Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3)
Registration No. 333
-261782

The information in this prospectus supplement is not complete and may be changed. This prospectus supplement is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JULY 19, 2022

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus dated January 27, 2022)

$              

TRINITY CAPITAL INC.

7.00% Notes Due 2025

We are offering $            in aggregate principal amount of 7.00% notes due 2025, which we refer to as the Notes. The Notes will mature on January 16, 2025 (the “Maturity Date”). We will pay interest on the Notes quarterly on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year. The Notes offered hereby are an additional issuance of the 7.00% notes due 2025 that we issued on January 16, 2020 in the aggregate principal amount of $125.0 million (the “Existing Notes”). The Notes offered hereby will be treated as a single series with the Existing Notes under the Base Indenture, dated as of January 16, 2020, between us and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (together with its successor, U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, the “Trustee”), and a First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 16, 2020, between us and the Trustee (together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), and will have the same terms as the Existing Notes (other than issue date and issue price). The Notes offered hereby will have the same CUSIP number and will be fungible and rank equally with the Existing Notes. Upon the issuance of the Notes offered hereby, the outstanding aggregate principal amount of our 7.00% notes due 2025 will be $         million. We refer to the “Notes” and the “Existing Notes” separately within this prospectus supplement because only the Notes are being offered hereby, but any general discussion of the terms of the Notes also would apply to the Existing Notes because they are treated as the same under the Indenture.

The Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time, or from time to time, at our option, on or after January 16, 2023 at a redemption price equal to 100% of the outstanding principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the date of redemption. The Notes will be issued in minimum denominations of $25 and any integral multiples thereof.

The Notes are direct, unsecured obligations of us and rank pari passu, or equal, in right of payment with all of our other future and outstanding unsecured, unsubordinated indebtedness. The Notes rank effectively subordinated, or junior, to any of our future secured indebtedness or other obligations (including unsecured indebtedness that we later secure) to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness. The Notes rank structurally subordinated, or junior, to all existing and future indebtedness and other obligations (including trade payables) incurred by our subsidiaries, financing vehicles or similar facilities. No sinking fund is provided for the Notes. See “Description of the Notes.” As of July 14, 2022, on a consolidated basis, we had approximately $607.0 million of total indebtedness outstanding, approximately $232.0 million of which was secured indebtedness of our wholly owned subsidiary, TrinCap Funding, LLC (“TCF”) and approximately $375.0 million of which was unsecured indebtedness (represented by the Existing Notes, our 6.00% Convertible Notes due 2025 (the “Convertible Notes”), our 4.375% Notes due 2026 (the “August 2026 Notes”), and our 4.25% Notes due 2026 (the “December 2026 Notes”)) that will rank equal to the Notes.

We intend to list the Notes and the Existing Notes on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and we expect trading to commence thereon within 30 days of the issue date of the Notes under the trading symbol “TRINL.” The Notes and the Existing Notes are expected to trade “flat.” This means that purchasers will not pay, and sellers will not receive, any accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes or the Existing Notes that is not included in the trading price. Currently, there is no public market for the Notes or the Existing Notes and there can be no assurance that one will develop.

We are a specialty lending company that provides debt, including loans and equipment financings, to growth stage companies, including venture-backed companies and companies with institutional equity investors. We define “growth stage companies” as companies that have significant ownership and active participation by sponsors, such as institutional investors or private equity firms, and annual revenues of up to $100 million.

We are an internally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). We have elected to be treated, qualify and intend to continue qualify annually as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a BDC and a RIC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements.

Our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation through our investments. We seek to achieve our investment objective by making investments consisting primarily of term loans and equipment financings and, to a lesser extent, working capital loans, equity and equity-related investments. In addition, we may obtain warrants or contingent exit fees at funding from many of our portfolio companies, providing an additional potential source of investment returns.

As of March 31, 2022, our investment portfolio had an aggregate fair value of approximately $919.3 million and was comprised of approximately $649.5 million in secured loans, $204.3 million in equipment financings, and $65.5 million in equity and equity-related investments, including warrants, across 98 portfolio companies.

We primarily target investments in growth stage companies that have generally completed product development and are in need of capital to fund revenue growth. Our loans and equipment financings range from $2 million to $30 million. We are not limited to investing in any particular industry or geographic area and seek to invest in under-financed segments of the private credit markets. The debt in which we invest typically is not rated by any rating agency, but if these instruments were rated, they would likely receive a rating of below investment grade (that is, below BBB- or Baa3), which is often referred to as “high yield” or “junk.” As of March 31, 2022, the debt, including loans and equipment financings, in our portfolio had a weighted average time to maturity of approximately 3.4 years.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). As a result, we are subject to reduced public company reporting requirements and intend to take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.

___________________

Investing in the Notes involves risks, including the risk of leverage, that are described in “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-15 of this prospectus supplement and page 13 of the accompanying prospectus.

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain important information you should know before investing in the Notes. Please read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein before investing and keep it for future reference. We also file periodic and current reports, proxy statements and other information about us with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). This information is available free of charge by contacting us at 1 N. 1st Street, 3rd Floor, Phoenix, Arizona 85004, calling us at (480) 374-5350 or visiting our corporate website located at www.trinitycap.com. Information on our website is not incorporated into or a part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains this information.

THE NOTES ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OTHER OBLIGATIONS OF A BANK AND ARE NOT INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

___________________

 

Per Note

 

Total

Public offering price(1)

 

%

 

$

 

Sales load (underwriting discounts and commissions) paid by us

 

%

 

$

 

Proceeds to us, before estimated expenses(2)

 

%

 

$

 

____________

(1)          The public offering price set forth above does not include accrued and unpaid interest of $            in the aggregate from June 15, 2022 up to, but not including the date of delivery, which will be paid by the purchasers of the Notes offered hereby. On September 15, 2022, we will pay this accrued interest to the holders of the Notes offered hereby as of the applicable record date along with interest accrued on the Notes offered hereby from the date of delivery to such interest payment date.

(2)          We estimate that we will incur offering expenses of approximately $            . For more information, see “Underwriting” in this Prospectus Supplement.

The underwriters may also purchase up to an additional $            total aggregate principal amount of Notes offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, solely to cover over-allotments, if any, within 30 days from the date of this prospectus supplement. If the underwriters exercise this option in full, the total aggregate proceeds will be $            , the total sales load (underwriting discounts and commissions) paid by us will be $            , and total net proceeds, before offering expenses, will be $            .

Delivery of the Notes in book-entry form only through the Depository Trust Company on or about            , 2022.

Joint Book-Running Managers

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

A Stifel Company

 

UBS Investment Bank

Co-Lead Managers

Ladenburg Thalmann

 

Oppenheimer & Co.

The date of this prospectus supplement is July            , 2022.

 

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prospectus Supplement

 

Page

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

 

S-iii

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

 

S-1

SPECIFIC TERMS OF THE NOTES AND THE OFFERING

 

S-9

RISK FACTORS

 

S-15

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

S-20

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

S-22

CAPITALIZATION

 

S-23

SENIOR SECURITIES

 

S-24

CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

 

S-25

DESCRIPTION OF THE NOTES

 

S-30

UNDERWRITING

 

S-42

LEGAL MATTERS

 

S-50

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

 

S-50

Prospectus

 

Page

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

 

1

FEES AND EXPENSES

 

9

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

11

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATE AND OTHER INFORMATION

 

12

RISK FACTORS

 

13

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

14

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

16

PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

17

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

20

BUSINESS

 

21

SENIOR SECURITIES

 

22

PORTFOLIO COMPANIES

 

23

MANAGEMENT

 

37

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

38

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

39

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

 

40

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

41

SALES OF COMMON STOCK BELOW NET ASSET VALUE

 

42

DISTRIBUTION REINVESTMENT PLAN

 

46

CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

 

47

DESCRIPTION OF OUR CAPITAL STOCK

 

56

DESCRIPTION OF OUR PREFERRED STOCK

 

66

DESCRIPTION OF OUR SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS

 

67

DESCRIPTION OF OUR WARRANTS

 

69

DESCRIPTION OF OUR DEBT SECURITIES

 

71

ISSUANCE OF OPTIONS, WARRANTS OR SECURITIES TO SUBSCRIBE FOR OR CONVERTIBLE INTO SHARES OF OUR COMMON STOCK

 

87

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein. Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized anyone to give you any information other than in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any free writing prospectus, or any information that we have incorporated by reference herein or therein and we take no responsibility for any other information that others may give you. We are not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is accurate only as of the date on their respective front covers. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date. We will update these documents to reflect material changes only as required by law. This prospectus supplement supersedes the accompanying prospectus to the extent it contains information different from or additional to the information in that prospectus.

This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the terms of this offering and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus. The second part is the accompanying prospectus, which gives more general information and disclosure. To the extent the information contained in this prospectus supplement differs from the information contained in the accompanying prospectus, the information in this prospectus supplement shall control. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, together with any documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, include all material information relating to the applicable offering. Please carefully read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, together with any documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, any exhibits and the additional information described under the headings “Incorporation of Certain Information By Reference,” “Prospectus Summary” and “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, “Available Information” in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated herein and therein before you make an investment decision.

This prospectus supplement includes summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described in this prospectus supplement, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed, or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described in the section titled “Available Information” in the accompanying prospectus.

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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

This summary highlights some of the information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the information incorporated by reference herein and therein. It is not complete and may not contain all of the information that you may want to consider before investing in the Notes. You should read this entire document and the other information incorporated by reference herein before investing in the Notes. Throughout this prospectus supplement, except where the context suggests otherwise:

        the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “Trinity,” and “Company” refer, collectively, to the Legacy Funds (as defined below) and their respective subsidiaries, general partners, managers and managing members, as applicable prior to the consummation of the Formation Transactions (as defined below) and Trinity Capital Inc. after the consummation of the Formation Transactions; and

        “Legacy Funds” refers collectively to Trinity Capital Investment, LLC (“TCI”), Trinity Capital Fund II, L.P. (“Fund II”), Trinity Capital Fund III, L.P. (“Fund III”), Trinity Capital Fund IV, L.P. (“Fund IV”) and Trinity Sidecar Income Fund, L.P. (“Sidecar Fund”) and their respective subsidiaries, general partners, managers and managing members, as applicable.

Trinity Capital Inc.

Overview

Trinity Capital Inc., a Maryland corporation, provides debt, including loans and equipment financings, to growth stage companies, including venture-backed companies and companies with institutional equity investors. Our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation through our investments. We seek to achieve our investment objective by making investments consisting primarily of term loans and equipment financings and, to a lesser extent, working capital loans, equity and equity-related investments. Our equipment financings involve loans for general or specific use, including acquiring equipment, that are secured by the equipment or other assets of the portfolio company. In addition, we may obtain warrants or contingent exit fees from many of our portfolio companies, providing an additional potential source of investment returns. The warrants entitle us to purchase preferred or common ownership shares of a portfolio company, and we typically target the amount of such warrants to scale in proportion to the amount of the debt or equipment financing. Contingent exit fees are cash fees payable upon the consummation of certain trigger events, such as a successful change of control or initial public offering of the portfolio company. In addition, we may obtain rights to purchase additional shares of our portfolio companies in subsequent equity financing rounds.

We target investments in growth stage companies, which are typically private companies, including venture-backed companies and companies with institutional equity investors. We define “growth stage companies” as companies that have significant ownership and active participation by sponsors, such as institutional investors or private equity firms, and expected annual revenues of up to $100 million. Subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), we are not limited to investing in any particular industry or geographic area and seek to invest in under-financed segments of the private credit markets. The debt in which we invest typically is not rated by any rating agency, but if these instruments were rated, they would likely receive a rating of below investment grade (that is, below BBB- or Baa3), which is often referred to as “high yield” or “junk.”

We primarily seek to invest in loans and equipment financings to growth stage companies that have generally completed product development and are in need of capital to fund revenue growth. We believe a lack of profitability often limits these companies’ ability to access traditional bank financing and our in-house engineering and operations experience allows us to better understand this risk and earn what we believe to be higher overall returns and better risk-adjusted returns than those associated with traditional bank loans.

Our loans and equipment financings generally range from $2 million to $30 million, and we generally limit each loan or equipment financing to approximately five percent or less of our total assets. We believe investments of this scale are generally sufficient to support near-term growth needs of most growth stage companies. We seek to structure our loans and equipment financings such that amortization of the amount invested quickly reduces

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our risk exposure. Leveraging the experience of our investment professionals, we seek to target companies at their growth stage of development and to identify financing opportunities ignored by the traditional direct lending community.

As of March 31, 2022, our investment portfolio had an aggregate fair value of approximately $919.3 million and was comprised of approximately $649.5 million in secured loans, $204.3 million in equipment financings, and $65.5 million in equity and equity-related investments, including warrants, across 98 portfolio companies. See “Business” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the accompanying prospectus for additional information.

We are an internally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the 1940 Act. We have elected to be treated, qualify and intend to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a BDC and a RIC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. See “Regulation” and “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus for additional information. For example, as a BDC, at least 70% of our assets must be assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, as described herein.

Our History

On January 16, 2020, through a series of transactions (the “Formation Transactions”), we acquired the Legacy Funds, including their respective investment portfolios (collectively, the “Legacy Portfolio”), and Trinity Capital Holdings, LLC, a holding company whose subsidiaries managed and/or had the right to receive fees from certain of the Legacy Funds (“Trinity Capital Holdings”). In the Formation Transactions, the Legacy Funds were merged with and into the Company, and we issued 9,183,185 shares of our common stock at $15.00 per share for an aggregate amount of approximately $137.7 million and paid approximately $108.7 million in cash to the Legacy Investors to acquire the Legacy Funds and all of their respective assets, including the Legacy Portfolio. In addition, as part of the Formation Transactions, we acquired Trinity Capital Holdings, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, for an aggregate purchase price of $10.0 million, comprised of 533,332 shares of our common stock, totaling approximately $8.0 million, and approximately $2.0 million in cash.

On February 2, 2021, we completed our initial public offering of 8,006,291 shares of our common stock at a price of $14.00 per share, inclusive of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, which was exercised in full. Our shares of common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) on January 29, 2021 under the symbol “TRIN.”

For additional information regarding our history and the Formation Transactions, see “Prospectus Summary” and “Business” in the accompanying prospectus.

Borrowings

Through our wholly owned subsidiary, TrinCap Funding, LLC (“TCF”), we are a party to a credit agreement (as amended, the “KeyBank Credit Agreement”) with KeyBank, National Association (“KeyBank”). The KeyBank Credit Agreement matures on October 27, 2026, unless extended, and grants us, through TCF, a borrowing capacity of up to $400 million, with committed availability of up to $300 million. Borrowings under the KeyBank Credit Agreement bear interest at a rate equal to Adjusted Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus, currently, 2.85%, subject to the number of eligible loans in the collateral pool. As of July 14, 2022, approximately $232.0 million was outstanding under the KeyBank Credit Agreement.

In January 2020, we issued $125 million in aggregate principal amount of our 7.00% Notes due 2025 (the “Existing Notes”) in reliance upon the available exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Existing Notes, the reissuance of which is the subject of this prospectus supplement, were issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of January 16, 2020 (the “Base Indenture”), between us and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (together with its successor, U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, the “Trustee”), and a First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 16, 2020, between us and the Trustee. The Existing Notes mature on January 16, 2025, unless repurchased or redeemed in accordance with their terms prior to such date, and

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bear interest at a rate of 7.00% per year payable quarterly on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year. See this prospectus supplement generally and “Business” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the accompanying prospectus.

In December 2020, we issued $50 million in aggregate principal amount of our 6.00% Convertible Notes due 2025 (the “Convertible Notes”), at an original issuance price of 97.376% of the aggregate principal thereof, in reliance upon the available exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Convertible Notes were issued pursuant to the Base Indenture and a Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 11, 2020, between us and the Trustee. The Convertible Notes mature on December 11, 2025 (the “Convertible Notes Maturity Date”), unless earlier converted or repurchased in accordance with their terms prior to such date. The Convertible Notes bear interest at a rate of 6.00% per year, subject to additional interest of 0.75% per annum if we do not maintain an investment grade rating with respect to the Convertible Notes, payable semiannually on May 1 and November 1 of each year, commencing on May 1, 2021. Holders may convert their Convertible Notes, at their option, at any time on or prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the Convertible Notes Maturity Date. The conversion rate was initially 66.6667 shares of our common stock, per $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $15.00 per share of common stock). Effective immediately after the close of business on June 30, 2022, the conversion rate changed to 68.7855 shares of the Company’s common stock, per $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Notes (equivalent to a conversion price of approximately $14.54 per share of common stock) as a result of certain cash dividends of the Company. The net asset value per share of our common stock at September 30, 2020 (the last date prior to the issuance of the Convertible Notes for which we reported net asset value) was $13.01. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment in some events but will not be adjusted for any accrued and unpaid interest. Upon conversion of the Convertible Notes, we will pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, shares of our common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, at our election, per $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Notes, equal to the then existing conversion rate. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Securities Eligible for Future Sale” in the accompanying prospectus, as well as our Current Report on Form 8-K filed June 30, 2022 announcing the adjustment to the conversion rate of the Convertible Notes.

In August 2021, we issued $125 million in aggregate principal amount of our 4.375% Notes due 2026 (the “August 2026 Notes”). The August 2026 Notes were issued pursuant to the Base Indenture and a Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 24, 2021, between us and the Trustee. The August 2026 Notes mature on August 24, 2026, unless repurchased or redeemed in accordance with their terms prior to such date, and bear interest at a rate of 4.375% per year payable semiannually on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing on February 15, 2022. See “Business” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the accompanying prospectus.

In December 2021, we issued $75 million in aggregate principal amount of our 4.25% Notes due 2026 (the “December 2026 Notes”). The December 2026 Notes were issued pursuant to the Base Indenture and a Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 10, 2021, between us and the Trustee. The December 2026 Notes mature on December 15, 2026, unless repurchased or redeemed in accordance with their terms prior to such date, and bear interest at a rate of 4.25% per year payable semiannually on June 15 and December 15 of each year, commencing on June 15, 2022. See “Business” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the accompanying prospectus.

We currently borrow and may continue to borrow money from time to time if immediately after such borrowing, the ratio of our total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness represented by senior securities) to our total indebtedness represented by senior securities plus preferred stock, if any, is at least 150%. This means that generally, we can borrow up to $2 for every $1 of investor equity. As of March 31, 2022, our asset coverage ratio was approximately 183.3% and our asset coverage ratio per unit was approximately $1,833.

