GLADSTONE CAPITAL CORP - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020

OR

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file number 814-00237

GLADSTONE CAPITAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(703) 287-5800

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.     Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.     Yes  ☐     No  ☒

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).     Yes  ☐    No  ☐

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12 b-2 of the Act).     Yes  ☐    No  ☒.

The aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant on March 31, 2020, based on the closing price on that date of $5.62 per share on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, was $165,392,857. For the purposes of calculating this amount only, all directors and executive officers of the Registrant have been treated as affiliates. There were 31,989,316 shares of the Registrant’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding as of November 9, 2020.

Documents Incorporated by Reference. Portions of the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A in connection with the Registrant’s 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed subsequent to the date hereof, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K. Such proxy statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days following the end of the Registrant’s fiscal year ended September 30, 2020.

Table of Contents

GLADSTONE CAPITAL CORPORATION

FORM 10-K FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

Table of Contents

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

All statements contained herein, other than historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements.” These statements may relate to, among other things, our future operating results, our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio companies, actual and potential conflicts of interest with Gladstone Management Corporation (the “Adviser”), our adviser, and its affiliates, the use of borrowed money to finance our investments, the adequacy of our financing sources and working capital, and our ability to co-invest, among other factors. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “estimate,” “may,” “might,” “believe,” “will,” “provided,” “anticipate,” “future,” “could,” “growth,” “plan,” “project,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “if,” “seek,” “possible,” “potential,” “likely” or the negative or variations of such terms or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include: (1) changes in the economy and the capital markets, including stock price volatility; (2) risks associated with negotiation and consummation of pending and future transactions; (3) the loss of one or more of our executive officers, in particular David Gladstone, Terry Lee Brubaker or Robert L. Marcotte; (4) changes in our investment objectives and strategy; (5) availability, terms (including the possibility of interest rate volatility) and deployment of capital; (6) changes in our industry, interest rates, exchange rates or the general economy; (7) our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio companies; (8) the degree and nature of our competition; (9) changes in governmental regulation, tax rates and similar matters; (10) our ability to exit investments in a timely manner; (11) our ability to maintain our qualification as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”); (12) those factors described herein, including Item 1A. “Risk Factors,” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Annual Report”) and (13) the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, our portfolio companies and the capital markets, including the measures taken by governmental authorities to address it, which may precipitate or exacerbate other risks and/or uncertainties. Additionally, many of the risks and uncertainties listed above, among others, are currently elevated by and may or will continue to be elevated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance. We have based forward-looking statements on information available to us on the date of this Annual Report. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this Annual Report. Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we have filed or in the future may file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) from time to time, including quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

In this Annual Report, the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Gladstone Capital Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries unless the context otherwise indicates. Dollar amounts in tables, except per share amounts, are in thousands unless otherwise indicated.

2

Table of Contents

PART I

The information contained in this section should be read in conjunction with our accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Overview

Organization

Gladstone Capital Corporation was incorporated under the Maryland General Corporation Law on May 30, 2001 and completed an initial public offering on August 24, 2001. We are an externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. In addition, we have elected to be treated for tax purposes as a RIC under the Code. We were established for the purpose of investing in debt and equity securities of established private businesses operating in the United States (“U.S.”).

As of September 30, 2020, shares of our common stock, our 6.125% Notes due 2023 (the “2023 Notes”) and our 5.375% Notes due 2024 (the “2024 Notes”) trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) under the trading symbols “GLAD”, “GLADD” and “GLADL,” respectively.

Investment Adviser and Administrator

We are externally managed by the Adviser, an investment adviser registered with the SEC and an affiliate of ours, pursuant to an investment advisory and management agreement (as amended and / or restated from time to time, the “Advisory Agreement”). The Adviser manages our investment activities. We have also entered into an administration agreement with Gladstone Administration, LLC (the “Administrator”), an affiliate of ours and the Adviser, whereby we pay separately for administrative services (the “Administration Agreement”). Each of the Adviser and the Administrator are privately-held companies that are indirectly owned and controlled by David Gladstone, our chairman and chief executive officer. Mr. Gladstone and Terry Lee Brubaker, our vice chairman and chief operating officer, also serve on the board of directors of the Adviser, the board of managers of the Administrator, and serve as executive officers of the Adviser and the Administrator. The Administrator employs, among others, our chief financial officer and treasurer, chief valuation officer, chief compliance officer, general counsel and secretary (who also serves as the president of the Administrator) and their respective staffs. The Adviser and Administrator have extensive experience in our lines of business and also provide investment advisory and administrative services, respectively, to our affiliates, including: Gladstone Commercial Corporation (“Gladstone Commercial”), a publicly-traded real estate investment trust; Gladstone Investment Corporation (“Gladstone Investment”), a publicly-traded BDC and RIC; and Gladstone Land Corporation, a publicly-traded real estate investment trust (“Gladstone Land,” with “Gladstone Commercial,” and “Gladstone Investment,” collectively the “Affiliated Public Funds”). In the future, the Adviser and Administrator may provide investment advisory and administrative services, respectively, to other funds and companies, both public and private.

The Adviser was organized as a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware on July 2, 2002, and is an SEC registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, as amended. The Administrator was organized as a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Delaware on March 18, 2005. The Adviser and Administrator are headquartered in McLean, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., at 1521 Westbranch Drive, McLean, Virginia 22102. The Adviser also has offices in other states.

Investment Objectives and Strategy

Our investment objectives are to: (1) achieve and grow current income by investing in debt securities of established lower middle market companies (which we generally define as companies with annual earnings

3

Table of Contents

before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) of $3 million to $15 million) in the U.S. that we believe will provide stable earnings and cash flow to pay expenses, make principal and interest payments on our outstanding indebtedness, and make distributions to stockholders; and (2) provide our stockholders with long-term capital appreciation in the value of our assets by investing in equity securities, in connection with our debt investments, that we believe can grow over time to permit us to sell our equity investments for capital gains. To achieve our objectives, our primary investment strategy is to invest in several categories of debt and equity securities, with each investment generally ranging from $8 million to $30 million, although investment size may vary, depending upon our total assets or available capital at the time of investment. We lend to borrowers that need funds for growth capital, to finance acquisitions, or to recapitalize or refinance their existing debt facilities. We seek to avoid investing in high-risk, early-stage enterprises. Our targeted portfolio companies are generally considered too small for the larger capital marketplace. We intend for our investment portfolio to consist of approximately 90.0% debt investments and 10.0% equity investments, at cost. As of September 30, 2020, our investment portfolio was made up of approximately 91.3% debt investments and 8.7% equity investments, at cost.

We invest by ourselves or jointly with other funds and/or management of the portfolio company, depending on the opportunity. In July 2012, the SEC granted us an exemptive order (the “Co-Investment Order”) that expanded our ability to co-invest, under certain circumstances, with certain of our affiliates, including Gladstone Investment and any future BDC or closed-end management investment company that is advised (or sub-advised if it controls the fund) by the Adviser, or any combination of the foregoing, subject to the conditions in the Co-Investment Order. We believe the Co-Investment Order has enhanced and will continue to enhance our ability to further our investment objectives and strategies. Since 2012, we have opportunistically made several co-investments with Gladstone Investment pursuant to the Co-Investment Order. If we are participating in an investment with one or more co-investors, whether or not an affiliate of ours, our investment is likely to be smaller than if we were investing alone.

In general, our investments in debt securities have a term of no more than seven years, accrue interest at variable rates (generally based on the 30-day London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”)) and, to a lesser extent, at fixed rates. We seek debt instruments that pay interest monthly or, at a minimum, quarterly, may have a success fee or deferred interest provision and are primarily interest only, with all principal and any accrued but unpaid interest due at maturity. Generally, success fees accrue at a set rate and are contractually due upon a change of control of a portfolio company, typically from an exit or sale. Some debt securities have deferred interest whereby some portion of the interest payment is added to the principal balance so that the interest is paid, together with the principal, at maturity. This form of deferred interest is often called paid-in-kind (“PIK”) interest.

Typically, our equity investments consist of common stock, preferred stock, limited liability company interests, or warrants to purchase the foregoing. Often, these equity investments occur in connection with our original investment, recapitalizing a business, or refinancing existing debt.

Since our initial public offering in 2001 and through September 30, 2020, we have invested in over 240 different companies, while making 212 consecutive monthly or quarterly cash distributions to common stockholders. We expect that our investment portfolio will primarily include the following three categories of investments in private companies operating in the U.S.:

4

Table of Contents

Under the 1940 Act, we may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in Section 55 of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as “qualifying assets” and generally include each of the investment types listed above, unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets (other than certain assets related to our operations) represent at least 70.0% of our total assets. See “Regulation as a BDC — Qualifying Assets” for a discussion of the types of qualifying assets in which we are permitted to invest pursuant to Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act.

Because the majority of the loans in our portfolio consist of term debt in private companies that typically cannot or will not expend the resources to have their debt securities rated by a credit rating agency, we expect that most, if not all, of the debt securities we acquire will be unrated. Investors should assume that these loans would be rated below what is today considered “investment grade” quality. Investments rated below investment grade are often referred to as high yield securities or junk bonds and may be considered higher risk, as compared to investment-grade debt instruments. In addition, many of the debt securities we hold may not amortize prior to maturity.

Investment Policies

We seek to achieve a high level of current income and capital gains through investments in debt securities and preferred or common stock that we generally acquire in connection with buyouts and other recapitalizations. The following investment policies, along with these investment objectives, may not be changed without the approval of our board of directors (the “Board of Directors”):

With the exception of our policy to conduct our business as a BDC, these policies are not fundamental and may be changed without stockholder approval.

5

Table of Contents

Investment Concentrations

As of September 30, 2020, our investment portfolio consisted of investments in 48 companies located in 25 states across 18 different industries, with an aggregate fair value of $450.4 million. The five largest investments at fair value as of September 30, 2020, totaled $130.3 million, or 28.9% of our total investment portfolio.

The following table outlines our investments by security type as of September 30, 2020 and 2019:

Our investments at fair value consisted of the following industry classifications as of September 30, 2020 and 2019:

6

Table of Contents

Our investments at fair value were included in the following U.S. geographic regions and Canada as of September 30, 2020 and 2019:

The geographic composition indicates the location of the headquarters for our portfolio companies. A portfolio company may have additional locations in other geographic regions.

Investment Process

Overview of Investment and Approval Process

To originate investments, the Adviser’s investment professionals use an extensive referral network comprised primarily of private equity sponsors, leveraged buyout funds, investment bankers, attorneys, accountants, commercial bankers, and business brokers. The Adviser’s investment professionals review information received from these and other sources in search of potential financing opportunities. If a potential opportunity matches our investment objectives, the investment professionals will seek an initial screening of the opportunity with our president, Robert L. Marcotte, to authorize the submission of an indication of interest (“IOI”) to the prospective portfolio company. If the prospective portfolio company passes this initial screening and the IOI is accepted by the prospective company, the investment professionals will seek approval to issue a letter of intent (“LOI”) to the prospective company from the Adviser’s investment committee, which is composed of Messrs. Gladstone, Brubaker and Marcotte. If this LOI is issued, then the Adviser and Gladstone Securities, LLC (“Gladstone Securities”) (collectively, the “Due Diligence Team”) will conduct a due diligence investigation and create a detailed profile summarizing the prospective portfolio company’s historical financial statements, industry, competitive position and management team, analyzing its conformity to our general investment criteria. The investment professionals then present this profile to the Adviser’s investment committee, which must approve each investment.

Prospective Portfolio Company Characteristics

We have identified certain characteristics that we believe are important in identifying and investing in prospective portfolio companies. The criteria listed below provide general guidelines for our investment decisions, although not all of these criteria may be met by each portfolio company.

7

Table of Contents

Extensive Due Diligence

The Due Diligence Team conducts what we believe are extensive due diligence investigations of our prospective portfolio companies and investment opportunities. The due diligence investigation may begin with a review of publicly available information followed by in depth business analysis, including any of the following:

Upon completion of a due diligence investigation and a decision to proceed with an investment, the Adviser’s investment professionals who have primary responsibility for the investment present the investment opportunity to the Adviser’s investment committee. The investment committee then determines whether to pursue the potential investment. Prior to the closing of an investment, additional due diligence may be conducted on our behalf by attorneys, independent accountants, and other outside advisers, as appropriate.

We also rely on the long-term relationships that the Adviser’s investment professionals have with leveraged buyout funds, investment bankers, commercial bankers, private equity sponsors, attorneys, accountants, and business brokers. In addition, the extensive direct experiences of our executive officers and managing directors in the operations of lower middle market companies and providing debt and equity capital to lower middle market companies plays a significant role in our investment evaluation and assessment of risk.

Investment Structure

Once the Adviser has determined that an investment meets our standards and investment criteria, the Adviser works with the management of that company, the private equity firm or ownership group controlling any prospective borrower, and other capital providers to structure the transaction in a way that we believe will provide us with the greatest opportunity to maximize our return on the investment, while providing appropriate incentives to the shareholders and management of the company. As discussed above, the capital classes through which we typically structure a deal include first lien secured debt, second lien secured debt, and preferred and common equity or equivalents. Through its risk management process, the Adviser seeks to limit the downside risk of our investments by:

8

Table of Contents

We expect to hold most of our debt investments until maturity or repayment, but may sell our investments (including our equity investments) earlier if a liquidity event takes place, such as the sale or recapitalization of a portfolio company. Occasionally, we may sell some or all of our investment interests in a portfolio company to a third party in a privately negotiated transaction to manage our credit or sector exposures or to enhance our portfolio yield.

Competitive Advantages

A large number of entities compete with us and make the types of investments that we seek to make in lower middle market privately-owned businesses. Such competitors include other BDCs, non-equity based investment funds, and other financing sources, including traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks. Many of our competitors are substantially larger than we are and have considerably greater funding sources or are able to access capital more cost effectively. In addition, certain of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments, serve a broader customer base, and establish a greater market share. Furthermore, many of these competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC or the regulatory requirements we must comply with as a publicly traded company. However, we believe that we have the following competitive advantages over many other providers of financing to lower middle market companies.

Management Expertise

Our Adviser has a separate investment committee for the Company and each of the Affiliated Public Funds. The Adviser’s investment committee for the Company is comprised of Messrs. Gladstone, Brubaker and Marcotte, each of whom have a wealth of experience in our area of operation. Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Brubaker also serve on the Adviser’s investment committee for the other Affiliated Public Funds. Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Marcotte both have over 25 years of experience in investing in middle market companies and with operating in the BDC marketplace in general. Messrs. Gladstone and Brubaker also have principal management responsibility for the Adviser as its executive officers, and have worked together at the Gladstone Companies for more than 15 years. Mr. Brubaker has over 25 years of experience in acquisitions and operations of companies. These three individuals dedicate a significant portion of their time to managing our investment portfolio. Our senior management has extensive experience providing capital to lower middle market companies. In addition, we have access to the resources and expertise of the Adviser’s investment professionals and support staff who possess a broad range of transactional, financial, managerial, and investment skills. See the additional discussion regarding management of portfolio companies by our Adviser below under “—Ongoing Management of Investments and Portfolio Company Relationships.”

