive our investment objective, current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies without prior notice (except as required by the 1940 Act) and without stockholder approval. However, absent stockholder approval, we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a BDC. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies would have on our business, net asset value, operating results and value of our stock. However, the effects of changes to our investment objective or criteria by our Board might be adverse, which could negatively impact our ability to pay you dividends and cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

Our investments include original-issue-discount instruments and contractual PIK-interest arrangements. To the extent OID or PIK-interest constitutes a portion of our income, we are exposed to typical risks associated with such income being required to be included in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:

If general interest rates rise, there is a risk that the portfolio companies in which we hold floating rate securities will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with us. Rising interest rates could also cause portfolio companies to shift cash from other productive uses to the payment of interest, which may have a material adverse effect on their business and operations and could, over time, lead to increased defaults. In addition, rising interest rates may increase pressure on us to provide fixed rate loans to our portfolio companies, which could adversely affect our net investment income, as increases in our cost of borrowed funds would not be accompanied by increased interest income from such fixed-rate investments.

We are obligated to maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting, including the internal control evaluation and certification requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (“Section 404”). Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control overfinancial reporting until the date we are no longer an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act or until we become an “accelerated filer” under Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, our internal controls over financial reporting do not currently meet all of the standards contemplated by Section 404 that we will eventually be required to meet. Specifically, we are required to conduct annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting.

We invest primarily in senior secured term loans and other senior debt obligations and may on occasion invest in second lien loans issued by high growth-potential companies. We also have and continue to expect to acquire warrants and other equity securities from portfolio companies in connection with our investments in loans to these companies. We invest primarily in secured loans made to companies whose debt has generally not been rated by any rating agency, although we would expect such debt, if rated, to fall below investment grade. Securities rated below investment grade are often referred to as “high yield” securities and “junk bonds,” and are considered “high risk” and speculative in nature compared to debt instruments that are rated investment grade.

In addition, investing in high growth-potential, private companies involves a number of significant risks, including the following:

Venture lenders, in general, focus on a limited set of key financial performance metrics, including minimum liquidity, performance to plan, and investor abandonment, in lieu of a full set of financial performance covenants that do not meaningfully assess the risk of companies at the stage of development of companies in which venture lenders typically invest. As such, many of our loans could be considered covenant-lite by traditional lending standards. We use the term “covenant-lite” loans to refer generally to loans that do not require a borrower to comply with financial maintenance covenants. Generally, covenant-lite loans permit borrowers more opportunity to negatively impact lenders because their covenants are incurrence-based, which means they are only tested and can only be breached following certain actions of the borrower, rather than by a deterioration in the borrower’s financial condition. Accordingly, because we make and have exposure to covenant-lite loans, we may have less protection from borrower actions and may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants.

We expect that our portfolio will continue to consist primarily of debt investments in privately-owned companies, and to a lesser extent equity investments in privately-owned companies. Investing in these companies involves a number of significant risks. Typically, the debt in which we intend to invest will not be initially rated by any rating agency; however, we believe that if such investments were rated, they would generally be below investment grade. Securities rated below investment grade are often referred to as “high yield” securities and “junk bonds,” and are considered “high risk” and speculative in nature compared to debt instruments that are rated investment grade. Compared to larger publicly owned companies, these companies may be in a weaker financial position and may experience wider variations in their operating results, which may make them more vulnerable to economic downturns. Typically, these companies need more capital to compete; however, their access to capital is limited and their cost of capital is often higher than that of their competitors. Our portfolio companies face intense competition from larger companies with greater financial, technical, and marketing resources and their success typically depends on the managerial talents and efforts of an individual or a small group of persons. Therefore, the loss of any of its key employees could affect a portfolio company’s ability to compete effectively and harm its financial condition. Further, some of these companies conduct business in regulated industries that are susceptible to regulatory changes, resulting in increased compliance measures and possibly more susceptibility to regulatory breaches or violations. These factors could impair the cash flow of our portfolio companies and result in other events, such as bankruptcy. These events could limit a portfolio company’s ability to repay its obligations to us, which may have an adverse effect on the return on, or the recovery of, our investment in these businesses. Deterioration in a borrower’s financial condition and prospects may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of the loan’s collateral.

Some of these companies cannot obtain financing from public capital markets or from traditional credit sources, such as commercial banks. Accordingly, the loans we make to these types of companies pose a higher default risk than loans made to companies that have access to traditional credit sources.