Our Business and Structure

Overview

We provide debt, including loans and equipment financings, to growth stage companies, including venture-backed companies and companies with institutional equity investors. Our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation through our investments. We seek to achieve

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our investment objective by making investments consisting primarily of term loans and equipment financings and, to a lesser extent, working capital loans, equity and equity-related investments. Our equipment financings involve loans for general or specific use, including acquiring equipment, that are secured by the equipment or other assets of the portfolio company. In addition, we may obtain warrants or contingent exit fees from many of our portfolio companies, providing an additional potential source of investment returns. The warrants entitle us to purchase preferred or common ownership shares of a portfolio company, and we typically target the amount of such warrants to scale in proportion to the amount of the debt or equipment financing. Contingent exit fees are cash fees payable upon the consummation of certain trigger events, such as a successful change of control or initial public offering of the portfolio company. In addition, we may obtain rights to purchase additional shares of our portfolio companies in subsequent equity financing rounds.

We target investments in growth stage companies with institutional investor support, experienced management teams, promising products and offerings, and large expanding markets. We define “growth stage companies” as companies that have significant ownership and active participation by sponsors and expected annual revenues of up to $100 million. These companies typically have begun to have success selling their products to the market and need additional capital to expand their operations and sales. Despite often achieving growing revenues, these types of companies typically have limited financing options to fund their growth. Equity, being dilutive in nature, is generally the most expensive form of capital available, while traditional bank financing is rarely available, given the lifecycle stage of these companies. Financing from us bridges this financing gap, providing companies with growth capital, which may result in improved profitability, less dilution for all equity investors, and increased enterprise value. Subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, we are not limited to investing in any particular industry or geographic area and seek to invest in under-financed segments of the private credit markets.

Our loans and equipment financings may have initial interest-only periods of up to 24 months and generally fully amortize over a total term of up to 60 months. These investments are typically secured by a blanket first position lien, a specific asset lien on mission-critical assets and/or a blanket second position lien. We may also make a limited number of direct equity and equity-related investments in conjunction with our debt investments. We target growth stage companies that have recently issued equity to raise cash to offset potential cash flow needs related to projected growth, have achieved positive cash flow to cover debt service, or have institutional investors committed to providing additional funding. A loan or equipment financing may be structured to tie the amortization of the loan or equipment financing to the portfolio company’s projected cash balances while cash is still available for operations. As such, the loan or equipment financing may have a reduced risk of default. We believe that the amortizing nature of our investments will mitigate risk and significantly reduce the risk of our investments over a relatively short period. We focus on protecting and recovering principal in each investment and structure our investments to provide downside protection.

Our loans and equipment financings generally range from $2 million to $30 million, and we generally limit each loan or equipment financing to approximately five percent or less of our total assets. We believe investments of this scale are generally sufficient to support near-term growth needs of most growth stage companies. We seek to structure our loans and equipment financings such that amortization of the amount invested quickly reduces our risk exposure. Leveraging the experience of our investment professionals, we seek to target companies at their growth stage of development and to identify financing opportunities ignored by the traditional direct lending community.

Certain of the loans in which we invest have financial maintenance covenants, which are used to proactively address materially adverse changes in a portfolio company’s financial performance. However, we have invested in and may in the future invest in or obtain significant exposure to “covenant-lite” loans, which generally are loans that do not have a complete set of financial maintenance covenants. Generally, covenant-lite loans provide borrower companies more freedom to negatively impact lenders because their covenants are incurrence-based, which means they are only tested and can only be breached following an affirmative action of the borrower, rather than by a deterioration in the borrower’s financial condition. Accordingly, because we invest in and have exposure to covenant-lite loans, we may have fewer rights against a borrower and may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants.

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Management Team

We are an internally managed BDC employing 52 dedicated professionals as of June 30, 2022, including 31 investment, origination and portfolio management professionals, all of whom have experience working on investment and financing transactions. All of our employees are located in the United States.

Our management team has prior management experience, including with early stage tech startups, and employs a highly systematized approach. Our senior management team, led by Steven L. Brown, comprises the majority of the senior management team that managed the Legacy Funds and sourced their investment portfolios, and we believe is well positioned to take advantage of the potential investment opportunities available in the marketplace.

        Steven L. Brown, our founder, is our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and has 25 years of experience in venture equity and venture debt investing and working with growth stage companies.

        Gerald Harder, our Chief Operating Officer, has been with Trinity since 2016, and we believe his prior 30 years of engineering and operations experience adds significant value in guiding the Company’s operations team and steward strategy.

        Kyle Brown, our President and Chief Investment Officer, has been with Trinity since 2015 and is responsible for managing Trinity’s investment activities. He has historically managed relationships with potential investment partners, including venture capital firms and technology bank lenders, allowing us to nearly triple the number of investment opportunities reviewed by our senior management after Mr. Brown joined the senior management of Trinity.

        Ron Kundich, our Chief Credit Officer, is responsible for overseeing the Company’s lending, underwriting, and credit processes.

        David Lund, our Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President of Finance and Strategic Planning, and Treasurer, has over 35 years of finance and executive leadership experience working with both private and publicly traded companies, including serving as Chief Financial Officer at an internally managed venture lending, publicly traded BDC during its initial stage and subsequent years of growth in assets.

All investment decisions are made by our Investment Committee (the “Investment Committee”), whose members consist of Steven L. Brown, Gerald Harder, Kyle Brown and Ron Kundich. We consider these individuals to be our portfolio managers. The Investment Committee approves proposed investments by majority consent, which majority must include Steven L. Brown, in accordance with investment guidelines and procedures established by the Investment Committee. See “Management” and “Executive Compensation” in the accompanying prospectus for additional information regarding these individuals.

The members of the Investment Committee have worked together in predecessor investment funds, including the Legacy Funds, and bring decades of combined experience investing in venture debt and venture capital and managing venture-backed start-ups and other public and private entities. As a result, the members of the Investment Committee have strong backgrounds in venture capital, private equity, investing, finance, operations, management and intellectual property, and have developed a strong working knowledge in these areas and a broad network of contacts. Combined, as of June 30, 2022, the members of the Investment Committee had over 75 years in aggregate of operating experience in various public and private companies, many of them venture-funded. As a group, they have managed through all aspects of the venture capital lifecycle, including participating in change of control transactions with venture-backed companies that they founded and/or served.

Potential Competitive Advantages

We believe that we are one of only a select group of specialty lenders that has our depth of knowledge, experience, and track record in lending to growth stage companies. Further, we are one of an even smaller subset of specialty lenders that offers both loans and equipment financings. Our other potential competitive advantages include:

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        In-house engineering and operations expertise to evaluate growth stage companies’ business products and plans.

        Direct origination networks that benefit from relationships with venture banks, institutional equity investors and entrepreneurs built during the term of operations of the Legacy Funds, which began in 2008.

        A dedicated staff of professionals covering credit origination and underwriting, as well as portfolio management functions.

        A proprietary credit rating system and regimented process for evaluating and underwriting prospective portfolio companies.

        Scalable software platforms developed during the term of operations of the Legacy Funds, which support our underwriting processes and loan monitoring functions.

For additional information regarding our potential competitive advantages, see “Business” in the accompanying prospectus.

Market Opportunity

We believe that an attractive market opportunity exists for providing debt and equipment financings to growth stage companies for the following reasons:

        Growth stage companies have generally been underserved by traditional lending sources.

        Unfulfilled demand exists for loans and equipment financings to growth stage companies due to the complexity of evaluating risk in these investments.

        Debt investments with warrants are less dilutive than traditional equity financing and complement equity financing from venture capital and private equity funds.

        Equity funding of growth stage companies, including venture capital backed companies, has increased steadily over the last ten years, resulting in new lending and equipment financing opportunities.

        We estimate that the annual U.S. venture debt and equipment financing market in 2021 exceeded $50 billion. We believe that the equipment financing market is even more fragmented, with the majority of equipment financing providers unable to fund investments for more than $10 million. We believe there are significant growth opportunities for us to expand our market share in the venture debt market and become a one-stop shop for loans and equipment financings for growth stage companies.

Growth Stage Companies are Underserved by Traditional Lenders.    We believe many viable growth stage companies have been unable to obtain sufficient growth financing from traditional lenders, including financial services companies such as commercial banks and finance companies, because traditional lenders have continued to consolidate and have adopted a more risk-averse approach to lending. More importantly, we believe traditional lenders are typically unable to underwrite the risk associated with these companies effectively and generally refrain from lending and/or providing equipment financing to growth stage companies, instead preferring the risk-reward profile of traditional fixed asset-based lending.

Unfulfilled Demand for Loans and Equipment Financings to Growth Stage Companies.    Private capital in the form of loans and equipment financings from specialty finance companies continues to be an important source of funding for growth stage companies. We believe that the level of demand for loans and equipment financings is a function of the level of annual venture equity investment activity, and can be as much as 20% to 30% of such investment activity. We believe this market is largely served by a handful of venture banks, with whom our products generally do not compete, and a relative few term lenders and lessors.

We believe that demand for loans and equipment financings to growth stage companies is currently underserved, given the high level of activity in venture capital equity market for the growth stage companies

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in which we invest. We believe certain venture lending companies have begun to focus on larger investment opportunities, potentially creating additional opportunities for us in the near term. Our senior management team has seen a significant increase in the number of potential investment opportunities over the last ten years.

Debt Investments with Warrants Complement Equity Financing from Venture Capital and Private Equity Funds.    We believe that growth stage companies and their financial sponsors will continue to view debt and equipment financing as an attractive source of capital because it augments the capital provided by venture capital and private equity funds. We believe that our debt investments, including loans and equipment financings, will provide access to growth capital that otherwise may only be available through incremental equity investments by new or existing equity investors. As such, we intend to provide portfolio companies and their financial sponsors with an opportunity to diversify their capital sources.

For additional information regarding our market opportunity, see “Business” in the accompanying prospectus.

Investment Philosophy, Strategy and Process

We lend money in the form of term loans and equipment financings and, to a lesser extent, working capital loans to growth stage companies. Investors may receive returns from three sources — the loan’s interest payments or equipment financing payments and the associated contractual fees; the final principal payment; and, contingent upon a successful change of control or initial public offering, proceeds from the equity positions or contingent exit fees obtained at loan or equipment financing origination.

We primarily seek to invest in loans and equipment financings to growth stage companies that have generally completed product development and are in need of capital to fund revenue growth. We believe a lack of profitability often limits these companies’ ability to access traditional bank financing and our in-house engineering and operations experience allows us to better understand this risk and earn what we believe to be higher overall returns and better risk-adjusted returns than those associated with traditional bank loans. Leveraging the experience of our investment professionals, we seek to target companies at their growth stage of development and seek to identify financing opportunities ignored by the traditional direct lending community.

Subject to the requirements under the 1940 Act, which require that we invest at least 70% of our total assets in qualifying assets, we may also engage in other lending activities by investing in assets that are not qualifying assets under the requirements of the 1940 Act, including asset-backed lending, which may constitute up to 30% of our total assets.

We believe good candidates for loans and equipment financings appear in all business sectors. We are not limited to investing in any particular industry or geographic area and seek to invest in under-financed segments of the private credit markets. We believe in diversification and do not intend to specialize in any one sector. Our portfolio companies are selected from a wide range of industries, technologies and geographic regions. Since we focus on investing in portfolio companies alongside venture capital firms and technology banks, we anticipate that most of our opportunities will come from sectors that those sources finance. See “Business” in the accompanying prospectus for additional details.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 1 N. 1st Street, 3rd Floor, Phoenix, Arizona 85004 and our telephone number is (480) 374-5350. Our corporate website is located at www.trinitycap.com. Information on our website is not incorporated into or a part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.

Risk Factors

Investing in our securities may be speculative and involves certain risks relating to our structure and our investment objective that you should consider before deciding whether to invest. See “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement and “Risk Factors” in the accompanying prospectus and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022 for a more detailed discussion of material risks you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our securities.

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Recent Developments

Preliminary Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results

During the quarter ended June 30, 2022, the Company originated approximately $302.3 million of total new commitments, which was comprised of $195.1 million in secured loans, $106.0 million in equipment financings and $1.2 million in equity investments.

As of June 30, 2022, our unfunded commitments totaled approximately $372.9 million. These unfunded commitments are subject to a bring-down due diligence review and investment committee approval prior to funding. In addition, certain of these unfunded commitments are subject to achieving certain milestones. We anticipate a significant portion of the commitments may fund over the next twelve months. Since a portion of these commitments may expire without being drawn, unfunded contractual commitments do not necessarily represent future cash requirements.

Investments funded in the quarter ended June 30, 2022 totaled approximately $193.8 million, which was comprised of $140.7 million in secured loans, $50.7 million in equipment financings and $2.4 million in warrant and equity investments.

Proceeds received from repayments of the Company’s debt investments during the quarter ended June 30, 2022 totaled approximately $44.4 million, which included $16.8 million from early debt repayments.

Net portfolio growth from investment activity for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 was approximately $149.2 million.

The level of our investment activity can vary substantially from period to period depending on many factors. Such factors may include the amount of loans, equipment financings and equity capital required by growth stage companies, the general economic environment and market conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, current geopolitical conditions, and the competitive environment for the types of investments we make.

For the three-month period ended June 30, 2022, we estimate that our unaudited total investment income will be between $32.6 million and $34.3 million and our unaudited net investment income will be between $15.3 million and $16.1 million, or between $0.50 and $0.52 per share. The unaudited estimate of the range of the net asset value per share of our common stock as of June 30, 2022 is between $14.60 and $14.64.

There are material limitations with making available preliminary estimates of our financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022. The preliminary financial estimates provided herein have been prepared by, and are the responsibility of, management. Neither Ernst & Young LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, nor any other independent accountants, have audited, reviewed, compiled, or performed any procedures with respect to the accompanying preliminary financial data.

These estimates are subject to the completion of our financial closing procedures and are not a comprehensive statement of our financial results or valuations as of June 30, 2022 and have not been approved by the Board. We advise you that our actual results may differ materially from these estimates as a result of the completion of the period and our financial closing procedures, final adjustments, valuation process and other developments that may arise between now and the time that our financial results are finalized. See “Risk Factors — There are material limitations with making available preliminary estimates of our financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 prior to the completion of our and our auditor’s financial review procedures for such period.

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SPECIFIC TERMS OF THE NOTES AND THE OFFERING

This prospectus supplement sets forth certain terms of the Notes that we are offering pursuant to this prospectus supplement and supplements the accompanying prospectus that is attached to this prospectus supplement. On January 16, 2020, we and the Trustee entered into First Supplemental Indenture relating to the Existing Notes. We will issue the Notes offered hereby under the same Base Indenture and the First Supplemental Indenture, which we refer to collectively as the “Indenture.” The Notes offered hereby will be an additional issuance of, rank equally in right of payment with, and form a single series with the Existing Notes for all purposes under the Indenture, including waivers, amendments, consents, redemptions and other offers to purchase and voting. We refer to the “Notes” and the “Existing Notes” separately within this prospectus supplement because only the Notes are being offered hereby, but any general discussion of the terms of the Notes also would apply to the Existing Notes because they are treated as the same under the Indenture. This section outlines the specific terms of the Notes. You should read this section together with the more general description of the Notes under the heading “Description of the Notes” in this prospectus supplement and in the accompanying prospectus under the heading “Description of Our Debt Securities” before investing in the Notes. Capitalized terms used in this prospectus supplement and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the accompanying prospectus or in the Indenture governing the Notes.

Issuer

 

Trinity Capital Inc., a Maryland corporation

Title of the Securities

 

7.00% Notes due 2025

Aggregate Principal Amount
Being Offered

 


$             ($            if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).

The Notes offered hereby are an additional issuance of the Existing Notes. The Notes offered hereby will be treated as a single series with the Existing Notes under the Indenture and will have the same terms as the Existing Notes (other than issue date and issue price). The Notes offered hereby will have the same CUSIP number and will be fungible and rank equally with the Existing Notes. Upon the issuance of the Notes offered hereby, the outstanding aggregate principal amount of our 7.00% Notes due 2025 will be $            ($            if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full).

Public Offering Price

 

            % of the aggregate principal amount of Notes, plus the Aggregate Accrued Interest (as defined below). On September 15, 2022, we will pay the Aggregate Accrued Interest to the holders of the Notes offered hereby as of the applicable record date along with interest accrued on the Notes offered hereby from the date of delivery to such interest payment date.

Aggregate Accrued Interest

 

$            of accrued and unpaid interest from June 15, 2022, up to, but not including, the date of delivery of the Notes.

Principal Payable at Maturity

 

100% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding; the principal amount of each Note will be payable on its stated maturity date at the corporate trust office of the trustee, paying agent, and security registrar for the Notes or at such other office as we may designate.

Type of Note

 

Fixed rate note

Interest Rate

 

7.00% per year

Day Count Basis

 

360-day year of twelve 30-day months

Original Issue Date

 

January 16, 2020

Stated Maturity Date

 

January 16, 2025

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Yield to Maturity

 

            %

Trade Date

 

July     , 2022

Interest Payment Dates

 

Every March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15, commencing on September 15, 2022. If an interest payment date falls on a non-business day, the applicable interest payment will be made on the next business day and no additional interest will accrue as a result of such delayed payment.

Interest Periods

 

The interest periods are the periods from and including an interest payment date to, but excluding, the next interest payment date or the stated maturity date, as the case may be.

Regular Record Dates for
Interest

 


Every March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1.

Specified Currency

 

U.S. Dollars

Place of Payment

 

The City of New York and/or such other places that may be specified in the Notes Indenture or a notice to holders of the Notes.

Business Day

 

Each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday that is not a day on which banking institutions in the City of New York or another place of payment are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

Ranking of Notes

 

The Notes will be our direct, general unsecured obligations and will rank:

   pari passu, or equal, in right of payment with our other outstanding and future unsecured unsubordinated indebtedness, including, without limitation, our Convertible Notes, of which $50.0 million in aggregate principal amount was outstanding as of July 14, 2022; our August 2026 Notes, of which $125.0 million in aggregate principal amount was outstanding as of July 14, 2022; and our December 2026 Notes, of which $75.0 million in aggregate principal amount was outstanding as of July 14, 2022;

   senior to any of our future indebtedness that expressly provides it is subordinated, or junior, to the Notes;

   effectively subordinated, or junior, to all of our existing and future secured indebtedness (including indebtedness that is initially unsecured in respect of which we subsequently grant a security interest), to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness; and

   structurally subordinated, or junior, to all existing and future indebtedness and other obligations of any of our subsidiaries, including, without limitation, borrowings under the KeyBank Credit Agreement, of which approximately $232.0 million was outstanding as of July 14, 2022 and is secured by the assets of our wholly owned subsidiary, TCF.

As of March 31, 2022, our asset coverage ratio was approximately 183.3%.

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As of July 14, 2022, on a consolidated basis, we had approximately $607.0 million of total indebtedness outstanding, $232.0 million of which was secured indebtedness of our wholly owned subsidiary, TCF, under the KeyBank Credit Agreement, and $375.0 million of which was unsecured indebtedness. Such unsecured indebtedness reflects the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Existing Notes, the Convertible Notes, the August 2026 Notes, and the December 2026 Notes. See “Capitalization” in this prospectus supplement.