Increased Access to Investment Opportunities Developed Through Extensive Research Capability and Network of Contacts

The Adviser seeks to identify potential investments through active origination and due diligence and through its dialogue with numerous private equity firms and other members of the financial community with whom the Adviser’s investment professionals have long-term relationships. We believe that the Adviser’s investment professionals have developed a broad network of contacts within the investment, commercial banking, private

9

Table of Contents

equity and investment management communities, and that their reputation, experience and focus on investing in lower middle market companies enables us to source and identify well-positioned prospective portfolio companies that provide attractive investment opportunities. Additionally, the Adviser expects to generate information from its professionals’ network of accountants, consultants, lawyers and management teams of portfolio companies and other contacts to support the Adviser’s investment activities.

Disciplined, Value and Income-Oriented Investment Philosophy with a Focus on Preservation of Capital

In making its investment decisions, the Adviser focuses on the risk and reward profile of each prospective portfolio company, seeking to minimize the risk of capital loss without foregoing the potential for capital appreciation. We expect the Adviser to use the same investment philosophy that its professionals use in the management of the other Affiliated Public Funds and to commit resources to manage downside exposure. The Adviser’s approach seeks to reduce our risk in investments by using some or all of the following approaches:

Longer Investment Horizon

Unlike private equity and private credit funds that are typically organized as finite-life partnerships (generally seven to ten years), we are not subject to standard periodic capital return requirements. These structures often force private equity and private credit funds to seek returns on their investments by causing their portfolio companies to pursue mergers, public equity offerings, or other liquidity events more quickly than might otherwise be optimal or desirable, potentially resulting in a lower overall return to investors and/or an adverse impact on their portfolio companies. In contrast, we are an exchange-traded corporation of perpetual duration. We believe that our flexibility to make investments with a long-term view and without the capital return requirements of traditional private investment vehicles provides us with the opportunity to achieve greater long-term returns on invested capital.

Flexible Transaction Structuring

We believe our management team’s broad expertise and years of combined experience enable the Adviser to identify, assess, and structure investments successfully across all levels of a company’s capital structure and manage potential risk and return at all stages of the economic cycle. We are not subject to many of the regulatory limitations that govern traditional lending institutions, such as banks. As a result, we are flexible in selecting and structuring investments, adjusting investment criteria and transaction structures and, in some cases, the types of securities in which we invest. We believe that this approach enables the Adviser to craft a financing structure which best fits the investment and growth profile of the underlying business and yields attractive investment opportunities that will continue to generate current income and capital gain potential throughout the economic cycle, including during turbulent periods in the capital markets, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Ongoing Management of Investments and Portfolio Company Relationships

The Adviser’s investment professionals actively oversee each investment by continuously evaluating the portfolio company’s performance and typically working collaboratively with the portfolio company’s management to identify and incorporate best resources and practices that help us achieve our projected investment performance.

10

Table of Contents

Monitoring

The Adviser’s investment professionals monitor the financial performance, trends, and changing risks of each portfolio company on an ongoing basis to determine if each company is performing within expectations and to guide the portfolio company’s management in taking the appropriate courses of action. In addition, the Adviser has closely monitored our portfolio companies in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic to help them navigate the significant challenges posed by the pandemic. The Adviser employs various methods of evaluating and monitoring the performance of our investments in portfolio companies, which can include the following:

Relationship Management

The Adviser’s investment professionals interact with various parties involved with a portfolio company, or investment, by actively engaging with internal and external constituents, including:

Managerial Assistance and Services

As a BDC, we make available significant managerial assistance, as defined in the 1940 Act, to our portfolio companies and provide other services (other than such managerial assistance) to such portfolio companies. Neither we, nor the Adviser, currently receive fees in connection with the managerial assistance we make available. At times, the Adviser may also provide other services to our portfolio companies under certain agreements and may receive fees for services other than managerial assistance. Such services may include: (i) assistance obtaining, sourcing or structuring credit facilities, long term loans or additional equity from unaffiliated third parties; (ii) negotiating important contractual financial relationships; (iii) consulting services regarding restructuring of the portfolio company and financial modeling as it relates to raising additional debt and equity capital from unaffiliated third parties; and (iv) taking a primary role in interviewing, vetting and negotiating employment contracts with candidates in connection with adding and retaining key portfolio company management team members. The Adviser non-contractually, unconditionally, and irrevocably credits 100% of any fees received for such services against the base management fee that we would otherwise be required to pay to the Adviser as discussed below in “—Transactions with Related Parties – Investment Advisory and Management Agreement – Base Management Fee.” However, pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, a small percentage of certain of such fees is retained by the Adviser in the form of reimbursement, at cost, for tasks completed by personnel of the Adviser, primarily for the valuation of portfolio companies.

Gladstone Securities also provides other services (such as investment banking and due diligence services) to certain of our portfolio companies and receives fees for the provision of such services; see “—Transactions with Related Parties – Other Transactions” below.

11

Table of Contents

Valuation Process

The following is a general description of the investment valuation policy (the “Policy”) (which has been approved by our Board of Directors) that the professionals of the Adviser and Administrator, with oversight and direction from our chief valuation officer, an employee of the Administrator who reports directly to our Board of Directors (collectively, the “Valuation Team”), use each quarter to determine the value of our investment portfolio. In accordance with the 1940 Act, our Board of Directors has the ultimate responsibility for reviewing and determining, in good faith, the fair value of our investments for which market quotations are not readily available, based on the Policy. The Adviser values our investments in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act and accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”). There is no single standard for determining fair value (especially for privately-held businesses), as fair value depends upon the specific facts and circumstances of each individual investment. Each quarter, our Board of Directors reviews the Policy to determine if changes thereto are advisable and assesses whether the Valuation Team has applied the Policy consistently. With respect to the valuation of our investment portfolio, the Valuation Team performs the following steps each quarter:

Fair value measurements of our investments may involve subjective judgment and estimates. Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining these fair values, the fair value of our investments may fluctuate, from period to period. Our valuation policies, procedures and processes are more fully described in Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in our accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Transactions with Related Parties

Investment Advisory and Management Agreement

In 2006, we entered into the Advisory Agreement, which was subsequently amended in October 2015 and amended and restated in April 2020. In accordance with the Advisory Agreement, we pay the Adviser fees as compensation for its services, consisting of a base management fee and an incentive fee. On July 14, 2020, our Board of Directors, including a majority of the directors who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or interested persons of such party, unanimously approved the renewal of the Advisory Agreement through August 31, 2021. Mr. Gladstone, our chairman and chief executive officer, controls the Adviser. The Board of

12

Table of Contents

Directors considered the following factors as the basis for its decision to renew the Advisory Agreement: (1) the nature, extent and quality of services provided by the Adviser to our shareholders; (2) the investment performance of the Company and the Adviser; (3) the costs of the services to be provided and profits to be realized by the Adviser and its affiliates from the relationship with the Company; (4) the extent to which economies of scale will be realized as the Company and the Affiliated Public Funds grow and whether the fee level under the Advisory Agreement reflects the economies of scale for the Company’s investors; (5) the fee structure of the advisory and administrative agreements of comparable funds; (6) indirect profits to the Adviser created through the Company; and (7) in light of the foregoing considerations, the overall fairness of the advisory fees paid under the Advisory Agreement.

Based on the information reviewed and the considerations detailed above, our Board of Directors, including all of the directors who are not “interested persons” as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, concluded that the investment advisory fee rates and terms are fair and reasonable in relation to the services provided and approved the Advisory Agreement, as being in the best interests of our stockholders.

Base Management Fee

The base management fee is payable quarterly to the Adviser pursuant to our Advisory Agreement and is assessed at an annual rate of 1.75%, computed on the basis of the value of our average total assets at the end of the two most recently-completed quarters (inclusive of the current quarter), which are total assets, including investments made with proceeds of borrowings, less any uninvested cash or cash equivalents resulting from borrowings and adjusted appropriately for any share issuances or repurchases during the period. Our Board of Directors may (as it has for the years ended September 30, 2020, 2019, and 2018) accept a non-contractual, unconditional and irrevocable credit from the Adviser to reduce the annual 1.75% base management fee on syndicated loan participations to 0.5%, to the extent that proceeds resulting from borrowings were used to purchase such syndicated loan participations.

Additionally, pursuant to the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Adviser makes available significant managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. The Adviser may also provide other services to our portfolio companies under certain agreements and may receive fees for services other than managerial assistance. The Adviser non-contractually, unconditionally, and irrevocably credits 100% of these fees against the base management fee that we would otherwise be required to pay to the Adviser; however, pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, a small percentage of certain of such fees is retained by the Adviser in the form of reimbursement, at cost, for tasks completed by personnel of the Adviser, primarily for the valuation of portfolio companies. Loan servicing fees that are payable to the Adviser pursuant to our Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, with KeyBank National Association (“KeyBank”), as administrative agent, lead arranger and lender, as amended (our “Credit Facility”), are also 100% credited against the base management fee as discussed below, “—Loan Servicing Fee Pursuant to Credit Agreement.”

Incentive Fee

The incentive fee consists of two parts: an income-based incentive fee and a capital gains-based incentive fee. The income-based incentive fee rewards the Adviser if our quarterly net investment income (before giving effect to any incentive fee) exceeds 1.75% of our net assets (2.0% during the one year period from April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021), which we define as total assets less indebtedness and before taking into account any incentive fees payable or contractually due but not payable during the period, at the end of the immediately preceding calendar quarter, adjusted appropriately for any share issuances or repurchases during the period (the “hurdle rate”). The income-based incentive fee with respect to our pre-incentive fee net investment income is generally payable quarterly to the Adviser and is computed as follows:

13

Table of Contents

Quarterly Incentive Fee Based on Net Investment Income for the Year Period Ending March 31, 2021^(A)

Pre-incentive fee net investment income

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

Percentage of pre-incentive fee net investment income

allocated to income-related portion of incentive fee

The second part of the incentive fee is a capital gains-based incentive fee that is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each fiscal year (or upon termination of the Advisory Agreement, as of the termination date) and equals 20.0% of our “net realized capital gains” (as defined below) as of the end of the fiscal year. In determining the capital gains-based incentive fee payable to the Adviser, we calculate “net realized capital gains” at the end of each applicable year by subtracting the sum of our cumulative aggregate realized capital losses and our entire portfolio’s aggregate unrealized capital depreciation from our cumulative aggregate realized capital gains. For this purpose, cumulative aggregate realized capital gains, if any, equals the sum of the differences between the net sales price of each investment, when sold, and the original cost of such investment since inception. Cumulative aggregate realized capital losses equals the sum of the amounts by which the net sales price of each investment, when sold, is less than the original cost of such investment since inception. The entire portfolio’s aggregate unrealized capital depreciation, if any, equals the sum of the difference between the valuation of each investment as of the applicable calculation date and the original cost of such investment. At the end of the applicable fiscal year, the amount of capital gains that serves as the basis for our calculation of the capital gains-based incentive fee equals the cumulative aggregate realized capital gains less cumulative aggregate realized capital losses, less the entire portfolio’s aggregate unrealized capital depreciation, if any. If this number is positive at the end of such fiscal year, then the capital gains-based incentive fee for such year equals 20.0% of such amount, less the aggregate amount of any capital gains-based incentive fees paid in respect of our portfolio in all prior years. No capital gains-based incentive fee has been recorded or paid since our inception through September 30, 2020, as cumulative unrealized capital depreciation has exceeded cumulative realized capital gains net of cumulative realized capital losses.

In accordance with GAAP, a capital gains-based incentive fee accrual is calculated using the aggregate cumulative realized capital gains and losses and aggregate cumulative unrealized capital appreciation and depreciation. If such amount is positive at the end of a period, then GAAP requires us to record a capital gains-based incentive fee equal to 20.0% of such amount, less the aggregate amount of actual capital gains-based

14

Table of Contents

incentive fees paid in all prior years. If such amount is negative, then there is no accrual for such period. GAAP requires that the capital gains-based incentive fee accrual consider the cumulative aggregate unrealized capital appreciation in the calculation, as a capital gains-based incentive fee would be payable if such unrealized capital appreciation were realized. There can be no assurance that such unrealized capital appreciation will be realized in the future. No GAAP accrual for a capital gains-based incentive fee has been recorded from our inception through September 30, 2020.

Our Board of Directors accepted non-contractual, unconditional and irrevocable credits from the Adviser to reduce the income-based incentive fee to the extent net investment income did not cover 100.0% of distributions to common stockholders for the years ended September 30, 2020, 2019, and 2018, which credits totaled $3.0 million, $1.5 million, and $1.7 million, respectively.

Loan Servicing Fee Pursuant to Credit Agreement

The Adviser also services the loans held by our wholly-owned subsidiary, Gladstone Business Loan, LLC (“Business Loan”) (the borrower under our Credit Facility), in return for which the Adviser receives a 1.5% annual fee payable monthly based on the monthly aggregate outstanding balance of loans pledged under our Credit Facility. Since Business Loan is a consolidated subsidiary of ours, and the total base management fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement cannot exceed 1.75% of total assets (less any uninvested cash or cash equivalents resulting from borrowings and adjusted appropriately for any share issuances or repurchases during the period) during any given calendar year, we treat payment of the loan servicing fee pursuant to our line of credit as a pre-payment of the base management fee under the Advisory Agreement. Accordingly, these loan servicing fees are 100% non-contractually, unconditionally, and irrevocably credited back to us by the Adviser.

Administration Agreement

We reimburse the Administrator pursuant to the Administration Agreement for our allocable portion of the Administrator’s expenses incurred while performing services to us, which are primarily rent and salaries and benefits expenses of the Administrator’s employees, including our chief financial officer and treasurer, chief compliance officer, chief valuation officer and general counsel and secretary (who also serves as the Administrator’s president), and their respective staffs.

Our allocable portion of the Administrator’s expenses are generally derived by multiplying the Administrator’s total expenses by the approximate percentage of time during the current quarter the Administrator’s employees performed services for us in relation to their time spent performing services for all companies serviced by the Administrator. On July 14, 2020, our Board of Directors, including a majority of the directors who are not parties to the Administration Agreement or interested persons of either party, approved the renewal of the Administration Agreement through August 31, 2021.

Other Transactions

Mr. Gladstone also serves on the board of managers of our affiliate, Gladstone Securities, a privately-held broker-dealer registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Gladstone Securities is 100% indirectly owned and controlled by Mr. Gladstone and has provided other services, such as investment banking and due diligence services, to certain of our portfolio companies, for which Gladstone Securities receives a fee. Any such fees paid by portfolio companies to Gladstone Securities do not impact the fees we pay to the Adviser or the non-contractual, unconditional, and irrevocable credits against the base management fee or incentive fee. For additional information refer to Note 4 — Related Party Transactions of our accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

This is a general summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to us, to our qualification and taxation as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Subchapter M of the Code and to

15

Table of Contents

the ownership and disposition of our shares. This summary does not purport to be a complete description of all of the tax considerations relating thereto. In particular, we have not described certain considerations that may be relevant to certain types of stockholders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws. This summary does not discuss any aspect of state, local or foreign tax laws, or the U.S. estate or gift tax.