We invest primarily in high growth-potential, privately held companies. Investments in private companies pose certain additional risks as compared to investments in public companies, including that they:

We invest primarily in senior secured loans made to high growth-potential private companies but, on occasion may make second lien loans to portfolio companies. Our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or in some cases senior to, the debt in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may entitle these debt holders to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments with respect to the debt instruments in which we invest. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization, or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of debt instruments ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution. After repaying senior creditors, a portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt instruments in which we invest, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization, or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company. In the case of second lien loans that we make to portfolio companies, we would not recover any of our principal amount of the loan until the first lien holder is fully repaid, which would likely result in us recovering less or no amounts due on our loan and, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition.

Even though we intend to structure most of our debt investments as secured loans, if one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, depending on the facts and circumstances, and based upon principles of equitable subordination as defined by existing case law, a bankruptcy court could subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors and transfer any lien securing such subordinated claim to the bankruptcy estate. The principles of equitable subordination defined by case law have generally indicated that a claim may be subordinated only if its holder is guilty of misconduct or where the senior loan is re-characterized as an equity investment and the senior lender has actually provided significant managerial assistance to the bankrupt debtor. In our case, we may, if requested to do so, provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. We may also be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by us with respect to a borrower’s business or instances where we exercise control over the borrower. It is possible that we could become subject to a lender’s liability claim, including as a result of actions taken in rendering significant managerial assistance or actions to compel and collect payments from the borrower outside the ordinary course of business.

Certain loans that we make will be secured by a second priority security interest in the same collateral pledged by a portfolio company to secure senior debt owed by the portfolio company to commercial banks or other traditional lenders. Often the senior lender has procured covenants from the portfolio company prohibiting the incurrence of additional secured debt without the senior lender’s consent. Prior to and as a condition of permitting the portfolio company to borrow money from us secured by the same collateral pledged to the senior lender, the senior lender may require assurances that it will control the disposition of any collateral in the event of bankruptcy or other default. In many such cases, the senior lender will require us to enter into an intercreditor agreement prior to permitting the portfolio company to borrow from us. Typically the intercreditor agreements we will be requested to execute will expressly subordinate our debt instruments to those held by the senior lender and further provide that the senior lender will control: (1) the commencement of foreclosure or other proceedings to liquidate and collect on the collateral; (2) the nature, timing, and conduct of foreclosure or other collection proceedings; (3) the amendment of any collateral document; (4) the release of the security interests in respect of any collateral; and (5) the waiver of defaults under any security agreement. Because of the control we may cede to senior lenders under intercreditor agreements we may enter, we may be unable to realize the proceeds of any collateral securing some of our loans.

Venture lenders, in general, focus on a limited set of key financial performance metrics, including minimum liquidity, performance to plan, and investor abandonment, in lieu of a full set of financial

We typically invest in companies whose securities are not publicly traded, and whose securities will be subject to restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than publicly traded securities. There is no established trading market for the securities in which we invest. The illiquidity of these investments may make it difficult for us to sell these investments when desired. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we had previously recorded these investments. As a result, we do not expect to achieve liquidity in our investments in the near-term and, in particular, with respect to the equity securities we acquire in our portfolio companies. Our investments are typically subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale or are otherwise illiquid because there is no established trading market for such investments. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to dispose of them at a favorable price or at all, and we may suffer losses as a result.

Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, we may make additional investments in that portfolio company as “follow-on” investments, in order to: (1) increase or maintain in whole or in part our equity ownership percentage; (2) exercise warrants, options, or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or a subsequent financing; or (3) attempt to preserve or enhance the value of our investment. However, we may elect not to make follow-on investments or lack sufficient funds to make those investments. We will have the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. The failure to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and our initial investment or may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a profitable or successful portfolio company. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we do not want to increase our concentration of risk, we prefer other investment opportunities, we are subject to BDC requirements that would prevent such follow-on investments, or the follow-on investment would affect our qualification as a RIC.

Our portfolio may hold a limited number of portfolio companies. Beyond the asset diversification requirements associated with our qualification as a RIC, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and our investments may be concentrated in relatively few companies. As our portfolio is less diversified than the portfolios of some larger funds, we are more susceptible to failure if a single loan fails. As a result, if a significant loan fails to perform as expected, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be more negatively affected and the magnitude of the loss could be more significant than if we had made smaller investments in more companies. Similarly, the aggregate returns we realize may be significantly adversely affected if a small number of investments perform poorly or if we need to write down the value of any one investment.