Through our wholly owned subsidiary, TCF, we have a borrowing capacity of up to $400 million, with committed availability of $300 million, under the KeyBank Credit Agreement with $168.0 million of capacity remaining as of July 14, 2022, and borrowings thereunder generally bear interest at a rate of Adjusted Term SOFR plus 2.85%.

Denominations

 

$25.

Optional Redemption

 

The Notes may be redeemed in whole or in part at any time or from time to time at our option on or after January 16, 2023 upon not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days’ written notice prior to the date fixed for redemption thereof, at a redemption price of 100% of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest payments otherwise payable for the then-current quarterly interest period accrued to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption.

Any exercise of our option to redeem the Notes will be done in compliance with the 1940 Act.

If we redeem only some of the Notes, the Trustee or The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), as applicable, will determine the method for selection of the particular Notes to be redeemed, in accordance with the Notes Indenture and in accordance with the rules of any national securities exchange or quotation system on which the Notes are listed, if any. Unless we default in payment of the redemption price, on and after the date of redemption, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes called for redemption.

Sinking Fund

 

The Notes will not be subject to any sinking fund. A sinking fund is a reserve fund accumulated over a period of time for the retirement of debt.

Repayment at Option of Holders of the Notes

 


Holders will not have the option to have the Notes repaid prior to the stated maturity date.

Defeasance

 

The Notes are subject to legal and covenant defeasance by us. See “Description of the Notes — Defeasance.”

Form of Notes

 

The Notes will be represented by global securities that will be deposited and registered in the name of DTC or its nominee. This means that, except in limited circumstances, you will not receive certificates for the Notes. Beneficial interests in the Notes will be represented through book-entry accounts of financial institutions acting on behalf of beneficial owners as direct and indirect participants in DTC. Investors may elect to hold interests in the Notes through either DTC, if they are a participant, or indirectly through organizations that are participants in DTC.

Trustee, Paying Agent and
Registrar

 


U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association

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Events of Default

 

Holders of the Notes will have certain rights if an event of default occurs with respect to the Notes and is not cured. In addition to any events of default set forth in the Indenture, the following shall be events of default:

   We do not pay the principal of, or any premium on, any Note when due and payable at maturity;

   We do not pay interest on any Note when due and payable, and such default is not cured within 30 days of its due date;

   We remain in breach of any other covenant in respect of the Notes for 60 days after we receive a written notice of default stating we are in breach (the notice must be sent by either the trustee or holders of at least 25% of the principal amount of the outstanding Notes);

   We file for bankruptcy or certain other events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur and remain undischarged or unstayed for a period of 60 days;

   Pursuant to Section 18(a)(1)(C)(ii) and Section 61 of the 1940 Act, on the last business day of each of twenty four consecutive calendar months, any class of securities will have an asset coverage (as such term is used in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) of less than 100% giving effect to any exemptive relief granted to us by the SEC; or

   Upon the occurrence of a payment default or acceleration on any indebtedness for borrowed money (other than non-recourse indebtedness) of us or any subsidiary of us (if the aggregate principal amount of such indebtedness and such default or acceleration is not cured within 120 days of its due date), when taken together with the aggregate principal amount of any other indebtedness for borrowed money of us or any subsidiary of us as to which a payment default or an acceleration shall have occurred and shall be continuing (and such default or acceleration is not cured within 120 days of its due date), aggregates $10.0 million or more at any time.

See “Description of the Notes - Events of Default” for additional information.

Other Covenants

 

In addition to any covenants described elsewhere in this prospectus, the following covenants apply to the Notes:

   We agree that for the period of time during which the Notes are outstanding, we will not violate Section 18(a)(1)(A) as modified by such provisions of Section 61(a) of the 1940 Act as may be applicable to us from time to time or any successor provisions, whether or not we continue to be subject to such provisions of the 1940 Act. As of the date of this prospectus, these provisions generally prohibit us from incurring additional borrowings, including through the issuance of additional debt securities, unless our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 150% after such borrowings.

   We agree that, for the period of time during which the Notes are outstanding, we will not violate Section 18(a)(1)(B) as modified by such provisions of Section 61(a) of the 1940 Act as may be applicable to us from time to time or any successor provisions. As of this prospectus, these provisions generally prohibit us from declaring any cash dividend or distribution upon any class of our capital stock, or

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    purchasing any such capital stock if our asset coverage were below 150% at the time of the declaration of the dividend or distribution or the purchase and after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution, or purchase. Under the covenant, we will be permitted to declare a cash dividend or distribution notwithstanding the prohibition contained in Section 18(a)(1)(B) as modified by such provisions of Section 61(a) of the 1940 Act as may be applicable to us from time to time or any successor provisions, but only up to such amount as is necessary for us to maintain our status as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. Furthermore, the covenant will permit us to continue paying dividends or distributions and the restrictions will not apply unless and until such time as our asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act, except to the extent modified by this covenant) has not been in compliance with the minimum asset coverage required by Section 18(a)(1)(B) as modified by such provisions of Section 61(a) of the 1940 Act as may be applicable to us from time to time or any successor provisions for more than six consecutive months. For the purposes of determining “asset coverage” as used above, any and all indebtedness of the Company, including any outstanding borrowings under the KeyBank Credit Agreement and any successor or additional credit facility, will be deemed a senior security of us.

   If, at any time, we are not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), to file any periodic reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), we agree to furnish to holders of the Notes and the trustee, for the period of time during which the Notes are outstanding, our audited annual consolidated financial statements, within 90 days of our fiscal year end, and unaudited interim consolidated financial statements, within 45 days of our fiscal quarter end (other than our fourth fiscal quarter). All such financial statements will be prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with applicable United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).

Trading Market

 

We intend to list the Notes and the Existing Notes on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and we expect trading to commence thereon within 30 days of the issue date of the Notes under the trading symbol “TRINL.” The Notes and the Existing Notes are expected to trade “flat.” This means that purchasers will not pay, and sellers will not receive, any accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes or the Existing Notes that is not included in the trading price. Currently, there is no public market for the Notes or the Existing Notes and there can be no assurance that one will develop.

Additional Issuances of Notes

 

We will have the ability to issue additional debt securities under the Base Indenture with terms different from the Notes and, without the consent of the holders of the Notes, to reopen the Notes and issue additional Notes under the Indenture. If we issue additional debt securities, these additional debt securities could have a lien or other security interest greater than that accorded to the holders of the Notes, which are unsecured.

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Use of Proceeds

 

We estimate that the net proceeds we will receive from this offering will be approximately $             million (or approximately $            if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full), based on an offering price of         % per Note, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses of approximately $         (or approximately $            if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) payable by us. Such estimate is subject to change and no assurances can be given that actual expenses will not exceed such amount. We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering to pay down a portion of our existing indebtedness outstanding under the KeyBank Credit Agreement in an amount expected to be equal to approximately $            million. The KeyBank Credit Agreement has a maturity date of October 27, 2026 and generally bears interest at a rate of Adjusted Term SOFR plus 2.85%. As of July 14, 2022, we had approximately $232.0 million of indebtedness outstanding under the KeyBank Credit Agreement through our wholly owned subsidiary, TCF. We intend to use the remaining net proceeds, if any, from this offering to make investments in accordance with our investment objective and investment strategy and for general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds” in this prospectus supplement.

Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

 


For the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the holding and disposition of the Notes, see “Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

Global Clearance and Settlement Procedures

 


Interests in the Notes will trade in DTC’s Same Day Funds Settlement System, and any permitted secondary market trading activity in such Notes will, therefore, be required by DTC to be settled in immediately available funds. None of the Company, the trustee or the paying agent will have any responsibility or liability for the performance by DTC or its participants or indirect participants of their respective obligations under the rules and procedures governing their operations.

Governing Law

 

The Notes will be and the Indenture is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in the Notes involves a number of significant risks. Before you invest in the Notes, you should be aware of various risks associated with the investment, including those described in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any free writing prospectus we may authorize in connection with this offering, “Part I, Item IA. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, “Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022 and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and any free writing prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act. The risks set out in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement, if any, “Part I, Item IA. Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, “Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and any document incorporated by reference herein 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. Each of the risk factors could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In such case, our net asset value and the value of our debt securities may decline, and investors may lose all or part of their investment.

Risks Related to the Notes

The Notes are unsecured and therefore are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness currently outstanding or that may be incurred in the future and rank pari passu with, or equal to, all outstanding and future unsecured unsubordinated indebtedness issued by us and our general liabilities.

The Notes are not secured by any of our assets or any of the assets of any of our subsidiaries. As a result, the Notes are effectively subordinated, or junior, to any outstanding secured indebtedness as of the date of this prospectus (including the KeyBank Credit Agreement) or that we or our subsidiaries may incur in the future (or any indebtedness that is initially unsecured as to which we subsequently grant a security interest) 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 Notes. As of July 14, 2022, on a consolidated basis, we had approximately $607.0 million of total indebtedness outstanding, $232.0 million of which was secured indebtedness under the KeyBank Credit Agreement through our wholly owned subsidiary, TCF, which will be effectively and/or structurally senior to the Notes. Secured indebtedness, including the indebtedness under the KeyBank Credit Agreement, is effectively senior to the Notes to the extent of the value of such assets securing such indebtedness. In addition, as of July 14, 2022, we had $125.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the Existing Notes outstanding, $50.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the Convertible Notes outstanding, $125.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the August 2026 Notes outstanding, and $75.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the December 2026 Notes outstanding, each of which is unsecured and will rank pari passu, or equal in right of payment, with the Notes.

The Notes are structurally subordinated to the indebtedness and other liabilities of our subsidiaries.

The Notes are obligations exclusively of Trinity Capital Inc., and not of any of our subsidiaries. None of our subsidiaries are a guarantor of the Notes, and the Notes are not required to be guaranteed by any subsidiaries we may acquire or create in the future. Any assets of our subsidiaries will not be directly available to satisfy the claims of our creditors, including holders of the Notes. Except to the extent we are a creditor with recognized claims against our subsidiaries, all claims of creditors (including trade creditors) and holders of preferred stock, if any, of our subsidiaries will have priority over our equity interests in such subsidiaries (and therefore the claims of our creditors, including holders of the 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 Notes are structurally subordinated, or junior, to the KeyBank Credit Agreement and all existing and future indebtedness and other obligations (including trade payables) incurred by any of our subsidiaries, financing vehicles or similar facilities and any subsidiaries, financing vehicles or similar facilities that we may in the

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future acquire or establish. As of July 14, 2021, through our wholly owned subsidiary, TCF, we had approximately $232.0 million of indebtedness outstanding under the KeyBank Credit Agreement; in addition, our subsidiaries may incur additional indebtedness in the future, all of which would be structurally senior to the Notes.

Our current indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to meet our payment obligations under the Notes and our other debt.

As of July 14, 2022, on a consolidated basis, we had approximately $607.0 million of total indebtedness outstanding, $232.0 million of which was secured indebtedness under the KeyBank Credit Agreement through our wholly owned subsidiary, TCF, and $375.0 million of which was unsecured indebtedness related to the Existing Notes, the Convertible Notes, the August 2026 Notes, and the December 2026 Notes.

The use of debt could have significant consequences on our future operations, including:

        making it more difficult for us to meet our payment and other obligations under the Notes and our other outstanding indebtedness;

        resulting in an event of default if we fail to comply with the financial and other restrictive covenants contained in our debt agreements, which event of default could result in substantially all of our debt becoming immediately due and payable;

        reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund investments, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes, and limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for these purposes;

        subjecting us to the risk of increased sensitivity to interest rate increases on our indebtedness with variable interest rates; and

        limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, and increasing our vulnerability to, changes in our business, the industry in which we operate and the general economy.

Any of the above-listed factors could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to meet our payment obligations under the Notes and our other debt.

Our ability to meet our payment and other obligations under our debt instruments depends on our ability to generate significant cash flow in the future. This, to some extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative and regulatory factors as well as other factors that are beyond our control.

We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future borrowings will be available to us under our financing arrangements or otherwise in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our indebtedness, including the Notes, or to fund our other liquidity needs. We may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness, including the Notes, on or before the scheduled maturity. The conditions of the financial markets and prevailing interest rates have fluctuated in the past and are likely to fluctuate in the future. We cannot assure you that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we cannot service our indebtedness, we may have to take actions such as selling assets or seeking additional equity. We cannot assure you that any such actions, if necessary, could be effected on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or on terms that would not be disadvantageous to our shareholders or on terms that would not require us to breach the terms and conditions of our existing or future debt agreements, including our payment obligations under the Notes.

A downgrade, suspension or withdrawal of the credit rating assigned by a rating agency to us or the Notes, if any, or change in the debt markets, could cause the liquidity or market value of the Notes to decline significantly.

Our credit ratings are an assessment by rating agencies 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 Notes. These credit ratings, however, may not reflect the potential impact of risks related to the structure or marketing of the Notes, market conditions generally or other factors discussed herein that could impact the market value of the Notes.

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Generally, rating agencies base their ratings on such material and information, and such of their own investigations, studies and assumptions, as they deem appropriate. Any such credit ratings should be evaluated independently from similar ratings of other securities or companies. Credit ratings 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. Neither we nor any underwriter undertakes any obligation to maintain our credit ratings or to advise holders of Notes of any changes in our credit ratings. There can be no assurance that any credit ratings assigned to us and/or the Notes, if any, will remain for any given period of time.

The indenture offers limited protection to holders of the Notes.

The indenture offers limited protection to holders of the Notes. The terms of the indenture and the Notes 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 Notes. In particular, the terms of the indenture and the Notes will not place any restrictions on our or our subsidiaries’ ability to:

        issue securities or otherwise incur additional indebtedness or other obligations, including (1) any indebtedness or other obligations that would be pari passu, or equal, in right of payment to the Notes, (2) any indebtedness or other obligations that would be secured and therefore rank effectively senior in right of payment to the Notes to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, (3) indebtedness or other obligations of ours that are guaranteed by one or more of our subsidiaries and which therefore are structurally senior to the Notes and (4) securities, indebtedness or other obligations incurred by our subsidiaries that would be senior to our equity interests in our subsidiaries and therefore rank structurally senior to the Notes with respect to the assets of those subsidiaries, in each case other than an incurrence of indebtedness or other obligations that would cause a violation of Section 18(a)(1)(A) as modified by Section 61(a) of the 1940 Act or any successor provisions of the 1940 Act, but giving effect, in either case, to any exemptive relief granted to us by the SEC. Currently, these provisions generally prohibit us from incurring additional borrowings, including through the issuance of additional debt securities, unless our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 150% after such borrowings;

        pay dividends on, or purchase or redeem or make any payments in respect of, capital stock or other securities ranking junior in right of payment to the Notes;

        sell assets (other than certain limited restrictions on our ability to consolidate, merge or sell all or substantially all of our assets);

        create liens (including liens on the shares of our subsidiaries) or enter into sale and leaseback transactions;

        enter into transactions with affiliates;

        make investments; or

        create restrictions on the payment of dividends or other amounts to us from our subsidiaries.

In addition, the Indenture does not require us to offer to purchase the Notes in connection with a change of control or any other event. Furthermore, the terms of the Indenture and the Notes do not protect holders of the Notes in the event that we experience changes (including significant adverse changes) in our financial condition, results of operations or credit ratings, 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 and take a number of other actions that are not limited by the terms of the Notes may have important consequences for you as a holder of the Notes, including making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to the Notes or negatively affecting the trading value of the Notes to the extent such a trading market continues for the Notes.

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Certain of our current debt instruments include more protections for their holders than the Indenture and the Notes. In addition, other debt we issue or incur in the future could contain more protections for its holders than the Indenture and the Notes, including additional covenants and events of default. The issuance or incurrence of any such debt with incremental protections could affect the market for and trading levels and prices of the Notes to the extent such a market continues for the Notes.

The optional redemption provision may materially adversely affect your return on the Notes.

The Notes are redeemable in whole or in part at any time or from time to time at our option on or after January 16, 2023 upon not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days’ written notice prior to the date fixed for redemption thereof, at a redemption price of 100% of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest payments otherwise payable for the then-current quarterly interest period accrued to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption. We may choose to redeem the Notes at times when prevailing interest rates are lower than the interest rate paid on the Notes. In this circumstance, you may not be able to reinvest the redemption proceeds in a comparable security at an effective interest rate as high as that of the Notes being redeemed.

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

Any default under the agreements governing our indebtedness or under 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, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes and substantially decrease the market value of the Notes.

If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow and are otherwise unable to obtain funds necessary to meet required payments of principal, premium, if any, 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 our current indebtedness 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 seek to obtain waivers from the required lenders or holders under the agreements governing our indebtedness, or other indebtedness that we may incur in the future, to avoid being in default. If we breach our covenants under the agreements governing our indebtedness 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 and our lenders or debt 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 KeyBank under the KeyBank Credit Agreement, could proceed against the collateral securing the debt. Because the Indenture governing the Notes and the Base Indenture and each supplemental indenture governing our Convertible Notes, August 2026 Notes, and December 2026 Notes have cross-acceleration provisions, and any future debt will likely have customary cross-default and cross-acceleration provisions, if the indebtedness thereunder, hereunder or under any future credit facility is accelerated, we may be unable to repay or finance the amounts due. See “Description of the Notes.”

There is no active trading market for the Notes and, even if the Nasdaq Global Select Market approves the listing of the Notes, an active trading market for the Notes may not develop, which could limit your ability to sell the Notes and/or the market price of the Notes.

The Notes will be a new issue of debt securities for which there initially will not be a trading market. We intend to list the Existing Notes and the Notes on the Nasdaq Global Select Market within 30 days of the issue date of the Notes under the symbol “TRINL”. However, there is no assurance that the Notes will be approved for listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

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Moreover, even if the listing of the Notes is approved, we cannot provide any assurances that an active trading market will develop or be maintained for the Notes or that you will be able to sell your Notes. If the Notes are traded after their initial issuance, they 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. The underwriters have advised us that they intend to make a market in the Notes, but they are not obligated to do so. Any market-making activity will be subject to limits imposed by law or other relevant factors. Certain of the underwriters may discontinue any market-making in the Notes at any time at their sole discretion.

Accordingly, we cannot assure you that the Notes will be approved for listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, that a liquid trading market will develop or be maintained for the Notes, that you will be able to sell your Notes at a particular time or that the price you receive when you sell will be favorable. To the extent an active trading market does not develop, the liquidity and trading price for the Notes may be harmed. Accordingly, you may be required to bear the financial risk of an investment in the Notes for an indefinite period of time.

Other Risk Factors

There are material limitations with making available preliminary estimates of our financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 prior to the completion of our and our auditor’s financial review procedures for such period.