RIC Status

To qualify for treatment as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, we must generally distribute to our stockholders, for each taxable year, at least 90.0% of our taxable ordinary income plus the excess of our realized net short-term capital gains over our realized net long-term capital losses (“Investment Company Taxable Income”). We refer to this as the “annual distribution requirement.” We must also meet several additional requirements, including:

Failure to Qualify as a RIC

If we are unable to qualify for treatment as a RIC, we would be subject to U.S. federal income tax on all of our taxable income at the regular corporate income tax rate and would be subject to any applicable state and local taxes, even if we distributed all of our Investment Company Taxable Income to our stockholders. We would not be able to deduct distributions to our stockholders, nor would we be required to make such distributions for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Distributions would be taxable to our stockholders as ordinary dividend income and, subject to certain limitations under the Code, would be eligible for the current maximum rate applicable to qualifying dividend income of individuals and other non-corporate U.S. stockholders to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, corporate distributees would be eligible for the dividends received deduction, if applicable. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the stockholder’s adjusted tax basis, and then as capital gain. If we fail to meet the RIC requirements for more than two consecutive years and then seek to requalify as a RIC, we generally would be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on any unrealized appreciation with respect to our assets unless we make a special election to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on any such unrealized appreciation during the succeeding five-year period.

Qualification as a RIC

If we qualify as a RIC and meet the annual distribution requirement, we will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of our Investment Company Taxable Income and net capital gain (realized net long

16

Table of Contents

term capital gain in excess of realized net short term capital loss) that we timely distribute (or are deemed to timely distribute) to our stockholders. If we fail to distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98.0% of our ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our net capital gains for the one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year and (3) any income realized, but not distributed, in the preceding period (to the extent that income tax was not imposed on such amounts), less certain reductions, as applicable (together, the “excise tax distribution requirements”), we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on the portion of the undistributed amounts of such income that are less than the amounts required to be distributed based on the excise tax distribution requirements. For the calendar years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, we did not incur any excise taxes. As of September 30, 2020, our capital loss carryforward was $72.4 million.

If we acquire debt obligations that (i) were originally issued at a discount, (ii) bear interest at rates that are not either fixed rates or certain qualified variable rates, or (iii) are not unconditionally payable at least annually over the life of the obligation, we will be required to include in taxable income each year a portion of the original issue discount (“OID”) that accrues over the life of the obligation. Additionally, PIK interest, which is computed at the contractual rate specified in a loan agreement and is added to the principal balance of a loan, is also a non-cash source of income that we are required to include in taxable income each year. Both OID and PIK income will be included in our Investment Company Taxable Income even though we receive no cash corresponding to such amounts. As a result, we may be required to make additional distributions corresponding to such OID and PIK amounts in order to satisfy the annual distribution requirement and to continue to qualify as a RIC or to avoid the imposition of federal income and excise taxes. In this event, we may be required to sell investments or other assets to meet the RIC distribution requirements. For the year ended September 30, 2020, we recorded $0.3 million of OID income and the unamortized balance of OID investments (which are primarily all syndicated loans) as of September 30, 2020 totaled $0.6 million. As of September 30, 2020, we had seven investments which had a PIK interest component and we recorded PIK interest income of $2.6 million during the year ended September 30, 2020.

Taxation of Our U.S. Stockholders

Distributions

For any period during which we qualify as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, distributions to our stockholders attributable to our Investment Company Taxable Income generally will be taxable as ordinary income to our stockholders to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. We first allocate our earnings and profits to distributions to our preferred stockholders, if any, and then to distributions to our common stockholders based on priority in our capital structure. Any distributions in excess of our earnings and profits will first be treated as a return of capital to the extent of the stockholder’s adjusted basis in his or her shares of stock and thereafter as capital gain. Distributions of our long-term capital gains, reported by us as such, will be taxable to our stockholders as long-term capital gains regardless of the stockholder’s holding period of the stock and whether the distributions are paid in cash or invested in additional stock. Corporate U.S. stockholders generally are eligible for the 50% dividends received deduction with respect to ordinary income dividends received from us, but only to the extent such amount is attributable to dividends received by us from taxable domestic corporations.

A RIC that has two or more classes of stock generally is required to allocate to each class proportionate amounts of each type of its income (such as ordinary income, capital gains, qualified dividend income and dividends qualifying for the dividends-received deduction) based upon the percentage of total distributions paid to each class for the tax year. Accordingly, for any tax year in which we have common shares and preferred shares, we intend to allocate capital gain distributions, distributions of qualified dividend income, and distributions qualifying for the dividends-received deduction, if any, between our common shares and preferred shares in proportion to the total distributions paid to each class with respect to such tax year.

17

Table of Contents

Any distribution declared by us in October, November or December of any calendar year, payable to our stockholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following year, will be treated as if it were paid by us and received by our stockholders on December 31 of the previous year. In addition, we may elect (in accordance with Section 855(a) of the Code) to relate a distribution back to the prior taxable year if we (1) declare such distribution prior to the later of the extended due date for filing our return for that taxable year or the 15^th day of the ninth month following the close of the taxable year, (2) make the election in that return, and (3) distribute the amount in the 12-month period following the close of the taxable year but not later than the first regular distribution payment of the same type following the declaration. Any such election will not alter the general rule that a stockholder will be treated as receiving a distribution in the taxable year in which the distribution is made, subject to the October, November, December rule described above.

If a common stockholder participates in our “opt in” dividend reinvestment plan, then the common stockholder will have their cash dividends and distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, rather than receiving cash dividends and distributions. Any distributions reinvested under the plan will be taxable to the common stockholder to the same extent, and with the same character, as if the common stockholder had received the distribution in cash. The common stockholder will have an adjusted basis in the additional common shares purchased through the plan equal to the dollar amount that would have been received if the U.S. stockholder had received the dividend or distribution in cash, unless we were to issue new shares that are trading at or above net asset value, in which case, the U.S. stockholder’s basis in the new shares would generally be equal to their fair market value. The additional common shares will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the shares are credited to the common stockholder’s account. The plan agent purchases shares in the open market in connection with the obligations under the plan.

Sale of Our Shares

A U.S. stockholder generally will recognize taxable gain or loss if the U.S. stockholder sells or otherwise disposes of the shares of our common stock. Any gain arising from such sale or disposition generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. stockholder has held the shares for more than one year. Otherwise, it will be classified as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss arising from the sale or disposition of shares of our stock held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of capital gain dividends received, or undistributed capital gain deemed received, with respect to such shares. Under the tax laws in effect as of the date of this filing, individual U.S. stockholders are subject to a maximum federal income tax rate of 20% on their net capital gain (i.e. the excess of realized net long-term capital gain over realized net short-term capital loss for a taxable year) including any long-term capital gain derived from an investment in our shares. Such rate is lower than the maximum rate on ordinary income currently payable by individuals. Corporate U.S. stockholders currently are subject to federal income tax on net capital gain at the same rates applied to their ordinary income. Capital losses are subject to limitations on use for both corporate and non-corporate stockholders. Certain U.S. stockholders who are individuals, estates or trusts generally are also subject to a 3.8% Medicare tax on, among other things, dividends on and capital gain from the sale or other disposition of shares of our stock.

Backup Withholding and Other Required Withholding

We may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax (i.e. backup withholding) from all taxable distributions to any non-corporate U.S. stockholder (i) who fails to furnish us with a correct taxpayer identification number or a certificate that such stockholder is exempt from backup withholding, or (ii) with respect to whom the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) notifies us that such stockholder has failed to properly report certain interest and dividend income to the IRS and to respond to notices to that effect. An individual’s taxpayer identification number is generally his or her social security number. Any amount withheld under backup withholding is allowed as a credit against the U.S. stockholder’s federal income tax liability, provided that proper information is timely provided to the IRS.

18

Table of Contents

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act imposes a U.S. federal withholding tax on certain types of payments made to “foreign financial institutions” and certain other non-U.S. entities unless certain due diligence, reporting, withholding, and certification obligation requirements are satisfied.

Information Reporting

We will send to each of our U.S. stockholders, after the end of each calendar year, a notice providing, on a per share and per distribution basis, the amounts includible in the U.S. stockholder’s taxable income for such year as ordinary income and as long-term capital gain, if any. In addition, the U.S. federal tax status of each year’s distributions will generally be reported to the IRS (including the amount of dividends, if any, eligible for the preferential rates applicable to long-term capital gains).

Regulation as a BDC

We are a closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a BDC under Section 54 of the 1940 Act. As such, we are subject to regulation under the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to transactions between BDCs and their affiliates, principal underwriters and affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters and requires that a majority of the directors be persons other than “interested persons,” as defined in the 1940 Act. In addition, the 1940 Act provides that we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by a majority of our outstanding “voting securities,” as defined in the 1940 Act.

We intend to conduct our business so as to retain our status as a BDC. A BDC may use capital provided by public stockholders and from other sources to make long-term investments in private companies. A BDC provides stockholders the ability to retain the liquidity of a publicly traded stock while sharing in the possible benefits, if any, of investing in primarily privately owned companies. In general, a BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the U.S. and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in qualifying assets, as described in Sections 55(a)(1) through (a)(3) of the 1940 Act.

Qualifying Assets

Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as qualifying assets, unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets, other than certain interests in furniture, equipment, real estate, or leasehold improvements (“Operating Assets”) represent at least 70.0% of total assets, exclusive of Operating Assets. The types of qualifying assets in which we may invest under the 1940 Act include the following:

(1) Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer is an eligible portfolio company. An eligible portfolio company is generally defined in the 1940 Act as any issuer which:

(c) satisfies one of the following:

19

Table of Contents

As of September 30, 2020, 98.8% of our assets were qualifying assets.

Asset Coverage

Pursuant to Section 61(a)(3) of the 1940 Act, we are permitted to issue multiple classes of “senior securities representing indebtedness.” However, pursuant to Section 18(c) of the 1940 Act, we are permitted to issue only one class of “senior securities that is stock.” In either case, we may only issue such senior securities if such class of senior securities, after such issuance, has an asset coverage, as defined in Section 18(h) of the 1940 Act of at least 150%.

In addition, our ability to pay dividends or distributions (other than dividends payable in our common stock) to holders of any class of our capital stock would be restricted if our “senior securities representing indebtedness” fail to have an asset coverage of at least 150% (measured at the time of declaration of such distribution and accounting for such distribution). The 1940 Act does not apply this limitation to privately arranged debt that is not intended to be publicly distributed, unless this limitation is specifically negotiated by the lender. In addition, our ability to pay dividends or distributions (other than dividends payable in our common stock) to our common stockholders would be restricted if our “senior securities that are stock” fail to have an asset coverage of at least 150% (measured at the time of declaration of such distribution and accounting for such distribution). If the value of our assets declines, we might be unable to satisfy these asset coverage requirements. To satisfy the 150% asset coverage requirement in the event that we are seeking to pay a distribution, we might either have to (i) liquidate a portion of our portfolio to repay a portion of our indebtedness or (ii) issue common stock. This may occur at a time when a sale of a portfolio asset may be disadvantageous, or when we have limited access to capital markets on agreeable terms. In addition, any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness or for offering costs will not be available for distributions to our stockholders. If we are unable to regain the requisite asset coverage through these methods, we may be forced to suspend the payment of such dividends or distributions.

Significant Managerial Assistance

A BDC generally must make available significant managerial assistance to issuers of certain of its portfolio securities that the BDC counts as a qualifying asset for the 70.0% test described above. Making available significant managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its directors, officers or employees, offers to provide, and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company. Significant managerial assistance also includes the exercise of a controlling influence over the management and policies of the portfolio company. However, with respect to certain, but not all such securities, where the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, one of the other persons in the group may make available such managerial assistance, or the BDC may exercise such control jointly.

Summary Risk Factors

Below is a summary of the principal risk factors associated with an investment in our securities. In addition to the below, you should carefully consider the information included in “Risk Factors” beginning on page 24 of this

20

Table of Contents

Annual Report together with all of the other information included in this Annual Report and the other reports and documents filed or furnished by us with the SEC for a more detailed discussion of the principal risks as well as certain other risks that you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our securities.

21

Table of Contents

Code of Ethics

We, and all of the Gladstone Companies, have adopted a code of ethics and business conduct applicable to all of the officers, directors and personnel of such companies that complies with the guidelines set forth in Item 406 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act and Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. As required by the 1940 Act, this code establishes procedures for personal investments, restricts certain transactions by such personnel and requires the reporting of certain transactions and holdings by such personnel. This code of ethics and business conduct is publicly available on the Investors section of our website under “Governance – Governance Documents” at www.GladstoneCapital.com. We intend to provide any required disclosure of any amendments to or waivers of the provisions of this code by posting information regarding any such amendment or waiver to our website or in a Current Report on Form 8-K.

Compliance Policies and Procedures

We and the Adviser have adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws, and our Board of Directors is required to review these compliance policies and procedures annually to assess their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation. We have designated a chief compliance officer, John Dellafiora, Jr., who also serves as chief compliance officer for all of the Gladstone Companies.

Staffing

We do not currently have any employees and do not expect to have any employees in the foreseeable future. Currently, services necessary for our business are provided by individuals who are employees of the Adviser and the Administrator pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement, respectively. We expect that 25 to 30 full time employees of the Adviser and the Administrator will spend substantial time on our matters during the remainder of calendar year 2020 and all of calendar year 2021. As of September 30, 2020, the Adviser and the Administrator collectively had 68 full-time employees. A breakdown of these employees is summarized by functional area in the table below:

The Adviser and the Administrator aim to attract and retain capable advisory and administrative personnel, respectively, by offering competitive base salaries and bonus structure and by providing employees with appropriate opportunities for professional growth.

Available Information

We file with or furnish to the SEC copies of our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and other information meeting the information requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and make such reports and any amendments thereto available free of charge through the Investors section of our website at www.GladstoneCapital.com as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are electronically filed with or

22

Table of Contents

furnished to the SEC. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report. The SEC also maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.

23

Table of Contents

You should carefully consider these risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this Annual Report and the other reports and documents filed or furnished by us with the SEC. The risks set out below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or not presently deemed material by us, may also impair our operations and performance. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. If that happens, the trading price of our securities and NAV could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. The risk factors described below are the principal risk factors associated with an investment in our securities as well as those factors generally associated with an investment company with investment objectives, investment policies, capital structure or trading markets similar to ours.

Risks Related to the Economy

Market conditions could negatively impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

The market in which we operate is affected by a number of factors that are largely beyond our control but can nonetheless have a potentially significant, negative impact on us. These factors include, among other things:

Changes in these factors are difficult to predict, and a change in one factor could affect other factors, which could result in adverse effects to our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.

Volatility in the capital markets may make it more difficult to raise capital and may adversely affect the valuations of our investments.