Our portfolio is concentrated in a limited number of industries. We invest primarily in companies focused in technology, life sciences, healthcare information and services, business services, select consumer services and products and other high growth industries. A downturn in any particular industry in which we are invested could significantly impact the aggregate returns we realize. As our portfolio may be less diversified than the portfolios of other investment vehicles, we may be more susceptible to losses if a single loan is not repaid. Similarly, the aggregate returns we realize may be significantly adversely affected if a small number of investments perform poorly or if we need to write down the value of any one investment.

Our objective is to build a balanced portfolio with diversification among sponsored and non-sponsored transactions diversification among sponsors within the Sponsored Growth Lending strategy, diversification among industry, geography, and stage of development, which we believe will contribute to a favorable risk adjusted return for the portfolio viewed as a whole. As we build our portfolio to scale, the effects of our sponsored and non-sponsored diversification strategy on yield and other metrics may not be fully evident, and the impact of various weightings may be more pronounced from period to period until we achieve greater scale in our portfolio. As a result, we may not achieve favorable risk adjusted returns for the portfolio viewed as a whole when diversification is lacking.

Our life sciences portfolio consists primarily of companies that commercialize and integrate products in life sciences-related industries, including biotechnology, drug discovery, drug delivery, bioinformatics and medical devices. There are risks in investing in companies that target life sciences-related industries, including, but not limited to, the uncertainty of timing and results of clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of products; failure to obtain any required regulatory approval of products; failure to develop manufacturing processes that meet regulatory standards; competition, in particular from companies that develop rival products; and the ability to protect proprietary technology. Adverse developments in any of these areas may adversely affect the value of our life sciences portfolio.

This life sciences industry is dominated by large multinational corporations with substantial greater financial and technical resources than generally will be available to our portfolio companies. Such large corporations may be better able to adapt to the challenges presented by continuing rapid and major scientific, regulatory and technological changes as well as related changes in governmental and third-party reimbursement policies.

Within the life sciences industry, the development of products generally is a costly and time-consuming process. Many highly promising products ultimately fail to prove to be safe and effective. There can be no assurance that the research or product development efforts of our portfolio companies or those of their collaborative partners will be successfully completed, that specific products can be manufactured in adequate quantities at an acceptable cost and with appropriate quality, or that such products can be successfully marketed or achieve customer acceptance. There can be no assurance that a product will be relevant and/or be competitive with products from other companies following the costly, time-consuming process of its development.

The research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of products developed by some life sciences companies are subject to extensive regulation by numerous government authorities in the United States and other countries. There can be no assurance that products developed by the portfolio companies will ever be approved by such governmental authorities.

Many life sciences portfolio companies will depend heavily upon intellectual property for their competitive position. There can be no assurance that the portfolio companies will be able to obtain patents for key inventions. Moreover, within the life sciences industry, patent challenges are frequent. Even if patents held by the portfolio companies are upheld, any challenges thereto may be costly and distracting to the portfolio companies’ management.

A number of the companies in which we invest operate in technology-related sectors. The revenue, income (or losses) and valuations of technology-related companies can and often do fluctuate suddenly and dramatically. In addition, because of rapid technological change, the average selling prices of products and some services provided by technology-related sectors have historically decreased over their productive lives. As a result, the average selling prices of products and services offered by our portfolio companies that operated in technology-related sectors may decrease over time, which could adversely affect their operating results and, correspondingly, the value of any securities that we may hold. This could, in turn, materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our portfolio companies may be subject to extensive regulation by U.S. and foreign federal, stated and/or local agencies. Our healthcare information and services portfolio companies provide technology to companies that are subject to extensive regulation, including Medicare and Medicaid payment rules and regulation, the False Claims Act and federal and state laws regarding the collection, use and disclosure of patient health information and the storage handling and administration of pharmaceuticals. Changes in existing laws, rules or regulations, or judicial or administrative interpretations, or new laws, rules or regulations could have an adverse impact on the business and industries of our portfolio companies. In addition, changes in government priorities or limitations on government resources could also adversely impact our portfolio companies. If any of our portfolio companies or the companies to which they provide such technology fail to comply with applicable regulations, they could be subject to significant penalties and claims that could materially and adversely affect their operations. Portfolio companies in the healthcare information and services industry are also subject to the risk that changes in applicable regulations will render their technology obsolete or less desirable in the marketplace. We are unable to predict whether any such changes in laws, rules or regulations will occur and, if they do occur, the impact of these changes on our portfolio companies and our investment returns.

Portfolio companies in the healthcare information and services industry may also have a limited number of suppliers of necessary components or a limited number of manufacturers for their products, and therefore face a risk of disruption to their manufacturing process if they are unable to find alternative suppliers when needed. Any of these factors could materially and adversely affect the operations of a portfolio company in this industry and, in turn, impair our ability to timely collect principal and interest payments owed to us.