The preliminary financial estimates contained in “Prospectus Summary — Recent Developments” are not a comprehensive statement of our financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 and have not been audited, reviewed, compiled, examined or subject to any procedures by Ernst & Young LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, or any other independent accountants. Our consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 will not be available until after this offering is completed and, consequently, will not be available to you prior to making an investment decision. Our actual financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 could differ materially from the preliminary financial estimates we have provided as a result of the completion of our financial closing procedures and related internal controls over financial reporting, final adjustments, execution of our disclosures and procedures and other developments arising between now and the time that our financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 are finalized. The preliminary financial data included herein has been prepared by, and is the responsibility of, management. Ernst & Young LLP has not audited, reviewed, compiled, examined or performed any procedures with respect to such preliminary estimates, and, accordingly, does not express an opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto. Our final results of operations will include financial information not included in this prospectus, including, for example, a schedule of investments and industry information on our portfolio.

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some of the statements in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any related free writing prospectus and any documents we may incorporate by reference herein contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and undue reliance should not be placed thereon. Any statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, predictions, forecasts, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “believes,” “can,” “could,” “may,” “predicts,” “potential,” “should,” “will,” “estimate,” “plans,” “projects,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expects,” “intends” and similar words or phrases. Accordingly, these statements are only predictions and involve estimates, known and unknown risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of several factors more fully described or referenced under the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any related free writing prospectus we may authorize in connection with this offering, and any documents we may incorporate by reference herein, including the following factors, among others:

        our limited operating history as a BDC;

        our future operating results, including the impact of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic;

        our dependence upon our management team and key investment professionals;

        our ability to manage our business and future growth;

        risks related to investments in growth stage companies, other venture capital-backed companies and generally U.S. companies;

        the ability of our portfolio companies to achieve their objectives;

        the use of leverage;

        risks related to the uncertainty of the value of our portfolio investments due to an economic downturn and/or recessionary environment;

        changes in political, economic or industry conditions, the rising interest rate and inflationary environment or other conditions affecting the financial and capital markets, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic;

        uncertainty surrounding the financial and/or political stability of the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, China and other countries, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine;

        the dependence of our future success on the general economy and its impact on the industries in which we invest;

        the effect of the decommissioning of LIBOR and the implementation of alternatives to LIBOR, such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate;

        the effect of changes in laws and regulations (including interpretations thereof), including tax laws, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act of 2020, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, on our operations and/or the operations of our portfolio companies;

        risks related to market volatility, including general price and volume fluctuations in stock markets;

        our ability to raise additional capital through debt borrowings and equity issuances, which are subject to ongoing unpredictability of the capital markets;

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        risks associated with the reliability of our preliminary estimated second quarter 2022 results;

        our ability to make distributions; and

        our ability to maintain our status as a BDC under the 1940 Act and qualify annually for tax treatment as a RIC under the Code.

All forward-looking statements are necessarily only estimates of future results, and there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from expectations, and, therefore, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Any forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed throughout this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any related free writing prospectus and any documents we may incorporate by reference herein. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any related free writing prospectus and any documents we may incorporate by reference herein, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Because we are an investment company, the forward-looking statements and projections contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and any documents we may incorporate by reference herein are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A(b)(2)(B) of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act (the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995).

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that the net proceeds we will receive from this offering will be approximately $            million (or approximately $            million if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full), based on an offering price of            % per Note, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses of approximately $            (or approximately $            if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) payable by us. Such estimate is subject to change and no assurances can be given that actual expenses will not exceed such amount.

We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering to pay down a portion of our existing indebtedness outstanding under the KeyBank Credit Agreement in an amount expected to be equal to approximately $            million. The KeyBank Credit Agreement has a maturity date of October 27, 2026 and generally bears interest at a rate of Adjusted Term SOFR plus 2.85%. As of July 14, 2022, we had approximately $232.0 million of indebtedness outstanding under the KeyBank Credit Agreement through our wholly owned subsidiary, TCF. We intend to use the remaining net proceeds, if any, from this offering to make investments in accordance with our investment objective and investment strategy and for general corporate purposes. Pending such investments, we will invest the net proceeds primarily in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality temporary investments that mature in one year or less from the date of investment.

We expect that it may take up to six months for us to substantially use the net proceeds from this offering in the manner described above, depending on market conditions and the availability of attractive investment opportunities. However, we can offer no assurance that we will be able to achieve this goal.

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth:

        the actual consolidated capitalization of the Company as of March 31, 2022; and

        the consolidated capitalization of the Company as of March 31, 2022, as further adjusted to reflect the assumed sale of $            of aggregate principal amount of Notes in this offering at a public offering price of            % per Note after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses of approximately $            payable by us and application of the net proceeds as discussed in more detail under “Use of Proceeds” in this prospectus supplement (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option).

You should read this table together with “Use of Proceeds” and our most recent balance sheet included in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, which is incorporated by reference herein.

(dollars in thousands, except per share data)

 

March 31,
2022
(Unaudited)

 

As Adjusted for this Offering(1)

Assets

 

 

   

 

 

Investments at fair value

 

$

919,348

 

$

Cash and cash equivalents

 

 

28,684

 

 

 

Restricted cash

 

 

 

 

 

Interest receivable

 

 

6,482

 

 

 

Deferred credit facility costs

 

 

2,188

 

 

 

Other assets

 

 

9,237

 

 

 

Total Assets

 

$

965,939

 

$

   

 

   

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

   

 

 

KeyBank Credit Agreement

 

$

134,000

 

$

Existing Notes, net

 

 

121,681

 

 

 

Notes offered hereby(1)

 

 

 

 

 

Convertible Notes, net

 

 

47,639

 

 

 

August 2026 Notes, net

 

 

122,465

 

 

 

December 2026 Notes, net

 

 

73,251

 

 

 

Distribution payable

 

 

15,389

 

 

 

Security deposits

 

 

11,549

 

 

 

Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other liabilities

 

 

15,924

 

 

 

Total Liabilities

 

$

541,898

 

$

   

 

   

 

 

Net Assets

 

 

   

 

 

Common stock, par value $0.001 per share; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 27,982,842 shares issued and outstanding

 

 

28

 

 

 

Paid-in capital in excess of par

 

 

370,570

 

 

 

Distributable earnings

 

 

53,443

 

 

 

Total Net Assets

 

 

424,041

 

 

 

Total Liabilities and Net Assets

 

$

965,939

 

$

 

Net Asset Value Per Share

 

$

15.15

 

$

____________

(1)      The Notes will form the same series with the Existing Notes. See “Description of the Notes — General.”

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SENIOR SECURITIES

Information about our senior securities as of the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022 and as of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 is located in “Part I, Item 1. Consolidated Financial Statements — Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)” of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022 (filed on May 9, 2022) and in “Part II, Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data — Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 (filed on March 3, 2022), which are incorporated by reference herein. We had no senior securities outstanding as of December 31, 2019. The report of our independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst and Young LLP, on our financial statements as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, including the senior securities table contained therein, and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 is included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 (filed on March 3, 2022) and is incorporated by reference herein.

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CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following discussion is a general summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations (and, in the case of a non-U.S. holder (as defined below), certain U.S. federal estate tax considerations) applicable to purchasing, owning, and disposing of the Notes. This summary addresses only those holders who purchase Notes in this offering at the public offering price. Moreover, this summary does not purport to be a complete description of the income tax considerations applicable to such an investment and does not address any state, local or non-U.S. income or other tax considerations. The discussion is based upon the Code, the regulations promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or the “Treasury Regulations,” and administrative and judicial interpretations, each as of the date of this prospectus supplement and all of which are subject to change, potentially with retroactive effect. Investors should consult their own tax advisors with respect to tax considerations that pertain to their investment in the Notes.

This discussion deals only with Notes held as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code and does not cover possible income tax considerations to beneficial owners (referred to in this discussion as “holders”) with special circumstances, including, without limitation, the U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to holders such as any government (or instrumentality or agency thereof), financial institutions, insurance companies, real estate investment trusts, controlled foreign corporations, passive foreign investment companies and regulated investment companies (and shareholders of such corporations), pension plans, trusts and estates, dealers in securities or currencies, traders in securities, U.S. expatriates and certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States, persons holding the Notes as a hedge against currency risks or as a position in a “straddle,” “hedge,” “constructive sale transaction” or “conversion transaction”(as those terms are defined under the Code), entities that are tax-exempt for U.S. federal income tax purposes, retirement plans, individual retirement accounts, tax-deferred accounts, persons subject to the alternative minimum tax, pass-through entities (including partnerships and other entities and arrangements classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) and beneficial owners of such pass-through entities, persons holding the Notes as intermediaries, agents or nominees, or persons whose functional currency (as defined in Section 985 of the Code) is not the U.S. dollar. This discussion also does not address the U.S. federal income tax consequences to beneficial owners of the Notes subject to the special tax accounting rules under Section 451(b) of the Code. This discussion also does not deal with holders of the Notes other than original purchasers of the Notes who acquire the Notes in this offering for a price equal to their original issue price (i.e., the first price at which a substantial amount of the Notes is sold other than to bond houses, brokers, or similar persons or organizations acting in the capacity of underwriters, placement agents or wholesalers). This discussion does not address the effects of other U.S. federal tax laws (such as estate and gift tax laws) and any applicable state, local or foreign tax laws (except where otherwise indicated). Investors considering purchasing the Notes should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of the U.S. federal, state and local tax laws to their individual circumstances, as well as any consequences to such investors relating to purchasing, owning and disposing of the Notes under the laws of any non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction.

For purposes of this discussion, the term “U.S. holder” means a holder of a Note that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (i) an individual citizen or resident of the United States, including an alien individual who is a lawful permanent resident of the United States or meets the “substantial presence” test under Section 7701(b) of the Code, (ii) a corporation, or other entity treated as a corporation, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia (iii) a trust (a) subject to the control of one or more United States persons (as defined under Section 7701(a)(30) the Code) and the primary supervision of a court in the United States, or (b) that has in force a valid election (under applicable Treasury Regulations) to be treated as a United States person, or (iv) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source. The term “non-U.S. holder” means a holder of a Note that is neither a U.S. holder nor a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes).

If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds any Notes, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner, member or owner of such entity generally will depend upon the status of such partner, member or owner, the activities of such entity and certain determinations made at the partner, member or owner level. Such entities holding Notes, and persons holding interests in such entities, should each consult their own tax advisors as to the consequences of investing in the Notes in their individual circumstances.

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Qualified Reopening

We intend to treat, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the issuance of the Notes offered hereby as a “qualified reopening” of the Existing Notes. Accordingly, we intend to treat the Notes offered hereby as having the same issue date and the same issue price as the Existing Notes. The remainder of this summary assumes this treatment.

Pre-Issuance Accrued Interest

Interest on the Notes offered hereby will accrue from June 15, 2022, up to, but not including, the date of delivery and will be paid by the purchasers of the Notes offered hereby (the “pre-issuance accrued interest”). On September 15, 2022, we will pay this pre-issuance accrued interest to the holders of the Notes offered hereby as of the applicable record date along with interest accrued on the Notes offered hereby from the date of delivery to such interest payment date. We intend to take the position that a portion of the interest payment received on the first interest payment date following the issuance of the Notes that equals the pre-issuance accrued interest as a return of the pre-issuance accrued interest, rather than an amount payable on such Notes. If this position is respected a portion of the interest payment received by a U.S. holder on the first interest payment date following the issuance of the Notes will be treated as a non-taxable return of the pre-issuance accrued interest paid by the U.S. holder, rather than as taxable interest, as if the U.S. holder purchased a debt instrument on the secondary market between interest payment dates. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors concerning the tax treatment of the pre-issuance accrued interest on the Notes.

Taxation of U.S. Holders

Payments or accruals of interest on a Note (other than pre-issuance accrued interest as described above) generally will be taxable to a U.S. holder as ordinary interest income at the time they are received (actually or constructively) or accrued, in accordance with the U.S. holder’s regular method of tax accounting.

If a U.S. holder purchases a Note in this offering at a price (excluding any amount attributable to pre-issuance accrued interest) that exceeds the stated principal amount of the Note, such U.S. holder will be considered to have purchased the Note with amortizable bond premium equal to the amount of that excess. A U.S. holder generally may elect to amortize the premium using a constant yield method over the remaining term of the Note as an offset to interest when included in income in accordance with such U.S. holder’s regular method of tax accounting. Any amortized amount of the premium for a taxable year generally will be treated first as a reduction of interest on the Note includible in the U.S. holder’s gross income in such taxable year to the extent thereof, then as a deduction allowed in that taxable year to the extent of the U.S. holder’s prior interest inclusions on the Note, and finally as a carryforward allowable against the U.S. holder’s future interest inclusions on the Note. This election to amortize premium on a constant yield method will apply to all debt obligations (other than debt obligations the interest on which is excludable from gross income) held by such U.S. holder as of the beginning of, or acquired during or after, the first taxable year for which the election applies and may not be revoked without the consent of the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”). If a U.S. holder makes the election to amortize bond premium with respect to a Note, such holder will be required to reduce its adjusted tax basis in such Note by the amount of the premium amortized. If a U.S. holder does not elect to amortize bond premium, that premium will decrease the gain or increase the loss such holder would otherwise recognize on the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other taxable disposition of the Note. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding this election.

If a U.S. holder purchases a Note in this offering at a price that is less than the stated principal amount of the Note, such U.S. holder will be considered to have purchased the Note with original issue discount (“OID”), equal to the amount of the difference, unless such difference is considered to be de minimis (generally, 0.25% of the stated redemption price at maturity times the number of complete years to maturity after the acquisition of the Note), in which case OID will be considered to be zero. A U.S. holder of an OID debt security is generally required to include in income the sum of the daily accruals of the OID for the debt security for each day during the taxable year (or portion of the taxable year) in which the U.S. holder held the OID debt security, regardless of such holder’s regular method of accounting. Thus, a U.S. holder will be required to include OID in income in advance of the receipt of some or all of the related cash payments. The daily portion is determined by allocating the OID for each day of the accrual period. An accrual period may be of any length and the accrual periods may even vary in length over the term of the OID debt security, provided that each accrual period is no longer than one year and each

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scheduled payment of principal or interest occurs either on the first day of an accrual period or on the final day of an accrual period. The amount of OID allocable to an accrual period is equal to the excess of: (1) the product of the “adjusted issue price” of the OID debt security at the beginning of the accrual period and its yield to maturity (computed generally on a constant yield method and compounded at the end of each accrual period, taking into account the length of the particular accrual period) over (2) the amount of any qualified stated interest allocable to the accrual period. OID allocable to a final accrual period is the difference between the amount payable at maturity, other than a payment of qualified stated interest, and the adjusted issue price at the beginning of the final accrual period. Special rules will apply for calculating OID for an initial short accrual period. The “adjusted issue price” of an OID debt security at the beginning of any accrual period is the sum of the issue price of the OID debt security plus the amount of OID allocable to all prior accrual periods reduced by any payments received on the OID debt security that were not qualified stated interest. Under these rules, a U.S. holder generally will have to include in income increasingly greater amounts of OID in successive accrual periods. It is expected that the Notes will be issued with no, or a de minimis amount of, OID.

Upon the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other taxable disposition of a Note, a U.S. holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other taxable disposition (excluding amounts representing accrued and unpaid interest, including any pre-issuance accrued interest described above, which are treated as ordinary income to the extent not previously included in income) and the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Note. A U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in a Note generally will equal the U.S. holder’s initial investment in the Note (excluding any amount attributable to the pre-issuance accrued interest described above), reduced by the amount of any bond premium previously amortized by the U.S. holder with respect to the Note as well as any cash payments on the Note other than qualified stated interest or increased by any OID previously included in the U.S. holder’s income with respect to a Note. Capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. holder’s holding period in the Note was more than one year. Long-term capital gains generally are taxed at reduced rates for individuals and certain other non-corporate U.S. holders, and the deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations under the Code.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Holders

A non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding taxes on payments of principal or interest on a Note (including accruals of any OID), provided that (i) income on the Note is not effectively connected with the conduct by the non-U.S. holder of a trade or business within the United States, (ii) in the case of interest income (including accruals of any OID), the non-U.S. holder is not a bank receiving interest described in Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, does not own (actually or constructively) 10 percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of our stock and is not a controlled foreign corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes that is related, directly or indirectly, to us through sufficient stock ownership and (iii) the non-U.S. holder provides, prior to payment, a statement on an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or other applicable form) signed under penalties of perjury that includes the non-U.S. holder’s name and address and certifies that it is not a United States person in compliance with applicable requirements. If a non-U.S. holder holds a Note through an intermediary, agent or nominee, such intermediary, agent or nominee must also provide a valid intermediary withholding certificate that complies with the applicable Treasury Regulations.

The amount of interest paid to a non-U.S. holder on the Notes (including accruals of any OID) will be reported to the non-U.S. holder and the IRS annually on IRS Form 1042-S even if the non-U.S. holder is exempt from the U.S. federal income or withholding taxes described above. Copies of the information returns reporting those payments and the amounts withheld also may be made available to the tax authorities in the country where the non-U.S. holder is resident under the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty or agreement.

A non-U.S. holder that is not exempt from tax under these rules generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax withholding on payments of interest on the Notes (including accruals of any OID) at a rate of 30 percent unless (i) the income is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business (and, if an income tax treaty applies, is attributable to a United States “permanent establishment” maintained by the non-U.S. holder), in which case the interest generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis in the same manner as U.S. holders, or (ii) an applicable income tax treaty provides for a lower rate of, or exemption from, such withholding tax. To claim the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty, the non-U.S. holder must timely provide, prior to payment, a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-BEN-E (or other applicable form) and,

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to claim exemption from withholding tax because the interest income is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, the non-U.S. holder must timely provide, prior to payment, a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI (or other applicable form).

In the case of a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation and receives income that is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business, such income may also be subject to a branch profits tax (which is generally imposed on a non-U.S. corporation on the actual or deemed repatriation from the United States of earnings and profits attributable to a U.S. trade or business) at a 30 percent rate. The branch profits tax may not apply (or may apply at a reduced rate) if the non-U.S. holder is eligible for benefits under an applicable income tax treaty.