Given the volatility and dislocation that the capital markets have experienced from time to time, including during the current recession, many BDCs have faced, and may in the future face, a challenging environment in which to

24

Table of Contents

raise capital. We may in the future have difficulty accessing debt and equity capital, and a severe disruption in the global financial markets or deterioration in credit and financing conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. In addition, significant changes in the capital markets have had, and may in the future have, a negative effect on the valuations of our investments and on the potential for liquidity events involving our investments. Additionally, volatility in the U.S. repo market may affect other financial markets worldwide. An inability to raise capital, and any required sale of our investments for liquidity purposes or failure of our portfolio companies to realize liquidity events, could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

Volatility of oil and natural gas prices could impair certain of our portfolio companies’ operations and ability to satisfy obligations to their respective lenders and investors, including us, which could negatively impact our financial condition.

Our portfolio includes a concentration of companies related to the oil and gas industry with the fair value of these investments representing approximately $24.7 million, or 5.5% of our total portfolio at fair value as of September 30, 2020. These businesses provide services to oil and gas companies and are indirectly impacted by the prices of, and demand for, oil and natural gas, which have from time to time experienced volatility, including significant decline in prices, and such volatility could continue or increase in the future. A substantial or extended decline in oil and natural gas demand or prices may adversely affect the business, financial condition, cash flows, liquidity or results of operations of these portfolio companies and might impair their ability to meet capital expenditure obligations and financial commitments. Any decline in oil prices, especially for a prolonged period, could therefore have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business may be adversely affected by the current coronavirus pandemic and related government actions.

As of the date of this Annual Report, there is a continuing outbreak of a novel and highly contagious form of coronavirus. The World Health Organization has declared the disease (“COVID-19”) it causes to constitute a pandemic. The outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in numerous deaths, adversely impacted global commercial activity and contributed to significant volatility in certain equity and debt markets. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries, including the U.S., reacted by instituting quarantines, prohibiting travel and ordering the closure of offices, businesses, schools, retail stores and other public venues. Businesses also implemented similar precautionary measures. Such measures, as well as the general uncertainty surrounding the dangers and impact of COVID-19, created significant disruptions in and continue to adversely impact economic activity, particularly in the transportation, hospitality, tourism, entertainment and certain other industries. As COVID-19 cases resurge, certain governments have (and others in the future may) reinstitute such measures, which could further exacerbate the adverse impacts on economic activity.

As a result of these and other factors, the COVID-19 pandemic, and any future public health emergency or the threat thereof, could have a significant adverse impact on us and our portfolio companies and could adversely affect our ability to fulfill our investment objectives.

The extent of the impact of COVID-19, or any public health emergency, on our operational and financial performance will depend on many factors, including the duration and scope of such public health emergency, the extent of any related travel advisories and restrictions implemented, the impact of such public health emergencies on overall supply and demand, goods and services, investor liquidity, consumer confidence and levels of economic activity and the extend of its disruption to important global, regional and local supply chains and economic markets, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. The effects of a public health emergency may materially and adversely impact the value and performance of our investments, our ability to source, manage and divest investments and our ability to achieve our investment objectives, all of which could result in significant losses to us. In addition, our operations and our Adviser’s operations may be significantly impacted, or even temporarily or permanently halted, as a result of government quarantine measures, voluntary

25

Table of Contents

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 our Adviser’s personnel.

Public health threats, including the COVID-19 pandemic, may adversely impact the businesses in which we invest and affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

Public health threats, such as COVID-19 or any other illness, may disrupt the operations of the businesses in which we invest. Such threats can create economic and political uncertainties and can contribute to global economic instability. A public health threat poses the risk that our portfolio companies may have significantly reduced or be prevented from conducting business activities for an unknown period of time, including shutdowns that may be requested or mandated by governmental authorities, or that they may experience disruptions in their supply chains or decreased consumer demand. When governments ease restrictions, certain of our portfolio companies may experience increases in health and safety expenses, payroll costs and other operating expenses. These adverse economic impacts may decrease the value of the collateral securing our loans in such portfolio companies, as well as the value of our equity investments. In addition, these adverse impacts could cause certain of our portfolio companies to have difficulty meeting their debt service requirements, which in turn could lead to an increase in defaults, and/or could diminish the ability of certain of our portfolio companies to engage in liquidity events. These negative impacts on our portfolio companies and their performance may reduce the interest income we receive and/or increase realized and unrealized losses related to our investments, which may, in turn, adversely impact our business, financial condition or results of operations

Risks Related to Interest Rates

Market interest rates may have an effect on the value of our securities.

One of the factors that influences the price of our securities is the distribution yield on our securities (as a percentage of the price of our securities) relative to market interest rates. An increase in market interest rates, which are currently at low levels relative to historical rates, may lead prospective purchasers of our securities to expect a higher distribution yield. In addition, higher interest rates would likely increase our borrowing costs and potentially decrease funds available for distribution. As a result, higher market interest rates could cause the market price of our securities to decrease.

Changes in interest rates may negatively impact our investments and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Generally, interest rate fluctuations and changes in credit spreads on floating rate loans may have a 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, our NAV and the market price of our securities. As interest rates increase, generally, the cost of borrowing increases, affecting our ability to make new investments on favorable terms or at all. A substantial portion of our debt investments have variable interest rates that reset periodically and are generally based on LIBOR. To the extent that interest rates increase, this may negatively impact the operating performance of our portfolio companies due to increasing debt service obligations and, therefore, may affect our results of operations. In addition, to the extent that an increase in interest rates makes it difficult or impossible to make payments on outstanding indebtedness to us or other financial sponsors or refinance debt that is maturing in the near term, some of our portfolio companies may be unable to repay such debt at maturity and may be forced to sell assets, undergo a recapitalization or seek bankruptcy protection. Rising interest rates could also cause borrowers 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. Additionally, as interest rates increase and the corresponding risk of a default by borrowers increases, the liquidity of higher interest rate loans may decrease as fewer investors may be willing to purchase such loans in the secondary market in light of the increased risk of a default by the borrower and the heightened risk of a loss of an investment in such loans. Decreases in credit spreads on debt that pays a

26

Table of Contents

floating rate of return would have an impact on the income generation of our floating rate assets. Trading prices for debt that pays a fixed rate of return tend to fall as interest rates rise. Trading prices tend to fluctuate more for fixed rate securities that have longer maturities. There can be no guarantee the Federal Reserve Board (the “Fed”) will raise rates at a gradual pace, or at all, nor can there be any assurance that markets will not adversely react to rate increases. An increase in interest rates could have a negative effect on our investments, which could negatively impact our operating results, financial condition, and cash flows.

As a result of the decision by the Fed to decrease the target range for the federal funds rate in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, interest rates have recently decreased. A substantial portion of our debt investments have variable interest rates that reset periodically and are generally based on LIBOR. Accordingly, reduced interest rates will result in a decrease in our total investment income unless offset by interest rate floors or an increase in the spread of our debt investments with variable interest rates. Most of our variable rate loans are subject to interest rate floors, which are currently in effect given the low interest rate environment. A near term increase in interest rates, that is not in excess of our interest rate floors, could result in an increase in the interest expense that we pay on our borrowings with no corresponding increase in interest income and thus, lower overall net investment income. In addition, our net investment income could decrease if there is no reduction or credit to the base management or incentive fees that we pay to the Adviser. In addition, when interest rates decline, borrowers may refinance their loans at lower interest rates, which could shorten the average life of the loans and reduce the associated returns on the investment, as well as require the Adviser and its investment professionals to incur management time and expense to re-deploy such proceeds, including on terms that may not be as favorable as our existing loans.

The interest rates of some of our term loans to our portfolio companies are priced using a spread over LIBOR, which may be phased out in the future.

LIBOR is the basic rate of interest used in lending between banks on the London interbank market and is widely used as a reference for setting the interest rate on loans globally. In general, our investments in debt securities have a term of five to seven years, accrue interest at variable rates based on LIBOR and, to a lesser extent, at fixed rates. As of September 30, 2020, based on the total principal balance of debt outstanding, our portfolio consisted of approximately 78.1% of loans at variable rates with floors and approximately 21.9% at fixed rates.

As a result of concerns about the accuracy of the calculation of LIBOR, a number of British Bankers’ Association (the “BBA”) member banks entered into settlements with certain regulators and law enforcement agencies with respect to the alleged manipulation of LIBOR. Actions by the BBA, regulators or law enforcement agencies as a result of these or future events, may result in changes to the manner in which LIBOR is determined (to the extent it continues beyond 2021). Potential changes, or uncertainty related to such potential changes may adversely affect the market for LIBOR-based securities, including our portfolio of LIBOR-indexed, floating-rate debt securities and our borrowings.

On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it intends to phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. It is unclear if at that time whether or not LIBOR will cease to exist or new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after 2021. The Fed, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of large U.S. financial institutions, announced replacement of U.S. dollar LIBOR with a new index calculated by short-term repurchase agreements, backed by U.S. Treasury securities, called the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). The first publication of SOFR was released in April 2018. Whether or not SOFR, or another alternative reference rate, attains market traction as a LIBOR replacement tool remains in question, and the future of LIBOR at this time is uncertain.

The effect of the establishment of alternative reference rates or any other reforms to LIBOR or other reference rates (including whether LIBOR will continue to be an acceptable market benchmark) cannot be predicted at this time, and the transition away from LIBOR and other current reference rates to alternative reference rates is complex and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Factors such as the pace of the transition to replacement or reformed rates, the specific terms and parameters for and market acceptance of any alternative reference rate, prices of and the liquidity of trading markets for

27

Table of Contents

products based on alternative reference rates, and our ability to transition and develop appropriate systems and analytics for one or more alternative reference rates could also have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We typically invest in transactions involving acquisitions, buyouts and recapitalizations of companies, which will subject us to the risks associated with change in control transactions.

Our strategy, in part, includes making debt and minority equity investments in companies in connection with acquisitions, buyouts, and recapitalizations, which subjects us to the risks associated with change in control transactions. Change in control transactions often present a number of uncertainties. Companies undergoing change in control transactions often face challenges retaining key employees and maintaining relationships with customers and suppliers. While we hope to avoid many of these difficulties by participating in transactions where the management team is retained and by conducting thorough due diligence in advance of our decision to invest, if our portfolio companies experience one or more of these problems, we may not realize the value that we expect in connection with our investments, which would likely harm our operating results, financial condition, and cash flows.

A change in interest rates may adversely affect our profitability and our hedging strategy may expose us to additional risks.

We anticipate using a combination of equity and long-term and short-term borrowings to finance our investment activities. As a result, a portion of our income will depend upon the spread between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we loan these funds. An increase or decrease in interest rates could reduce the spread between the rate at which we invest and the rate at which we borrow, and thus, adversely affect our profitability if we have not appropriately hedged against such event. Alternatively, interest rate hedging arrangements may limit our ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to the hedged portfolio.

As of September 30, 2020, based on the total principal balance of debt outstanding, our portfolio consisted of approximately 78.1% of loans at variable rates with floors and approximately 21.9% at fixed rates.

As of September 30, 2020, we did not have any hedging arrangement, such as interest rate hedges. While hedging activities may insulate us against adverse fluctuations in interest rates, they may also limit our ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to the hedged portfolio. Adverse developments resulting from changes in interest rates or any future hedging transactions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our ability to receive payments pursuant to an interest rate cap agreement is linked to the ability of the counter-party to that agreement to make the required payments. To the extent that the counter-party to the agreement is unable to pay pursuant to the terms of the agreement, we may lose the hedging protection of the arrangement.

Also, the fair value of certain of our debt investments is based, in part, on the current market yields or interest rates of similar securities. A change in interest rates could have a significant impact on our determination of the fair value of these debt investments. In addition, a change in interest rates could also have an impact on the fair value of any hedging arrangements then in effect that could result in the recording of unrealized appreciation or depreciation in future periods. Therefore, adverse developments resulting from changes in interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Refer to “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” for additional information on interest rate fluctuations.

Risks Related to Our Investments

We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.

There has been increased competitive pressure in the BDC and investment company marketplace for first and second lien secured debt, resulting in lower yields for increasingly riskier investments. A large number of entities

28

Table of Contents

compete with us and make the types of investments that we seek to make in lower middle market companies. We compete with public and private buyout funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies, and, to the extent that they provide an alternative form of financing, hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of funds 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, which would allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC. The competitive pressures we face could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Also, as a result of this competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to time and we can offer no assurance that we will be able to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives. We do not seek to compete based on the interest rates we offer, and we believe that some of our competitors may make loans with interest rates that will be comparable to or lower than the rates we offer. We may lose 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 and increased risk of credit loss.

Our investments in lower middle market companies are extremely risky and could cause you to lose all or a part of your investment.

Investments in lower middle market companies are subject to a number of significant risks including the following:

29

Table of Contents

30

Table of Contents

Because the majority of the loans we make and equity securities we receive when we make loans are not publicly traded, there is uncertainty regarding the value of our privately held securities.

The majority of our portfolio investments are, and we expect will continue to be, in the form of securities that are not publicly traded. The fair value of securities and other investments that are not publicly traded may not be readily determinable. Our Board of Directors has ultimate responsibility for reviewing and determining, in good faith, the fair value of our investments for which market quotations are not readily available, based on the Policy. Our Board of Directors reviews valuation recommendations that are provided by the Valuation Team. In valuing our investment portfolio, several techniques are used, including, a total enterprise value approach, a yield analysis, market quotes, and independent third party assessments. Currently, ICE Data Pricing and Reference Data, LLC provides estimates of fair value on our proprietary debt investments and we use another independent valuation firm to provide valuation inputs for our significant equity investments, including earnings multiple ranges, as well as other information. In addition to these techniques, other factors are considered when determining fair value of our investments, including: the nature and realizable value of the collateral, including external parties’ guaranties; any relevant offers or letters of intent to acquire the portfolio company; and the markets in which the portfolio company operates. For additional information on our valuation policies, procedures and processes, refer to Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in our accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Fair value measurements of our investments may involve subjective judgments and estimates and due to the inherent uncertainty of determining these fair values, the determination of fair value may fluctuate from period to period. Additionally, changes in the market environment and other events that may occur over the life of the investment may cause the gains or losses ultimately realized on these investments to be different than the valuations currently assigned. Further, such investments are generally subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or otherwise are less liquid than publicly traded securities, and any investments that include OID or PIK interest may have unreliable valuations because their continuing accruals require ongoing judgments about the collectability of their deferred payments and the value of their underlying collateral. If we were required to liquidate a portfolio investment in a forced or liquidation sale, we could realize significantly less than the value at which it is recorded.

Our NAV would be adversely affected if the fair value of our investments that are approved by our Board of Directors are higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such securities.

The valuation process for certain of our portfolio holdings creates a conflict of interest.