A number of the companies in which we invest operate in the semiconductor industry. The semiconductor industry is highly cyclical and is characterized by constant and rapid technological change, price erosion, evolving standards, short product life cycles and wide fluctuations in product supply and demand. Any future downturns may result in diminished product demand, production overcapacity, high inventory levels and accelerated erosion of average selling prices for our portfolio companies. Furthermore, any upturn in the semiconductor industry could result in increased competition for access to third-party foundry and assembly capacity for our portfolio companies. Our portfolio companies are dependent on the availability of this capacity to manufacture and assemble all of their products. These risks that our portfolio companies face could, in turn, materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

A number of the companies in which we invest operate in the internet retail industry. The internet retail industry is highly competitive. This competition is increasingly intense as a number of internet-based retailers

Portfolio companies in the business services sector are subject to many risks, including the negative impact of regulation, changing technology, a competitive marketplace and difficulty in obtaining financing. Portfolio companies in the business services industry must respond quickly to technological changes and understand the impact of these changes on customers’ preferences. Adverse economic, business, or regulatory developments affecting the business services sector could have a negative impact on the value of our investments in portfolio companies operating in this industry, and therefore could negatively impact our business and results of operations.

Portfolio companies in the consumer services sector are subject to many risks, including the negative impact of regulation, changing technology, a competitive marketplace, unpredictability in attracting new customers and difficulty in obtaining financing. Portfolio companies in the consumer services industry must respond quickly to technological changes and understand the impact of these changes on customers’ preferences. If a significant number of clients of our portfolio companies in the consumer services industry, or any one client to whom a portfolio company intends to provide a significant amount of services, were to terminate services, or reduce the amount of services purchased or fail to purchase additional services or delay payment of fees, the portfolio company’s results of operations may be negatively and materially affected. If the client retention rate of any our portfolio companies declines, the portfolio company’s revenue could decline unless it is able to obtain additional clients or alternate revenue sources. Additionally, adverse economic, business, or regulatory developments affecting the consumer services sector could have a negative impact on the value of our investments in portfolio companies operating in this industry, and therefore could negatively impact our business and results of operations.

Portfolio companies in the software industry are subject to a number of risks. The revenue, income (or losses) and valuations of software and other technology-related companies can and often do fluctuate suddenly and dramatically. In addition, because of rapid technological change, the average selling prices of software products have historically decreased over their productive lives. As a result, the average selling prices of software offered by our portfolio companies may decrease over time, which could adversely affect their operating results and, correspondingly, the value of any securities that we may hold. Additionally, companies operating in the software industry are subject to vigorous competition, changing technology, changing client and end-consumer needs, evolving industry standards and frequent introductions of new products and services. Our portfolio companies in the software industry compete with several companies that operate in the global, regional and local software industries, and certain of those current or potential competitors may be engaged in a greater range of businesses, have a larger installed base of customers for their existing products and services or have greater financial, technical, sales or other resources than our portfolio companies do. Our portfolio companies may lose market share if their competitors introduce or acquire new products that compete with their software and related services or add new features to their products. Any of this could, in turn, materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In some instances, we may control our portfolio companies or provide our portfolio companies with significant managerial assistance. However, although we may do so in the future, we typically do not hold controlling equity positions in our portfolio companies. Thus, we generally do not, and do not expect to, control the decision making in many of our portfolio companies. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a

As a BDC, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at the fair value as determined in good faith by our Board. Decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments will be recorded as unrealized depreciation. Any unrealized losses in our loan portfolio could be an indication of a portfolio company’s inability to meet its repayment obligations to us with respect to the affected loans. This could result in realized losses in the future and ultimately in reductions of our income available for distribution in future periods.

We are subject to the risk that the investments we make in our portfolio companies may be repaid prior to maturity. When this occurs, we will generally reinvest these proceeds in temporary investments, pending future investment in new portfolio companies. These temporary investments will typically have substantially lower yields than the yields of the loans being prepaid and we could experience significant delays in reinvesting these amounts. Any future investment in a new portfolio company may also be at lower yields than the debt that was previously prepaid by a portfolio company. As a result, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected if any of our portfolio companies elect to prepay amounts owed to us. Additionally, prepayments of loans made to portfolio companies could negatively impact our return on equity.

Some of our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, which may have adverse consequences to these companies and to us as an investor. These companies may be subject to restrictive financial and operating covenants and the leverage may impair these companies’ ability to finance their future operations and capital needs. As a result, these companies’ flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions and to take advantage of business opportunities may be limited. Further, a leveraged company’s income and net assets will tend to increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money were not used. Leveraged companies may enter into bankruptcy proceedings at higher rates than companies that are not leveraged.