Generally, a non-U.S. holder will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding taxes on any amount that constitutes capital gain upon the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other taxable disposition of a Note, unless the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States by the non-U.S. holder (and, if an income tax treaty applies, is attributable to a United States “permanent establishment” maintained by the non-U.S. holder). However, if an individual non-U.S. holder is present in the United States for at least 183 or more days, using the counting methodology described in section 7701(b), during the taxable year in which the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other taxable disposition of a Note occurs and is not otherwise treated as a U.S. holder, and certain other conditions exist, such non-U.S. holder will be subject to a flat 30 percent U.S. federal income tax on any resulting gain (except to the extent otherwise provided by an applicable income tax treaty), which may be offset by certain U.S. losses. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors with regard to whether taxes will be imposed on capital gain in their individual circumstances.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

A U.S. holder may be subject to backup withholding on, and information reporting requirements with respect to, payments of principal or interest (including accruals of any OID) on, and proceeds from the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other taxable disposition of, the Notes. In general, if a non-corporate U.S. holder subject to information reporting fails to furnish a correct taxpayer identification number or otherwise fails to comply with applicable backup withholding requirements, backup withholding at the applicable statutory rate may apply. Non-U.S. holders generally are exempt from information reporting and backup withholding, if they provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E or an acceptable substitute or successor form that demonstrates their qualification for exemption. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a holder generally would be allowed as a refund or a credit against such holder’s U.S. federal income tax provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations

Under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations, if a U.S. holder recognizes a loss with respect to the Notes of $2 million or more for a non-corporate U.S. holder or $10 million or more for a corporate U.S. holder in any single taxable year (or a greater loss over a combination of taxable years), the U.S. holder may be required to file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct U.S. holders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but, under current guidance, U.S. holders of securities issued by a RIC are not exempt from such reporting. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to U.S. holders of securities issued by most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these U.S. Treasury Regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether a taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Significant monetary penalties apply to a failure to comply with this reporting requirement. States may also have a similar reporting requirement. U.S. holders of the Notes should consult their own tax advisors to determine the applicability of these U.S. Treasury Regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Medicare Tax on Net Investment Income

A 3.8 percent tax is imposed under Section 1411 of the Code on the “net investment income” of certain U.S. citizens and residents and on the undistributed net investment income of certain estates and trusts. Among other items, net investment income generally includes payments of interest (including accruals of any OID) on, and net gains recognized from the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement or other taxable disposition of, the Notes, less certain deductions. Prospective investors in the Notes should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, of this tax on their ownership and disposition of the Notes.

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Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

Legislation commonly referred to as the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act,” or “FATCA,” generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on payments of certain types of income to foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”) unless such FFIs either (i) enter into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury to report certain required information with respect to accounts held by certain specified U.S. persons (or held by foreign entities that have certain specified U.S. persons as substantial owners) or (ii) reside in a jurisdiction that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement (“IGA”) with the United States to collect and share such information and are in compliance with the terms of such IGA and any enabling legislation or regulations. The types of income subject to the tax include U.S. source interest and dividends. While the Code would also require withholding on payments of the gross proceeds from the sale of any property that could produce U.S. source interest or dividends, the U.S. Treasury Department has indicated its intent to eliminate this requirement in subsequent proposed regulations, which state that taxpayers may rely on the proposed regulations until final regulations are issued. The information required to be reported includes the identity and taxpayer identification number of each account holder that is a U.S. person and transaction activity within the holder’s account. In addition, subject to certain exceptions, this legislation also imposes a 30% withholding tax on certain payments to certain foreign entities that are not FFIs unless the foreign entity certifies that it does not have a greater than 10% owner that is a specified U.S. person or provides the withholding agent with identifying information on each greater than 10% owner that is a specified U.S. person. Depending on the status of a beneficial owner and the status of the intermediaries through which they hold their Notes, beneficial owners could be subject to this 30% withholding tax with respect to interest paid on the Notes. Under certain circumstances, a beneficial owner might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes.

THE PRECEDING DISCUSSION IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A COMPLETE DISCUSSION OF ALL THE APPLICABLE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO A HOLDER OF PURCHASING, OWNING OR DISPOSING OF THE NOTES, NOR IS IT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE TAX ADVICE. PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE NOTES IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE NOTES

In January 2020, we issued $125 million in aggregate principal amount of the Existing Notes in reliance upon the available exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act (the “144A Note Offering”). The Existing Notes were issued in the 144A Note Offering under a base indenture, dated as of January 16, 2020 (the “Base Indenture”), and a first supplemental indenture thereto, dated as of January 16, 2020 (the “First Supplemental Indenture”), each entered into between us and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. We refer to the Base Indenture and the First Supplemental Indenture collectively as the “Indenture” and to U.S. Bank National Association and its successor, U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as the “Trustee.” The Existing Notes are — and the Notes to be issued by this offering will be — governed by the Indenture, as required by federal law for all bonds and notes of companies that are publicly offered. The Trustee has two main roles. First, the Trustee can enforce your rights against us if we default. There are some limitations on the extent to which the Trustee acts on your behalf, described in the second paragraph under “— Events of Default — Remedies if an Event of Default Occurs” below. Second, the Trustee performs certain administrative duties for us with respect to the Notes.

This section includes a summary description of the material terms of the Notes and the Indenture. Because this section is a summary, however, it does not describe every aspect of the Notes and the Indenture. We urge you to read the Indenture because it, and not this description, defines your rights as a holder of the Notes.

General

The terms of the Notes include those expressly set forth in the Indenture and those made part of the indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “TIA”). The Notes offered hereby will be treated as a single series with the Existing Notes under the Indenture and will have the same terms as the Existing Notes (other than issue date and issue price). The Notes offered hereby will have the same CUSIP number and will be fungible and rank equally with the Existing Notes. Upon the issuance of the Notes offered hereby, the outstanding aggregate principal amount of our 7.00% notes due 2025 will be $            . We refer to the “Notes” and the “Existing Notes” separately within this prospectus supplement because only the Notes are being offered hereby, but any general discussion of the terms of the Notes also would apply to the Existing Notes because they are treated as the same under the Indenture.

The Notes mature on January 16, 2025. The principal payable at maturity will be 100% of the aggregate principal amount. The interest rate of the Notes is 7.00% per year and is paid every March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15, beginning on September 15, 2022, and the regular record dates for interest payments are every March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1. If an interest payment date falls on a non-business day, the applicable interest payment will be made on the next business day and no additional interest will accrue as a result of such delayed payment. The initial interest period is the period from and including July     , 2022, to, but excluding, the initial interest payment date of the Notes, and the subsequent interest periods are the periods from and including an interest payment date to, but excluding, the next interest payment date or the stated maturity date, as the case may be.

In the 144A Note Offering, we issued the Existing Notes in denominations of $25. The Notes offered hereby will also be issued in denominations of $25. The Notes are not subject to any sinking fund and holders of the Notes do not have the option to have the Notes repaid prior to the stated maturity date.

The Indenture does not limit the amount of debt (including secured debt) that may be issued by us or our subsidiaries under the Indenture or otherwise, but does contain a covenant regarding our asset coverage that would have to be satisfied at the time of our incurrence of additional indebtedness. See “— Covenants” and “— Events of Default.” Other than as described under “— Covenants” below, the Indenture does not restrict us from paying dividends or issuing or repurchasing our other securities. Other than restrictions described under “— Merger or Consolidation” below, the Indenture does not contain any covenants or other provisions designed to afford holders of the Notes protection in the event of a highly leveraged transaction involving us or if our credit rating declines as the result of a takeover, recapitalization, highly leveraged transaction or similar restructuring involving us that could adversely affect your investment in the Notes.

We have the ability to issue Indenture securities with terms different from the Notes and, without the consent of the holders of the Notes, to reopen the Notes and issue additional Notes.

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Indenture Provisions — Ranking

The Notes are our direct, general unsecured obligations and rank:

        pari passu with our other outstanding and future unsecured unsubordinated indebtedness, including, without limitations, $50.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the Convertible Notes outstanding as of July 14, 2022; $125.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the August 2026 Notes outstanding as of July 14, 2022; and $75.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the December 2026 Notes outstanding as of July 14, 2022;

        senior to any of our future indebtedness that expressly provides it is subordinated to the Notes;

        effectively subordinated to all of our existing and future secured indebtedness (including indebtedness that is initially unsecured in respect of which we subsequently grant a security interest), to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness; and

        structurally subordinated to all existing and future indebtedness and other obligations of any of our subsidiaries, including, without limitation, borrowings under the KeyBank Credit Agreement, of which approximately $232.0 million was outstanding as of July 14, 2022, and is secured by the assets of our wholly owned subsidiary, TCF.

In the event of our bankruptcy, liquidation, reorganization or other winding up, any of our or our subsidiaries’ assets that secure secured debt will be available to pay obligations on the Notes only after all indebtedness under such secured debt, including the KeyBank Credit Agreement, has been repaid in full from such assets. We advise you that there may not be sufficient assets remaining to pay amounts due on any or all the Notes then outstanding.

As of July 14, 2022, on a consolidated basis, we had approximately $607.0 million of total indebtedness outstanding, $232.0 million of which was secured indebtedness of our wholly owned subsidiary, TCF, under the KeyBank Credit Agreement, and $375.0 million of which was unsecured indebtedness. Such unsecured indebtedness reflects the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Existing Notes, the Convertible Notes, the August 2026 Notes, and the December 2026 Notes.

Covenants

In addition to any other covenants described in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the Indenture, as well as standard covenants relating to payment of principal and interest, maintaining an office where payments may be made or securities can be surrendered for payment, payment of taxes by the Company and related matters, the following covenants apply to the Notes:

        We agree that for the period of time during which the Notes are outstanding, we will not violate Section 18(a)(1)(A) as modified by such provisions of Section 61(a) of the 1940 Act as may be applicable to us from time to time or any successor provisions, whether or not we continue to be subject to such provisions of the 1940 Act. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, these provisions generally prohibit us from incurring additional borrowings, including through the issuance of additional debt securities, unless our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 150% after such borrowings.

        We agree that, for the period of time during which the Notes are outstanding, we will not violate Section 18(a)(1)(B) as modified by such provisions of Section 61(a) of the 1940 Act as may be applicable to us from time to time or any successor provisions. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, these provisions generally prohibit us from declaring any cash dividend or distribution upon any class of our capital stock, or purchasing any such capital stock if our asset coverage were below 150% at the time of the declaration of the dividend or distribution or the purchase and after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution, or purchase. Under the covenant, we will be permitted to declare a cash dividend or distribution notwithstanding the prohibition contained in Section 18(a)(1)(B) as modified by such provisions of Section 61(a) of the 1940 Act as may be applicable to us from time to time or any successor provisions, but only up to such amount as is necessary for us to maintain our status as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. Furthermore, the covenant will permit us to continue paying dividends or distributions and the restrictions will not

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apply unless and until such time as our asset coverage (as defined in the 1940 Act, except to the extent modified by this covenant) has not been in compliance with the minimum asset coverage required by Section 18(a)(1)(B) as modified by such provisions of Section 61(a) of the 1940 Act as may be applicable to us from time to time or any successor provisions for more than six consecutive months. For the purposes of determining “asset coverage” as used above, any and all indebtedness of the Company, including any outstanding borrowings under the KeyBank Credit Agreement and any successor or additional credit facility, will be deemed a senior security of us.

        If, at any time, we are not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act to file any periodic reports with the SEC, we agree to furnish to holders of the Notes and the trustee, for the period of time during which the Notes are outstanding, our audited annual consolidated financial statements, within 90 days of our fiscal year end (which fiscal year ends December 31), and unaudited interim consolidated financial statements, within 45 days of our fiscal quarter end (other than our fourth fiscal quarter). All such financial statements will be prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with applicable U.S. GAAP.

Optional Redemption

        The Notes may be redeemed in whole or in part at any time or from time to time at our option on or after January 16, 2023, upon not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days’ written notice prior to the date fixed for redemption thereof, at a redemption price of 100% of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest payments otherwise payable thereon for the then-current semi-annual interest period accrued to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption.

        You may be prevented from exchanging or transferring the Notes when they are subject to redemption. In case any Notes are to be redeemed in part only, the redemption notice will provide that, upon surrender of such Note, you will receive, without a charge, a new Note or Notes of authorized denominations representing the principal amount of your remaining unredeemed Notes. Any exercise of our option to redeem the Notes will be done in compliance with the 1940 Act, to the extent applicable.

        If we redeem only some of the Notes, the trustee or, with respect to global securities, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, will determine the method for selection of the particular Notes to be redeemed, in accordance with the indenture and the 1940 Act, to the extent applicable, and in accordance with the rules of any national securities exchange or quotation system on which the Notes are listed. Unless we default in payment of the redemption price, on and after the date of redemption, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes called for redemption.

Global Securities

Each Note will be issued in book-entry form and is represented by a global security that we deposit with and register in the name of DTC or its nominee. A global security may not be transferred to or registered in the name of anyone other than the depositary or its nominee, unless special termination situations arise. As a result of these arrangements, the depositary, or its nominee, will be the sole registered owner and holder of all the Notes represented by a global security, and investors will be permitted to own only beneficial interests in a global security. For more information about these arrangements, see “— Book-Entry Procedures” below.

Termination of a Global Security

If a global security is terminated for any reason, interests in it will be exchanged for certificates in non-book-entry form (certificated securities). After that exchange, the choice of whether to hold the certificated Notes directly or in street name will be up to the investor. Investors must consult their own banks or brokers to find out how to have their interests in a global security transferred on termination to their own names, so that they will be holders.

Conversion and Exchange

The Notes are not convertible into or exchangeable for other securities.

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Payment and Paying Agents

We will pay interest to the person listed in the Trustee’s records as the owner of the Notes at the close of business on a particular day in advance of each due date for interest, even if that person no longer owns the Note on the interest due date. That day, usually about two weeks in advance of the interest due date, is called the “record date.” Because we will pay all the interest for an interest period to the holders on the record date, holders buying and selling the Notes must work out between themselves the appropriate purchase price. The most common manner is to adjust the sales price of the Notes to prorate interest fairly between buyer and seller based on their respective ownership periods within the particular interest period. This prorated interest amount is called “accrued interest.”

Payments on Global Securities

We will make payments on the Notes so long as they are represented by a global security in accordance with the applicable policies of the depositary as in effect from time to time. Under those policies, we will make payments directly to the depositary, or its nominee, and not to any indirect holders who own beneficial interests in the global security. An indirect holder’s right to those payments will be governed by the rules and practices of the depositary and its participants, as described under “— Book-Entry Procedures” below.

Payments on Certificated Securities

In the event the Notes become represented by certificated securities, we will make payments on the Notes as follows. We will pay interest that is due on an interest payment date to the holder of the Notes as shown on the Trustee’s records as of the close of business on the regular record date. We will make all payments of principal and premium, if any, by check at the corporate trust office of the applicable trustee in New York, New York and/or at other offices that may be specified in the Indenture or a notice to holders against surrender of the Note.

Alternatively, at our option, we may pay any cash interest that becomes due on the Notes by mailing a check to the holder at his, her or its address shown on the Trustee’s records as of the close of business on the regular record date or by transfer to an account at a bank in the United States, in either case, on the due date.

Payment When Offices Are Closed

If any payment is due on the Notes on a day that is not a business day, we will make the payment on the next day that is a business day. Payments made on the next business day in this situation will be treated under the Indenture as if they were made on the original due date. Such payment will not result in a default under the Notes or the Indenture, and no interest will accrue on the payment amount from the original due date to the next day that is a business day.

Book-entry and other indirect holders should consult their banks or brokers for information on how they will receive payments on the Notes.

Events of Default

You will have rights if an Event of Default occurs in respect of the Notes and the Event of Default is not cured, as described later in this subsection.

The term “Event of Default” in respect of the Notes means any of the following:

        We do not pay the principal of, or any premium on, any Note when due and payable at maturity;

        We do not pay interest on any Note when due and payable, and such default is not cured within 30 days of its due date;

        We remain in breach of any other covenant in respect of the Notes for 60 days after we receive a written notice of default stating we are in breach (the notice must be sent by either the trustee or holders of at least 25% of the principal amount of the outstanding Notes);

        We file for bankruptcy or certain other events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur and remain undischarged or unstayed for a period of 60 days;

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        Pursuant to Section 18(a)(1)(C)(ii) and Section 61 of the 1940 Act, on the last business day of each of twenty-four consecutive calendar months, any class of securities will have an asset coverage (as such term is used in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) of less than 100% giving effect to any exemptive relief granted to us by the SEC; or

        The failure to pay at final stated maturity (giving effect to any applicable grace periods and any extensions thereof) the principal amount of any indebtedness for borrowed money (other than non-recourse indebtedness) of us or any subsidiary of us and such payment shall not have been made, waived or extended within 120 days after such final stated maturity (giving effect to any applicable grace periods and any extensions thereof) (a “Payment Default”), or the acceleration of the final stated maturity of any indebtedness for borrowed money (other than non-recourse indebtedness) of us or any subsidiary of us and such acceleration shall not have been rescinded, annulled, waived or otherwise cured within 120 days after receipt by us or such subsidiary of us of written notice of any such acceleration (an “Acceleration”), if the aggregate principal amount of such indebtedness, together with the aggregate principal amount of any other indebtedness for borrowed money of us or any subsidiary of us as to which a Payment Default or an Acceleration shall have occurred and shall be continuing, aggregates $10.0 million or more at any time.

An Event of Default for the Notes may, but does not necessarily, constitute an Event of Default for any other series of debt securities issued under the same or any other indenture. The trustee may withhold notice to the holders of the Notes of any default, except in the payment of principal or interest, if it in good faith considers the withholding of notice to be in the best interests of the holders.

Remedies if an Event of Default Occurs

If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the Notes may declare the entire principal amount of all the Notes to be due and immediately payable, but this does not entitle any holder of Notes to any redemption payout or redemption premium. This is called a declaration of acceleration of maturity. In certain circumstances, a declaration of acceleration of maturity may be canceled by the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes if (1) we have deposited with the trustee all amounts due and owing with respect to the Notes (other than principal or any payment that has become due solely by reason of such acceleration) and certain other amounts, and (2) any other Events of Default have been cured or waived.

Except in cases of default, where the Trustee has some special duties, the Trustee is not required to take any action under the Indenture at the request of any holders unless the holders offer the Trustee protection from expenses and liability reasonably satisfactory to it (called an “indemnity”). If indemnity and/or security satisfactory to the Trustee is provided, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes may direct the time, method and place of conducting any lawsuit or other formal legal action seeking any remedy available to the trustee. The Trustee may refuse to follow those directions in certain circumstances. No delay or omission in exercising any right or remedy will be treated as a waiver of that right, remedy or Event of Default.

Before you are allowed to bypass the trustee and bring your own lawsuit or other formal legal action or take other steps to enforce your rights or protect your interests relating to the Notes, the following must occur:

        You must give the Trustee written notice that an Event of Default has occurred and remains uncured;

        The holders of at least 25% in principal amount of all the Notes must make a written request that the Trustee take action because of the default and must offer the trustee indemnity, security, or both satisfactory to it against the cost and other liabilities of taking that action;

        The Trustee must not have taken action for 60 days after receipt of the above notice and offer of indemnity and/or security; and

        The holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes must not have given the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the above notice during that 60-day period.

However, you are entitled at any time to bring a lawsuit for the payment of money due on your Notes on or after the due date.

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Book-entry and other indirect holders should consult their banks or brokers for information on how to give notice or direction to or make a request of the trustee and how to declare or cancel an acceleration of maturity.

Each year, we will furnish to the trustee a written statement of certain of our officers certifying that to their knowledge we are in compliance with the indenture and the Notes, or else specifying any default.

Waiver of Default

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes may waive any past defaults other than a default:

        in the payment of principal (or premium, if any) or interest; or

        in respect of a covenant that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of each holder of the Notes.