A substantial portion of our portfolio investments are made in the form of securities for which market quotations are not readily available. As a result, our Board of Directors determines the fair value of these securities in good faith pursuant to the Policy. In connection with that determination, the Valuation Team prepares portfolio company valuations based upon the most recent portfolio company financial statements available and projected financial results of each portfolio company. The participation of the Adviser’s investment professionals in our valuation process, and the pecuniary interest in the Adviser by Mr. Gladstone, may result in a conflict of interest as the management fees that we pay the Adviser are based on our total assets less uninvested cash or cash equivalents from borrowings, and adjusted appropriately for any share issuances or repurchases during the period.

The lack of liquidity of our privately held investments may adversely affect our business.

We will generally make investments in private companies whose securities are not traded in any public market. Substantially all of the investments we presently hold and the investments we expect to acquire in the future are, and will be, subject to legal and other restrictions on resale and will otherwise be less liquid than publicly traded securities. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to quickly obtain cash equal to the value at which we record our investments if the need arises. This could cause us to miss important investment

31

Table of Contents

opportunities. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may record substantial realized losses upon liquidation. We may also face other restrictions on our ability to liquidate an investment in a portfolio company to the extent that we, the Adviser, or our respective officers, employees or affiliates have material non-public information regarding such portfolio company.

Due to the uncertainty inherent in valuing these securities, the Valuation Team’s determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that could be obtained if a ready market for these securities existed. Our NAV could be materially affected if the Valuation Team’s determinations regarding the fair value of our investments that are ultimately approved by our Board of Directors are materially different from the values that we ultimately realize upon our disposal of such securities. Additional discussion regarding risks associated with determinations made by the Adviser is found in the risk factor “The valuation process for certain of our portfolio holdings creates a conflict of interest.”

When we are a debt or minority equity investor in a portfolio company, which we expect will generally be the case, we may not be in a position to control the entity, and its management may make decisions that could decrease the value of our investment.

We anticipate that most of our investments will continue to be either debt or minority equity investments in our portfolio companies. Therefore, we generally will not be involved in the day-to-day operations and decision making of our portfolio companies, even though we may have board observation rights and our debt agreement may contain certain restrictive covenants. As a result, we are and will remain subject to the risk that a portfolio company may make business decisions with which we disagree, and the shareholders and management of such company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our best interests. As a result, a portfolio company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our portfolio holdings.

In addition, we will generally not be in a position to control any portfolio company by investing in its debt securities. This is particularly true when we invest in syndicated loans, which are loans made by a larger group of investors whose investment objectives may not be completely aligned with ours. As of September 30, 2020, syndicated investments made up approximately 8.3% of our portfolio at cost, or $40.8 million. We therefore are subject to the risk that other lenders in these investments may make decisions that could decrease the value of our portfolio holdings.

Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies and/or we could be subject to lender liability claims.

We invest primarily in debt securities issued by our portfolio companies. In some cases portfolio companies will be permitted to have other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt securities in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may provide that the holders thereof are entitled to receive payment of interest and principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments in respect of the debt securities 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 in respect of our investment. In addition, even though we have structured some of our investments as senior loans, if one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we actually provided managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might re-characterize our debt investments and subordinate all, or a portion, of our claims to that of other creditors. After repaying such senior creditors, such portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use to repay its obligation to us. We may also be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by us with respect to a borrower’s business, in instances in which we exercised control over the borrower or as a result of actions taken in rendering significant managerial assistance. Furthermore, in the case of debt ranking equally with debt securities 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 a portfolio company.

32

Table of Contents

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

In addition to risks associated with delays in investing our capital, we are also subject to the risk that investments we make in our portfolio companies may be repaid prior to maturity. For the year ended September 30, 2020, we received unscheduled repayments of investments totaling $70.3 million. We will generally first use any proceeds from prepayments to repay any borrowings outstanding on our Credit Facility. In the event that funds remain after repayment of our outstanding borrowings, then we will generally reinvest these proceeds in government securities, pending their future investment in new debt and/or equity securities. These government securities will typically have substantially lower yields than the debt securities being prepaid and we could experience significant delays in reinvesting these amounts. As a result, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our portfolio companies elect to prepay amounts owed to us. Additionally, prepayments could negatively impact our return on equity, which could result in a decline in the market price of our common stock.

Our portfolio is concentrated in a limited number of companies and industries, which subjects us to an increased risk of significant loss if any one of these companies does not repay us or if the industries experience downturns.

As of September 30, 2020, we had investments in 48 portfolio companies, of which our five largest investments comprised approximately $130.3 million, or 28.9% of our total investment portfolio, at fair value. A consequence of a concentration in a limited number of investments is that the aggregate returns we realize may be substantially adversely affected by the unfavorable performance of a small number of such investments or a substantial write-down of any one investment. Beyond our regulatory and income tax diversification requirements, we do not have fixed guidelines for industry concentration and our investments could potentially be concentrated in relatively few industries. In addition, while we do not intend to invest 25.0% or more of our total assets in a particular industry or group of industries at the time of investment, it is possible that as the values of our portfolio companies change, one industry or a group of industries may comprise in excess of 25.0% of the value of our total assets. As of September 30, 2020, our largest industry concentrations of our total investments at fair value were in diversified/conglomerate service companies, representing 20.6%; healthcare, education, and childcare companies, representing 14.3%; and diversified/conglomerate manufacturing companies, representing 9.8%. Therefore, we are susceptible to the economic circumstances in these industries, and a downturn in one or more of these industries could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

The disposition of our investments may result in contingent liabilities.

Currently, all of our investments involve private securities. In connection with the disposition of an investment in private securities, we may be required to make representations about the business and financial affairs of the underlying portfolio company typical of those made in connection with the sale of a business. We may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment to the extent that any such representations turn out to be inaccurate or with respect to certain potential liabilities. These arrangements may result in contingent liabilities that ultimately yield funding obligations that must be satisfied through our return of certain distributions previously made to us.

Portfolio company litigation or other litigation or claims against us or our personnel could result in additional costs and the diversion of management time and resources.

In the course of investing in and providing significant managerial assistance to certain of our portfolio companies, certain persons employed by the Adviser may serve as directors on the boards of such companies. To the extent that litigation arises out of our investments in these companies or otherwise, even if without merit, we or such employees may be named as defendants in such litigation, which could result in additional costs, including defense costs, and the diversion of management time and resources. Additionally, other litigations or claims against us or our personnel could result in additional costs, including defense costs, and the diversion of

33

Table of Contents

management time and resources. We may be unable to accurately estimate our exposure to litigation risk if we record balance sheet reserves for probable loss contingencies. As a result, any reserves we establish to cover any settlements or judgments may not be sufficient to cover our actual financial exposure, which may have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows.

While we believe we would have valid defenses to potential claims brought due to our investment in any portfolio company, and will defend any such claims vigorously, we may nevertheless expend significant amounts of money in defense costs and expenses. Further, if we enter into settlements or suffer an adverse outcome in any litigation, we could be required to pay significant amounts. In addition, if any of our portfolio companies become subject to direct or indirect claims or other obligations, such as defense costs or damages in litigation or settlement, our investment in such companies could diminish in value and we could suffer indirect losses. Further, these matters could cause us to expend significant management time and effort in connection with assessment and defense of any claims.

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

As a BDC we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of our Board of Directors. We will record decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments as unrealized depreciation. Since our inception, we have, at times, incurred a cumulative net unrealized depreciation of our portfolio. Any unrealized depreciation in our investment portfolio could result in realized losses in the future and ultimately in reductions of our income available for distribution to stockholders in future periods.

Risks Related to Our External Financing

In addition to regulatory limitations on our ability to raise capital, our Credit Facility contains various covenants which, if not complied with, could accelerate our repayment obligations under the facility, thereby materially and adversely affecting our liquidity, financial condition, results of operations and ability to pay distributions.

We will have a continuing need for capital to finance our investments. As of September 30, 2020, we had $128.0 million in borrowings, at cost, outstanding under our Credit Facility, which provides for maximum borrowings of $180.0 million, with a revolving period end date of July 15, 2021 (the “Revolving Period End Date”). Our Credit Facility permits us to fund additional loans and investments as long as we are within the conditions set forth in the credit agreement. Our Credit Facility contains covenants that require our wholly-owned subsidiary, Business Loan, to maintain its status as a separate legal entity, prohibit certain significant corporate transactions (such as mergers, consolidations, liquidations or dissolutions) and restrict material changes to our credit and collection policies without lenders’ consent. The Credit Facility also limits distributions to our stockholders on a fiscal year basis to the sum of our net investment income, net capital gains and amounts deemed to have been paid during the prior year in accordance with Section 855(a) of the Code. We are also subject to certain limitations on the type of loan investments we can make, including restrictions on geographic concentrations, sector concentrations, loan size, interest rate type, payment frequency and status, average life and lien property. Our Credit Facility further requires us to comply with other financial and operational covenants, which obligate us to, among other things, maintain certain financial ratios, including asset and interest coverage, and a minimum number of 25 obligors in the borrowing base. Additionally, we are required to maintain (i) a minimum net worth of $205.0 million plus 50.0% of all equity and subordinated debt raised after May 1, 2015 less 50% of any equity and subordinated debt retired or redeemed after May 1, 2015, which equates to $269.5 million as of September 30, 2020, (ii) asset coverage with respect to “senior securities representing indebtedness” of at least 150%, in accordance with Section 18 of the 1940 Act, as modified by Section 61 of the 1940 Act, and (iii) our status as a BDC under the 1940 Act and as a RIC under the Code. As of September 30, 2020, and as defined in our Credit Facility, we were in compliance with all of our Credit Facility covenants; however, our continued compliance depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our control.

34

Table of Contents

Given the continued uncertainty in the capital markets, the cumulative unrealized depreciation in our portfolio may increase in future periods and threaten our ability to comply with the minimum net worth covenant and other covenants under our Credit Facility. Our failure to satisfy these covenants could result in foreclosure by our lenders, which would accelerate our repayment obligations under the facility and thereby have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition, results of operations and ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.

Any inability to renew, extend or replace our Credit Facility on terms favorable to us, or at all, could adversely impact our liquidity and ability to fund new investments or maintain distributions to our stockholders.

If our Credit Facility is not renewed or extended by the Revolving Period End Date, all principal and interest will be due and payable on or before April 15, 2022. Subject to certain terms and conditions, our Credit Facility may be expanded to a total of $265.0 million through the addition of other lenders to the facility. However, if additional lenders are unwilling to join the facility on its terms, we will be unable to expand the facility and thus will continue to have limited availability to finance new investments under our Credit Facility. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to renew, extend or replace our Credit Facility upon its Revolving Period End Date on terms that are favorable to us, if at all, including with respect to any LIBOR replacement rate. Our ability to expand our Credit Facility, and to obtain replacement financing at or before the Revolving Period End Date, will be constrained by then-current economic conditions affecting the credit markets. In the event that we are not able to expand our Credit Facility, or to renew, extend or refinance our Credit Facility by the Revolving Period End Date, this could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and ability to fund new investments, our ability to make distributions to our stockholders and our ability to qualify as a RIC under the Code.

If we are unable to secure replacement financing, we may be forced to sell certain assets on disadvantageous terms, which may result in realized losses, and such realized losses could materially exceed the amount of any unrealized depreciation on these assets as of our most recent balance sheet date, which would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition to selling assets, or as an alternative, we may issue equity in order to repay amounts outstanding under our Credit Facility. Depending on the trading prices of our common stock, such an equity offering could have a substantial dilutive impact on our existing stockholders’ interest in our earnings, assets and voting interest in us. If we are not able to renew, extend or refinance our Credit Facility prior to its maturity, it could result in significantly higher interest rates and related charges and may impose significant restrictions on the use of borrowed funds to fund investments or maintain distributions to stockholders.

Our business plan is dependent upon external financing, which is constrained by the limitations of the 1940 Act.

We sold 1,220,927 and 1,843,943 common shares under our at-the-market program during the years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Additionally, we completed a public debt offering of $38.8 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes in October 2019 and a public debt offering of $57.5 million aggregate principal amount of the 2023 Notes, inclusive of the overallotment option, in November 2018. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to raise capital through issuing equity or debt in the near future. Our business requires a substantial amount of cash to operate and grow. We may acquire such additional capital from the following sources:

35

Table of Contents

We financed certain of our investments with borrowed money and capital from the issuance of senior securities, which will magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and may increase the risk of investing in us.

The use of leverage, including through the issuance of senior securities that are debt or stock, magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested, and, if we incur additional leverage, this potential will be further magnified. As of September 30, 2020, we incurred leverage through the Credit Facility, the 2023 Notes, and the 2024 Notes. From time to time, we intend to incur additional leverage to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. The use of leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique and increases the risks associated with investing in our securities. In the future, we may borrow from, and issue senior securities, to banks and other lenders. 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 holders to seek recovery against our assets in the event of a default.

36

Table of Contents

Based on an aggregate outstanding indebtedness of $224.3 million at cost as of September 30, 2020 and the effective annual cash interest rate of 4.3% as of that date, our investment portfolio at fair value would have had to produce an annual return of at least 2.1% to cover annual interest payments on the outstanding debt.

Risks Related to Our Regulation and Structure

We will be subject to corporate-level tax if we are unable to satisfy Code requirements for RIC qualification.

To maintain our qualification as a RIC, we must meet income source, asset diversification, and annual distribution requirements. The annual distribution requirement is satisfied if we distribute at least 90.0% of our Investment Company Taxable Income to our stockholders on an annual basis. Because we use leverage, we are subject to certain asset coverage ratio requirements under the 1940 Act and could, under certain circumstances, be restricted from making distributions necessary to qualify as a RIC. Warrants we receive with respect to debt investments generally create OID, which we must recognize as ordinary income over the term of the debt investment. Similarly, PIK interest which is accrued generally over the term of the debt investment but not paid in cash, is recognized as ordinary income. Both OID and PIK interest will increase the amounts we are required to distribute to maintain our RIC status. Because such OIDs and PIK interest will not produce distributable cash for us at the same time as we are required to make distributions, we will need to use cash from other sources to satisfy such distribution requirements. For the year ended September 30, 2020, we recognized $0.3 million of OID income and the unamortized balance of OID investments as of September 30, 2020 totaled $0.6 million. As of September 30, 2020, we had seven investments which had a PIK interest component and we recorded PIK interest income of $2.6 million during the year ended September 30, 2020. We collected $0.1 million in PIK interest in cash for the year ended September 30, 2020. Additionally, we must meet asset diversification and income source requirements at the end of each calendar quarter. If we fail to meet these tests, we may need to quickly dispose of certain investments to prevent the loss of RIC status. Since most of our investments will be illiquid, such dispositions, if even possible, may not be made at prices advantageous to us and may result in substantial losses. If we fail to qualify as a RIC as of a calendar quarter or annually for any reason and become fully subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution, and the actual amount distributed. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on us and our common stock. Refer to “Business — Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — RIC Status” for additional information regarding asset coverage ratio and RIC requirements.

Some of our debt investments may include success fees that would generate payments to us if the business is ultimately sold. Because the satisfaction of these success fees, and the ultimate payment of these fees, is uncertain, we generally only recognize them as income when the payment is received. Success fee amounts are characterized as ordinary income for tax purposes and, as a result, we are required to distribute such amounts to our stockholders in order to maintain RIC status.

37

Table of Contents

If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could fail to qualify as a BDC or be precluded from investing according to our current business strategy.

As a BDC, we may not acquire any assets other than qualifying assets unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of our total assets, exclusive of Operating Assets, are qualifying assets, as defined in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act.

We believe that most of the investments that we may acquire in the future will constitute qualifying assets. However, we may be precluded from investing in what we believe to be attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets for purposes of the 1940 Act. If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could violate the 1940 Act provisions applicable to BDCs. As a result of such violation, specific rules under the 1940 Act could prevent us, for example, from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of our position) or could require us to dispose of investments at disadvantageous times in order to come into compliance with the 1940 Act. If we need to dispose of such investments quickly, it could be difficult to dispose of such investments on favorable terms. We may not be able to find a buyer for such investments and, even if we do find a buyer, we may have to sell the investments at a substantial loss. Any such outcomes would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

If we do not maintain our status as a BDC, we would be subject to regulation as a registered closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act. As a registered closed-end investment company, we would be subject to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act, which would significantly decrease our operating flexibility. Refer to “Business — Regulation as a BDC — Qualifying Assets” for additional information regarding qualifying assets.

We are subject to restrictions that may discourage a change of control. Certain provisions contained in our articles of incorporation and Maryland law may prohibit or restrict a change of control and adversely impact the price of our common stock.

Our Board of Directors is divided into three classes, with the term of the directors in each class expiring every third year. At each annual meeting of stockholders, the successors to the class of directors whose term expires at such meeting will be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election. After election, a director may only be removed by our stockholders for cause. Election of directors for staggered terms with limited rights to remove directors makes it more difficult for a hostile bidder to acquire control of us. The existence of this provision may negatively impact the price of our securities and may discourage third-party bids to acquire our securities. This provision may reduce any premiums paid to stockholders in a change in control transaction.

Certain provisions of Maryland law applicable to us prohibit business combinations with:

These prohibitions last for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder became an interested stockholder. Thereafter, any business combination with the interested stockholder must be recommended by our Board of Directors and approved by the affirmative vote of at least 80.0% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of our outstanding shares of common stock and two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of our common stock other than shares held by the interested stockholder. These requirements could have the effect of inhibiting a change in control even if a change in control were in our stockholders’

38

Table of Contents

interest. These provisions of Maryland law do not apply, however, to business combinations that are approved or exempted by our Board of Directors prior to the time that someone becomes an interested stockholder.

Our articles of incorporation permit our Board of Directors to issue up to 50.0 million shares of capital stock. In addition, our Board of Directors, without any action by our stockholders, may amend our articles of incorporation from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares or the number of shares of any class or series of stock that we have authority to issue. Our Board of Directors may classify or reclassify any unissued common stock or preferred stock and establish the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption of any such stock. Thus, our Board of Directors could authorize the issuance of preferred stock with terms and conditions that could have a priority as to distributions and amounts payable upon liquidation over the rights of the holders of our common stock. Preferred stock could also have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets) that might provide a premium price for holders of our common stock.

We may not be permitted to declare a dividend or make any distribution to stockholders or repurchase shares until such time as we satisfy the asset coverage tests under the provisions of the 1940 Act that apply to BDCs. As a BDC, we have the ability to issue senior securities only in amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 150% after each issuance of senior securities. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments and, depending on the nature of our leverage, repay a portion of our debt at a time when such sales and/or repayments may be disadvantageous.

Regulations governing our operation as a BDC and RIC will affect our ability to raise, and the way in which we raise, additional capital or borrow for investment purposes, which may have a negative effect on our growth. As a result of the annual distribution requirement to qualify as a RIC, we may need to periodically access the capital markets to raise cash to fund new investments. We may issue “senior securities representing indebtedness,” including borrowing money from banks or other financial institutions or “senior securities that are stock,” such as our previously redeemed mandatorily redeemable preferred stock, only in amounts such that our asset coverage on each senior security, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 150% after each such incurrence or issuance. Further, we may not be permitted to declare a dividend or make any distribution to our outstanding stockholders or repurchase shares until such time as we satisfy these tests. Our ability to issue different types of securities is also limited. Compliance with these requirements may unfavorably limit our investment opportunities and reduce our ability in comparison to other companies to profit from favorable spreads between the rates at which we can borrow and the rates at which we can lend. As a BDC, therefore, we intend to continuously issue equity at a rate more frequent than our privately owned competitors, which may lead to greater stockholder dilution. We have incurred leverage to generate capital to make additional investments. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy the asset coverage test under the 1940 Act, which could prohibit us from paying distributions and could prevent us from qualifying as a RIC. If we cannot satisfy the asset coverage test, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments and, depending on the nature of our debt financing, repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales and repayments may be disadvantageous.

Risks Related to Our External Management

We are dependent upon our key management personnel and the key management personnel of the Adviser, particularly David Gladstone, Terry Lee Brubaker and Robert L. Marcotte, and on the continued operations of the Adviser, for our future success.

We have no employees. Our chief executive officer, chief operating officer, chief financial officer and treasurer, and the employees of the Adviser, do not spend all of their time managing our activities and our investment portfolio. We are particularly dependent upon David Gladstone, Terry Lee Brubaker, and Robert L. Marcotte for their experience, skills and networks. Our executive officers and the employees of the Adviser allocate some, and

39

Table of Contents

in some cases a material portion, of their time to businesses and activities that are not related to our business. We have no separate facilities and are completely reliant on the Adviser, which has significant discretion as to the implementation and execution of our business strategies and risk management practices. We are subject to the risk of discontinuation of the Adviser’s operations or termination of the Advisory Agreement and the risk that, upon such event, no suitable replacement will be found. We believe that our success depends to a significant extent upon the Adviser and that discontinuation of its operations or the loss of its key management personnel could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objectives.

Our success depends on the Adviser’s ability to attract and retain qualified personnel in a competitive environment.

The Adviser experiences competition in attracting and retaining qualified personnel, particularly investment professionals and senior executives, and we may be unable to maintain or grow our business if we cannot attract and retain such personnel. The Adviser’s ability to attract and retain personnel with the requisite credentials, experience and skills depends on several factors including its ability to offer competitive wages, benefits and professional growth opportunities. The Adviser competes with investment funds (such as private equity funds and mezzanine funds) and traditional financial services companies for qualified personnel, many of which have greater resources than us. Searches for qualified personnel may divert management’s time from the operation of our business. Strain on the existing personnel resources of the Adviser, in the event that it is unable to attract experienced investment professionals and senior executives, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The Adviser can resign on 60 days’ notice, and we may not be able to find a suitable replacement within that time, resulting in a disruption in our operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.

The Adviser has the right to resign under the Advisory Agreement at any time upon not less than 60 days’ written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. If the Adviser resigns, we may not be able to find a new investment adviser or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 60 days, 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 adversely affected and the market price of our common stock may decline. In addition, the coordination of our internal management and investment activities is 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 the Adviser and its 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 that may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

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

The Adviser has not assumed any responsibility to us other than to render the services described in the Advisory Agreement, and it will not be responsible for any action of our Board of Directors in declining to follow the Adviser’s advice or recommendations. Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser will not be liable to us for their acts under the Advisory Agreement, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of their duties and obligations under the Advisory Agreement. We have agreed to indemnify, defend and protect the Adviser and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser with respect to all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Adviser’s duties or obligations under the Advisory

40

Table of Contents

Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser for us, and not arising out of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of their duties and obligations under the Advisory Agreement. These protections may lead the Adviser to act in a riskier manner when acting on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account.

Our incentive fee may induce the Adviser to make certain investments, including speculative investments.

The management compensation structure that has been implemented under the Advisory Agreement may cause the Adviser to invest in high-risk investments or take other risks. In addition to its management fee, the Adviser is entitled under the Advisory Agreement to receive incentive compensation based in part upon our achievement of specified levels of income. In evaluating investments and other management strategies, the opportunity to earn incentive compensation based on net income may lead the Adviser to place undue emphasis on the maximization of net income at the expense of other criteria, such as preservation of capital, maintaining sufficient liquidity, or management of credit risk or market risk, in order to achieve higher incentive compensation. Investments with higher yield potential are generally riskier or more speculative. This could result in increased risk to the value of our investment portfolio.

We may be obligated to pay the Adviser incentive compensation even if we incur a loss.

The Advisory Agreement entitles the Adviser to incentive compensation for each fiscal quarter in an amount equal to a percentage of the excess of our investment income for that quarter (before deducting incentive compensation, net operating losses and certain other items) above a threshold return for that quarter. When calculating our incentive compensation, our pre-incentive fee net investment income excludes realized and unrealized capital losses that we may incur in the fiscal quarter, even if such capital losses result in a net loss on our statement of operations for that quarter. Thus, we may be required to pay the Adviser incentive compensation for a fiscal quarter even if there is a decline in the value of our portfolio or we incur a net loss for that quarter. For additional information on incentive compensation under the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, see “Business — Transactions with Related Parties.”

We may be required to pay the Adviser incentive compensation on income accrued, but not yet received in cash.

That part of the incentive fee payable by us that relates to our net investment income is computed and paid on income that may include interest that has been accrued but not yet received in cash, such as debt instruments with PIK interest or OID. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan, it is possible that such accrued interest previously used in the calculation of the incentive fee will become uncollectible. Consequently, we may make incentive fee payments on income accruals that we may not collect in the future and with respect to which we do not have a clawback right against the Adviser. Our OID investments totaled $22.4 million as of September 30, 2020, at cost, which are all syndicated loan investments. For the year ended September 30, 2020, we recognized $0.3 million of OID income and the unamortized balance of OID investments as of September 30, 2020 totaled $0.6 million. As of September 30, 2020, we had seven investments which had a PIK interest component and we recorded PIK interest income of $2.6 million during the year ended September 30, 2020. We collected $0.1 million in PIK interest in cash for the year ended September 30, 2020.

The Adviser’s failure to identify and invest in securities that meet our investment criteria or perform its responsibilities under the Advisory Agreement would likely adversely affect our ability for future growth.

Our ability to achieve our investment objectives will depend on our ability to grow, which in turn will depend on the Adviser’s ability to identify and invest in securities that meet our investment criteria. Accomplishing this result on a cost-effective basis will be largely a function of the Adviser’s structuring of the investment process, its ability to provide competent and efficient services to us, and our access to financing on acceptable terms. The Adviser’s senior management team has substantial responsibilities under the Advisory Agreement. In order to grow, the Adviser will need to hire, train, supervise, and manage new employees successfully. Any failure to

41

Table of Contents

manage our future growth effectively would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

There are significant potential conflicts of interest, including with the Adviser, which could impact our investment returns.

Our executive officers and directors, and the officers and directors of the Adviser, serve or may serve as officers, directors, or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do or of investment funds managed by our affiliates. Accordingly, they may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which might not be in our or our stockholders’ best interests. For example, Mr. Gladstone, our chairman and chief executive officer, is the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of each of the Gladstone Companies. In addition, Mr. Brubaker, our vice chairman and chief operating officer, is the vice chairman and chief operating officer of each of the Gladstone Companies. Mr. Marcotte is an executive managing director of the Adviser. Moreover, the Adviser may establish or sponsor other investment vehicles which from time to time may have potentially overlapping investment objectives with ours and accordingly may invest in, whether principally or secondarily, asset classes we target. While the Adviser generally has broad authority to make investments on behalf of the investment vehicles that it advises, the Adviser has adopted investment allocation procedures to address these potential conflicts and intends to direct investment opportunities to us or the Affiliated Public Fund with the investment strategy that most closely fits the investment opportunity. Nevertheless, the management of the Adviser may face conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities to other entities it manages. As a result, it is possible that we may not be given the opportunity to participate in certain investments made by other funds managed by the Adviser.

In certain circumstances, we may make investments in a portfolio company in which one of our affiliates has or will have an investment, subject to satisfaction of any regulatory restrictions and, where required, to the prior approval of our Board of Directors. As of September 30, 2020, our Board of Directors has approved the following types of co-investment transactions:

Certain of our officers, who are also officers of the Adviser, may from time to time serve as directors of certain of our portfolio companies. If an officer serves in such capacity with one of our portfolio companies, such officer will owe fiduciary duties to stockholders of the portfolio company, which duties may from time to time conflict with the interests of our stockholders.

In the course of our investing activities, we will pay base management and incentive fees to the Adviser and will reimburse the Administrator for certain expenses it incurs. As a result, investors in our common stock will invest on a “gross” basis and receive distributions on a “net” basis after expenses, resulting in, among other things, a lower rate of return than one might achieve through our investors themselves making direct investments. As a

42

Table of Contents

result of this arrangement, there may be times when the management team of the Adviser has interests that differ from those of our stockholders, giving rise to a conflict. In addition, as a BDC, we make available significant managerial assistance to our portfolio companies and provide other services to such portfolio companies. While, neither we nor the Adviser currently receives fees in connection with managerial assistance, the Adviser and Gladstone Securities have, at various times, provided other services to certain of our portfolio companies and received fees for these other services as discussed in “Business—Ongoing Management of Investments and Portfolio Company Relationships—Managerial Assistance and Services.”

The Adviser is not obligated to provide a credit of the base management fee or incentive fee, which could negatively impact our earnings and our ability to maintain our current level of distributions to our stockholders.

The Advisory Agreement provides for a base management fee based on our total assets and an incentive fee which consists of two parts: an income-based incentive fee and a capital gains-based incentive fee. Our Board of Directors has historically accepted and may accept in the future quarterly or annual non-contractual, unconditional and irrevocable credits to reduce the annual base management fee. Further, our Board of Directors has accepted on a quarterly basis non-contractual, unconditional and irrevocable credits from the Adviser to reduce the income-based incentive fee to the extent net investment income did not cover 100.0% of distributions to common stockholders. Any waived fees may not be recouped by the Adviser in the future. However, the Adviser is not required to issue these or other credits of fees under the Advisory Agreement, and to the extent our investment portfolio grows in the future, we expect these management and incentive fees will increase. If the Adviser does not issue these credits in future quarters, it could negatively impact our earnings and may compromise our ability to maintain our current level of distributions to our stockholders, which could have a material adverse impact on our stock price.

Our business model is dependent upon developing and sustaining strong referral relationships with investment bankers, business brokers and other intermediaries and any change in our referral relationships may impact our business plan.

We are dependent upon informal relationships with investment bankers, business brokers and traditional lending institutions to provide us with deal flow. If we fail to maintain our relationship with such funds or institutions, or if we fail to establish strong referral relationships with other funds, we will not be able to grow our portfolio of investments and fully execute our business plan.

Our base management fee may induce the Adviser to incur leverage.

The fact that our base management fee is payable based upon our total assets, which would include any investments made with proceeds of borrowings, may encourage the Adviser to use leverage to make additional investments. Under certain circumstances, the use of increased leverage may increase the likelihood of default, which would disfavor holders of our securities. Given the subjective nature of the investment decisions made by the Adviser on our behalf, we will not be able to monitor this potential conflict of interest.

Risks Related to an Investment in Our Securities

There is a risk that you may not receive distributions or that distributions may not grow over time.

We intend to distribute at least 90.0% of our Investment Company Taxable Income to our stockholders by paying monthly distributions. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. Furthermore, we expect to retain some or all net realized long-term capital gains by first offsetting them with realized capital losses, and secondly through a deemed distribution to supplement our equity capital and support the growth of our portfolio, although our Board of Directors may determine in certain cases to distribute these gains to our common stockholders. In addition, our Credit Facility restricts the amount of distributions we are permitted to make. We

43

Table of Contents

cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results or maintain a tax status that will allow or require any specified level of cash distributions.

Investing in our securities may involve an above average degree of risk.

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

Distributions to our stockholders have included and may in the future include a return of capital.

Quarterly, our Board of Directors declares monthly distributions based on then-current estimates of taxable income for each fiscal year, which may differ, and in the past have differed, from actual results. Because our distributions are based on estimates of taxable income that may differ from actual results, future distributions payable to our stockholders may also include a return of capital. Moreover, to the extent that we distribute amounts that exceed our current and accumulated earnings and profits, these distributions constitute a return of capital to the extent of the common stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of our common stock. A return of capital represents a return of a stockholder’s original investment in shares of our common stock and should not be confused with a distribution from earnings and profits. Although return of capital distributions may not be taxable, such distributions may increase an investor’s tax liability for capital gains upon the sale of shares of our common stock by reducing the investor’s tax basis in its shares of our common stock. Such returns of capital reduce our asset base and also adversely impact our ability to raise debt capital as a result of the leverage restrictions under the 1940 Act, which could have material adverse impact on our ability to make new investments.

Common shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to NAV.

Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to NAV per common share. Since our inception, our common stock has at times traded above NAV, and at times below NAV per share. This characteristic of shares of closed-end investment companies is separate and distinct from the risk that our NAV per share will decline. As with any stock, the price of our common stock will fluctuate with market conditions and other factors. If shares are sold, the price received may be more or less than the original investment. Whether investors will realize gains or losses upon the sale of shares of our common stock will not depend directly upon our NAV, but will depend upon the market price of the shares at the time of sale. Since the market price of our common stock will be affected by such factors as the relative demand for and supply of the shares in the market, general market and economic conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict whether the shares will trade at, below, or above our NAV.

Under the 1940 Act, we are generally not able to issue additional shares of our common stock at a price below NAV per share to purchasers other than our existing stockholders through a rights offering without first obtaining the approval of our common stockholders and our independent directors. Additionally, when our common stock is trading below its NAV per share, our dividend yield may exceed the weighted average returns that we would expect to realize on new investments that would be made with the proceeds from the sale of such stock, making it unlikely that we would determine to issue additional shares in such circumstances. Thus, for as long as our common stock may trade below NAV, we will be subject to significant constraints on our ability to raise capital through the issuance of common stock. Additionally, an extended period of time in which we are unable to raise capital may restrict our ability to grow and adversely impact our ability to increase or maintain our distributions.

44

Table of Contents

Common stockholders may incur dilution if we sell shares of our common stock in one or more offerings at prices below the then-current NAV per share of our common stock.

Absent stockholder approval, we are not able to access the capital markets in an offering at prices below the then-current NAV per share due to restrictions applicable to BDCs under the 1940 Act. Should we decide to issue shares of common stock at a price below NAV per share in the future, we will seek the requisite approval of our stockholders at such time.

If we were to sell shares of our common stock below NAV per share, such sales would result in an immediate dilution to the NAV per share. This dilution would occur as a result of the sale of shares at a price below the then-current NAV per share of our common stock and a proportionately greater decrease in a stockholder’s interest in our earnings and assets and voting interest in us than the increase in our assets resulting from such issuance. The greater the difference between the sale price and the NAV per share at the time of the offering, the more significant the dilutive impact would be. Because the number of shares of common stock that could be so issued and the timing of any issuance is not currently known, the actual dilutive effect, if any, cannot be currently predicted. However, if, for example, we sold an additional 10.0% of our common stock at a 5.0% discount to NAV, a stockholder who did not participate in that offering for its proportionate interest would suffer NAV dilution of up to 0.5% or $5 per $1,000 of NAV.

Risks Related to the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes

The 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes are unsecured and therefore are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness we have incurred or may incur in the future and will rank pari passu with, or equal to, all outstanding and future unsecured indebtedness issued by us and our general liabilities (total liabilities, less debt).

The 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes are not secured by any of our assets or any of the assets of our subsidiaries. As a result, the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes are subordinated to any secured indebtedness we or our subsidiaries have currently incurred and may incur in the future (or any indebtedness that is initially unsecured to which we subsequently grant security) to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness. In any liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy or other similar proceeding, the holders of any of our existing or future secured indebtedness and the secured indebtedness of our subsidiaries may assert rights against the assets pledged to secure that indebtedness in order to receive full payment of their indebtedness before the assets may be used to pay other creditors, including the holders of the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes. In addition, the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes rank pari passu with, or equal to, all outstanding and future unsecured indebtedness issued by us and our general liabilities (total liabilities, less debt).

The 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes will be structurally subordinated to the indebtedness and other liabilities of our subsidiaries.

The 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes are obligations exclusively of the Company and not of any of our subsidiaries. None of our subsidiaries is a guarantor of the 2023 Notes or 2024 Notes and the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes are not required to be guaranteed by any subsidiaries we may acquire or create in the future. Except to the extent we are a creditor with recognized claims against our subsidiaries, all claims of creditors of our subsidiaries will have priority over our equity interests in such subsidiaries (and therefore the claims of our creditors, including holders of the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes) with respect to the assets of such subsidiaries. Even if we are recognized as a creditor of one or more of our subsidiaries, our claims would still be effectively subordinated to any security interests in the assets of any such subsidiary and to any indebtedness or other liabilities of any such subsidiary senior to our claims. Consequently, the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes are structurally subordinated to all indebtedness and other liabilities of any of our subsidiaries and any subsidiaries that we may in the future acquire or establish. As of September 30, 2020, there was $128.0 million outstanding under the Credit Facility. Borrowings under the Credit Facility are the obligation of Business Loan, and are structurally senior to the 2023

45

Table of Contents

Notes and 2024 Notes. In addition, our subsidiaries may incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future, all of which would be structurally senior to the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes.

The indentures under which the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes were issued contain limited protection for holders of the Notes.

The indentures under which the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes were issued offer limited protection to holders of the notes. The terms of the indentures do not restrict our or any of our subsidiaries’ ability to engage in, or otherwise be a party to, a variety of corporate transactions, circumstances or events that could have an adverse impact on your investment in the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes. In particular, the terms of the indentures and the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes do not place any restrictions on our or our subsidiaries’ ability to:

46

Table of Contents

In addition, the indentures and the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes will not require us to make an offer to purchase the notes in connection with a change of control or any other event.

Furthermore, the terms of the indentures and the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes do not protect holders of the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes in the event that we experience changes (including significant adverse changes) in our financial condition, results of operations or credit ratings, if any, as they do not require that we or our subsidiaries adhere to any financial tests or ratios or specified levels of net worth, revenues, income, cash flow, or liquidity.

Our ability to recapitalize, incur additional debt (including additional debt that matures prior to the maturity of the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes), and take a number of other actions that are not limited by the terms of the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes may have important consequences for you as a holder of the 2023 Notes or 2024 Notes, including making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes or negatively affecting the trading value of the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes.

Other debt we issue or incur in the future could contain more protections for its holders than the indentures and the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes, including additional covenants and events of default. The issuance or incurrence of any such debt with incremental protections could affect the market for trading levels and prices of the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes.

If we default on our obligations to pay our other indebtedness, we may not be able to make payments on the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes.

Any default under the agreements governing our indebtedness, including a default under the Credit Facility or other indebtedness to which we may be a party, that is not waived by the required lenders or holders, and the remedies sought by the holders of such indebtedness could make us unable to pay principal and interest on the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes and substantially decrease the market value of such notes. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow and are otherwise unable to obtain funds necessary to meet required payments of principal and interest on our indebtedness, or if we otherwise fail to comply with the various covenants, including financial and operating covenants, in the instruments governing our indebtedness, we could be in default under the terms of the agreements governing such indebtedness. In the event of such default, the holders of such indebtedness could elect to declare all the funds borrowed thereunder to be due and payable, together with accrued and unpaid interest, the lenders under the Credit Facility or other debt we may incur in the future could elect to terminate their commitments, cease making further loans and institute foreclosure proceedings against our assets, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation. If our operating performance declines, we may in the future need to refinance or restructure our debt, including the 2023 Notes and 2024 Notes, sell assets, reduce or delay capital investments, seek to raise additional capital or seek to obtain waivers from the required lenders under the Credit Facility or other debt that we may incur in the future to avoid being in default. If we are unable to implement one or more of these alternatives, we may not be able to meet our payment obligations under the 2023 Notes, the 2024 Notes or our other debt. If we breach our covenants under the Credit Facility or other debt and seek a waiver, we may not be able to obtain a waiver from the required lenders or holders. If this occurs, we would be in default under the Credit Facility or other debt, the lenders or holders could exercise their rights as described above, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation. If we are unable to repay debt, lenders having secured obligations, including the lenders under the Credit Facility, could proceed against the collateral securing the debt. Because the Credit Facility has, and any future credit facilities will likely have, customary cross-default provisions, if the indebtedness under the 2023 Notes, 2024 Notes or the Credit Facility or under any future credit facility is accelerated, we may be unable to repay or finance the amounts due.

47

Table of Contents

An active trading market for the 2023 Notes or 2024 Notes may not exist, which could limit your ability to sell the 2023 Notes or 2024 Notes or affect the market price of the 2023 Notes or 2024 Notes.

An active trading market for the 2023 Notes or the 2024 Notes may not exist in the future and holders may not be able to sell their 2023 Notes or the 2024 Notes. Even if an active trading market does exist, the 2023 Notes or the 2024 Notes may trade at a discount from their initial offering price depending on prevailing interest rates, the market for similar securities, our credit ratings, if any, general economic conditions, our financial condition, performance and prospects and other factors. To the extent an active trading market does not exist, the liquidity and trading price for the 2023 Notes or the 2024 Notes may be harmed. Accordingly, holders of the 2023 Notes or the 2024 Notes may be required to bear the financial risk of an investment in the 2023 Notes or the 2024 Notes for an indefinite period of time.

We may choose to redeem the 2023 Notes or 2024 Notes when prevailing interest rates are relatively low.

On or after November 1, 2020, with respect to the 2023 Notes, and November 1, 2021, with respect to the 2024 Notes, we may choose to redeem such notes from time to time, especially if prevailing interest rates are lower than the rate borne by the 2023 Notes or the 2024 Notes. If prevailing rates are lower at the time of redemption, and we redeem the 2023 Notes or the 2024 Notes, you likely would not be able to reinvest the redemption proceeds in a comparable security at an effective interest rate as high as the interest rate on the 2023 Notes or the 2024 Notes being redeemed. Our redemption right also may adversely impact your ability to sell the 2023 Notes or the 2024 Notes as the optional redemption date or period approaches.

A downgrade, suspension or withdrawal of the credit rating assigned by a rating agency to us or our securities, could cause the liquidity or market value of the 2023 Notes or 2024 Notes to decline significantly.

Any credit rating assigned to us, the 2023 Notes or the 2024 Notes represents an assessment by the assigning rating agency of our ability to pay our debts when due. Consequently, real or anticipated changes in our credit ratings will generally affect the market value of the 2023 Notes and the 2024 Notes. These credit ratings may not reflect the potential impact of risks relating to the structure or marketing of the 2023 Notes or the 2024 Notes. Credit ratings are paid for by the issuer and are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security, and may be revised or withdrawn at any time by the issuing organization in its sole discretion.

General Risk Factors

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

Maintaining our network security is of critical importance because our systems store highly confidential financial models and portfolio company information. Although we have implemented, and will continue to implement, security measures, our technology platform may be vulnerable to intrusion, computer viruses or similar disruptive problems caused by cyber-attacks. A cyber incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity or availability of our information resources or those of our portfolio companies. These incidents may be an intentional attack or an unintentional event and could involve gaining unauthorized access to our information systems or those of our portfolio companies for purposes of misappropriating assets, stealing confidential information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. The result of these incidents may include disrupted operations, misstated or unreliable financial data, liability for stolen assets or information, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, litigation and damage to our business relationships or those of our portfolio companies. As our and our portfolio companies’ reliance on technology has increased, so have the risks posed to our information systems, both internal and those provided to us by third-party service providers, and the information systems of our portfolio companies. We have

48

Table of Contents

implemented processes, procedures and internal controls to help mitigate cybersecurity risks and cyber intrusions, but these measures, as well as our increased awareness of the nature and extent of a risk of a cyber incident, do not guarantee that a cyber incident will not occur and/or that our financial results, operations or confidential information will not be negatively impacted by such an incident. In addition, any such incident, disruption or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, and regulatory penalties, disrupt our operations, and damage our and our Adviser’s reputations, resulting in a loss of confidence in our services and our Adviser’s services, which could adversely affect our business.

We are dependent on information systems and systems failures could significantly disrupt our business, which may, in turn, negatively affect the market price of our common stock and our ability to pay dividends.

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

These events, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and negatively affect the market price of our common stock and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders.

Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations, or changes in the interpretation thereof, and any failure by us to comply with laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business.

We and our portfolio companies are subject to regulation by laws at the local, state and federal levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, may be changed from time to time. Accordingly, any change in these laws or regulations, or their interpretation, or any failure by us or our portfolio companies to comply with these laws or regulations may adversely affect our business. For additional information regarding the regulations to which we are subject, see “Business—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” and “Business—Regulation as a BDC.”

We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly and annual operating results.

We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly and annual operating results due to a number of factors, including, among others, variations in our investment income, the interest rates payable on the debt securities we acquire, the default rates on such securities, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the level of our expenses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets, and general economic conditions, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of our portfolio companies are in industries that are directly impacted by inflation, such as manufacturing and consumer goods and services. Our portfolio companies may not be able to pass on to customers increases in their costs of production which could greatly affect their operating results, impacting their ability to repay our loans. In addition, any projected future decreases in our portfolio companies’ operating results due to inflation could adversely impact the fair value of those investments. Any decreases in the fair value of our investments could

49

Table of Contents

result in future realized and unrealized losses and therefore reduce our net assets resulting from operations. As a result of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

None.

We do not own any real estate or other physical properties material to our operations. The Adviser is the current leaseholder of all properties in which we operate. We occupy these premises pursuant to the Advisory and Administration Agreements with the Adviser and Administrator, respectively.

We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against us.

Not applicable.

50

Table of Contents

PART II

Our common stock is traded on Nasdaq under the symbol “GLAD.” The following table reflects, by quarter, the high and low intraday sales prices per share of our common stock on the Nasdaq, the intraday sales prices as a percentage of NAV per share and quarterly distributions declared per common share for each fiscal quarter during the last two completed fiscal years and the current fiscal year through November 9, 2020.

As of November 9, 2020, there were 33 record owners of our common stock.

Distributions

We generally intend to distribute in the form of cash distributions a minimum of 90.0% of our Investment Company Taxable Income, if any, on a quarterly basis to our stockholders in the form of monthly distributions. We generally intend to retain some or all of our long-term capital gains, if any, but generally intend to designate the retained amount as a deemed distribution, after giving effect to any prior year realized losses that are carried forward, to supplement our equity capital and support the growth of our portfolio. However, in certain cases, our Board of Directors may choose to distribute our net realized long-term capital gains, if any, by paying a one-time special distribution. Additionally, our Credit Facility contains a covenant that limits distributions to our stockholders on an annual basis to the sum of our net investment income, net capital gains and amounts deemed to have been paid during the prior year in accordance with Section 855(a) of the Code.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

We did not sell any unregistered shares of stock during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020.

51

Table of Contents

Purchases of Equity Securities

We did not repurchase any shares of our stock during the fourth quarter ended September 30, 2020.

Stock Performance Graph

The following graph shows the total stockholder return on an investment of $100 in cash on September 30, 2015 for (i) our common stock, (ii) the Nasdaq’s 100 total return index (“Nasdaq 100 TR”), (iii) the Standard & Poor’s 500 total return index (the “S&P 500 TR”), and (iv) the Wells Fargo BDC Total Return index (“WF BDC TR”). The graph and other information furnished under the heading “Stock Performance Graph” shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate it by reference and shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C under, or to the liabilities of Section 18 of, the Exchange Act.

The returns on each investment assume reinvestment of dividends. This stock performance graph and the related textual information are not necessarily indicative of future performance.

Fees and Expenses

The following table is intended to assist you in understanding the costs and expenses that an investor in the Company will bear directly or indirectly. We caution you that some of the percentages indicated in the table below are estimates and may vary. Except where the context suggests otherwise, whenever this Annual Report

52

Table of Contents

contains a reference to fees or expenses paid by “us” or the “Company,” or that “we” will pay fees or expenses, stockholders will indirectly bear such fees or expenses as investors in the Company. The following annualized percentages were calculated based on actual expenses incurred in the quarter ended September 30, 2020 and average net assets for the quarter ended September 30, 2020.

Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser has provided and continues to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. It may also provide services other than managerial assistance to our portfolio companies and receive fees therefor. Such services may include: (i) assistance obtaining, sourcing or structuring credit facilities, long term loans or additional equity from unaffiliated third parties; (ii) negotiating important contractual financial relationships; (iii) consulting services regarding restructuring of the portfolio company and financial modeling as it relates to raising additional debt and equity capital from unaffiliated third parties; and (iv) primary role in interviewing, vetting and negotiating employment contracts with candidates in connection with adding and retaining key portfolio company management team members. Generally, at the end of each quarter, 100.0% of these fees are non-contractually, unconditionally

53

Table of Contents

and irrevocably credited against the base management fee that we would otherwise be required to pay to the Adviser; however, a small percentage of certain of such fees, primarily for valuation of the portfolio company, is retained by the Adviser in the form of reimbursement at cost for certain tasks completed by personnel of the Adviser. For the quarter ended September 30, 2020, the base management fee credit was $0.4 million. See “Item 1. Business — Transactions with Related Parties — Investment Advisory and Management Agreement” for additional information.

From time to time, the Adviser has non-contractually, unconditionally and irrevocably agreed to waive a portion of the incentive fees, to the extent net investment income did not cover 100.0% of the distributions to common stockholders during the period. For the quarter ended September 30, 2020, the incentive fee credit was $0.1 million. There can be no guarantee that the Adviser will continue to credit any portion of the fees under the Advisory Agreement in the future.

Examples of how the incentive fee would be calculated are as follows:

54

Table of Contents

= 100% × (2.10% - 2.00%)

= 0.10%

= (100% × (“catch-up”: 2.4375% - 2.00%)) + (20% × (2.50% - 2.4375%))

= (100% × 0.4375%) + (20% × 0.0625%)

= 0.4375% + 0.0125%

= 0.45%

= 20% × (6% - 1%)

= 20% × 5%

= 1%

For a more detailed discussion of the calculation of the two-part incentive fee, see “Item 1. Business — Transactions with Related Parties — Investment Advisory and Management Agreement.”

Examples

The following examples demonstrate the projected dollar amount of total cumulative expenses that would be incurred over various periods with respect to a hypothetical investment in our common stock. In calculating the following expense amounts, we have assumed we would have no additional leverage and that our quarterly operating expenses would remain at the levels set forth in the table above and are gross of credits to any fees. The amounts set forth below do not reflect the impact of sales load or offering expenses to be borne by the Company or its stockholders. In the prospectus supplement relating to an offering of securities pursuant to the applicable prospectus, the examples below will be restated to reflect the impact of the estimated offering expenses borne by the Company and its stockholders and, if applicable, the impact of the applicable sales load. The examples below and the expenses in the table above should not be considered a representation of our future

55

Table of Contents

expenses, and actual expenses (including the cost of debt, incentive fees, if any, and other expenses) may be greater or less than those shown. While the example assumes, as required by the SEC, a 5% annual return, our performance will vary and may result in a return greater or less than 5%.

56

Table of Contents

Senior Securities

Information about our senior securities is shown in the following table for the audited periods as of our last ten fiscal years. The information has been derived from our audited financial statements for each respective period, which have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s report on the senior securities table as of September 30, 2020 is attached as an exhibit to this Annual Report.

57

Table of Contents

58

Table of Contents

The following consolidated selected financial data for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016 are derived from our audited Consolidated Financial Statements. The other data included in the second table below is unaudited. The data should be read in conjunction with our accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

GLADSTONE CAPITAL CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED SELECTED FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA

(DOLLAR AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE)

59

Table of Contents

60

Table of Contents

The following analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Annual Report. Historical financial condition and results of operations and percentage relationships among any amounts in the financial statements are not necessarily indicative of financial condition, results of operations or percentage relationships for any future periods. Except per share amounts, dollar amounts in the tables included herein are in thousands unless otherwise indicated.

OVERVIEW

General

We were incorporated under the Maryland General Corporation Law on May 30, 2001. We operate as an externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company, and have elected to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. In addition, for federal income tax purposes we have elected to be treated as a RIC under the Code. To continue to qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes and obtain favorable RIC tax treatment, we must meet certain requirements, including certain minimum distribution requirements.

We were established for the purpose of investing in debt and equity securities of established private businesses operating in the U.S. Our investment objectives are to: (1) achieve and grow current income by investing in debt securities of established lower middle market companies in the U.S. that we believe will provide stable earnings and cash flow to pay expenses, make principal and interest payments on our outstanding indebtedness and make distributions to stockholders that grow over time; and (2) provide our stockholders with long-term capital appreciation in the value of our assets by investing in equity securities, in connection with our debt investments, that we believe can grow over time to permit us to sell our equity investments for capital gains. To achieve our investment objectives, our primary investment strategy is to invest in several categories of debt and equity securities, with each investment generally ranging from $8 million to $30 million, although investment size may vary, depending upon our total assets or available capital at the time of investment. We expect that our investment portfolio over time will consist of approximately 90.0% debt investments and 10.0% equity investments, at cost. As of September 30, 2020, our investment portfolio was made up of approximately 91.3% debt investments and 8.7% equity investments, at cost.

We focus on investing in lower middle market companies (which we generally define as companies with annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $3 million to $15 million) in the U.S. that meet certain criteria, including the following: the sustainability of the business’ free cash flow and its ability to grow it over time, adequate assets for loan collateral, experienced management teams with a significant ownership interest in the borrower, reasonable capitalization of the borrower, including an ample equity contribution or cushion based on prevailing enterprise valuation multiples and, to a lesser extent, the potential to realize appreciation and gain liquidity in our equity position, if any. We lend to borrowers that need funds for growth capital or to finance acquisitions or recapitalize or refinance their existing debt facilities. We seek to avoid investing in high-risk, early-stage enterprises. Our targeted portfolio companies are generally considered too small for the larger capital marketplace.

We invest by ourselves or jointly with other funds and/or management of the portfolio company, depending on the opportunity. In July 2012, the SEC granted us the Co-Investment Order that expanded our ability to co-invest, under certain circumstances, with certain of our affiliates, including Gladstone Investment, a BDC also managed by the Adviser, and any future BDC or closed-end management investment company that is advised (or sub-advised if it controls the fund) by the Adviser, or any combination of the foregoing, subject to the conditions in the Co-Investment Order. Since 2012, we have opportunistically made several co-investments with Gladstone Investment Corporation pursuant to the Co-Investment Order. We believe the Co-Investment Order has enhanced

61

Table of Contents

and will continue to enhance our ability to further our investment objectives and strategies. If we are participating in an investment with one or more co-investors, whether or not an affiliate of ours, our investment is likely to be smaller than if we were investing alone.

Business

Portfolio and Investment Activity

In general, our investments in debt securities have a term of no more than seven years, accrue interest at variable rates (generally based on the 30-day LIBOR) and, to a lesser extent, at fixed rates. We seek debt instruments that pay interest monthly or, at a minimum, quarterly, may have a success fee or deferred interest provision and are primarily interest only, with all principal and any accrued but unpaid interest due at maturity. Generally, success fees accrue at a set rate and are contractually due upon a change of control of a portfolio company, typically from an exit or sale. Some debt securities have deferred interest whereby some portion of the interest payment is added to the principal balance so that the interest is paid, together with the principal, at maturity. This form of deferred interest is often called PIK interest.

Typically, our equity investments consist of common stock, preferred stock, limited liability company interests, or warrants to purchase the foregoing. Often, these equity investments occur in connection with our original investment, recapitalizing a business, or refinancing existing debt.

During the year ended September 30, 2020, we invested $131.2 million in six new portfolio companies and extended $18.8 million in investments to existing portfolio companies. In addition, during the year ended September 30, 2020, we exited eleven portfolio companies through early payoffs or a restructure. We received a total of $78.8 million in combined net proceeds and principal repayments from the aforementioned portfolio company exits as well as principal repayments by existing portfolio companies during the year ended September 30, 2020. This activity resulted in a net decrease in our overall portfolio by five portfolio companies to 48 and a net increase of $66.2 million in our portfolio at cost since September 30, 2019. From our initial public offering in August 2001 through September 30, 2020, we have made 553 different loans to, or investments in, 246 companies for a total of approximately $2.1 billion, before giving effect to principal repayments on investments and divestitures.

During the year ended September 30, 2020, the following significant transactions occurred:

Proprietary Investments

62

Table of Contents

Syndicated Investments

Refer to Note 15—Subsequent Events in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report for portfolio activity occurring subsequent to September 30, 2020.

Capital Raising

We have been able to meet our capital needs through extensions of and increases to our line of credit under the Credit Facility and by accessing the capital markets in the form of public equity offerings of common stock and public debt offerings. We have successfully extended the Credit Facility’s revolving period multiple times, most recently to July 2021, and currently have a total commitment amount of $180.0 million. We sold 1,220,927 and 1,843,943 common shares under our at-the-market program during the years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. In October 2019, we completed a public debt offering of $38.8 million aggregate principal amount of the 2024 Notes, inclusive of the overallotment. Additionally, we completed a public debt offering of $57.5 million aggregate principal amount of our 2023 Notes, inclusive of the overallotment in November 2018. Refer to “Liquidity and Capital Resources — Revolving Credit Facility,” “Liquidity and Capital Resources — Equity — Common Stock,” and “Liquidity and Capital Resources — Notes Payable” for further discussion.

Although we were able to access the capital markets historically and in recent years, market conditions, including the impact of COVID-19 and the results of the election, may continue to affect the trading price of our capital stock and thus may inhibit our ability to finance new investments through the issuance of equity. When our

63

Table of Contents

common stock trades below NAV per common share, as it has done periodically since March 2020, our ability to issue equity is constrained by provisions of the 1940 Act, which generally prohibits the issuance and sale of our common stock below NAV per common share without first obtaining approval from our stockholders and our independent directors, other than through sales to our then-existing stockholders pursuant to a rights offering.

On September 30, 2020, the closing market price of our common stock was $7.41 per share, a 0.1% premium to our September 30, 2020 NAV per share of $7.40.

Regulatory Compliance

Our ability to seek external debt financing, to the extent that it is available under current market conditions, is further subject to the asset coverage limitations of the 1940 Act, which require us to have an asset coverage (as defined in Sections 18 and 61 of the 1940 Act) of at least 150% on our “senior securities representing indebtedness” and our “senior securities that are stock.”

On April 10, 2018, our Board of Directors, including a “required majority” (as such term is defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) thereof, approved the modified asset coverage requirements set forth in Section 61(a)(2) of the 1940 Act. As a result, the Company’s asset coverage requirements for senior securities changed from 200% to 150%, effective April 10, 2019.

As of September 30, 2020, our asset coverage on our “senior securities representing indebtedness” was 202.6%.

Recent Developments

Distributions

In October 2020, our Board of Directors declared the following monthly cash distributions to common stockholders:

LIBOR Transition

In general, our investments in debt securities have a term of five years, accrue interest at variable rates (based on the 30-day LIBOR) and, to a lesser extent, at fixed rates. LIBOR is currently anticipated to be phased out during late 2021. LIBOR may transition to a new standard rate, the SOFR, which will incorporate certain overnight repo market data collected from multiple data sets. To attain an equivalent 30-day rate, we currently intend to adjust the SOFR to minimize the difference between the interest that a borrower would be paying using LIBOR versus what it will be paying using SOFR. We are currently monitoring the transition and cannot assure you whether SOFR will become a standard rate for variable rate debt. However, we expect we will need to renegotiate certain loan documents with our portfolio companies that utilize LIBOR as a factor in determining the interest rate to replace LIBOR with the new standard that is established and may also need to renegotiate certain provisions of the Credit Facility. Assuming that SOFR replaces LIBOR and is appropriately adjusted to equate to 30-day LIBOR, we expect that there should be minimal impact on our operations.

64

Table of Contents

COVID-19

We continue to monitor and work with the management teams and shareholders of our portfolio companies to navigate the significant market, operational and economic challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company’s investment portfolio continues to be focused on a diversified mix of industries and sectors that are generally expected to be more durable than industries or sectors that are more prone to economic cycles including consumer or retail industries. We believe our portfolio companies have taken immediate actions to effectively and efficiently respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19 and related orders imposed by state and local governments including paused or reversed reopening orders, including developing liquidity plans supported by internal cash reserves, shareholder support, and as appropriate accessing the government Paycheck Protection Program. We believe we have sufficient levels of liquidity to support our existing portfolio companies, as necessary, and selectively deploy capital in new investment opportunities.

65

Table of Contents

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Comparison of the Year Ended September 30, 2020 to the Year Ended September 30, 2019