Investments in equity securities involve a number of significant risks, including the risk of further dilution as a result of additional issuances, inability to access additional capital and failure to pay current distributions. Investments in preferred securities involve special risks, such as the risk of deferred distributions, credit risk, illiquidity restraining our ability to transfer or sell such securities and limited voting rights. In addition, we may from time to time make non-control, equity investments in portfolio companies. Our goal is ultimately to realize gains upon our disposition of such equity interests. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience. We also may be unable to realize any value if a portfolio company does not have a liquidity event, such as a sale of the business, recapitalization or public offering, which would allow us to sell the underlying equity interests. We will sometimes seek puts or similar rights to give us the right to sell our equity securities back to the portfolio company issuer. We may be unable to exercise these put rights for the consideration provided in our investment documents if the issuer is in financial distress.

If we engage in hedging transactions, we may expose ourselves to risks associated with such transactions. We may utilize instruments such as forward contracts, credit default swaps, currency options and interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates. Hedging against a decline in the values of our portfolio positions does not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of such positions decline. However, such hedging can establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions may also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions increase. It may not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest

Mr. Laibow is Co-Head of North America & Managing Director Opportunities Funds at Oaktree and we expect that he will continue to engage in investment advisory activities for Oaktree, which could result in a conflict of interest and may distract him from his responsibilities to us and Runway Growth Capital. As a result of the relationship with Oaktree and OCM, we are presumed to be an affiliate of Oaktree and OCM Growth under the 1940 Act. As a result, we are not able to invest in the same portfolio companies in which any funds managed by Oaktree or OCM Growth invest without seeking exemptive relief from the SEC.

Under the Advisory Agreement, Runway Growth Capital has not assumed any responsibility to us other than to render the services called for under that agreement. It is not responsible for any action of our Board in following or declining to follow Runway Growth Capital’s advice or recommendations. Under the Advisory Agreement, Runway Growth Capital and its professionals and any person controlling or controlled by Runway Growth Capital are not liable to us, any subsidiary of ours, our directors, our stockholders or any subsidiary’s stockholders or partners for acts or omissions performed in accordance with and pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, except those resulting from acts constituting gross negligence, willful misfeasance, bad faith or reckless disregard of the duties that Runway Growth Capital owes to us under the Advisory Agreement. In addition, as part of the Advisory Agreement, we will indemnify Runway Growth Capital and its professionals from and against any claims or liabilities, including reasonable legal fees and other expenses reasonably incurred, arising out of or in connection with our business and operations or any action taken or omitted on our behalf pursuant to authority granted by the Advisory Agreement, except where attributable to gross negligence, willful misfeasance, bad faith or reckless disregard of such person’s duties under the Advisory Agreement.

We underwrite our loans to generally include an end-of-term payment, a PIK interest payment and/or OID. Our end-of-term payments are contractual and fixed interest payments due at the maturity date of the

Although we have elected to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, no assurance can be given that we will be able to qualify as and maintain our qualification as a RIC. To maintain our tax treatment as a RIC, we must meet the following source-of-income, asset diversification, and distribution requirements.

The income source requirement will be satisfied if we obtain at least 90% of our gross income for each year from dividends, interest, foreign currency, payments with respect to loans of certain securities, gains from the sale of stock or other securities, net income from certain “qualified publicly traded partnerships,” or similar sources.

The asset diversification requirement will be satisfied if we meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. Failure to meet those requirements may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of our qualification as a RIC. Because most of our investments will be in private companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses. We may have difficulty satisfying the diversification requirement during our ramp-up phase until we have a portfolio of investments. In addition, to the extent that we call capital to meet the asset diversification requirements and are unable to deploy such capital into income-earning investments, we may not achieve our expected operating results.

The annual distribution requirement will be satisfied if we distribute to our stockholders on an annual basis at least 90% of our net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any (the “Annual Distribution Requirement”). Because we may use debt financing, we are subject to certain asset coverage ratio requirements under the 1940 Act and financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to satisfy the distribution requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we could fail to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. If we fail to qualify as a RIC for any reason and therefore become subject to corporate-level federal U.S. income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will include in our taxable income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as OID, which may arise if we receive warrants in connection with the origination of a loan or possibly in other circumstances, or contractual PIK interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such OID or increases in loan balances as a result of contractual PIK arrangements will be included in our taxable income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in our taxable income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash.