Merger or Consolidation

Under the terms of the Indenture, we are generally permitted to consolidate or merge with another entity. We are also permitted to sell all or substantially all of our assets to another entity. However, we may not take any of these actions unless all the following conditions are met:

        where we merge out of existence or convey or transfer our assets substantially as an entirety, the resulting entity must agree to be legally responsible for our obligations under the Notes;

        the merger or sale of assets must not cause a default on the Notes and we must not already be in default (unless the merger or sale would cure the default). For purposes of this no-default test, a default would include an Event of Default that has occurred and has not been cured, as described under “Events of Default” above. A default for this purpose would also include any event that would be an Event of Default if the requirements for giving us a notice of default or our default having to exist for a specific period of time were disregarded; and

        we must deliver certain certificates and documents to the trustee.

Modification or Waiver

There are three types of changes we can make to the Indenture and the Notes issued thereunder.

Changes Requiring Your Approval

First, there are changes that we cannot make to your Notes without your specific approval. The following is a list of those types of changes:

        change the stated maturity of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) or any installment of principal of or interest on the Notes;

        reduce any amounts due on the Notes or reduce the rate of interest on the Notes;

        reduce the amount of principal payable upon acceleration of the maturity of a Note following a default;

        adversely affect any right or repayment at the holder’s option;

        change the place or currency of payment on a Note;

        impair your right to sue for payment;

        modify the subordination provisions in the indenture in a manner that is adverse to outstanding holders of the Notes;

        reduce the percentage of holders of Notes whose consent is needed to modify or amend the indenture;

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        reduce the percentage of holders of Notes whose consent is needed to waive compliance with certain provisions of the indenture or to waive certain defaults or reduce the percentage of holders of Notes required to satisfy quorum or voting requirements at a meeting of holders of the Notes;

        modify certain of the provisions of the Indenture dealing with supplemental indentures, modification and waiver of past defaults, changes to the quorum or voting requirements or the waiver of certain covenants; and

        change any obligation we have to pay additional amounts.

Changes Not Requiring Approval

The second type of change does not require any vote by the holders of the Notes. This type is limited to certain changes that would not adversely affect the rights of holders of the Notes in any material respect, including to:

        evidence the succession of any person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company in the Indenture and in the Notes;

        add to the covenants of the Company for the benefit of all holders of the Notes or to surrender any right or power in the Indenture conferred upon the Company;

        add any additional events of default for the benefit of all holders of the Notes;

        secure the Notes;

        authorize the issuance of additional Notes on the same terms and as part of a single series;

        evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment under the Indenture by a successor trustee with respect to the Notes;

        cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision in the Indenture that may be inconsistent with any other provision therein; provided that such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of the Notes in any material respect, in each case as determined in good faith by the Company, as evidenced by a certificate of an officer of the Company; or

        add guarantors or co-obligors with respect to the Notes.

We also do not need any approval to make any change that affects only Notes to be issued under the indenture, as may be supplemented, after the change takes effect.

Changes Requiring Majority Approval

Any other change to the indenture and the Notes would require the following approval:

        if the change affects only the Notes, it must be approved by the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes; and

        if the change affects more than one series of debt securities issued under the same indenture, it must be approved by the holders of a majority in principal amount of all of the series affected by the change, with all affected series voting together as one class for this purpose.

In each case, the required approval must be given by written consent.

The holders of a majority in principal amount of all of the series of debt securities issued under an indenture, voting together as one class for this purpose, may waive our compliance with some of our covenants in that indenture. However, we cannot obtain a waiver of a payment default or of any of the matters covered by the bullet points included above under “— Changes Requiring Your Approval.”

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Further Details Concerning Voting

When taking a vote, we will use the following rules to decide how much principal to attribute to the Notes.

The Notes will not be considered outstanding, and therefore not eligible to vote, if we have deposited or set aside in trust money for their payment or redemption or if we or any affiliate of ours own any Notes. The Notes will also not be eligible to vote if they have been fully defeased as described later under “— Defeasance — Full Defeasance” below.

We will generally be entitled to set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the holders of the Notes that are entitled to vote or take other action under the indenture. However, the record date may not be earlier than 30 days before the date of the first solicitation of holders to vote on or take such action and not later than the date such solicitation is completed. If we set a record date for a vote or other action to be taken by holders of the Notes, that vote or action may be taken only by persons who are holders of the Notes on the record date and must be taken within eleven months following the record date.

Book-entry and other indirect holders should consult their banks or brokers for information on how approval may be granted or denied if we seek to change the indenture or the Notes or request a waiver.

Satisfaction and Discharge

The Indenture will be discharged and will cease to be of further effect with respect to the Notes when:

Either

        all the Notes that have been authenticated have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or

        all the Notes that have not been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation:

        have become due and payable,

        will become due and payable at their stated maturity within one year, or

        are to be called for redemption,

and we, in the case of the first, second and third sub-bullets above, have irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the trustee as trust funds in trust solely for the benefit of the holders of the Notes, in amounts in the currency payable for the Notes as will be sufficient, to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness (including all principal, premium, if any, and interest) on such Notes delivered to the trustee for cancellation (in the case of Notes that have become due and payable on or prior to the date of such deposit) or to the stated maturity or redemption date, as the case may be:

        we have paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable by us under the indenture with respect to the Notes; and

        we have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and legal opinion, each stating that all conditions precedent provided for in the indenture relating to the satisfaction and discharge of the indenture and the Notes have been complied with.

Defeasance

The following provisions will be applicable to the Notes. “Defeasance” means that, by depositing with a trustee an amount of cash and/or government securities sufficient to pay all principal and interest, if any, on the Notes when due and satisfying any additional conditions noted below, we will be deemed to have been discharged from our obligations under the Notes. In the event of a “covenant defeasance,” upon depositing such funds and satisfying similar conditions discussed below we would be released from certain covenants under the indenture relating to the Notes.

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Covenant Defeasance

Under current U.S. federal income tax law and the Indenture, we can make the deposit described below and be released from some of the restrictive covenants in the indenture under which the Notes were issued. This is called “covenant defeasance.” In that event, you would lose the protection of those restrictive covenants but would gain the protection of having money and government securities set aside in trust to repay your Notes. In order to achieve covenant defeasance, the following must occur:

        Since the Notes are denominated in U.S. dollars, we must deposit in trust for the benefit of all holders of the Notes a combination of cash and U.S. government or U.S. government agency notes or bonds that will generate enough cash to make interest, principal and any other payments on the Notes on their various due dates;

        We must deliver to the Trustee a legal opinion of our counsel confirming that, under current U.S. federal income tax law, we may make the above deposit without causing you to be taxed on the Notes any differently than if we did not make the deposit;

        We must deliver to the Trustee a legal opinion of our counsel stating that the above deposit does not require registration by us under the 1940 Act, and a legal opinion and officers’ certificate stating that all conditions precedent to covenant defeasance have been complied with;

        Defeasance must not result in a breach or violation of, or result in a default under, the indenture or any of our other material agreements or instruments; and

        No default or Event of Default with respect to the Notes shall have occurred and be continuing and no defaults or events of default related to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization shall occur during the next 60 days.

If we accomplish covenant defeasance, you can still look to us for repayment of the Notes if there were a shortfall in the trust deposit or the trustee is prevented from making payment. In fact, if one of the remaining Events of Default occurred (such as our bankruptcy) and the Notes became immediately due and payable, there might be a shortfall. Depending on the event causing the default, you may not be able to obtain payment of the shortfall.

Full Defeasance

If there is a change in U.S. federal income tax law, as described below, we can legally release ourselves from all payment and other obligations on the Notes (called “full defeasance”) if we put in place the following other arrangements for you to be repaid:

        Since the Notes are denominated in U.S. dollars, we must deposit in trust for the benefit of all holders of the Notes a combination of money and U.S. government or U.S. government agency notes or bonds that will generate enough cash to make interest, principal and any other payments on the Notes on their various due dates;

        We must deliver to the Trustee a legal opinion confirming that there has been a change in current U.S. federal tax law or an Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) ruling that allows us to make the above deposit without causing you to be taxed on the Notes any differently than if we did not make the deposit;

        We must deliver to the Trustee a legal opinion of our counsel stating that the above deposit does not require registration by us under the 1940 Act, and a legal opinion and officers’ certificate stating that all conditions precedent to defeasance have been complied with;

        Defeasance must not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, the Indenture or any of our other material agreements or instruments; and

        No default or Event of Default with respect to the Notes shall have occurred and be continuing and no defaults or events of default related to bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization shall occur during the next 60 days.

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If we ever did accomplish full defeasance, as described above, you would have to rely solely on the trust deposit for repayment of the Notes. You could not look to us for repayment in the unlikely event of any shortfall. Conversely, the trust deposit would most likely be protected from claims of our lenders and other creditors if we ever became bankrupt or insolvent.

Form, Exchange and Transfer of Certificated Registered Securities

If registered Notes cease to be issued in book-entry form, they will be issued:

        only in fully registered certificated form;

        without interest coupons; and

        unless we indicate otherwise, in denominations of $25.

Holders may exchange their certificated securities for Notes of smaller denominations or combined into fewer Notes of larger denominations, as long as the total principal amount is not changed and as long as the denomination is equal to or greater than $25.

Holders may exchange or transfer their certificated securities at the office of the Trustee. We have appointed the Trustee to act as our agent for registering Notes in the names of holders transferring Notes. We may appoint another entity to perform these functions or perform them ourselves.

Holders will not be required to pay a service charge to transfer or exchange their certificated securities, but they may be required to pay any tax or other governmental charge associated with the transfer or exchange. The transfer or exchange will be made only if our transfer agent is satisfied with the holder’s proof of legal ownership.

We may appoint additional transfer agents or cancel the appointment of any particular transfer agent. We may also approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts.

If any certificated securities of a particular series are redeemable and we redeem less than all the Notes, we may block the transfer or exchange of those Notes selected for redemption during the period beginning 15 days before the day we mail the notice of redemption and ending on the day of that mailing, in order to freeze the list of holders to prepare the mailing. We may also refuse to register transfers or exchanges of any certificated Notes selected for redemption, except that we will continue to permit transfers and exchanges of the unredeemed portion of any Note that will be partially redeemed.

If registered Notes are issued in book-entry form, only the depositary will be entitled to transfer and exchange the Notes as described in this subsection, since it will be the sole holder of the Notes.

Resignation of Trustee

The Trustee may resign or be removed with respect to the Notes as provided for in the Indenture provided that a successor trustee is appointed to act with respect to the Notes. In the event that two or more persons are acting as trustee with respect to different series of indenture securities under the Indenture, each of the trustees will be a trustee of a trust separate and apart from the trust administered by any other trustee.

Governing Law

The Indenture is and the Notes will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

The Trustee under the Indenture

U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (as successor to U.S. Bank National Association) serves as the Trustee, paying agent, and security registrar under the Indenture.

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Book-Entry Procedures

The Notes will be represented by global securities that will be deposited and registered in the name of DTC or its nominee. This means that, except in limited circumstances, you will not receive certificates for the Notes. Beneficial interests in the Notes will be represented through book-entry accounts of financial institutions acting on behalf of beneficial owners as direct and indirect participants in DTC. Investors may elect to hold interests in the Notes through either DTC, if they are a participant, or indirectly through organizations that are participants in DTC.

The Notes will be issued as fully registered securities registered in the name of Cede & Co. (DTC’s partnership nominee) or will be issued in such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. One fully registered certificate will be issued for each issuance of the Notes, in the aggregate principal amount thereof, and will be deposited with DTC. Interests in the Notes will trade in DTC’s Same Day Funds Settlement System, and any permitted secondary market trading activity in such Notes will, therefore, be required by DTC to be settled in immediately available funds. None of the Company, the trustee or the paying agent will have any responsibility for the performance by DTC or its participants or indirect participants of their respective obligations under the rules and procedures governing their operations.

DTC is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law, a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. DTC holds and provides asset servicing for over 3.5 million issues of U.S. and non-U.S. equity, corporate and municipal debt issues, and money market instruments from over 100 countries that DTC’s participants (“Direct Participants”) deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the post-trade settlement among Direct Participants of sales and other securities transactions in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry transfers and pledges between Direct Participants’ accounts. This eliminates the need for physical movement of securities certificates. Direct Participants include both U.S. and non-U.S. securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations, and certain other organizations. DTC is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (“DTCC”).

DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as both U.S. and non-U.S. securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies and clearing corporations that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a Direct Participant, either directly or indirectly (“Indirect Participants”). DTC has a Standard & Poor’s Rating of AA+. The DTC Rules applicable to its participants are on file with the SEC. More information about DTC can be found at www.dtcc.com and www.dtc.org.

Purchases of the Notes under the DTC system must be made by or through Direct Participants, which will receive a credit for the Notes on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of each actual purchaser of each security, or the “Beneficial Owner,” is in turn to be recorded on the Direct and Indirect Participants’ records. Beneficial Owners will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchase. Beneficial Owners are, however, expected to receive written confirmations providing details of the transaction, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the Direct or Indirect Participant through which the Beneficial Owner entered into the transaction. Transfers of ownership interests in the Notes are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of Direct and Indirect Participants acting on behalf of Beneficial Owners. Beneficial Owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the Notes, except in the event that use of the book-entry system for the Notes is discontinued.

To facilitate subsequent transfers, all Notes deposited by Direct Participants with DTC are registered in the name of DTC’s partnership nominee, Cede & Co. or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of the Notes with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other DTC nominee do not effect any change in beneficial ownership. DTC has no knowledge of the actual Beneficial Owners of the Notes; DTC’s records reflect only the identity of the Direct Participants to whose accounts the Notes are credited, which may or may not be the Beneficial Owners. The Direct and Indirect Participants will remain responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.

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Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to Direct Participants, by Direct Participants to Indirect Participants, and by Direct Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in effect from time to time.

Redemption notices shall be sent to DTC. If less than all of the Notes within an issue are being redeemed, DTC’s practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each Direct Participant in such issue to be redeemed.

Redemption proceeds, distributions, and interest payments on the Notes will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC’s practice is to credit Direct Participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us or the trustee on the payment date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC’s records. Payments by

Participants to Beneficial Owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such Participant and not of DTC nor its nominee, the trustee, or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in effect from time to time. Payment of redemption proceeds, distributions, and interest payments to Cede & Co. (or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC) is the responsibility of us or the trustee, but disbursement of such payments to Direct Participants will be the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of such payments to the Beneficial Owners will be the responsibility of Direct and Indirect Participants.

DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depository with respect to the Notes at any time by giving reasonable notice to us or to the trustee. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor securities depository is not obtained, certificates are required to be printed and delivered. We may decide to discontinue use of the system of book-entry-only transfers through DTC (or a successor securities depository). In that event, certificates will be printed and delivered to DTC.

The information in this section concerning DTC and DTC’s book-entry system has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we take no responsibility for its accuracy.

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UNDERWRITING

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. (“KBW”) and UBS Securities LLC (“UBS”) are acting as the representatives of the several underwriters in this offering. We have entered into an underwriting agreement with KBW and UBS as representatives on behalf of the several underwriters. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, and each underwriter has severally agreed to purchase, at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement, the aggregate principal amount of Notes set forth below:

Name

 

Principal
Amount of
Notes to be
Purchased

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.

   

UBS Securities LLC

 

 

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

   

Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.

 

 

Total

 

 

The underwriters are committed to purchase all the Notes offered by us if they purchase any Notes. The underwriting agreement also provides that if an underwriter defaults, the purchase commitments of the non-defaulting underwriters may be increased or the offering may be terminated.

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

The underwriters are offering the Notes, subject to prior sale, when, as and if issued to and accepted by them, subject to approval of legal matters by their counsel, including the validity of the Notes, and other conditions contained in the underwriting agreement, such as the receipt by the underwriters of officers’ certificates and legal opinions. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.

Commissions and Discounts

The underwriters propose to offer some of the Notes to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement and some of the Notes to certain other dealers at the public offering price less a concession not in excess of            % of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes. The underwriters may allow, and the dealers may reallow, a discount not in excess of            % of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes. After the initial offering of the Notes to the public, the public offering price and other selling terms may be changed. No such change shall change the amount of proceeds to be received by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement.

The following table shows the public offering price, underwriting discount and proceeds before expenses to us.

 

Per Note

 

Amount

Public offering price(1)

 

%

 

$

 

Underwriting discount

 

%

 

$

 

Proceeds to us, before expenses

 

%

 

$

 

____________

(1)      The public offering price set forth above does not include accrued and unpaid interest of $ in the aggregate from June 15, 2022 up to, but not including the date of delivery, which will be paid by the purchasers of the Notes offered hereby. On September 15, 2022, we will pay this accrued interest to the holders of the Notes offered hereby as of the applicable record date along with interest accrued on the Notes offered hereby from the date of delivery to such interest payment date.

The expenses of the offering, not including the underwriting discount, are estimated at $       and are payable by us. The underwriters have agreed to reimburse us for certain expenses incurred in connection with this offering.

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No Sales of Similar Securities

Subject to certain exceptions, we have agreed not to, directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale, or otherwise transfer or dispose of any securities that are substantially similar to the Notes or file or confidentially submit any registration statement under the Securities Act relating to such securities for a period of 30 days after the date of this prospectus supplement without first obtaining the written consent of KBW and UBS. This consent may be given at any time without public notice.

Listing

While a trading market developed after issuing the Existing Notes, we cannot assure you that an active and liquid market for the Notes will be maintained. We expect to list the Notes and the Existing Notes on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, and we expect trading to commence thereon within 30 days of the issue date of the Notes under the trading symbol “TRINL”. However, the underwriters are not obligated to make a market in the Notes and any such market-making may be discontinued at any time in the sole discretion of such underwriters without any notice. Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of or, or maintenance of, a public trading market for the Notes. If an active public trading market for the Notes is not maintained, the market price and liquidity of the Notes may be adversely affected.

Over-Allotment Option

We have granted to the underwriters an option to purchase from us up to an additional $            million aggregate principal amount of the Notes solely to cover over-allotments, if any, within 30 days from the date of this prospectus supplement at the public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus supplement less the sales load (underwriting discounts and commissions). The underwriters may exercise the option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, in connection with this offering. If the underwriters exercise this over-allotment option, each will be obligated, subject to the specified conditions, to purchase a number of additional Notes proportionate to that underwriter’s initial principal amount reflected in the table above.

Price Stabilization and Short Positions

In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell the Notes in the open market. These transactions may include over-allotment, covering transactions and stabilizing transactions. Over-allotment involves sales of securities in excess of the aggregate principal amount of securities to be purchased by the underwriters in the offering, which creates a short position for the underwriters. “Covered” short sales are sales of securities made in an amount up to the number of securities represented by the underwriters’ over-allotment option. Transactions to close out the covered syndicate short involve either purchases of such securities in the open market after the distribution has been completed or the exercise of the over-allotment option. In determining the source of securities to close out the covered syndicate short position, the underwriters may consider the price of securities available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase securities through the over-allotment option. The underwriters may also make “naked” short sales, or sales in excess of the over-allotment option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing securities in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the securities in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of certain bids or purchases of securities made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the securities while the offering is in progress.

The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the representatives have repurchased Notes sold by or for the account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short covering transactions.

Any of these activities may cause the price of the Notes to be higher than the price that otherwise would exist in the open market in the absence of such transactions. These transactions may be effected in the over-the-counter market or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time without any notice relating thereto.

Neither we nor any of the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of the Notes. In addition, neither we nor any of the underwriters make any representation that the representatives will engage in these transactions or that these transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.

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Other Relationships

The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. Certain of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have provided, and may in the future provide, a variety of these services to us and to persons and entities with relationships with us, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses. Certain of the underwriters and their respective affiliates were underwriters in connection with the offering of the Existing Notes, the Convertible Notes, the August 2026 Notes, the December 2026 Notes and our initial public offering, for which they have received customary sales load (underwriting discounts and commissions).

In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates, officers, directors and employees may purchase, sell or hold a broad array of investments and actively traded securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps and other financial instruments for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and trading activities may involve or relate to assets, securities or instruments of us (directly, as collateral securing other obligations or otherwise) or persons and entities with relationships with us. Certain of the underwriters and their affiliates that have a lending relationship with us routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. Typically, such underwriters and their affiliates would hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities, including potentially the Notes offered hereby. Any such credit default swaps or short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the Notes offered hereby. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas or publish or express independent research views in respect of such assets, securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they should acquire, long or short positions in such assets, securities and instruments.

The underwriters or their respective affiliates may also trade in our securities, securities of our portfolio companies or other financial instruments related thereto for their own accounts or for the account of others and may extend loans or financing directly or through derivative transactions to the Adviser or any of our portfolio companies.

Settlement

We expect that delivery of the Notes will be made to investors on or about            , 2022, which will be the third business day following the date hereof. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Exchange Act trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the Notes prior to two business days before the date of delivery will be required, by virtue of the fact that the Notes initially will settle T+3, to specify an alternate settlement cycle at the time of any such trade to prevent a failed settlement. Purchasers of the Notes who wish to trade the Notes prior to two business days before the date of delivery should consult their own advisor.

Principal Business Addresses

The principal business address of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. is 787 Seventh Avenue, Fourth Floor, New York, New York 10019. The principal business address of UBS Securities LLC is 1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019.

Other Jurisdictions

Other than in the United States, no action has been taken by us or the underwriters that would permit a public offering of the Notes offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The Notes offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the offer and sale of any such securities be distributed or published in any jurisdiction, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons into whose possession this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus comes are advised to inform themselves about and to

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observe any restrictions relating to the offering and the distribution of this prospectus. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any Notes offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or a solicitation is unlawful.

Notice to the Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area

In relation to each European Economic Area Member State (each a “Relevant Member State”), no notes have been offered or will be offered pursuant to this offering to the public in that Relevant Member State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the Notes which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation (as defined below), except that the Notes may be offered to the public in that Relevant Member State at any time:

(i)     to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation;

(ii)    to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation) subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters for any such offer; or

(iii)   in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation,

provided that no such offer of the Notes shall require the Company or any bank to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an ‘offer to the public’ in relation to the Notes in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase any notes, and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.

Each person in a Relevant Member State who receives any communication in respect of, or who acquires any notes under, this offering contemplated hereby will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with each of the underwriters and their affiliates and the Company that:

(i)     it is a qualified investor within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation; and

(ii)    in the case of any notes acquired by it as a financial intermediary, as that term is used in Article 5 of the Prospectus Regulation, (i) the Notes acquired by it in this offering have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in any Relevant Member State other than qualified investors, as that term is defined in the Prospectus Regulation, or have been acquired in other circumstances falling within the points (a) to (d) of Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation and the prior consent of the underwriters has been given to the offer or resale; or (ii) where the Notes have been acquired by it on behalf of persons in any Relevant Member State other than qualified investors, the offer of those notes to it is not treated under the Prospectus Regulation as having been made to such persons.

No key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the “PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in a Relevant Member State has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in a Relevant Member State may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.

The Company, the underwriters and their affiliates, and others will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representation, acknowledgement and agreement. Notwithstanding the above, a person who is not a qualified investor and who has notified the underwriters of such fact in writing may, with the prior consent of the underwriters, be permitted to acquire notes in this offering.

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Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom

This Prospectus and any other material in relation to the notes described herein is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, and any investment or investment activity to which this Prospectus relates is available only to, and will be engaged in only with persons who are (i) persons having professional experience in matters relating to investments who fall within the definition of investment professionals in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the “FPO”); or (ii) high net worth entities falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the FPO; (iii) outside the UK; or (iv) persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) in connection with the issue or sale of any notes may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated, (all such persons together being referred to as “Relevant Persons”). The Notes are only available in the UK to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to purchase or otherwise acquire the Notes will be engaged in only with, the Relevant Persons. This Prospectus and its contents are confidential and should not be distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by recipients to any other person in the UK. Any person in the UK that is not a Relevant Person should not act or rely on this Prospectus or any of its contents.

No notes have been offered or will be offered pursuant to this offering to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the Notes which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority, except that the Notes may be offered to the public in the United Kingdom at any time:

(i)     to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation;

(ii)    to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the initial purchasers for any such offer; or

(iii)   in any other circumstances falling within Section 86 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000;

provided that no such offer of the Notes shall require the Company and/or any underwriters or any of their affiliates to publish a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation. For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to the Notes in the United Kingdom means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any notes and the expression “UK Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

No key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the “UK PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the UK has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the UK may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation.

Each person in the UK who acquires any notes in the Offer or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with the Company, the underwriters and their affiliates that it meets the criteria outlined in this section.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Canada

This prospectus constitutes an “exempt offering document” as defined in and for the purposes of applicable Canadian securities laws. No prospectus has been filed with any securities commission or similar regulatory authority in Canada in connection with the offer and sale of the Notes. No securities commission or similar regulatory authority in Canada has reviewed or in any way passed upon this prospectus or on the merits of the Notes and any representation to the contrary is an offence.

Canadian investors are advised that this prospectus has been prepared in reliance on section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (“NI 33-105”). Pursuant to section 3A.3 of NI 33-105,

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the Company and the underwriters in the offering are exempt from the requirement to provide Canadian investors with certain conflicts of interest disclosure pertaining to “connected issuer” and/or “related issuer” relationships as would otherwise be required pursuant to subsection 2.1(1) of NI 33-105.

Resale Restrictions

The offer and sale of the Notes in Canada is being made on a private placement basis only and is exempt from the requirement that the Company prepares and files a prospectus under applicable Canadian securities laws. Any resale of Notes by a Canadian investor in this offering must be made in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made in accordance with Canadian prospectus requirements, a statutory exemption from the prospectus requirements, in a transaction exempt from the prospectus requirements or otherwise under a discretionary exemption from the prospectus requirements granted by the applicable local Canadian securities regulatory authority. These resale restrictions may under certain circumstances apply to resales of the Notes outside of Canada.

Representations of Purchasers

Each Canadian investor who purchases the Notes will be deemed to have represented to the Company, the underwriters and to each dealer from whom a purchase confirmation is received, as applicable, that the investor is (i) purchasing as principal, or is deemed to be purchasing as principal in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws; (ii) an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in section 1.1 of National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or, in Ontario, as such term is defined in section 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario); and (iii) a “permitted client” as such term is defined in section 1.1 of National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations.

Taxation and Eligibility for Investment

Any discussion of taxation and related matters contained in this prospectus does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all of the tax considerations that may be relevant to a Canadian investor when deciding to purchase the Notes and, in particular, does not address any Canadian tax considerations. No representation or warranty is hereby made as to the tax consequences to a resident, or deemed resident, of Canada of an investment in the Notes or with respect to the eligibility of the Notes for investment by such investor under relevant Canadian federal and provincial legislation and regulations.

Rights of Action for Damages or Rescission

Securities legislation in certain of the Canadian jurisdictions provides certain purchasers of securities pursuant to an offering memorandum (such as this prospectus), including where the distribution involves an “eligible foreign security” as such term is defined in Ontario Securities Commission Rule 45-501 Ontario Prospectus and Registration Exemptions and in Multilateral Instrument 45-107 Listing Representation and Statutory Rights of Action Disclosure Exemptions, as applicable, with a remedy for damages or rescission, or both, in addition to any other rights they may have at law, where the offering memorandum, or other offering document that constitutes an offering memorandum, and any amendment thereto, contains a “misrepresentation” as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. These remedies, or notice with respect to these remedies, must be exercised or delivered, as the case may be, by the purchaser within the time limits prescribed under, and are subject to limitations and defences under, applicable Canadian securities legislation. In addition, these remedies are in addition to and without derogation from any other right or remedy available at law to the investor.

Language of Documents

Upon receipt of this document, each Canadian investor hereby confirms that it has expressly requested that all documents evidencing or relating in any way to the sale of the securities described herein (including for greater certainty any purchase confirmation or any notice) be drawn up in the English language only. Par la réception de ce document, chaque investisseur canadien confirme par les présentes qu’il a expressément exigé que tous les documents faisant foi ou se rapportant de quelque manière que ce soit à la vente des valeurs mobilières décrites aux présentes (incluant, pour plus de certitude, toute confirmation d’achat ou tout avis) soient rédigés en anglais seulement.

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Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore

This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the notes may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the notes be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”)) under Section 274 of the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to conditions set forth in the SFA.

Where the notes are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor, the securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation shall not be transferable for 6 months after that corporation has acquired the notes under Section 275 of the SFA except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA), (2) where such transfer arises from an offer in that corporation’s securities pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, (3) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer, (4) where the transfer is by operation of law, (5) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA, or (6) as specified in Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005 of Singapore (“Regulation 32”).

Where the notes are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an accredited investor, the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferable for 6 months after that trust has acquired the notes under Section 275 of the SFA except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA), (2) where such transfer arises from an offer that is made on terms that such rights or interest are acquired at a consideration of not less than S$200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction (whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets), (3) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer, (4) where the transfer is by operation of law, (5) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA, or (6) as specified in Regulation 32.

Singapore Securities and Futures Act Product Classification - Solely for the purposes of its obligations pursuant to sections 309B(1)(a) and 309B(1)(c) of the SFA, the Company has determined, and hereby notifies all relevant persons (as defined in Section 309A of the SFA) that the Notes are “prescribed capital markets products” (as defined in the Securities and Futures (Capital Markets Products) Regulations 2018) and Excluded Investment Products (as defined in MAS Notice SFA 04-N12: Notice on the Sale of Investment Products and MAS Notice FAA-N16: Notice on Recommendations on Investment Products).

Notice to Prospective Investors in Israel

No action has been, or will be, taken in Israel that would permit an offering of the Notes or a distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus to the public in Israel. In particular, neither the prospectus supplement nor the accompanying prospectus has been reviewed or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. The Notes are being offered to a limited number of qualified investors listed on the first addendum of the Securities Law (a “Qualified Investor”), in all cases under the circumstances that will fall within the private placement exemption of the Israeli Securities Law of 1968 (“Securities Law”). This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may not be reproduced or used for any other purpose, nor be furnished to any other person other than those to whom copies have been sent. Any investor in the Notes shall be required to declare in writing prior to such purchase that it qualifies as a Qualified Investor, agrees to be deemed a Qualified Investor, and is aware of the consequences of being classified as a Qualified Investor, that it will comply with the guidelines of the Israel Securities Authority with respect to the sale or offer of securities to Qualified Investors (including those published on September 21, 2014), and that it is purchasing the Notes for its own benefit and on its own account and not with the aim or intention of distributing or offering the Notes to other parties. Nothing in this prospectus supplement or

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the accompanying prospectus should be considered ‘investment advice’, or ‘investment marketing’ as defined in the Regulation of Investment Advice, Investment Marketing and Portfolio Management Law of 1995. Any investor who purchases the Notes shall be required to declare in writing that it has the knowledge, expertise and experience in financial and business matters so as to be capable of evaluating the risks and merits of an investment in the Notes, without relying on any of the materials provided.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong

Warning — The contents of this prospectus supplement have not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any regulatory authority in Hong Kong. You are advised to exercise caution in relation to the offer. If you are in any doubt about any of the contents of this prospectus supplement, you should obtain independent professional advice.

The Notes have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than (a) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Chapter 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“SFO”) and any rules made under the SFO, including the Securities and Futures (Professional Investor) Rules (Chapter 571D of the Laws of Hong Kong); or (b) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Chapter 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (“CWUMPO”) or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the CWUMPO. No advertisement, invitation or document relating to the Notes has been or may be issued or has been or may be in the possession of any person for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to Notes which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the SFO and any rules made under the SFO. This prospectus supplement is intended solely for the use of the person to whom it has been delivered for the purpose of evaluating a possible investment by the recipient in the Notes described herein, and is not to be reproduced or distributed to any other persons (other than professional advisors of the prospective investor receiving this prospectus supplement).

Notice to Prospective Investors in Saudi Arabia

This prospectus supplement may not be distributed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia except to such persons as are permitted under the Rules on the Offer of Securities and Continuing Obligations as issued by the board of the Saudi Arabian Capital Market Authority (“CMA”) pursuant to resolution number 3-123-2017 dated 9/4/1439H (corresponding to 27/12/2017G) as amended by resolution number 1-104-2019 dated 01/02/1441H (corresponding to 30/09/2019G), as amended. The CMA does not make any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of this prospectus supplement and expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever for any loss arising from, or incurred in reliance upon, any part of this prospectus supplement. Prospective purchasers of the Notes offered hereby should conduct their own due diligence on the accuracy of the information relating to the Notes. If you do not understand the contents of this prospectus supplement, you should consult an authorized financial advisor.

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the Notes offered hereby and certain legal matters for us in connection with the offering will be passed upon for us by Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP. Certain legal matters in connection with the offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Ropes & Gray LLP.

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

This prospectus supplement is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the SEC. We are allowed to “incorporate by reference” the information that we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to such information incorporated by reference. The information incorporated by reference is considered to comprise a part of this prospectus supplement from the date we file any such document. Any reports filed by us with the SEC subsequent to the date of this prospectus supplement and before the date that any offering of any securities by means of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is terminated will automatically update and, where applicable, supersede any information contained in this prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement.

We incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement our filings listed below and any future filings that we may file with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, subsequent to the date of this prospectus supplement until all of the securities offered by this prospectus supplement have been sold or we otherwise terminate the offering of those securities; provided, however, that information “furnished” under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K or other information “furnished” to the SEC which is not deemed filed is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and any accompanying prospectus. Information that we file with the SEC subsequent to the date of this prospectus supplement will automatically update and may supersede information in this prospectus supplement, and other information previously filed with the SEC.

The prospectus supplement incorporates by reference the documents set forth below that have been previously filed with the SEC:

        our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 3, 2022;

        our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 27, 2022, and the amendment thereto filed with the SEC on May 20, 2022;

        our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 9, 2022; and

        our Current Reports on Form 8-K (other than information furnished rather than filed) filed with the SEC on January 10, 2022, February 2, 2022, March 17, 2022, March 31, 2022, April 7, 2022, April 19, 2022, May 9, 2022, June 13, 2022, and June 30, 2022.

See “Available Information” in the accompanying prospectus for information on how to obtain a copy of these filings.

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PROSPECTUS

$400,000,000

TRINITY CAPITAL INC.
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Warrants
Subscription Rights
Debt Securities

We are a specialty lending company that provides debt, including loans and equipment financings, to growth stage companies, including venture-backed companies and companies with institutional equity investors. We define “growth stage companies” as companies that have significant ownership and active participation by sponsors, such as institutional investors or private equity firms, and expected annual revenues of up to $100 million.

We are an internally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). We have elected to be treated, and intend to qualify annually, as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a BDC and a RIC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. See “Regulation” and “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

Our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation through our investments. We seek to achieve our investment objective by making investments consisting primarily of term loans and equipment financings and, to a lesser extent, working capital loans, equity and equity-related investments. In addition, we may obtain warrants or contingent exit fees from many of our portfolio companies, providing an additional potential source of investment returns.

We primarily target investments in growth stage companies that have generally completed product development and are in need of capital to fund revenue growth. Our loans and equipment financings generally range from $2 million to $30 million. We are not limited to investing in any particular industry or geographic area and seek to invest in under-financed segments of the private credit markets. The debt in which we invest typically is not rated by any rating agency, but if these instruments were rated, they would likely receive a rating of below investment grade (that is, below BBB- or Baa3), which is often referred to as “high yield” or “junk.”

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). As a result, we are subject to reduced public company reporting requirements and intend to take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.

We may offer, from time to time, in one or more offerings or series, up to $400,000,000 of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, subscription rights to purchase shares of our common stock, and/or warrants representing rights to purchase shares of our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities (collectively, the “securities”). The preferred stock, debt securities, subscription rights and warrants offered hereby may be convertible or exchangeable into shares of our common stock. The securities may be offered at prices and on terms to be described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in our securities.

In the event we offer common stock, the offering price per share of our common stock less any underwriting discounts or commissions generally will not be less than the net asset value per share of our common stock at the time we make the offering. However, we may issue shares of our common stock pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement at a price per share that is less than our net asset value per share (i) in connection with a rights offering to our existing stockholders, (ii) with the prior approval of the majority of our common stockholders (as defined in the 1940 Act), or (iii) under such other circumstances as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) may permit. At our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on June 17, 2021, our stockholders voted to allow us to issue common stock at a price below net asset value per share for the period ending on the earlier of the one-year anniversary of the date of our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the date of our 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which is expected to be held in May or June 2022. We may seek similar approval at subsequent meetings of stockholders. The proposal approved by our stockholders at our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders did not specify a maximum discount below net asset value at which we are able to issue our common stock, although the number of shares sold in one or more offerings may not exceed 25% of our outstanding common stock as of the date of stockholder approval of this proposal. We cannot issue shares of our common stock below net asset value unless our board of directors determines that it would be in our and our stockholders’ best interests to do so. Sales of common stock at prices below net asset value per share dilute the interests of existing stockholders, have the effect of reducing our net asset value per share and may reduce our market price per share. In addition, continuous sales of common stock below net asset value may have a negative impact on total returns and could have a negative impact on the market price of our shares of common stock. See “Sales of Common Stock Below Net Asset Value.”

The securities may be offered directly to one or more purchasers, including existing stockholders in a rights offering, or through agents designated from time to time by us, or to or through underwriters or dealers. Each prospectus supplement relating to an offering will identify any agents or underwriters involved in the sale of the securities, and will disclose any applicable purchase price, fee, discount or commissions arrangement between us and our agents or underwriters or among our underwriters or the basis upon which such amount may be calculated. See “Plan of Distribution.”

Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “TRIN.” On January 25, 2022, the last reported sales price of our common stock on Nasdaq was $17.70 per share. The net asset value per share of our common stock at September 30, 2021 (the last date prior to the date of this prospectus for which we reported net asset value) was $14.70.

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Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk, including credit risk, the risk of the use of leverage and the risk of dilution, and is highly speculative. In addition, shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, frequently trade at a discount to their net asset values. If our shares of our common stock trade at a discount to our net asset value, it will likely increase the risk of loss for purchasers in an offering made pursuant to this prospectus or any related prospectus supplement. Before investing in our securities, you should read the discussion of the material risks of investing in our securities, including the risk of leverage and dilution, in “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13 of this prospectus or otherwise incorporated by reference herein and included in, or incorporated by reference into, the applicable prospectus supplement and in any free writing prospectuses we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to an offering of our securities. We will provide the specific terms of these offerings and securities in one or more supplements to this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings. The accompanying prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus may also add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus, the accompanying prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein, before investing in our securities and keep them for future reference. We also file periodic and current reports, proxy statements and other information about us with the SEC. This information is available free of charge by contacting us at 1 N. 1st Street, 3rd Floor, Phoenix, Arizona 85004, calling us at (480) 374-5350 or visiting our corporate website located at www.trincapinvestment.com. Information on our website is not incorporated into or a part of this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. The SEC also maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains this information.

Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

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The date of this prospectus is January 27, 2022.

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the SEC, using the “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration statement, we may offer, from time to time, in one or more offerings, up to $400,000,000 of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, subscription rights to purchase shares of our common stock, and/or warrants representing rights to purchase shares of our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, on terms to be determined at the time of the offering. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information.

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that we may offer. Each time we use this prospectus to offer securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. In a prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, we may also add, update, or change any of the information contained in this prospectus or in the documents we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, will include all material information relating to the applicable offering. Before buying any of the securities being offered, please carefully read this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement, any free writing prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.

This prospectus may contain estimates and information concerning our industry, including market size and growth rates of the markets in which we participate, that are based on industry publications and other third-party reports. This information involves many assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to these estimates. We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the data contained in these industry publications and reports. The industry in which we operate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described or referenced in the section titled “Risk Factors,” that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in these publications and reports.

This prospectus includes summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described in this prospectus, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed or incorporated by reference, or will be filed or incorporated by reference, as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described in the section titled “Available Information.”

You should rely only on the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf or to which we have referred you. We have not authorized any dealer, salesperson or other person to provide you with different information or to make representations as to matters not stated in this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf or to which we have referred you do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities by any person in any jurisdiction where it is unlawful for that person to make such an offer or solicitation or to any person in any jurisdiction to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation. You should not assume that the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any such free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates. Our financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since any such date. To the extent required by law, we will amend or supplement the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement to reflect any material changes to such information subsequent to the date of the prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement and prior to the completion of any offering pursuant to the prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary highlights some of the information included elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated by reference. It is not complete and may not contain all of the information that you may want to consider before investing in our securities. You should carefully read the entire prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement, and any related free writing prospectus, including the risks of investing in our securities discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. Before making your investment decision, you should also carefully read the information incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including our financial statements and related notes, and the exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Throughout this prospectus, except where the context suggests otherwise:

        the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “Trinity” and “Company” refer, collectively, to the Legacy Funds (as defined below) and their respective subsidiaries, general partners, managers and managing members, as applicable prior to the consummation of the Formation Transactions (as defined below) and Trinity Capital Inc.    after the consummation of the Formation Transactions; and

        “Legacy Funds” refers collectively to Trinity Capital Investment, LLC, Trinity Capital Fund II, L.P. (“Fund II”), Trinity Capital Fund III, L.P. (“Fund III”), Trinity Capital Fund IV, L.P. (“Fund IV”) and Trinity Sidecar Income Fund, L.P. and their respective subsidiaries, general partners, managers and managing members, as applicable.

Trinity Capital Inc.

Overview

Trinity Capital Inc., a Maryland corporation, provides debt, including loans and equipment financings, to growth stage companies, including venture-backed companies and companies with institutional equity investors. Our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation through our investments. We seek to achieve our investment objective by making investments consisting primarily of term loans and equipment financings and, to a lesser extent, working capital loans, equity and equity-related investments. Our equipment financings involve loans for general or specific use, including acquiring equipment, that are secured by the equipment or other assets of the portfolio company. In addition, we may obtain warrants or contingent exit fees from many of our portfolio companies, providing an additional potential source of investment returns. The warrants entitle us to purchase preferred or common ownership shares of a portfolio company, and we typically target the amount of such warrants to scale in proportion to the amount of the debt or equipment financing. Contingent exit fees are cash fees payable upon the consummation of certain trigger events, such as a successful change of control or initial public offering of the portfolio company. In addition, we may obtain rights to purchase additional shares of our portfolio companies in subsequent equity financing rounds.

We target investments in growth stage companies, which are typically private companies, including venture-backed companies and companies with institutional equity investors. We define “growth stage companies” as companies that have significant ownership and active participation by sponsors, such as institutional investors or private equity firms, and expected annual revenues of up to $100 million. Subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), we are not limited to investing in any particular industry or geographic area and seek to invest in under-financed segments of the private credit markets. The debt in which we invest typically is not rated by any rating agency, but if these instruments were rated, they would likely receive a rating of below investment grade (that is, below BBB- or Baa3), which is often referred to as “high yield” or “junk.”

We primarily seek to invest in loans and equipment financings to growth stage companies that have generally completed product development and are in need of capital to fund revenue growth. We believe a lack of profitability often limits these companies’ ability to access traditional bank financing and our in-house engineering and operations experience allows us to better understand this risk and earn what we believe to be higher overall returns and better risk-adjusted returns than those associated with traditional bank loans.

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Our loans and equipment financings generally range from $2 million to $30 million and we generally limit each loan or equipment financing to approximately five percent or less of our total assets. We believe investments of this scale are generally sufficient to support near-term growth needs of most growth stage companies. We seek to structure our loans and equipment financings such that amortization of the amount invested quickly reduces our risk exposure. Leveraging the experience of our investment professionals, we seek to target companies at their growth stage of development and to identify financing opportunities ignored by the traditional direct lending community.

As of September 30, 2021, our investment portfolio had an aggregate fair value of approximately $677.2 million and was comprised of approximately $468.9 million in secured loans, $108.8 million in equipment financings, and $99.6 million in equity and equity-related investments, including warrants, across 89 portfolio companies. See “Business” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for additional information.

We are an internally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the 1940 Act. We have elected to be treated, and intend to qualify annually, as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a BDC and a RIC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. See “Regulation” and “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.” For example, as a BDC, at least 70% of our assets must be assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, as described herein.

Our History

On January 16, 2020, through a series of transactions (the “Formation Transactions”), we acquired the Legacy Funds, including their respective investment portfolios (collectively, the “Legacy Portfolio”), and Trinity Capital Holdings, LLC, a holding company whose subsidiaries managed and/or had the right to receive fees from certain of the Legacy Funds (“Trinity Capital Holdings”). In the Formation Transactions, the Legacy Funds were merged with and into the Company, and we issued 9,183,185 shares of our common stock at $15.00 per share for an aggregate amount of approximately $137.7 million and paid approximately $108.7 million in cash to the Legacy Investors to acquire the Legacy Funds and all of their respective assets, including the Legacy Portfolio.

As part of the Formation Transactions, we also acquired 100% of the equity interests of Trinity Capital Holdings, the sole member of Trinity Management IV, LLC, the investment manager to Fund IV and the sub-adviser to Fund II and Fund III, for an aggregate purchase price of $10.0 million, which was comprised of 533,332 shares of our common stock at $15.00 per share for an aggregate amount of approximately $8.0 million and approximately $2.0 million in cash. As a result of this transaction, Trinity Capital Holdings became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.

On February 2, 2021, we completed our initial public offering of 8,006,291 shares of our common stock at a price of $14.00 per share, inclusive of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, which was exercised in full. Our shares of common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) on January 29, 2021 under the symbol “TRIN.” Proceeds from this offering were primarily used to pay down a portion of our existing indebtedness outstanding under the Credit Suisse Credit Agreement (as defined below).

For additional information regarding our history and the Formation Transactions, see “Business.”

Borrowings

Through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Trinity Funding 1, LLC, we were a party to a $300 million credit agreement (as amended, the “Credit Suisse Credit Agreement”) with Credit Suisse AG (“Credit Suisse”). The Credit Suisse Credit Agreement was not renewed or extended, and matured on January 8, 2022 in accordance with its terms. All outstanding indebtedness thereunder was repaid. Under the Credit Suisse Credit Agreement, we had the ability to borrow up to an aggregate of $300 million at an interest rate generally equal to the three-month London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus 3.25%. See also “Business” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for additional information regarding the Credit Suisse Credit Agreement.

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Through our wholly-owned subsidiary, TrinCap Funding, LLC (“TCF”), we are a party to a credit agreement (as amended, the “KeyBank Credit Agreement”) with KeyBank, National Association (“KeyBank”). The KeyBank Credit Agreement matures on October 27, 2026, unless extended, and includes an initial commitment of $75 million from KeyBank and allows us, through TCF, to borrow up to $300 million. Borrowings under the KeyBank Credit Agreement initially bear interest at a rate equal to the one-month LIBOR plus 3.25%, which interest rate may decrease to one-month LIBOR plus 2.85% upon the achievement of certain benchmarks, including criteria related to the number and composition of assets in the collateral pool. As of January 25, 2022, approximately $81 million was outstanding under the KeyBank Credit Agreement. For information regarding the discontinuation of LIBOR, please refer to the risk factor entitled “We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates” in “Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 4, 2021, and any updates or supplements to such risk factor included in subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Annual Reports on Form 10-K. See also “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for additional information regarding the KeyBank Credit Agreement.

In January 2020, we issued $125 million in aggregate principal amount of our 7.00% Notes due 2025 (the “2025 Notes”) in reliance upon the available exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act (as defined below) (the “144A Note Offering”). The 2025 Notes were issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of January 16, 2020 (the “Base Indenture”), between us and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), and a First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 16, 2020 (the “First Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “2025 Notes Indenture”), between us and the Trustee. The 2025 Notes mature on January 16, 2025 (the “2025 Notes Maturity Date”), unless repurchased or redeemed in accordance with their terms prior to such date, and bear interest at a rate of 7.00% per year payable quarterly on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year, commencing on March 15, 2020. See “Business,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Securities Eligible for Future Sale.”

In December 2020, we issued $50 million in aggregate principal amount of our 6.00% Convertible Notes due 2025 (the “Convertible Notes”), at an original issuance price of 97.376% of the aggregate principal thereof, in reliance upon the available exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act (the “Convertible Notes Offering”). The Convertible Notes were issued pursuant to the Base Indenture and a Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 11, 2020 (the “Second Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Convertible Notes Indenture”), between us and the Trustee. The Convertible Notes mature on December 11, 2025 (the “Convertible Notes Maturity Date”), unless earlier converted or repurchased in accordance with their terms prior to such date. The Convertible Notes bear interest at a rate of 6.00% per year, subject to additional interest of 0.75% per annum if we do not maintain an investment grade rating with respect to the Convertible Notes, payable semiannually on May 1 and November 1 of each year, commencing on May 1, 2021. Holders may convert their Convertible Notes, at their option, at any time on or prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the Convertible Notes Maturity Date. The conversion rate was initially 66.6667 shares of our common stock, per $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $15.00 per share of common stock). Effective immediately after the close of business on December 31, 2021, the conversion rate changed to 67.0278 shares of our common stock, per $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Notes (equivalent to a conversion price of approximately $14.92 per share of common stock) as a result of a certain cash dividend of the Company. The net asset value per share of our common stock at September 30, 2020 (the last date prior to the issuance of the Convertible Notes for which we reported net asset value) was $13.01. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment in some events but will not be adjusted for any accrued and unpaid interest. Upon conversion of the Convertible Notes, we will pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, shares of our common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, at our election, per $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Notes, equal to the then existing conversion rate. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Securities Eligible for Future Sale.”

In August 2021, we issued $125 million in aggregate principal amount of our 4.375% Notes due 2026 (the “August 2026 Notes”) under our shelf Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-257818) previously filed with the SEC, as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement dated August 19, 2021, a final prospectus supplement dated August 19, 2021, and a pricing term sheet dated August 19, 2021. The August 2026 Notes were issued pursuant to the Base Indenture and a Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 24, 2021 (the “Third Supplemental Indenture” and together with the Base Indenture, the “August 2026 Notes Indenture”), between us and

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the Trustee. The August 2026 Notes mature on August 24, 2026, unless repurchased or redeemed in accordance with their terms prior to such date, and bear interest at a rate of 4.375% per year payable semiannually on February 15 and August 15 of each year, commencing on February 15, 2022. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

In December 2021, we issued $75 million in aggregate principal amount of our 4.25% Notes due 2026 (the “December 2026 Notes”) under our shelf Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-257818) previously filed with the SEC, as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement dated December 10, 2021, a final prospectus supplement dated December 10, 2021, and a pricing term sheet dated December 10, 2021. The December 2026 Notes were issued pursuant to the Base Indenture and a Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 10, 2021 (the “Fourth Supplemental Indenture” and together with the Base Indenture, the “December 2026 Notes Indenture”), between us and the Trustee. The December 2026 Notes mature on December 15, 2026, unless repurchased or redeemed in accordance with their terms prior to such date, and bear interest at a rate of 4.25% per year payable semiannually on June 15 and December 15 of each year, commencing on June 15, 2022. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

We currently borrow and may continue to borrow money from time to time if immediately after such borrowing, the ratio of our total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness represented by senior securities) to our total indebtedness represented by senior securities plus preferred stock, if any, is at least 150%. This means that generally, we can borrow up to $2 for every $1 of investor equity. As of September 30, 2021, our asset coverage ratio was approximately 228.7%.

Our Business and Structure

Overview

We provide debt, including loans and equipment financings, to growth stage companies, including venture-backed companies and companies with institutional equity investors. Our investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation through our investments. We seek to achieve our investment objective by making investments consisting primarily of term loans and equipment financings and, to a lesser extent, working capital loans, equity and equity-related investments. Our equipment financings involve loans for general or specific use, including acquiring equipment, that are secured by the equipment or other assets of the portfolio company. In addition, we may obtain warrants or contingent exit fees from many of our portfolio companies, providing an additional potential source of investment returns. The warrants entitle us to purchase preferred or common ownership shares of a portfolio company, and we typically target the amount of such warrants to scale in proportion to the amount of the debt or equipment financing. Contingent exit fees are cash fees payable upon the consummation of certain trigger events, such as a successful change of control or initial public offering of the portfolio company. In addition, we may obtain rights to purchase additional shares of our portfolio companies in subsequent equity financing rounds.

We target investments in growth stage companies with institutional investor support, experienced management teams, promising products and offerings, and large expanding markets. We define “growth stage companies” as companies that have significant ownership and active participation by sponsors and expected annual revenues of up to $100 million. These companies typically have begun to have success selling their products to the market and need additional capital to expand their operations and sales. Despite often achieving growing revenues, these types of companies typically have limited financing options to fund their growth. Equity, being dilutive in nature, is generally the most expensive form of capital available, while traditional bank financing is rarely available, given the lifecycle stage of these companies. Financing from us bridges this financing gap, providing companies with growth capital, which may result in improved profitability, less dilution for all equity investors, and increased enterprise value. Subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, we are not limited to investing in any particular industry or geographic area and seek to invest in under-financed segments of the private credit markets.

Our loans and equipment financings may have initial interest-only periods of up to 24 months and generally fully amortize over a total term of up to 60 months. These investments are typically secured by a blanket first position lien, a specific asset lien on mission-critical assets and/or a blanket second position lien. We may also make a limited number of direct equity and equity-related investments in conjunction with our debt investments. We target growth stage companies that have recently issued equity to raise cash to offset potential cash flow needs related to

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projected growth, have achieved positive cash flow to cover debt service, or have institutional investors committed to providing additional funding. A loan or equipment financing may be structured to tie the amortization of the loan or equipment financing to the portfolio company’s projected cash balances while cash is still available for operations. As such, the loan or equipment financing may have a reduced risk of default. We believe that the amortizing nature of our investments will mitigate risk and significantly reduce the risk of our investments over a relatively short period. We focus on protecting and recovering principal in each investment and structure our investments to provide downside protection.

Our loans and equipment financings generally range from $2 million to $30 million and we generally limit each loan or equipment financing to approximately five percent or less of our total assets. We believe investments of this scale are generally sufficient to support near-term growth needs of most growth stage companies. We seek to structure our loans and equipment financings such that amortization of the amount invested quickly reduces our risk exposure. Leveraging the experience of our investment professionals, we seek to target companies at their growth stage of development and to identify financing opportunities ignored by the traditional direct lending community.

Certain of the loans in which we invest have financial maintenance covenants, which are used to proactively address materially adverse changes in a portfolio company’s financial performance. However, we have invested in and may in the future invest in or obtain significant exposure to “covenant-lite” loans, which generally are loans that do not have a complete set of financial maintenance covenants. Generally, covenant-lite loans provide borrower companies more freedom to negatively impact lenders because their covenants are incurrence-based, which means they are only tested and can only be breached following an affirmative action of the borrower, rather than by a deterioration in the borrower’s financial condition. Accordingly, because we invest in and have exposure to covenant-lite loans, we may have fewer rights against a borrower and may have a greater risk of loss on such investments as compared to investments in or exposure to loans with financial maintenance covenants.

Management Team

We are an internally managed BDC employing 39 dedicated professionals as of September 30, 2021, including 23 investment, origination and portfolio management professionals, all of whom have experience working on investment and financing transactions. All of our employees are located in the United States. Our management team has prior management experience, including with early stage tech startups, and employs a highly systematized approach. Our senior management team, led by Steven L. Brown, comprises the majority of the senior management team that managed the Legacy Funds and sourced their investment portfolios, and we believe is well positioned to take advantage of the potential investment opportunities available in the marketplace.

        Steven L. Brown, our founder, is our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and has 25 years of experience in venture equity and venture debt investing and working with growth stage companies.

        Gerald Harder, our Chief Credit Officer, has been with Trinity since 2016, and we believe his prior 30 years of engineering and operations experience adds significant value in analyzing investment opportunities.

        Kyle Brown, our President and Chief Investment Officer, has been with Trinity since 2015 and is responsible for managing Trinity’s investment activities. He has historically managed relationships with potential investment partners, including venture capital firms and technology bank lenders, allowing us to nearly triple the number of investment opportunities reviewed by our senior management after Mr. Brown joined the senior management of Trinity.

        Ron Kundich, our Senior Vice President — Loan Originations, is responsible for developing relationships with our referral partners, sourcing potential investments and evaluating investment opportunities.

        David Lund, our Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President of Finance and Strategic Planning, and Treasurer, has over 35 years of finance and executive leadership experience working with both private and publicly traded companies, including serving as Chief Financial Officer at an internally managed venture lending, publicly traded BDC during its initial stage and subsequent years of growth in assets.

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