Since, in certain cases, we may recognize taxable income before or without receiving corresponding cash payments, we may have difficulty meeting the Annual Distribution Requirement necessary to maintain our qualification as a RIC. Accordingly, to satisfy our RIC distribution requirements, we may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity

As a BDC, we are not required to make any distributions to stockholders other than in connection with our election to be taxed as a RIC under subchapter M of the Code. In order to maintain our tax treatment as a RIC, we must distribute to stockholders for each taxable year at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (i.e., net ordinary income plus realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses). If we qualify for taxation as a RIC, we generally will not be subject to corporate-level US federal income tax on our investment company taxable income and net capital gains (i.e., realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses) that we timely distribute to stockholders. We will be subject to a 4% U.S. federal excise tax on undistributed earnings of a RIC unless we distribute each calendar year at least the sum of (i) 98.0% of our net ordinary income for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of our capital gain net income for the one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year, and (iii) any net ordinary income and capital gain net income that we recognized for preceding years, but were not distributed during such years, and on which we paid no corporate-level U.S. federal income tax.

Under the Code, we may satisfy certain of our RIC distributions with dividends paid after the end of the current year. In particular, if we pay a distribution in January of the following year that was declared in October, November, or December of the current year and is payable to stockholders of record in the current year, the dividend will be treated for all US federal tax purposes as if it were paid on December 31 of the current year. In addition, under the Code, we may pay dividends, referred to as “spillover dividends,” that are paid during the following taxable year that will allow us to maintain our qualification for taxation as a RIC and eliminate our liability for corporate-level U.S. federal income tax. Under these spillover dividend procedures, we may defer distribution of income earned during the current year until December of the following year. For example, we may defer distributions of income earned during 2020 until as late as December 31, 2021. If we choose to pay a spillover dividend, we will incur the nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax on some or all of the distribution.

We may distribute taxable distributions that are payable in cash or shares of our common stock, including in connection with our Dividend Reinvestment Plan, at the election of each stockholder. Under certain applicable provisions of the Code and published Internal Revenue Service guidance, distributions payable from a publicly offered RIC that are payable in cash or in shares of stock at the election of stockholders may be treated as taxable distributions. The IRS has issued a revenue procedure indicating that this rule will apply if the total amount of cash to be distributed is not less than 20% of the total distribution. Under this revenue procedure, if too many stockholders elect to receive their distributions in cash, the cash available for distribution must be allocated among the stockholders electing to receive cash (with the balance of the distribution paid in shares of our common stock). If we decide to make any distributions consistent with this revenue procedures that are payable in part in shares of our common stock, taxable stockholders receiving such distributions will be required to include the full amount of the distribution (whether received in cash,

A “publicly offered regulated investment company” is a RIC whose shares are either (i) continuously offered pursuant to a public offering, (ii) regularly traded on an established securities market or (iii) held by at least 500 persons at all times during the taxable year. We currently do not qualify as a publicly offered RIC; we may qualify as a publicly offered RIC for future taxable years. For any period that we are not a publicly offered RIC, a U.S. non-corporate stockholder’s allocable portion of our affected expenses, including our management fees, is treated as an additional distribution to the stockholder and will be deductible by such stockholder only to the extent permitted under the limitations described below. In particular, these expenses, which are “miscellaneous itemized deductions”, are not currently deductible by an individual or other non-corporate stockholder (and, beginning in 2026, will be deductible only to the extent they exceed 2% of such a stockholder’s adjusted gross income, and are not deductible for alternative minimum tax purposes).

Our common stock has been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “RWAY”. We cannot assure you that a trading market will develop for our common stock after this offering or, if one develops, that the trading market can be sustained. In addition, we cannot predict the prices at which our common stock will trade. The offering price for our common stock will be determined through our negotiations with the underwriters and may not bear any relationship to the market price at which it may trade after this offering. Shares of companies offered in an initial public offering often trade at a discount to the initial offering price due to underwriting discounts and commissions and related offering expenses. Also, shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, frequently trade at a discount from their net asset value and our stock may also be discounted in the market. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share of common stock may decline. We cannot predict whether our common stock will trade at, above or below net asset value. The risk of loss associated with this characteristic of closed-end management investment companies may be greater for investors expecting to sell shares of common stock purchased in the offering soon after the offering. In addition, if our common stock trades below its net asset value, we will generally not be able to sell additional shares of our common stock to the public at its market price without first obtaining the approval of a majority of our stockholders (including a majority of our unaffiliated stockholders) and our independent directors for such issuance.

If our common stock is trading below our net asset value per share, we are not able to issue additional shares of our common stock at the market price without first obtaining the approval for such issuance from our stockholders and our independent directors. If our common stock trades below our net asset value per share, the higher cost of equity capital may result in it being unattractive to raise new equity, which may limit

Our stockholders do not have preemptive rights to purchase any shares we issue in the future. Our charter authorizes us to issue up to 100 million shares of common stock. Pursuant to our charter, a majority of our entire Board may amend our charter to increase the number of shares of common stock we may issue without stockholder approval. Our Board may elect to sell additional shares in the future or issue equity interests in private offerings. To the extent we issue additional equity interests at or below net asset value, your percentage ownership interest in us may be diluted. In addition, depending upon the terms and pricing of any additional offerings and the value of our investments, you may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of your shares.

Under the 1940 Act, we generally are prohibited from issuing or selling our common stock at a price below net asset value per share, which may be a disadvantage as compared with certain public companies. We may, however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options, or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the current net asset value of our common stock if our Board and independent directors determine that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders, including a majority of those stockholders that are not affiliated with us, approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of our Board, closely approximates the fair value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). If we raise additional funds by issuing common stock or senior securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, our common stock, then the percentage ownership of our stockholders at that time will decrease and you will experience dilution.

Upon completion of this offering, we will have 41,380,614 shares of common stock outstanding (or 42,408,114 shares of common stock if the underwriters’ exercise their option to purchase additional shares of our common stock). The shares of common stock sold in the offering will be freely tradable without restriction or limitation under the Securities Act.

OCM Growth and certain of its affiliates, holding in the aggregate 19,200,496 shares, or 55.60% of our common stock prior to the completion of this offering, have also agreed, without the consent of the Company, that they will not transfer their shares in accordance with the transfer restrictions provided for in the lock-up

Certain other institutional shareholders holding in the aggregate approximately 27% of the outstanding shares of our common stock prior to the completion of this offering have agreed, without the consent of the Company, that they will not transfer their shares in accordance with the transfer restrictions provided for in the lock-up agreement with the underwriters for an additional 185 days beginning immediately after the expiration of the 180 day lock-up period (365 days in total from the date of this prospectus), provided, however that (i) 33% of the shares of the Company’s common stock held by certain institutional shareholders prior to this offering will not be subject to any transfer restrictions on the first day following the expiration of the initial 180 day lock-up period, (ii) an additional 33% of the shares of the Company’s common stock held by certain institutional shareholders prior to this offering will not be subject to any transfer restrictions on the 90th day following the expiration of the initial 180 day lock-up period, and (iii) the remaining 33% of the shares of the Company’s common stock held by certain institutional shareholders prior to this offering will not be subject to any transfer restrictions on the 185th day following the expiration of the initial 180 day lock-up period.

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

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

Under MGCL and our charter, our Board is authorized to classify and reclassify any authorized but unissued shares of stock into one or more classes of stock, including preferred stock. Prior to the issuance of shares of each class or series, the is required by Maryland law and our charter to set the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each class or series. Thus, the Board could authorize the issuance of shares of preferred stock with terms and conditions which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interest. The cost of any such reclassification would be borne by our existing common stockholders. Certain matters under the 1940 Act require the separate vote of the holders of any issued and outstanding preferred stock. For example, holders of preferred stock would vote separately from the holders of common stock on a proposal to cease operations as a BDC. In addition, the 1940 Act provides that holders of preferred stock are entitled to vote separately from holders of common stock to elect two preferred stock directors. We currently have no plans to issue preferred stock, but may determine to do so in the future. The issuance of preferred stock convertible into shares of common stock might also reduce the net income per share and net asset value per share of our common stock upon conversion, provided, that we will only be permitted to issue such convertible preferred stock to the extent we comply with the requirements of Section 61 of the 1940 Act, including obtaining common stockholder approval. These effects, among others, could have an adverse effect on an investment in our common stock.

In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. Shareholder activism, which could take many forms or arise in a variety of situations, has been increasing in the BDC space in recent years. While we are currently not subject to any securities litigation or shareholder activism, due to the potential volatility of our stock price and for a variety of other reasons, we may in the future become the target of securities litigation or shareholder activism. Securities litigation and shareholder activism, including potential proxy contests, could result in substantial costs and divert management’s and our Board’s attention and resources from our business. Additionally, such securities litigation and shareholder activism could give rise to perceived uncertainties as to our future, adversely affect our relationships with service providers and make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel. Also, we may be required to incur significant legal fees and other expenses related to any securities litigation and activist shareholder matters. Further, our stock price could be subject to significant fluctuation or otherwise be adversely affected by the events, risks and uncertainties of any securities litigation and shareholder activism.

General uncertainty surrounding the dangers and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (including the preventative measures taken in response thereto and additional uncertainty regarding new variants of COVID-19 that have emerged in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil) has to date created significant disruption in supply chains and economic activity. Disruptions in the capital markets have increased the spread between the yields realized on risk-free and higher risk securities, resulting in illiquidity in parts of the capital markets. These and future market disruptions and/or illiquidity have had and may continue to have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Unfavorable economic conditions also have and may continue to increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. These events have limited and could continue to limit our investment originations, limit our ability to grow and have a material negative impact on our operating results and the fair values of our debt and equity investments.

In addition, due to the outbreak in the United States, certain Runway Growth Capital personnel are currently working remotely, which may introduce additional operational risk to us. Staff members of certain of our other service providers may also work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. An extended period of remote working could lead to service limitations or failures that could impact us or our performance.

Additionally, the disruption in economic activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on the potential for liquidity events involving our investments. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments to access capital if required, and as a result, we could realize significantly less than the value at which we have recorded our investments if we were required to sell them for liquidity purposes. An inability to raise or access capital, and any required sale of all or a portion of our investments as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

The extent of the impact of any public health emergency, including the COVID-19 pandemic, on our and our portfolio companies’ operational and financial performance will depend on many factors, including the duration and scope of such public health emergency, the actions taken by governmental authorities to contain its financial and economic impact, the extent of any related travel advisories and restrictions implemented, the impact of such public health emergency on overall supply and demand, goods and services, investor liquidity, consumer confidence and levels of economic activity and the extent of its disruption to important global, regional and local supply chains and economic markets, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. In addition, our and our portfolio companies’ operations may be significantly impacted, or even temporarily or permanently halted, as a result of government quarantine measures, voluntary and precautionary restrictions on travel or meetings and other factors related to a public health emergency, including its potential adverse impact on the health of any of our or our portfolio companies’ personnel. This could create widespread business continuity issues for us and our portfolio companies.

These factors may also cause the valuation of our investments to differ materially from the values that we may ultimately realize. Our valuations, and particularly valuations of private investments and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and are often based on estimates,

In addition, due to the outbreak in the United States, certain Runway Growth Capital personnel are currently working remotely, which may introduce additional operational risk to us. Staff members of certain of our other service providers may also be working remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak. An extended period of remote working could lead to service limitations or failures that could impact us or our performance.

Current market conditions may make it difficult to extend the maturity of or refinance our existing indebtedness or obtain new indebtedness with similar terms and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business. The debt capital that will be available to us in the future, if at all, may be at a higher cost and on less favorable terms and conditions than what we currently experience, including being at a higher cost in rising rate environments. If we are unable to raise or refinance debt, then our equity investors may not benefit from the potential for increased returns on equity resulting from leverage and we may be limited in our ability to make new commitments or to fund existing commitments to our portfolio companies. An inability to extend the maturity of, or refinance, our existing indebtedness or obtain new indebtedness could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Social, political, economic and other conditions and events (such as natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, conflicts and social unrest) will occur that create uncertainty and have significant impacts on issuers, industries, governments and other systems, including the financial markets, to which companies and their investments are exposed. As global systems, economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, events that once had only local impact are now more likely to have regional or even global effects. Events that occur in one country, region or financial market will, more frequently, adversely impact issuers in other countries, regions or markets, including in established markets such as the United States. These impacts can be exacerbated by failures of governments and societies to adequately respond to an emerging event or threat.

A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize the portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt that we hold. We may incur additional expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company. In addition, if one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we will actually provide significant managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors.

Further, when recessionary conditions exist, the financial results of middle-market companies, like those in which we invest, typically experience deterioration, which could ultimately lead to difficulty in meeting debt service requirements and an increase in defaults. Additionally, there can be reduced demand for certain of our portfolio companies’ products and services and/or other economic consequences, such as decreased margins or extended payment terms. Further, adverse economic conditions may decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and the value of our equity investments. Such conditions may require us to modify the payment terms of our investments, including changes in PIK interest provisions and/or cash interest rates. The performance of certain portfolio companies in the future may be negatively impacted by these economic or other conditions, which may result in our receipt of reduced interest income from our portfolio companies and/or realized and unrealized losses related to our investments, and, in turn, may adversely affect distributable income and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

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

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

The following table reflects the distributions declared on shares of our common stock during the six months ended June 30, 2021: