Michael Treisman
Bain Capital Specialty Finance, Inc.
200 Clarendon Street, 37 ^th  Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copies of information to:

Co-Managers

           The date of this prospectus is                        , 2018.

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We are subject to risks associated with the current interest rate environment and to the extent we use debt to finance our investments, changes in interest rates will affect our cost of capital and net investment income.

        An increase in interest rates from their historically low present levels may make it more difficult for our portfolio companies to service their obligations under the debt investments that we hold. Rising interest rates could also cause portfolio companies to shift cash from other productive uses to the payment of interest, which may have a material adverse effect on their business and operations and could, over time, lead to increased defaults. In July 2017, the head of the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority announced the intention to phase out the use of the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR" or "L") by the end of 2021. Because the statements made by the head of the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority are recent in nature, there is no definitive information regarding the future of LIBOR or of any particular replacement index rate. As such, the potential effect of any such event on our cost of capital and net investment income cannot yet be determined. In addition, any further changes or reforms to the determination or supervision of LIBOR may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in reported LIBOR, which could have an adverse impact on the market for or value of any LIBOR-linked securities, loans, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit held by or due to us or on our overall financial condition or results of operations.

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        To the extent we borrow money to make investments, our net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest those funds. As a result, we can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates would not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income in the event we use debt to finance our investments. In periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds would increase, which could reduce our net investment income. Such techniques may include various interest rate hedging activities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. In addition, a rise in the general level of interest rates typically leads to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates may result in an increase of the amount of our pre-incentive fee net investment income, which could make it easier for us to meet or exceed the Hurdle Amount and, as a result, increase the incentive fees payable to our Advisor.

We are and may be subject to restrictions under our Revolving Credit Facilities and any future credit or other borrowing facility that could adversely impact our business.

        Our Revolving Credit Facilities, and any future credit or other borrowing facility, may be backed by all or a portion of our loans and securities on which the lenders may have a security interest. We may pledge up to 100% of our assets and may grant a security interest in all of our assets under the terms of any debt instrument we enter into with lenders. We expect that any security interests we grant will be set forth in a pledge and security agreement and evidenced by the filing of financing statements by the agent for the lenders. In addition, we expect that the custodian for our securities serving as collateral for such loan would include in its electronic systems notices indicating the existence of such security interests and, following notice of occurrence of an event of default, if any, and during its continuance, will only accept transfer instructions with respect to any such securities from the lender or its designee. If we were to default under the terms of any debt instrument, the agent for the applicable lenders would be able to assume control of the timing of disposition of any or all of our assets securing such debt, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

        In addition, any security interests as well as negative covenants included in our Revolving Credit Facilities or any future credit or other borrowing facility may limit our ability to create liens on assets to secure additional debt and may make it difficult for us to restructure or refinance indebtedness at or prior to maturity or obtain additional debt or equity financing. In addition, if our borrowing base under our Revolving Credit Facilities or any future credit or other borrowing facility were to decrease, we would be required to secure additional assets in an amount equal to any borrowing base deficiency. In the event that all of our assets are secured at the time of such a borrowing base deficiency, we could be required to repay advances under the relevant credit facility or any other borrowing facility or make deposits to a collection account, either of which could have a material adverse impact on our ability to fund future investments and to pay distributions.

        In addition, under our Revolving Credit Facilities and any future credit or other borrowing facilities, we may be subject to limitations as to how borrowed funds may be used, which may include restrictions on geographic and industry concentrations, loan size, payment frequency and status, average life, collateral interests and investment ratings, as well as restrictions on leverage, which may affect the amount of funding that may be obtained. For example, proceeds of the loans under the BCSF Revolving Credit Facility may be used to acquire certain qualifying loans and such other uses as permitted under the BCSF Revolving Credit Facility. There may also be certain requirements relating to portfolio performance, including required minimum portfolio yield and limitations on delinquencies and charge-offs, a violation of which could limit further advances and, in some cases, result in an event of default. An event of default under either Revolving Credit Facility or any future credit or other borrowing facility could result in an accelerated maturity date for all amounts outstanding thereunder, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. This could reduce our revenues and, by delaying any cash payment allowed to us under the relevant credit facility or any other borrowing facility until the lenders have been paid in full, reduce our liquidity and cash flow and impair our ability to grow our business and/or make distributions to stockholders required to maintain our ability to be eligible for treatment as a RIC.

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We may be the target of litigation.

        We may be the target of securities litigation in the future, particularly if the value of shares of our common stock fluctuates significantly. We could also generally be subject to litigation, including derivative actions by our stockholders. In addition our investment activities subject us to litigation relating to the bankruptcy process and the normal risks of becoming involved in litigation by third parties. This risk is somewhat greater where we exercise control or significant influence over a portfolio company's direction. Any litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management's attention and resources from our business and cause a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The majority of our portfolio investments are recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board and, as a result, there may be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.

        We expect that many of our portfolio investments will take the form of loans and securities that are not publicly traded. The fair value of loans, securities and other investments that are not publicly traded may not have market quotations available and the fair value may not be readily determinable. If market quotations are not available or reliable, we will value these investments at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board, including to reflect significant events affecting the value of our investments. Many, if not all, of our investments (other than cash) may be classified as Level 3 under ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement ("ASC 820"). This means that our portfolio valuations will be based on unobservable inputs and our own assumptions about how market participants would price the asset or liability in question. We expect that inputs into the determination of fair value of our portfolio investments will require significant management judgment or estimation. Even if observable market data are available, such information may be the result of consensus pricing information or broker quotes, which include a disclaimer that the broker would not be held to such a price in an actual transaction. The non-binding nature of consensus pricing and/or quotes accompanied by disclaimers materially reduces the reliability of such information. We retain the services of one or more independent service providers to review the valuation of these loans and securities. However, the ultimate determination of fair value will be made by the Board and not by such third-party valuation firm. The types of factors that the Board may take into account in determining the fair value of our investments generally include, as appropriate, comparison to publicly traded securities including such factors as yield, maturity and measures of credit quality, the enterprise value of a portfolio company, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company's ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, changes in the interest rate environment and the credit markets generally that may affect the price at which similar investments may be made in the future, comparisons to publicly traded companies, relevant credit market indices and other relevant factors. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, we consider the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate our valuation.

        Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these loans and securities existed. Also, since these valuations are, to a large extent, based on estimates, comparisons and qualitative evaluations of private information, our fair valuation process could make it more difficult for investors to accurately value our investments and could lead to undervaluation or overvaluation of our securities. In addition, the valuation of these types of securities may result in substantial write-downs and earnings volatility. Also, privately held companies frequently have less diverse product lines and smaller market presence than larger public competitors.

        Our NAV could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of our investments were materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such

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

        We will adjust on a quarterly basis the valuation of our portfolio to reflect the Board's determination of the fair value of each investment in our portfolio. Any changes in fair value are recorded in our consolidated statements of operations as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments.

We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results.

        We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including the interest rate payable on the loans and debt securities we acquire, the default rate on such loans and securities, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. In light of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

New or modified laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business.

        We and our portfolio companies are subject to regulation by laws at the U.S. federal, state and local levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, may change from time to time, including as the result of interpretive guidance or other directives from the U.S. President and others in the executive branch, and new laws, regulations and interpretations may also come into effect. Any such new or changed laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business.

        In particular, Dodd-Frank impacts many aspects of the financial services industry, and it requires the development and adoption of many implementing regulations over the next several years. The effects of Dodd-Frank on the financial services industry will depend, in large part, upon the extent to which regulators exercise the authority granted to them and the approaches taken in implementing regulations. President Trump has indicated that he may seek to amend or repeal portions of Dodd-Frank, among other federal laws, which may create regulatory uncertainty in the near term, and in March 2018 the U.S. Senate passed a bill that eased financial regulations and reduced oversight for certain entities. While the impact of Dodd-Frank on us and our portfolio companies may not be known for an extended period of time, Dodd-Frank, including future rules implementing its provisions and the interpretation of those rules, along with other legislative and regulatory proposals directed at the financial services industry or affecting taxation that are proposed or pending in the U.S. Congress, may negatively impact our operations, cash flows or financial condition or our portfolio companies, impose additional costs on us or our portfolio companies, intensify the regulatory supervision of us or our portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies. In addition, if we do not comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could lose any licenses that we then hold for the conduct of our business and may be subject to civil fines and criminal penalties.

        Additionally, changes to the laws and regulations governing our operations, including those associated with RICs, may cause us to alter our investment strategy in order to avail ourselves of new or different opportunities or result in the imposition of corporate-level taxes on us. Such changes could result in material differences to our strategies and plans and may shift our investment focus from the areas of expertise of our Advisor to other types of investments in which our Advisor may have little or

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no expertise or experience. Any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment. If we invest in commodity interests in the future, our Advisor may determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional regulation by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If we or our Advisor were to operate subject to CFTC regulation, we may incur additional expenses and would be subject to additional regulation.

        In addition, certain regulations applicable to debt securitizations implementing credit risk retention requirements in both the U.S. and in Europe may adversely affect the terms by which we may enter into any future securitization transaction. The impact of these risk retention rules on the loan securitization market are uncertain, and such rules may cause an increase in our cost of funds or may prevent us from completing any future securitization transactions. On October 21, 2014, U.S. risk retention rules adopted pursuant to Section 941 of Dodd-Frank (the "U.S. Risk Retention Rules") were issued and became effective with respect to collateralized loan obligation ("CLOs") on December 24, 2016. The U.S. Risk Retention Rules require the sponsor (directly or through a majority-owned affiliate) of a debt securitization subject to such rules, such as CLOs, in the absence of an exemption, to retain an economic interest in the credit risk of the assets being securitized in the form of an eligible horizontal residual interest, an eligible vertical interest, or a combination thereof, in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Risk Retention Rules. To the extent we act or could be deemed to act as the sponsor for any CLO securitization, we could be subject to liability associated with the U.S. Risk Retention Rules.

        Available interpretive authority to date addressing the U.S. Risk Retention Rules applicable to CLOs is limited and there is limited judicial decisional authority or applicable agency interpretation that has directly addressed any of the risk retention approaches taken with respect to CLOs. There can be no assurance that the applicable federal agencies will agree that our role in any CLO transaction we undertake, or the manner in which we hold any retention interests, complies with the U.S. Risk Retention Rules. If we determined that undertaking CLO transactions would subject us or any of our affiliates to unacceptable regulatory risk, our ability to execute CLOs may be limited or otherwise curtailed. Given the more attractive financing costs associated with these types of debt securitization as opposed to other types of financing available (such as traditional senior secured facilities), this would, in turn, increase our financing costs. Any associated increase in financing costs would ultimately be borne by our common stockholders.

        On February 3, 2017, President Trump signed Executive Order 13772 announcing the Administration's policy to regulate the U.S. financial system in a manner consistent with certain "Core Principles," including regulation that is efficient, effective and appropriately tailored. The Executive Order directed the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the heads of the member agencies of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, to report to the President on the extent to which existing laws, regulations and other government policies promote the Core Principles and to identify any laws, regulations or other government policies that inhibit federal regulation of the U.S. financial system. On June 12, 2017, the U.S. Department of the Treasury published the first of several reports in response to the Executive Order on the depository system covering banks and other savings institutions. On October 6, 2017, the Treasury released a second report outlining ways to streamline and reform the U.S. regulatory system for capital markets, followed by a third report, on October 26, 2017, examining the current regulatory framework for the asset management and insurance industries. Subsequent reports are expected to address: retail and institutional investment products and vehicles; non-bank financial institutions; financial technology; and financial innovation.

        On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was enacted into law. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act makes significant changes to the U.S. income tax rules applicable to both individuals and entities, including corporations. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act includes provisions that, among other things, reduce the U.S. corporate tax rate, introduce a capital investment deduction, limit the interest deduction, limit

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the use of net operating losses to offset future taxable income and make extensive changes to the U.S. international tax system. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is complex and far-reaching, and we cannot predict the impact its enactment will have on us, our subsidiaries, our portfolio companies and the holders of our securities.

        On March 23, 2018, the SBCAA was signed into law. The SBCAA, among other things, modifies the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act to reduce the required asset coverage ratio applicable to BDCs from 200% to 150% subject to certain approval, time and disclosure requirements (including either stockholder approval or approval of a majority of the directors who are not interested persons of the BDC and who have no financial interest in the proposal). As previously noted, our Advisor plans to seek Board and stockholder approval to reduce our asset coverage ratio to 150% as soon as practical following the completion of this offering. If we obtain stockholder approval or approval of a majority of our directors who are not interested persons and who have no financial interest in the proposal to reduce the required asset coverage ratio applicable to us, we would be able to incur additional leverage in the future, and the risks associated with an investment in us may increase.

        On May 24, 2018, President Trump signed into law the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, which increased from $50 billion to $250 billion the asset threshold for designation of "systemically important financial institutions" or "SIFIs" subject to enhanced prudential standards set by the Federal Reserve Board, staggering application of this change based on the size and risk of the covered bank holding company. On May 30, 2018, the Federal Reserve Board voted to consider changes to the Volcker Rule that would loosen compliance requirements for all banks.

        Further, there has been increasing commentary among regulators and intergovernmental institutions, including the Financial Stability Board and International Monetary Fund, on the topic of "shadow banking" (a term generally taken to refer to credit intermediation involving entities and activities outside the regulated banking system). We are an entity outside the regulated banking system and certain of our activities may be argued to fall within this definition and, in consequence, may be subject to regulatory developments. As a result, we and our Advisor could be subject to increased levels of oversight and regulation. This could increase costs and limit operations. In an extreme eventuality, it is possible that such regulations could render our continued operation unviable and lead to its premature termination or restructuring.

Changes to U.S. tariff and import/export regulations may have a negative effect on our portfolio companies and, in turn, harm us.

        There has been ongoing discussion and commentary regarding potential significant changes to U.S. trade policies, treaties and tariffs. The current administration, along with the U.S. Congress, has created significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States and other countries with respect to trade policies, treaties and tariffs. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted nations and the United States. Any of these factors could depress economic activity and restrict our portfolio companies' access to suppliers or customers and have a material adverse effect on their business, financial condition and results of operations, which in turn would negatively impact us.

The Board may change our investment objectives, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval.

        The Board has the authority, except as otherwise provided in the 1940 Act, to modify or waive certain of our investment objectives, operating policies and strategies without prior notice and without stockholder approval. However, absent stockholder approval, we may not change the nature of our

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business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a BDC. Under Delaware law, we also cannot be dissolved without prior stockholder approval. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies and strategies would have on our business, operating results and the market price of our common stock. Nevertheless, any such changes could adversely affect our business and impair our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

Provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse effect on the price of shares of our common stock.

        The Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended (the "DGCL"), contains provisions that may discourage, delay or make more difficult a change in control of us or the removal of our directors. Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation ("Certificate of Incorporation") and bylaws ("Bylaws") contain provisions that limit liability and provide for indemnification of our directors and officers. These provisions and others which we may adopt also may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management. We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, the application of which is subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. This section generally prohibits us from engaging in mergers and other business combinations with stockholders that beneficially own 15% or more of our voting stock, either individually or together with their affiliates, unless our directors or stockholders approve the business combination in the prescribed manner. Accordingly, Section 203 of the DGCL may discourage third parties from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating such an offer.

        We have also adopted measures that may make it difficult for a third party to obtain control of us, including provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation that classify the Board in three classes serving staggered three-year terms, and provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation authorizing our Board to classify or reclassify shares of our preferred stock in one or more classes or series and to cause the issuance of additional shares of our stock. These provisions, as well as other provisions we have adopted or may adopt in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.

Our Certificate of Incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that derivative actions brought in our name, actions against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders for breach of fiduciary duty and other similar actions may be brought in a federal or state court located in the state of Delaware.

        Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or the securities, antifraud, unfair trade practices or similar laws of any international, national, state, provincial, territorial, local or other governmental or regulatory authority, including, in each case, the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be a federal or state court located in the state of Delaware. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to have notice of and consented to these exclusive forum provisions and to have irrevocably submitted to, and waived any objection to, the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in connection with any such action or proceeding and consented to process being served in any such action or proceeding, without limitation, by United States mail addressed to the stockholder at the stockholder's address as it appears on our records, with postage thereon prepaid.

        This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder's ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or

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stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our Certificate of Incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our Advisor and Administrator each have the ability to resign on 60 days' notice, and we may not be able to find a suitable replacement within that time, resulting in a disruption in our operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.

        Our Advisor has the right under the Investment Advisory Agreement to resign as our Advisor at any time upon not less than 60 days' written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. Similarly, our Administrator has the right under the Administration Agreement to resign at any time upon not less than 60 days' written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. If our Advisor or our Administrator were to resign, we may not be able to find a new investment adviser or administrator, as applicable, or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 60 days, or at all. If we are unable to do so quickly, our operations are likely to experience a disruption, our financial condition, business and results of operations as well as our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders are likely to be adversely affected and the market price of our shares may decline. In addition, the coordination of our internal management and investment or administrative activities, as applicable, is likely to suffer if we are unable to identify and reach an agreement with a single institution or group of executives having the expertise possessed by our Advisor, or our Administrator, as applicable. Even if we are able to retain a comparable service provider or individuals performing such services are retained, whether internal or external, their integration and lack of familiarity with our investment objectives may result in additional costs and time delays that may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

        In addition, if our Advisor resigns or is terminated, we would lose the benefits of our relationship with Bain Capital Credit, including the use of Bain Capital Credit's communication and information systems, insights into our existing portfolio, market expertise, sector and macroeconomic views and due diligence capabilities, as well as any investment opportunities referred to us by Bain Capital Credit, and we would be required to change our name, which may have a material adverse impact on our operations.

We are highly dependent on information systems, and systems failures or cyber-attacks could significantly disrupt our business, which may, in turn, negatively affect the value of shares of our common stock and our ability to pay distributions.

        Our business is highly dependent on the communications and information systems of Bain Capital Credit. In addition, certain of these systems are provided to Bain Capital Credit by third-party service providers. Any failure or interruption of such systems, including as a result of the termination of an agreement with any such third-party service provider, could cause delays or other problems in our activities. This, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, these systems are subject to potential attacks, including through adverse events that threaten the confidentiality, integrity or availability of our information resources. These attacks, which may include cyber incidents, may involve a third party gaining unauthorized access to our communications or information systems for purposes of misappropriating assets, stealing confidential information, corrupting or destroying data, degrading or sabotaging our systems or causing other operational disruption. Any such attack could result in disruption to our business, misstated or unreliable financial data, liability for stolen assets or information, increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs, litigation and damage to our business relationships, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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We are subject to certain risks as a result of our interests in the membership interests in the 2018-1 Issuer.

        Under the terms of the master loan sale agreement governing the CLO Transaction, we sold and/or contributed to the 2018-1 Issuer all of our ownership interest in our portfolio loans and participations for the purchase price and other consideration set forth in such master loan sale agreement (including an increase in the value of the Membership Interests). As a result of the CLO Transaction, we hold all of the Membership Interests, which comprise 100% of the equity interests, in the 2018-1 Issuer. As a result, we expect to consolidate the financial statements of the 2018-1 Issuer, as well as our other subsidiaries, in our consolidated financial statements. However, once contributed to a CLO, the underlying loans and participation interests have been securitized and are no longer our direct investment, and the risk return profile has been altered. In general, rather than holding interests in the underlying loans and participation interests, the CLO Transaction resulted in us holding membership interests in a CLO issuer (i.e., the 2018-1 Issuer), with the CLO holding the underlying loans. As a result, we are subject both to the risks and benefits associated with the equity interests of the CLO (i.e., the Membership Interests) and the risks and benefits associated with the underlying loans and participation interests held by the 2018-1 Issuer.

We have no prior experience managing CLOs.

        The performance of the 2018-1 Issuer will be largely dependent on the analytical and managerial expertise of our investment professionals. Although we and our investment professionals and affiliates have prior experience investing in loans and other debt obligations, the 2018-1 Issuer will be the first CLO managed by us. Accordingly, we have no performance history of managing CLOs for potential investors to consider in evaluating the potential impact of the CLO Transaction on our overall performance.

We are subject to significant restrictions on our ability to advise the 2018-1 Issuer.

        We will manage the assets of the 2018-1 Issuer pursuant to a portfolio management agreement with the 2018-1 Issuer (the "Portfolio Management Agreement"). The indenture governing the 2018-1 Notes (the "2018-1 Indenture") and the Portfolio Management Agreement place significant restrictions on our ability to advise the 2018-1 Issuer to buy and sell collateral obligations, and we are subject to compliance with the 2018-1 Indenture and the Portfolio Management Agreement. As a result of the restrictions contained in the 2018-1 Indenture and the Portfolio Management Agreement, the 2018-1 Issuer may be unable to buy or sell Collateral Obligations or to take other actions that we might consider in the interest of the 2018-1 Issuer and the holders of 2018-1 Notes, and we may be required to make investment decisions on behalf of the 2018-1 Issuer that are different from those made for our other clients. In addition, we may pursue any strategy consistent with the 2018-1 Indenture and the Portfolio Management Agreement, and there can be no assurance that such strategy will not change from time to time in the future. Further, for so long as we manage the assets of the 2018-1 Issuer pursuant to the Portfolio Management Agreement, we will elect to irrevocably waive any portfolio management fee to which we may be entitled under such Portfolio Management Agreement.

        In our role as portfolio manager of the 2018-1 Issuer, we will be acting solely in the best interests of the 2018-1 Issuer as a whole and not solely in the best interests of the Membership Interests of the 2018-1 Issuer that we hold. As the interests of the holders of the 2018-1 Notes are senior in the 2018-1 Issuer's capital structure to our Membership Interests, we may incur losses if we are required to dispose of a portion of the portfolio of the 2018-1 Issuer at inopportune times in order to satisfy the outstanding obligations of the holders of the 2018-1 Notes.

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The subordination of the Membership Interests will affect our right to payment.

        The Membership Interests are subordinated to the 2018-1 Notes and certain fees and expenses. If any Coverage Test (defined below) is not satisfied as of a determination date, cash flows (if any) and proceeds otherwise payable to the 2018-1 Issuer (which the 2018-1 Issuer could have otherwise distributed with respect to the Membership Interests) will be diverted to the payment of principal on the 2018-1 Notes. If the 2018-1 Issuer has not received confirmation from S&P Global Ratings of its initial ratings of each class of the 2018-1 Notes, or if we fail to hold the required amount of Membership Interests as required by European Union risk retention regulations ("Retention Deficiency"), proceeds will be diverted to pay principal on the 2018-1 Notes or to purchase additional collateral obligations (or, in the case of a Retention Deficiency, to the extent necessary to reduce such Retention Deficiency to zero). If during the period from and including the closing date of the CLO Transaction to and including the earliest of (i) October 20, 2022 and (ii) the date of the acceleration of the maturity of the 2018-1 Notes in accordance with the 2018-1 Indenture the applicable Overcollateralization Ratio Test (defined below) is not satisfied, proceeds will be diverted to purchase additional collateral obligations.

        Although these tests generally compare the principal balance of the collateral obligations to the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the 2018-1 Notes, certain reductions are applied to the principal balance of Collateral Obligations in connection with certain events, such as defaults or ratings downgrades to "CCC" levels or below, in each case that may increase the likelihood that one or more Overcollateralization Ratio Tests may not be satisfied.

        On the scheduled maturity of the 2018-1 Notes or if acceleration of the 2018-1 Notes occurs after an event of default, proceeds available after the payment of certain administrative expenses) will be applied to pay both principal of and interest on the 2018-1 Notes until the 2018-1 Notes are paid in full before any further payment will be made on the Membership Interests. As a result, the Membership Interests would not receive any payments until the 2018-1 Notes are paid in full.

        In addition, if an event of default occurs and is continuing, the holders of the 2018-1 Notes will be entitled to determine the remedies to be exercised under the 2018-1 Indenture. Remedies pursued by the holders of the 2018-1 Notes could be adverse to our interests as the holder of the Membership Interests, and the holders of the 2018-1 Notes will have no obligation to consider any possible adverse effect on such other interests. See "— The holders of certain of the 2018-1 Notes will control many rights under the 2018-1 Indenture and therefore, we will have limited rights in connection with an event of default or distributions thereunder ."

The holders of certain of the 2018-1 Notes will control many rights under the 2018-1 Indenture and therefore, we will have limited rights in connection with an event of default or distributions thereunder.

        Under the 2018-1 Indenture, many of our rights as the holder of the Membership Interests will be controlled by the holders of certain of the 2018-1 Notes. Remedies pursued by such holders upon an event of default could be adverse to our interests. If the 2018-1 Notes are accelerated following an event of default, proceeds of any realization on the assets will be allocated to the 2018-1 Notes (in order of seniority) and certain other amounts owing by the 2018-1 Issuer will be paid in full before any allocation to us as the holder of the Membership Interests. Although we as the holder of the Membership Interests will have the right, subject to the conditions set forth in the 2018-1 Indenture, to purchase the assets in a sale by the trustee, if an event of default (or otherwise, an acceleration of the 2018-1 Notes following an event of default) has occurred and is continuing, we will not have any creditors' rights against the 2018-1 Issuer and will not have the right to determine the remedies to be exercised under the 2018-1 Indenture. There is no guarantee that any funds will remain to make distributions to us as the holder of the Membership Interests following any liquidation of the assets and the application of the proceeds from the assets to pay the 2018-1 Notes and the fees, expenses, and

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other liabilities payable by the 2018-1 Issuer. The ability of the holders of the 2018-1 Notes to direct the sale and liquidation of the assets is subject to certain limitations. As set forth in the 2018-1 Indenture, notwithstanding any acceleration, if an event of default occurs and is continuing and the trustee has not commenced remedies under the 2018-1 Indenture, we as the portfolio manager of the 2018-1 Issuer may continue to direct dispositions and purchases of collateral obligations to the extent permitted under the 2018-1 Indenture.

        If an event of default has occurred and is continuing (unless the trustee has commenced remedies pursuant to the 2018-1 Indenture), then (x) we as the portfolio manager of the 2018-1 Issuer may continue to direct sales and other dispositions, and purchases, of collateral obligations in accordance with and to the extent permitted pursuant to the 2018-1 Indenture and (y) the trustee will retain the assets securing the 2018-1 Notes intact, collect and cause the collection of the proceeds thereof and make and apply all payments and deposits and maintain all accounts in respect of the assets and the 2018-1 Notes in accordance with the 2018-1 Indenture, unless: (i) the trustee, pursuant to the 2018-1 Indenture and in consultation with us as the portfolio manager of the 2018-1 Issuer, determines that the anticipated proceeds of a sale or liquidation of the assets (after deducting the anticipated reasonable expenses of such sale or liquidation) would be sufficient to discharge in full the amounts then due (or, in the case of interest, accrued) and unpaid on the 2018-1 Notes for principal and interest (including accrued and unpaid deferred interest), and all other amounts payable pursuant to the priority of distributions prior to payment of principal on such 2018-1 Notes (including amounts due and owing, and amounts anticipated to be due and owing, as administrative expenses (without regard to any applicable limitation on such expenses)), and we as the portfolio manager of the 2018-1 Issuer and the holders of at least 66 ² / 3 % (a "Supermajority") of the most senior outstanding class of the 2018-1 Notes agrees with such determination; (ii) in the case of certain events of default, a Supermajority of the most senior outstanding class of the 2018-1 Notes directs the sale and liquidation of the assets; or (iii) a Supermajority of each class of the 2018-1 Notes (voting separately by class) directs the sale and liquidation of the assets.

The 2018-1 Indenture requires mandatory redemption of the 2018-1 Notes for failure to satisfy Coverage Tests.

        Under the documents governing the CLO Transaction, there are two coverage tests (the "Coverage Tests") applicable to the 2018-1 Notes.

        The first such test (the "Interest Coverage Test") compares the amount of interest proceeds received on the portfolio loans held by the 2018-1 Issuer to the amount of interest due and payable on the 2018-1 Notes. To meet this first test, for each class of 2018-1 Notes, interest received on the portfolio loans must equal at least 120%, 115% or 110% of the interest payable in respect of the Class A, Class B and Class C 2018-1 Notes, respectively.

        The second such test (the "Overcollateralization Ratio Test") compares the adjusted collateral principal amount of the portfolio of Collateral Obligations of the CLO Transaction to the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the 2018-1 Notes. To meet this second test at any time, for each class of 2018-1 Notes, the adjusted collateral principal amount of such Collateral Obligations must equal at least 137.1%, 126.2% or 117.1% of the outstanding principal amount of the 2018-1 Notes comprising the Class A, B and C Classes, respectively.

        If a Coverage Test is not met on any determination date on which such Coverage Test is applicable, the 2018-1 Issuer shall apply available amounts to redeem the 2018-1 Notes in an amount necessary to cause such tests to be satisfied. This could result in an elimination, deferral or reduction in the payments of distributions to the 2018-1 Issuer (and as such, to us as the holder of the Membership Interests and indirect beneficiary of any such payments to the 2018-1 Issuer).

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We may resign or be removed or terminated as portfolio manager of the 2018-1 Issuer.

        We may resign or be removed or terminated as portfolio manager of the 2018-1 Issuer in a number of circumstances, including the breach of certain terms of the 2018-1 Indenture and the Portfolio Management Agreement. In addition, because a new portfolio manager may not be able to manage the 2018-1 Issuer according to the standards of the 2018-1 Indenture and the Portfolio Management Agreement, any transfer of the portfolio management functions to another entity could result in reduced or delayed collections, delays in processing loan transfers and information regarding the loans and a failure to meet all of the applicable procedures required by the Portfolio Management Agreement. Consequently, the termination or removal of us as portfolio manager of the 2018-1 Issuer could have material and adverse effects on our performance.

Risks Relating to the 1940 Act

We and our Advisor are subject to regulations and SEC oversight. If we or they fail to comply with applicable requirements, it may adversely impact our results relative to companies that are not subject to such regulations.

        As a BDC, we are subject to a portion of the 1940 Act. In addition, we have elected to be treated, and intend to operate in a manner so as to continuously qualify, as a RIC in accordance with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code. The 1940 Act and the Code impose various restrictions on the management of a BDC, including related to portfolio construction, asset selection, and tax. These restrictions may reduce the chances that the BDC will achieve the same results as other vehicles managed by Bain Capital Credit and/or our Advisor.

        However, if we do not maintain our status as a BDC, we would be subject to regulation as a registered closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act. As a registered closed-end investment company, we would be subject to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act which would significantly decrease our operating flexibility.

        In addition to these and other requirements applicable to us, our Advisor is subject to regulatory oversight by the SEC. To the extent the SEC raises concerns or has negative findings concerning the manner in which we or our Advisor operate, it could adversely affect our business.

Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.

        We are prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our Independent Directors and, in some cases, the SEC. We consider our Advisor and its affiliates, including Bain Capital Credit, to be our affiliates for such purposes. In addition, any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of our outstanding voting securities will be our affiliate for purposes of the 1940 Act, and we are generally prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such affiliate without the prior approval of our Independent Directors. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain "joint" transactions with certain of our affiliates, which could include investments in the same portfolio company, without prior approval of our Independent Directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. We are prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to any person who owns more than 25% of our voting securities or certain of that person's affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC.

        We may, however, invest alongside Bain Capital Credit Clients in certain circumstances where doing so is consistent with our investment strategy as well as applicable law and SEC staff interpretations or exemptive orders. For example, we may invest alongside Bain Capital Credit Clients consistent with guidance promulgated by the SEC staff to purchase interests in a single class of privately placed securities so long as certain conditions are met, including that Bain Capital Credit and our Advisor, acting on our behalf and on behalf of such Bain Capital Credit Clients, negotiates no term

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other than price. We may also invest alongside Bain Capital Credit Clients as otherwise permissible under regulatory guidance, applicable regulations or exemptive orders and Bain Capital Credit's allocation policy. If we are prohibited by applicable law from investing alongside Bain Capital Credit Clients with respect to an investment opportunity, we may not be able to participate in such investment opportunity. If our Advisor recommends a particular level of investment to us, and the aggregate amount recommended to us by our Advisor and to other participating Bain Capital Credit Clients exceeds the amount of the investment opportunity, subject to applicable law, investments made pursuant to exemptive relief will generally be allocated among the participants pro rata based on capital available for investment in the asset class being allocated and the respective governing documents of the Bain Capital Credit Clients. We expect that available capital for our investments will be determined based on the amount of cash on-hand, existing commitments and reserves, if any, the targeted leverage level, targeted asset mix and diversification requirements and other investment policies and restrictions set by the Board or as imposed by applicable laws, rules, regulations or interpretations. In instances when investments are not made pursuant to exemptive relief, allocations among us and other Bain Capital Credit Clients, subject to applicable law and regulation, will be done in accordance with our Advisor's trade allocation practice, which is generally pro rata based on order size. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to participate in all investment opportunities that are suitable to us.

        In situations where co-investment with other Bain Capital Credit Clients is not permitted or appropriate, subject to the limitations described in the preceding paragraph, Bain Capital Credit will need to decide which client will proceed with the investment. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates. These restrictions will limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to us.

        We, our Advisor and Bain Capital Credit have been granted exemptive relief from the SEC to permit greater flexibility to negotiate the terms of co-investments if the Board determines that it would be advantageous for us to co-invest with other Bain Capital Credit Clients in a manner consistent with our investment objectives, positions, policies, strategies and restrictions as well as regulatory requirements and other pertinent other Bain Capital Credit Clients funds, accounts and investment vehicles managed by Bain Capital Credit may afford us additional investment opportunities and an ability to achieve greater diversification. Accordingly, our exemptive order permits us to invest with Bain Capital Credit Clients in the same portfolio companies under circumstances in which such investments would otherwise not be permitted by the 1940 Act. Our exemptive relief permitting co-investment transactions generally applies only if our Independent Directors and Directors who have no financial interest in such transaction review and approve in advance each co-investment transaction. The exemptive relief imposes other conditions with which we must comply to engage in co-investment transactions.

Our ability to sell or otherwise exit investments also invested in by other Bain Capital Credit investment vehicles is restricted.

        We may be considered affiliates with respect to certain of our portfolio companies because our affiliates, which may include other Bain Capital Credit Funds, also hold interests in these portfolio companies and as such these interests may be considered a joint enterprise under the 1940 Act. To the extent that our interests in these portfolio companies may need to be restructured in the future or to the extent that we choose to exit certain of these transactions, our ability to do so will be limited.

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

        As a BDC, we may not acquire any assets other than qualifying assets unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of our total assets are qualifying assets (with certain

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limited exceptions). Subject to certain exceptions for follow-on investments and investments in distressed companies, an investment in an issuer that has outstanding securities listed on a national securities exchange may be treated as qualifying assets only if such issuer has a common equity market capitalization that is less than $250.0 million at the time of such investment.

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

Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital.

        We may issue debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrow money from banks or other financial institutions, which we refer to collectively as "senior securities," up to the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the provisions of the 1940 Act, we will be permitted as a BDC to issue senior securities in amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% (or 150% if certain disclosure and approval requirements are met) of our gross assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, after each issuance of senior securities. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous to us in order to repay a portion of our indebtedness.

        Furthermore, equity capital may be difficult to raise because, subject to some limited exceptions we are not generally able to issue and sell our common stock at a price per share below NAV. We may, however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options, or rights to acquire shares of our common stock, at a price below the current NAV of shares of our common stock if the Board determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders, including a majority of those stockholders that are not affiliated with us, approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of the Board, closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). We do not currently have authorization from our stockholders to issue common stock at a price below its then current NAV per share.

Certain investors are limited in their ability to make significant investments in us.

        Private funds that are excluded from the definition of "investment company" either pursuant to Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act are restricted from acquiring directly or through a controlled entity more than 3% of our total outstanding voting stock (measured at the time of the acquisition). Investment companies registered under the 1940 Act and BDCs, such as us, are also subject to this restriction as well as other limitations under the 1940 Act that would restrict the amount that they are able to invest in our securities. As a result, certain investors will be limited in their ability to make significant investments in us at a time that they might desire to do so.

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Risks Relating to Our Investments

Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies, and defaults by our portfolio companies will harm our operating results.

        Many of the portfolio companies in which we have invested or expect to make investments are likely to be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay our loans during such periods. Therefore, the number of our non-performing assets is likely to increase and the value of our portfolio is likely to decrease during such periods. Adverse economic conditions may also decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and debt securities and the value of our equity investments. If the value of collateral underlying our loan declines during the term of our loan, a portfolio company may not be able to obtain the necessary funds to repay our loan at maturity through refinancing. Decreasing collateral value may hinder a portfolio company's ability to refinance our loan because the underlying collateral cannot satisfy the debt service coverage requirements necessary to obtain new financing. Thus, economic slowdowns or recessions could lead to financial losses in our portfolio and a decrease in revenues, net income and assets. Unfavorable economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. We consider a number of factors in making our investment decisions, including, but not limited to, the financial condition and prospects of a portfolio company and its ability to repay our loan. Unfavorable economic conditions could negatively affect the valuations of our portfolio companies and, as a result, make it more difficult for such portfolio companies to repay or refinance our loan. Therefore, these events could prevent us from increasing our investments and harm our operating results.

        A portfolio company's failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due, termination of its loans and foreclosure on its assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize such portfolio company's ability to meet its obligations under the loans and debt securities that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants. Furthermore, if one of our portfolio companies were to file for bankruptcy protection, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we actually provide significant managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might re-characterize our debt holding and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to claims of other creditors, even though we may have structured our investment as senior secured debt.

Our portfolio companies may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity, and rising interests rates may make it more difficult for portfolio companies to make periodic payments on their loans.

        Our portfolio companies may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity. This risk and the risk of default is increased to the extent that the loan documents do not require the portfolio companies to pay down the outstanding principal of such debt prior to maturity. In addition, if general interest rates rise, there is a risk that our portfolio companies will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with us. Any failure of one or more portfolio companies to repay or refinance its debt at or prior to maturity or the inability of one or more portfolio companies to make ongoing payments following an increase in contractual interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

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Our debt investments may be risky, and we could lose all or part of our investments.

        Debt portfolios are subject to credit and interest rate risk. "Credit risk" refers to the likelihood that an issuer will default in the payment of principal and/or interest on an instrument. Financial strength and solvency of an issuer are the primary factors influencing credit risk. In addition, subordination, lack or inadequacy of collateral or credit enhancement for a debt instrument may affect its credit risk. Credit risk may change over the life of an instrument, and securities which are rated by rating agencies are often reviewed and may be subject to downgrade. "Interest rate risk" refers to the risks associated with market changes in interest rates. Factors that may affect market interest rates include, without limitation, inflation, slow or stagnant economic growth or recession, unemployment, money supply and the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board and central banks throughout the world, international disorders and instability in domestic and foreign financial markets. The Federal Reserve Board raised the federal funds rate in December 2015, in December 2016, in March 2017, in June 2017, in December 2017, March 2018, June 2018 and again in October 2018, and has announced its intention to continue to raise the federal funds rate over time. These developments, along with domestic and international debt and credit concerns, could cause interest rates to be volatile, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms. Interest rate changes may also affect the value of a debt instrument indirectly (especially in the case of fixed rate securities) and directly (especially in the case of instruments whose rates are adjustable). In general, rising interest rates will negatively impact the price of a fixed rate debt instrument and falling interest rates will have a positive effect on price. Adjustable rate instruments may also react to interest rate changes in a similar manner although generally to a lesser degree (depending, however, on the characteristics of the reset terms, including, among other factors, the index chosen, frequency of reset and reset caps or floors). Interest rate sensitivity is generally more pronounced and less predictable in instruments with uncertain payment or prepayment schedules. We expect that we will periodically experience imbalances in the interest rate sensitivities of our assets and liabilities and the relationships of various interest rates to each other. In a changing interest rate environment, we may not be able to manage this risk effectively, which in turn could adversely affect our performance.

We may hold the debt securities of leveraged companies.

        Portfolio companies may face intense competition, including competition from companies with greater financial resources, more extensive development, manufacturing, marketing and other capabilities, or a larger number of qualified managerial and technical personnel. As a result, portfolio companies which our Advisor expects to be stable may operate at a loss or have significant variations in operating results, may require substantial additional capital to support their operations or to maintain their competitive position or may otherwise have a weak financial condition or be experiencing financial distress.

        Portfolio companies may issue certain types of debt, such as senior loans, mezzanine or high yield in connection with leveraged acquisitions or recapitalizations in which the portfolio company incurs a substantially higher amount of indebtedness than the level at which it had previously operated. Leverage may have important consequences to these portfolio companies and us as an investor. For example, the substantial indebtedness of a portfolio company could (i) limit its ability to borrow money for its working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, strategic initiatives or other purposes, (ii) require it to dedicate a substantial portion of its cash flow from operations to the repayment of its indebtedness, thereby reducing funds available to it for other purposes, (iii) make it more highly leveraged than some of its competitors, which may place it at a competitive disadvantage, and (iv) subject it to restrictive financial and operating covenants, which may preclude it from favorable business activities or the financing of future operations or other capital needs. As a result, the ability of these leveraged companies to respond to changing business and economic conditions and to take advantage of business opportunities may be limited.

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        A leveraged portfolio company's income and net assets will tend to increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money were not used. In addition, a portfolio company with a leveraged capital structure will be subject to increased exposure to adverse economic factors, such as a significant rise in interest rates, a severe downturn in the economy or deterioration in the condition of that portfolio company or its industry. Leveraged companies in which we invest may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their loans and debt securities that we hold. Such developments may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of our realizing any guarantees that we may have obtained in connection with our investment. If a portfolio company is unable to generate sufficient cash flow to meet all of its obligations, it may take alternative measures (e.g., reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell assets, seek additional capital, or seek to restructure, extend or refinance indebtedness). These actions may negatively affect our investment in such a portfolio company. Accordingly, leveraged companies may enter into bankruptcy proceedings at higher rates than companies that are not leveraged.

We expect to invest in middle market companies, which involve higher risks than investments in larger companies.

        We invest, and expect to invest in middle market companies, which companies often involve higher risks because they lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strength of larger corporations, all of which may contribute to illiquidity, and may, in turn, adversely affect the price and timing of liquidation of our investments.

        Middle market companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons. Therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on one or more of the portfolio companies we invest in and, in turn, on us. Middle market companies also may be parties to litigation and may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence. In addition, our executive officers, directors and our Advisor may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in portfolio companies.

        In addition, investment in middle market companies involves a number of other significant risks, including:

•

they typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors' actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns;



•

they generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence, and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position;



•

changes in laws and regulations, as well as their interpretations, may adversely affect their business, financial structure or prospects; and



•

they may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs, which may limit their ability to grow or to repay their outstanding indebtedness upon maturity.

The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.

        The lack of an established, liquid secondary market for a large portion of our investments may have an adverse effect on the market value of our investments and on our ability to dispose of them. Additionally, our investments may be subject to certain transfer restrictions that may also contribute to illiquidity. Further, our assets that are typically traded in a liquid market may become illiquid if the

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applicable trading market tightens. Therefore, no assurance can be given that we can dispose of a particular investment at its prevailing fair value.

        A portion of our investments may consist of securities that are subject to restrictions on resale by us because they were acquired in a "private placement" or similar transaction or because we are deemed to be an affiliate of the issuer of such securities. We will be able to sell such securities only under applicable securities laws, which may permit only limited sales under specified conditions or subject us to additional potential liability.

Price declines and illiquidity in the corporate debt markets may adversely affect the fair value of our portfolio investments, reducing our NAV through increased net unrealized depreciation.

        As a BDC, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board as described above in "— The majority of our portfolio investments are recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board and, as a result, there may be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments. "

        When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, we use the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate our valuation. While most of our investments are not publicly traded, applicable accounting standards require us to assume as part of our valuation process that our investments are sold in a principal market to market participants (even if we plan on holding an investment through its maturity). As a result, volatility in the capital markets can also adversely affect our investment valuations. We record decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments as unrealized depreciation. Declines in prices and liquidity in the corporate debt markets may result in significant net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. The effect of all of these factors on our portfolio may reduce our NAV by increasing net unrealized depreciation in our portfolio. Depending on market conditions, we could incur substantial realized losses and may suffer additional unrealized losses in future periods, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our investments in secured loans may nonetheless expose us to losses from default and foreclosure.

        While we may invest in secured loans, we may nonetheless be exposed to losses resulting from default and foreclosure. Therefore, the value of the underlying collateral, the creditworthiness of the borrower and the priority of the lien are each of great importance. In some circumstances, our lien could be subordinated to claims of other creditors, such as trade creditors. In addition, deterioration in a portfolio company's financial condition and prospects, including its inability to raise additional capital, may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of the collateral for the debt investment. We cannot guarantee the adequacy of the protection of our interests, including the validity or enforceability of the loan and the maintenance of the anticipated priority and perfection of the applicable security interests. There is a risk that the collateral securing our debt investment may decrease in value over time, may be difficult to sell in a timely manner, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value based upon the success of the business and market conditions, including as a result of the inability of the portfolio company to raise additional capital. Furthermore, we cannot assure that claims may not be asserted that might interfere with enforcement of our rights. In addition, in the event of any default under a secured loan held directly by us, we will bear a risk of loss of principal to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the collateral and the principal and accrued interest of the secured loan, which could have a material adverse effect on our cash flow from operations.

        In the event of a foreclosure, we may assume direct ownership of the underlying asset. The liquidation proceeds upon sale of such asset may not satisfy the entire outstanding balance of principal and interest on the loan, resulting in a loss to us. Any costs or delays involved in the effectuation of a

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foreclosure of the loan or a liquidation of the underlying property will further reduce the proceeds and thus increase the loss.

        These risks are magnified for stretch senior loans. Stretch senior loans are senior loans that have a greater loan-to-value ratio than traditional senior loans and typically carry a higher interest rate to compensate for the additional risk. Because stretch senior loans have a greater loan-to-value ratio, there is potentially less over-collateralization available to cover the entire principal of the stretch senior loan.

Our investments in mezzanine debt and other junior securities are subordinate to senior indebtedness of the applicable company and are subject to greater risk.

        The mezzanine debt and other junior securities in which we may invest are typically contractually or structurally subordinate to senior indebtedness of the applicable company, or effectively subordinated as a result of being unsecured debt and therefore subject to the prior repayment of secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the assets pledged as security. In some cases, the subordinated debt held by us may be subject to the prior repayment of different classes of senior debt that may be in priority ahead of the debt held by us. In the event of financial difficulty on the part of a portfolio company, such class or classes of senior indebtedness ranking prior to the debt held by us, and interest thereon and related expenses, must first be repaid in full before any recovery may be had on our mezzanine or other subordinated investments. Subordinated investments are characterized by greater credit risks than those associated with the senior or senior secured obligations of the same issuer. In addition, under certain circumstances the holders of the senior indebtedness will have the right to block the payment of interest and principal on our mezzanine debt and other junior securities and to prevent us from pursuing its remedies on account of such non-payment against the issuer. Further, in the event of any debt restructuring or workout of the indebtedness of any issuer, the holders of the senior indebtedness will likely control the creditor side of such negotiations.

        Many issuers of mezzanine debt and other junior securities are highly leveraged, and their relatively high debt-to-equity ratios create increased risks that their operations might not generate sufficient cash flow to service their debt obligations. In addition, many issuers of mezzanine debt and other junior securities may be in poor financial condition, experiencing poor operating results, having substantial capital needs or negative net worth or be facing special competitive or product obsolescence problems, and may include companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganizations or liquidation proceedings. Adverse changes in the financial condition of an issuer, general economic conditions, or both, may impair the ability of such issuer to make payments on the subordinated securities and result in defaults on such securities more quickly than in the case of the senior obligations of such issuer. Mezzanine debt and other junior securities may not be publicly traded, and therefore it may be difficult to obtain information as to the true condition of the issuer. Finally, the market values of certain of mezzanine debt and other junior securities may reflect individual corporate developments.

        Investments in mezzanine debt and other junior securities may also be in the form of zero-coupon or deferred interest bonds, which are bonds which are issued at a significant discount from face value. The original discount approximates the total amount of interest the bonds will accrue and compound over the period until maturity or the first interest accrual date at a rate of interest reflecting the market rate of the security at the time of issuance. While zero-coupon bonds do not require the periodic payment of interest, deferred interest bonds generally provide for a period of delay before the regular payment of interest begins. These investments typically experience greater volatility in market value due to changes in the interest rates than bonds that provide for regular payments of interest. We may make subordinated investments that rank below other obligations of the obligor in right of payment. Subordinated investments are subject to greater risk of default than senior obligations as a result of adverse changes in the financial condition of the obligor or in general economic conditions. If we make a subordinated investment in a portfolio company, the portfolio company may be highly

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leveraged, and its relatively high debt-to-equity ratio may create increased risks that its operations might not generate sufficient cash flow to service all of its debt obligations.

Our prospective portfolio companies may prepay loans, which may reduce our yields if capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater expected yields.

        The terms of loans acquired or originated by us may be subject to early prepayment options or similar provisions which, in each case, could result in us realizing repayments of such loans earlier than expected, sometimes with no or a nominal prepayment premium. This may happen when there is a decline in interest rates, when the portfolio company's improved credit or operating or financial performance allows the refinancing of certain classes of debt with lower cost debt or when the general credit market conditions improve. Prepayments could also negatively impact our ability to pay, or the amount of, distributions on our common stock, which could result in a decline in the market price of our shares. Further, in the case of some of these loans, having the loan paid early may have the effect of reducing our actual investment income below our expected investment income if the capital returned cannot be invested in transactions with equal or greater yields. Our inability to reinvest such proceeds may materially affect our overall performance.

        We are generally unable to predict the rate and frequency of such prepayments. Whether a loan is prepaid will depend both on the continued positive performance of the portfolio company and the existence of favorable financing market conditions that allow such portfolio company the ability to replace existing financing with less expensive capital. In periods of rising interest rates, the risk of prepayment of floating rate loans may increase if other financing sources are available. As market conditions change frequently, we will often be unable to predict when, and if, this may be possible for each of our portfolio companies.

Our loans may have limited amortization requirements.

        We may invest in debt that has limited mandatory amortization and interim repayment requirements. A low level of amortization of any debt, over the life of the investment, may increase the risk that a portfolio company will not be able to repay or refinance the debt held by us when it comes due at its final stated maturity.

We may invest in high yield debt, or junk bonds, which has greater credit and liquidity risk than more highly rated debt obligations.

        We may invest in high yield debt, a substantial portion of which may be rated below investment-grade by one or more nationally recognized statistical rating organizations or is unrated but of comparable credit quality to obligations rated below investment-grade, and has greater credit and liquidity risk than more highly rated debt obligations. High yield debt is generally unsecured and may be subordinate to other obligations of the obligor. The lower rating of high yield debt reflects a greater possibility that adverse changes in the financial condition of the obligor or in general economic conditions (including, for example, a substantial period of rising interest rates or declining earnings) or both may impair the ability of the obligor to make payment of principal and interest. Many issuers of high yield debt are highly leveraged, and their relatively high debt-to-equity ratios create increased risks that their operations might not generate sufficient cash flow to service their debt obligations. In addition, many issuers of high yield debt may be in poor financial condition, experiencing poor operating results, having substantial capital needs or negative net worth or be facing special competitive or product obsolescence problems, and may include companies involved in bankruptcy or other reorganizations or liquidation proceedings. High yield debt generally experiences greater default rates than is the case for investment-grade securities. Certain of these securities may not be publicly traded, and therefore it may be difficult to obtain information as to the true condition of the issuer. Overall declines in the below investment-grade bond and other markets may adversely affect such issuers by

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inhibiting their ability to refinance their debt at maturity. High yield debt is often less liquid than higher rated securities, and the market for high yield debt has recently experienced periods of volatility. The market values of certain of this high yield debt may reflect individual corporate developments.

        For a description of zero-coupon or deferred interest bonds, see " —Our investments in mezzanine debt and other junior securities are subordinate to senior indebtedness of the applicable company and are subject to greater risk. "

We may invest in equity securities, which generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities.

        We may in certain limited circumstances invest in equity securities, including equity securities issued by entities with unrated or below investment-grade debt. As with other investments that we may make, the value of equity securities held by us may be adversely affected by actual or perceived negative events relating to the issuer of such securities, the industry or geographic areas in which such issuer operates or the financial markets generally. However, equity securities may be even more susceptible to such events given their subordinate position in the issuer's capital structure. As such, equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed income securities, and the market price of equity securities owned by us is more susceptible to moving up or down in a rapid or unpredictable manner. The equity securities we acquire may fail to appreciate and may decline in value or become worthless, and our ability to recover our investment will depend on our portfolio company's success. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience.

        Even if the portfolio company is successful, our ability to realize the value of our investment may be dependent on the occurrence of a liquidity event, such as a public offering or the sale of the portfolio company. It is likely to take a significant amount of time before a liquidity event occurs or we can otherwise sell our investment. In addition, the equity securities we receive or invest in may be subject to restrictions on resale during periods in which it could be advantageous to sell them.

        There are special risks associated with investing in preferred securities, including:

•

preferred securities may include provisions that permit the issuer, at its discretion, to defer distributions for a stated period without any adverse consequences to the issuer. If we own a preferred security that is deferring its distributions, we may be required to report income for tax purposes before we receive such distributions;



•

preferred securities are subordinated to debt in terms of priority to income and liquidation payments, and therefore will be subject to greater credit risk than debt;



•

preferred securities may be substantially less liquid than many other securities, such as common stock or U.S. government securities; and



•

generally, preferred security holders have no voting rights with respect to the issuing company, subject to limited exceptions.

The prices of the financial instruments in which we invest may be highly volatile.

        Price movements of instruments in which our assets may be invested are influenced by, among other things, interest rates, changing supply and demand relationships, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies of governments and national and international political and economic events and policies. In addition, governments, from time to time, intervene, directly and by regulation, in certain markets, particularly those in currencies and financial instrument options. Such intervention is intended to influence prices directly and may, together with other factors, cause all of

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such markets to move rapidly in the same direction because of, among other things, interest rate fluctuations.

Our investment in entire portfolios may not be as successful as acquiring the assets individually.

        We may invest in entire portfolios of assets sold by hedge funds, other BDCs, regional commercial banks, specialty finance companies and other types of financial firms. The performance of individual assets in such a portfolio will vary, and the return on our investment in an entire portfolio may not exceed the returns we would have received had we purchased some, but not all, of the assets contained in such portfolio.

Investments in financially troubled companies involve significantly greater risk than investments in non-troubled companies.

        We may invest in the obligations of companies that are financially troubled and that are either engaged in a reorganization or expect to file for bankruptcy. Although the terms of such financing may result in significant returns to us, investments in financially troubled companies involve significantly greater risk than investments in non-troubled companies, and the repayment of obligations of financially troubled companies is subject to significant uncertainties. The level of analytical sophistication, both financial and legal, necessary for successful financing to companies experiencing significant business and financial difficulties is unusually high. There is no assurance that we will correctly evaluate the value of the assets collateralizing our loans or the prospects for a successful reorganization or similar action. We may make investments that become distressed due to factors outside the control of our Advisor. There is also no assurance that there will be sufficient collateral to cover the value of the loans and/or other investments purchased by us or that there will be a successful reorganization or similar action of the company or investment which becomes distressed. In any reorganization or liquidation proceeding relating to a company in which we invest, we may lose all or part of our investment, may be required to accept collateral, cash or securities with a value less than our original investment and/or may be required to accept payment over an extended period of time. Additionally, we may invest in the securities of financially troubled companies that are non-U.S. issuers. Such non-U.S. issuers may be subject to bankruptcy and reorganization processes and proceedings that are not comparable to those in the United States and that may be less favorable to the rights of lenders.

Investments in "event-driven" special situations may not fully insulate us from risks inherent in our planned activities.

        Our strategies, from time to time, involve investments in "event-driven" special situations such as recapitalizations, spinoffs, corporate and financial restructurings, litigation or other catalyst-orientated situations. Investments in such securities are often difficult to analyze, and we could be incorrect in our assessment of the downside risk associated with an investment, thus resulting in a significant loss. Although we intend to utilize appropriate risk management strategies, such strategies cannot fully insulate us from the risks inherent in our planned activities. Moreover, in certain situations, we may be unable to, or may choose not to, implement risk management strategies because of the costs involved or other relevant circumstances.

We may be subject to lender liability and equitable subordination.

        In recent years, a number of judicial decisions in the United States have upheld the right of borrowers to sue lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories (collectively termed "lender liability"). Generally, lender liability is founded upon the premise that an institutional lender has violated a duty (whether implied or contractual) of good faith and fair dealing owed to the borrower or has assumed a degree of control over the borrower resulting in creation of a fiduciary duty

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owed to the borrower or its other creditors or stockholders. Because of the nature of certain of our investments, we could be subject to allegations of lender liability.

        In addition, under common law principles that in some cases form the basis for lender liability claims, if a lending institution (i) intentionally takes an action that results in the undercapitalization of a borrower to the detriment of other creditors of such borrower, (ii) engages in other inequitable conduct to the detriment of such other creditors, (iii) engages in fraud with respect to, or makes misrepresentations to, such other creditors or (iv) uses its influence as a stockholder to dominate or control a borrower to the detriment of the other creditors of such borrower, a court may elect to subordinate the claim of the offending lending institution to the claims of the disadvantaged creditor or creditors, a remedy called "equitable subordination." Because of the nature of certain of our investments, we could be subject to claims from creditors of an obligor that our investments issued by such obligor should be equitably subordinated. A significant number of our investments will involve investments in which we will not be the lead creditor. It is, accordingly, possible that lender liability or equitable subordination claims affecting our investments could arise without our direct involvement.

        If we purchase debt securities of an affiliate of a portfolio company in the secondary market at a discount, (i) a court might require us to disgorge profit it realizes if the opportunity to purchase such securities at a discount should have been made available to the issuer of such securities or (ii) we might be prevented from enforcing such securities at their full face value if the issuer of such securities becomes bankrupt.

Participation on creditors' committees may expose our Advisor to liability.

        Our Advisor may participate on committees formed by creditors to negotiate the management of financially troubled companies that may or may not be in bankruptcy or our Advisor may seek to negotiate directly with the debtors with respect to restructuring issues. If our Advisor does join a creditors' committee, the participants of the committee would be interested in obtaining an outcome that is in their respective individual best interests and there can be no assurance of obtaining results most favorable to us in such proceedings. By participating on such committees, our Advisor may be deemed to have duties to other creditors represented by the committees, which might expose our Advisor to liability to such other creditors who disagree with our Advisor's actions.

        While our Advisor intends to comply with all applicable securities laws and to make judgments concerning restrictions on trading in good faith, our Advisor may trade in a portfolio company's securities while engaged in the portfolio company's restructuring activities. Such trading creates a risk of litigation and liability that may cause our Advisor and/or us to incur significant legal fees and potential losses.

We cannot assure the accuracy of projections and forecasts used by our Advisor.

        Our Advisor may rely upon projections, forecasts or estimates developed by us or a portfolio company in which we are invested concerning the portfolio company's future performance and cash flow. Projections, forecasts and estimates are forward-looking statements and are based upon certain assumptions. Actual events are difficult to predict and beyond our control. Actual events may differ from those assumed. Some important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements include changes in interest rates, domestic and foreign business, market, financial or legal conditions, differences in the actual allocation of our investments among asset groups from that described herein, the degree to which our investments are hedged and the effectiveness of such hedges, among others. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that estimated returns or projections can be realized or that actual returns or results will not be materially lower than those estimated therein.

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We are a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and therefore we are not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that may be invested in securities of a single issuer or industry.

        We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that we are not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that we may invest in securities of a single issuer. Beyond the Diversification Tests (as defined below in " Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Taxation as a RIC ") associated with our qualification as a RIC under the Code, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification. As such, our assets may not be diversified. Any such non-diversification would increase the risk of loss to us if there was a decline in the market value of any loan in which we had invested a large percentage of its assets. If a large portion of our assets is held in cash or similarly liquid form, our performance might be adversely affected. Investment in a non-diversified fund will generally entail greater risks than investment in a "diversified" fund. We may have a more concentrated or less broad and varied portfolio than an average mutual fund. A more concentrated portfolio can cause a portfolio such as ours to have higher volatility. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. Our portfolio may be concentrated in a limited number of portfolio companies and industries, which will subject us to a risk of significant loss if any of these companies defaults on its obligations under any of its debt instruments or if there is a downturn in a particular industry.

Our failure to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies could impair the value of our portfolio.

        Following our initial investment in a portfolio company, we may decide to provide additional funds to such portfolio company, seeking to:

•

increase or maintain in whole or in part our position as a creditor or equity ownership percentage in a portfolio company;



•

exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing; or



•

preserve or enhance the value of our investment.

        There is no assurance that we will make follow-on investments or that we will have sufficient funds to make all or any of such investments. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we may not want to increase our level of risk, because we prefer other opportunities or because we are inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements of the 1940 Act or the desire to maintain our qualification as a RIC. Our ability to make follow-on investments may also be limited by Bain Capital Credit and our Advisor's allocation policy or our ability to comply with our exemptive relief. Any decision by us not to make follow-on investments or its inability to make such investments may have a substantial adverse effect on a portfolio company in need of such an investment. Additionally, a failure to make such investments may result in a lost opportunity for us to increase its participation in a successful portfolio company or the dilution of our ownership in a portfolio company if a third party invests in the portfolio company.

Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies, and such portfolio companies may not generate sufficient cash flow to service their debt obligations to us.

        The characterization of certain of our investments as senior debt or senior secured debt does not mean that such debt will necessarily be repaid in priority to all other obligations of the businesses in which we invest. Furthermore, debt and other liabilities incurred by non-guarantor subsidiaries of the borrowers of senior secured loans made by us may be structurally senior to the debt held by us. In the

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event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, the debt and other liabilities of such subsidiaries could be repaid in full before any distribution can be made to an obligor of the senior secured loans held by us. Further, portfolio companies will typically incur trade credit and other liabilities or indebtedness, which by their terms may provide that their holders are entitled to receive principal payments on or before the dates payments are due in respect of the senior secured loans held by us.

        Where we hold a first lien to secure senior indebtedness, the portfolio companies may be permitted to issue other senior loans with liens that rank junior to the first liens granted to us. The intercreditor rights of the holders of such other junior lien debt may, in any liquidation, reorganization, insolvency, dissolution or bankruptcy of such a portfolio company, affect the recovery that we would have been able to achieve in the absence of such other debt.

        Additionally, certain loans that we may make to portfolio companies may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company's obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the portfolio company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the portfolio company's remaining assets, if any.

        Even where the senior loans held by us are secured by a perfected lien over a substantial portion of the assets of a portfolio company and its subsidiaries, the portfolio company and its subsidiaries will often be able to incur a substantial amount of additional indebtedness, which may have an exclusive lien over particular assets. For example, debt and other liabilities incurred by non-guarantor subsidiaries of portfolio companies will be structurally senior to the debt held by us. Accordingly, any such debt and other liabilities of such subsidiaries would, in the event of liquidation, dissolution, insolvency, reorganization or bankruptcy of such subsidiary, be repaid in full before any distributions to an obligor of the loans held by us. Furthermore, these other assets over which other lenders have a lien may be substantially more liquid or valuable than the assets over which we have a lien.

        The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing the loans we make to our portfolio companies with senior debt outstanding may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of such senior debt. Under a typical intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens:

•

the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral;



•

the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings;



•

the approval of amendments to collateral documents;



•

releases of liens on the collateral; and



•

waivers of past defaults under collateral documents.

        We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if our rights are adversely affected.

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The disposition of our investments may result in contingent liabilities.

        We may, from time to time, incur contingent liabilities in connection with an investment. For example, we may acquire a revolving credit or delayed draw term facility that has not yet been fully drawn or may originate or make a secondary purchase of a revolving credit facility. If the borrower subsequently draws down on the facility, we will be obligated to fund the amounts due. In connection with the disposition of an investment in loans and private securities, we may be required to make representations about the business and financial affairs of the portfolio company typical of those made in connection with the sale of a business. We may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment to the extent that any such representations turn out to be inaccurate or with respect to potential liabilities. We may incur numerous other types of contingent liabilities. There can be no assurance that we will adequately reserve for its contingent liabilities and that such liabilities will not have an adverse effect on us.

We may be subject to risks under hedging transactions and may become subject to risk if we invest in non-U.S. securities.

        Our investment strategy contemplates potential investments in securities of non-U.S. companies to the extent permissible under the 1940 Act. Investing in loans and securities of non-U.S. issuers involves additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These risks include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of foreign taxes (potentially at confiscatory levels), less liquid markets, less available information than is generally the case in the United States, higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than about a U.S. issuer, and non-U.S. issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the United States. These risks are likely to be more pronounced for investments in companies located in emerging markets and particularly for middle-market companies in these economies. Further, our investments that are denominated in a non-U.S. currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency will change in relation to the U.S. dollar. The rates of exchange between the U.S. dollar and other currencies are affected by many factors, including forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets. These rates are also affected by the international balance of payments and other economic and financial conditions, government intervention, speculation and other factors. We are not obligated to engage in any currency hedging operations, and there can be no assurance as to the success of any hedging operations that we may implement. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we cannot assure you that such strategies will be effective or without risk to us. The values and relative yields of investments in the securities markets of different countries, and their associated risks, are expected to change independently of each other.

        We are authorized to use various investment strategies to hedge interest rate or currency exchange risks. These strategies are generally accepted as portfolio management techniques and are regularly used by many investment funds and other institutional investors. Techniques and instruments may change over time as new instruments and strategies are developed or regulatory changes occur. We may use any or all such types of interest rate hedging transactions and currency hedging transactions at any time and no particular strategy will dictate the use of one transaction rather than another. The choice of any particular interest rate hedging transactions and currency hedging transactions will be a function of numerous variables, including market conditions. Our investments or liabilities may be denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, and hence the value of such investments, or the amount of such liabilities, will depend in part on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar. We may be affected favorably or unfavorably by exchange control regulations or changes in the exchange rate between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar.

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        Changes in foreign currency exchange rates may also affect the value of distributions and interest earned as well as the level of gains and losses realized on the sale of securities. Although we intend to engage in any interest rate hedging transactions and currency hedging transactions only for hedging purposes and not for speculation, use of interest rate hedging transactions and currency hedging transactions involves certain inherent risks. These risks include (i) the possibility that the market will move in a manner or direction that would have resulted in gain for us had an interest rate hedging transaction or currency hedging transaction not been utilized, in which case it would have been better had we not engaged in the interest rate hedging transaction or currency hedging transaction, (ii) the risk of imperfect correlation between the risk sought to be hedged and the interest rate hedging transaction or currency hedging transaction utilized, (iii) potential illiquidity for the hedging instrument utilized, which may make it difficult for us to close-out or unwind an interest rate hedging transaction or currency hedging transaction and (iv) credit risk with respect to the counterparty to the interest rate hedging transaction or currency hedging transaction. In addition, it might not be possible for us to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those loans and securities would likely fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations.

Our investments in OID and PIK interest income may expose us to risks associated with such income being required to be included in accounting income and taxable income prior to receipt of cash.

        Our investments may include OID and PIK instruments. To the extent OID and PIK interest income constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to risks associated with such income being required to be included in accounting income and taxable income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:

•

OID instruments and PIK securities may have unreliable valuations because the accretion of OID as interest income and the continuing accruals of PIK securities require judgments about their collectability and the collectability of deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral;



•

OID income may also create uncertainty about the source of our cash dividends;



•

OID instruments may create heightened credit risks because the inducement to the borrower to accept higher interest rates in exchange for the deferral of cash payments typically represents, to some extent, speculation on the part of the borrower;



•

for accounting purposes, cash distributions to stockholders that include a component of accreted OID income do not come from paid-in capital, although they may be paid from the offering proceeds. Thus, although a distribution of accreted OID income may come from the cash invested by the stockholders, the 1940 Act does not require that stockholders be given notice of this fact;



•

generally, we need to recognize income for income tax purposes no later than when we recognize such income for accounting purposes;



•

the higher interest rates on PIK securities reflects the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with such instruments and PIK securities generally represent a significantly higher credit risk than coupon loans;



•

the presence of accreted OID income and PIK interest income create the risk of non-refundable cash payments to our Advisor in the form of incentive fees on income based on non-cash accreted OID income and PIK interest income accruals that may never be realized;



•

even if accounting conditions are met, borrowers on such securities could still default when our actual collection is expected to occur at the maturity of the obligation;

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•

OID and PIK create the risk that incentive fees will be paid to our Advisor based on non-cash accruals that ultimately may not be realized, while our Advisor will be under no obligation to reimburse us for these fees; and



•

PIK interest has the effect of generating investment income and increasing the incentive fees payable at a compounding rate. In addition, the deferral of PIK interest also reduces the loan-to-value ratio at a compounding rate.

We are subject to risks associated with investing alongside other third parties, including our joint venture.

        We have invested in a joint venture, ABC Complete Financing Solution LLC, and may invest in additional or different joint ventures alongside third parties through partnerships, joint ventures or other entities in the future. Such investments may involve risks not present in investments where a third party is not involved, including the possibility that such third party may at any time have economic or business interests or goals which are inconsistent with ours, or may be in a position to take action contrary to our investment objectives. In addition, we may in certain circumstances be liable for actions of such third party.

        More specifically, joint ventures involve a third party that has approval rights over activity of the joint venture. The third party may take actions that are inconsistent with our interests. For example, the third party may decline to approve an investment for the joint venture that we otherwise want the joint venture to make. A joint venture may also use investment leverage which magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested. Generally, the amount of borrowing by the joint venture is not included when calculating our total borrowing and related leverage ratios and is not subject to asset coverage requirements imposed by the 1940 Act. If the activities of the joint venture were required to be consolidated with our activities because of a change in GAAP rules or SEC staff interpretations, it is likely that we would have to reorganize any such joint venture.

Federal Income Tax and Other Tax Risks

We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC.

        In order to qualify and be eligible for taxation as a RIC under the Code, we must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and distribution requirements. The distribution requirement for a RIC is satisfied if we distribute dividends in respect of each taxable year of an amount equal to at least 90% of our investment company taxable income, determined without regard to any deduction for dividends paid, to our stockholders. We will be subject, to the extent we use debt financing, to certain asset coverage ratio requirements under the 1940 Act and financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to enable us to be eligible for taxation as a RIC. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to be eligible for taxation as a RIC and, thus, may be subject to corporate-level income tax. To qualify and be eligible for taxation as a RIC, we must also meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. These tests may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of our qualifications as a RIC. Because most of our investments will be in private or thinly traded public companies, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and may result in substantial losses. If we fail to qualify to be eligible for taxation as a RIC for any reason and become subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distributions to our stockholders and the amount of funds available for new investments. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on us and our stockholders. See " Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Taxation as a RIC. "

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Shareholders may be required to pay tax in excess of the cash they receive.

        Under the DRIP, if a stockholder owns shares of our common stock, the stockholder will have all cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of that stockholder's common stock unless such stockholder, or his, her or its nominee on such stockholder's behalf, specifically "opts out" of the DRIP by delivering a written notice to the plan administrator prior to the record date of the next distribution. If a stockholder does not "opt out" of the DRIP, that stockholder will be deemed to have received, and for U.S. federal income tax purposes will be taxed on, the amount reinvested in our common stock to the extent the amount reinvested was not a tax-free return of capital. As a result, a stockholder may have to use funds from other sources to pay U.S. federal income tax liability on the value of the common stock received. Even if a stockholder chooses to "opt out" of the DRIP, we will have the ability to declare a large portion of a dividend in shares of our common stock instead of in cash in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement (as defined below in " Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Election to Be Taxed as a RIC "). As long as a portion of this dividend is paid in cash and certain requirements are met, the entire distribution will be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, a stockholder generally will be subject to tax on 100% of the fair market value of the dividend on the date the dividend is received by the stockholder in the same manner as a cash dividend, even though most of the dividend was paid in shares of common stock.

We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before, or without, receiving cash representing such income.

        For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as amounts accrued as OID. OID may arise if we receive warrants in connection with the making of a loan and in other circumstances, or through contracted PIK interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such OID, which could be significant relative to our overall investment activities, or increases in loan balances as a result of contracted PIK arrangements, will be included in income regardless of whether we concurrently receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash concurrently with such inclusion.

        Since in certain cases we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the requirement in a given taxable year to distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income, determined without regard to any deduction for distributions paid, as distributions to our stockholders in order to maintain our ability to be eligible for treatment as a RIC. In such a case, we may have to sell some of our investments at times we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or reduce new investment originations to meet these distribution requirements. If we are not able to obtain such cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify to be eligible for treatment as a RIC and thus be subject to corporate-level income tax.

We may experience potential adverse tax consequences as a result of not being treated as a "publicly offered regulated investment company."

        We will be treated as a "publicly offered regulated investment company" (within the meaning of Section 67 of the Code) if either (i) shares of our common stock and our preferred stock (if any) collectively are held by at least 500 persons at all times during a taxable year, (ii) shares of our common stock are treated as regularly traded on an established securities market or (iii) shares of our common stock are continuously offered pursuant to a public offering (within the meaning of Section 4 of the Securities Act). We cannot assure you that we will be treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for all years. If we are not treated as a publicly offered regulated investment company for any calendar year, each U.S. stockholder that is an individual, trust or estate will be

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treated as having received a distribution from us in the amount of such U.S. stockholder's allocable share of the management and incentive fees paid to our Advisor and certain of our other expenses for the calendar year, and these fees and expenses will be treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions of such U.S. stockholder. For taxable years beginning before 2026, miscellaneous itemized deductions generally are not deductible by a U.S. stockholder that is an individual, trust or estate. For taxable years beginning in 2026 or later, miscellaneous itemized deductions generally are deductible by a U.S. stockholder that is an individual, trust or estate only to the extent that the aggregate of such U.S. stockholder's miscellaneous itemized deductions exceeds 2% of such U.S. stockholder's adjusted gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, are not deductible for purposes of the alternative minimum tax and are subject to the overall limitation on itemized deductions under Section 68 of the Code.

We may be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax on distributions for non-U.S. stockholders.

        Distributions by a BDC generally are treated as dividends for U.S. tax purposes, and will be subject to U.S. income or withholding tax unless the stockholder receiving the distribution qualifies for an exemption from U.S. tax, or the distribution is subject to one of the special look-through rules described below. Distributions paid out of net capital gains can qualify for a reduced rate of taxation in the hands of an individual U.S. stockholder, and an exemption from U.S. tax in the hands of a non-U.S. stockholder.

        However, if properly reported by a RIC as such, dividend distributions by the RIC derived from certain interest income (such distributions, "interest-related dividends") and certain net short-term capital gains (such distributions, "short-term capital gain dividends") generally are exempt from U.S. withholding tax otherwise imposed on non-U.S. stockholders. Interest-related dividends are dividends that are attributable to "qualified net interest income" ( i.e ., "qualified interest income," which generally consists of certain interest and OID on obligations "in registered form" as well as interest on bank deposits earned by a RIC, less allocable deductions) from sources within the United States. Short-term capital gain dividends are dividends that are attributable to net short-term capital gains, other than short-term capital gains recognized on the disposition of U.S. real property interests, earned by a RIC. However, no assurance can be given as to whether any of our distributions will be eligible for this exemption from U.S. withholding tax or, if eligible, will be reported as such by us. Furthermore, in the case of shares of our stock held through an intermediary, the intermediary may have withheld U.S. federal income tax even if we reported the payment as an interest-related dividend or short-term capital gain dividend. Since our common stock will be subject to significant transfer restrictions, and an investment in our common stock will generally be illiquid, non-U.S. stockholders whose distributions on our common stock are subject to U.S. withholding tax may not be able to transfer their shares of our common stock easily or quickly or at all.

        A failure of any portion of our distributions to qualify for the exemption for interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends would not affect the treatment of non-U.S. stockholders that qualify for an exemption from U.S. withholding tax on dividends by reason of their special status (for example, foreign government-related entities and certain pension funds resident in favorable treaty jurisdictions).

We may retain income and capital gains in excess of what is permissible for excise tax purposes and such amounts will be subject to 4% U.S. federal excise tax, reducing the amount available for distribution to taxpayers.

        We may retain some income and capital gains in the future, including for purposes of providing us with additional liquidity, which amounts would be subject to the 4% U.S. federal excise tax. In that event, we will be liable for the tax on the amount by which we do not meet the foregoing distribution requirement. See " Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations ."

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Our business may be adversely affected if we fail to maintain our qualification as a RIC.

        To maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code, we must meet the Annual Distribution Requirement, 90% Income Test and Diversification Tests described below and defined and further described in " Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations ." The Annual Distribution Requirement will be satisfied if we distribute dividends to our stockholders in respect of each taxable year of an amount generally at least equal to 90% of our investment company taxable income, determined without regard to any deduction for distributions paid. In this regard, a RIC may, in certain cases, satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement by distributing dividends relating to a taxable year after the close of such taxable year under the "spillback dividend" provisions of Subchapter M of the Code. We will be subject to tax, at regular corporate rates, on any retained income and/or gains, including any short-term capital gains or long-term capital gains. We must also satisfy the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement, which is an additional distribution requirement with respect to each calendar year in order to avoid the imposition of a 4% excise tax on the amount of any under-distribution. Because we may use debt financing, we are subject to (i) an asset coverage ratio requirement under the 1940 Act and may, in the future, be subject to (ii) certain financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, or chose or be required to retain a portion of our taxable income or gains, we could (i) be required to pay excise tax and (ii) fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment, and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax on our taxable income (including gains).

        The 90% Income Test will be satisfied if we earn at least 90% of our gross income each taxable year from distributions, interest, gains from the sale of stock or securities, or other income derived from the business of investing in stock or securities. The Diversification Tests will be satisfied if we meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. To satisfy the Diversification Tests, at least 50% of the value of our assets at the close of each quarter of each taxable year must consist of cash, cash equivalents (including receivables), U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other acceptable securities, and no more than 25% of the value of our assets can be invested in the securities, other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer, of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable Code rules, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses or of certain "qualified publicly traded partnerships." Failure to meet these requirements may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of our investments will be in private companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses.

        We may invest in certain debt and equity investments through taxable subsidiaries and the net taxable income of these taxable subsidiaries will be subject to federal and state corporate income taxes. We also may invest in certain foreign debt and equity investments which could be subject to foreign taxes (such as income tax, withholding, and value added taxes). If we fail to maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution, and the amount of our distributions.

We may be impacted by recently enacted federal tax legislation.

        Significant U.S. federal tax reform legislation was recently enacted that, among other things, permanently reduces the maximum federal corporate income tax rate, reduces the maximum individual income tax rate (effective for taxable years 2018 through 2025), restricts the deductibility of business interest expense, changes the rules regarding the calculation of net operating loss deductions that may be used to offset taxable income, expands the circumstances in which a foreign corporation will be treated as a "controlled foreign corporation" and, under certain circumstances, requires accrual method

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taxpayers to recognize income for U.S. federal income tax purposes no later than the income is taken into account as revenue in an applicable financial statement. The impact of this new legislation on us, our stockholders and entities in which we may invest is uncertain. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the effects of the new legislation on an investment in us.

Risks Relating to this Offering and Our Common Stock

Investing in our common stock involves an above average degree of risk.

        The investments we make in accordance with our investment objectives may result in a higher amount of risk than alternative investment options and a higher risk of volatility or loss of principal. Therefore, an investment in shares of our common stock may not be suitable for someone with lower risk tolerance. In addition, our common stock is intended for long-term investors who can accept the risks of investing primarily in illiquid loans and other debt or debt-like instruments and should not be treated as a trading vehicle.

The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.

        The market price and liquidity of the market for shares of our common stock that will prevail in the market after this offering may be higher or lower than the price you pay and may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include:

•

significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of BDCs or other companies in our sector, which are not necessarily related to the operating performance of these companies;



•

price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time;



•

the inclusion or exclusion of our stock from certain indices;



•

changes in regulatory policies or tax guidelines, particularly with respect to RICs or BDCs;



•

any loss of RIC or BDC status;



•

changes in earnings or perceived changes or variations in operating results;



•

changes or perceived changes in the value of our portfolio of investments;



•

changes in accounting guidelines governing valuation of our investments;



•

any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors or securities analysts;



•

the inability of our Advisor to employ additional experienced investment professionals or the departure of any of our Advisor's key personnel;



•

short-selling pressure with respect to shares of our common stock or BDCs generally;



•

future sales of our securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for our common stock or the conversion of such securities;



•

uncertainty surrounding the strength of the U.S. economy;



•

concerns regarding European sovereign debt and economic activity generally;



•

operating performance of companies comparable to us;



•

general economic trends and other external factors; and



•

loss of a major funding source.

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        In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company's securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. If our stock price fluctuates significantly, we may be the target of securities litigation in the future. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management's attention and resources from our business.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock, and we cannot assure you that the market price of shares of our common stock will not decline following the offering.

        We cannot assure you that a trading market will develop for our common stock after this offering or, if one develops, that such trading market can be sustained. In addition, we cannot predict the prices at which our common stock will trade, whether at, above or below NAV. Shares of companies offered in an initial public offering often trade at a discount to the initial offering price due to underwriting discounts and related offering expenses. Also, shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, frequently trade at a discount from NAV, and our common stock may also be discounted in the market. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies is separate and distinct from the risk that our NAV per share may decline and may be greater for investors expecting to sell shares of common stock purchased in the offering soon after the offering. In addition, if our common stock trades below its NAV, we will generally not be able to sell additional shares of our common stock to the public at its market price without, among other things, the requisite stockholders approve such a sale.

Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.

        Upon completion of this offering, we will have 51,482,137 shares of common stock outstanding (or 52,607,137 shares of common stock if the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares is fully exercised). Following this offering and the expiration of applicable lock-up periods, sales of substantial amounts of our common stock, or the availability of such shares for sale, could adversely affect the prevailing market prices for our common stock. If this occurs and continues, it could impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities should we desire to do so.

Investors in this offering may experience immediate dilution upon completion of this offering.

        If you purchase shares of our common stock in this offering, you may experience immediate dilution if the price that you pay is greater than the pro forma NAV per share of the common stock you acquire. Investors in this offering could pay a price per share of common stock that exceeds the tangible book value per share after the closing of the offering. Assuming an initial public offering price of $20.75 per share (the mid-point of the estimated initial public offering price range as set forth on the cover of this prospectus), purchasers in this offering will experience immediate dilution of approximately $0.62 per share. See " Dilution ."

Purchases of our common stock under the 10b5-1 Plan may result in the price of our common stock being higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market.

        BCSF Investments, LLC and certain individuals, including Michael A. Ewald, our Chief Executive Officer and a Managing Director of Bain Capital Credit, Jonathan S. Lavine, Co-Managing Partner of Bain Capital and Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Bain Capital Credit, John Connaughton, Co-Managing Partner of Bain Capital, Jeffrey B. Hawkins, Chairman of our Board of Directors and a Managing Director of Bain Capital Credit, and Michael J. Boyle, our Vice President and Treasurer and a Director of Bain Capital Credit, intend to adopt the 10b5-1 Plan in accordance with Rules 10b5-1 and 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, under which such parties will buy up to $20 million in the aggregate of our common stock in the open market during the period beginning after four full calendar weeks after the closing of this offering and ending on the earlier of the date on which the capital

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committed to the 10b5-1 Plan has been exhausted or one year after the closing of this offering, subject to certain conditions. See " Related Party Transactions and Certain Relationships " for additional details regarding the 10b5-1 Plan. Purchases of our common stock in the open market pursuant to the 10b5-1 Plan will be subject to certain conditions and conducted in accordance with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act and other applicable securities laws and regulations that set certain restrictions on the method, timing, price and volume of stock repurchases. Whether purchases will be made pursuant to the 10b5-1 Plan and how much will be purchased at any time is uncertain, dependent on prevailing market prices and trading volumes, all of which we cannot predict. These activities may have the effect of maintaining the market price of our common stock or retarding a decline in the market price of the common stock, and, as a result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market.

Our stockholders will experience dilution in their ownership percentage if they opt out of our DRIP.

        We have adopted a DRIP, pursuant to which we will reinvest all cash distributions declared by the Board on behalf of stockholders who do not elect to receive their distributions in cash. As a result, if the Board authorizes, and we declare, a cash distribution, then our stockholders who have not opted out of our DRIP will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional common stock, rather than receiving the cash distribution. See " Distributions " and " Dividend Reinvestment Plan " for a description of our dividend policy and obligations.

        If on the payment date for any distribution, the most recently computed NAV per share is equal to or less than the closing market price plus estimated per share fees (which include any applicable brokerage commissions the plan agent is required to pay), the plan agent will invest the distribution amount in newly issued shares on behalf of the participants. The number of newly issued shares to be credited to a participant's account will be determined by dividing the dollar amount of the distribution by the most recently computed NAV per share provided that, if the NAV is less than or equal to 95% of the then current market price per share, the dollar amount of the distribution will be divided by 95% of the market price on the payment date. Accordingly, participants in the DRIP may receive a greater number shares of our common stock than the number of shares associated with the market price of our common stock, resulting in dilution for other stockholders. Stockholders that opt out of our DRIP will experience dilution in their ownership percentage of our common stock over time.

We may in the future determine to issue preferred stock, which could adversely affect the market value of our common stock.

        The issuance of shares of preferred stock with dividend or conversion rights, liquidation preferences or other economic terms more favorable to the holders of preferred stock than to our common stockholders could adversely affect the market price for our common stock by making an investment in the common stock less attractive. In addition, the dividends on any preferred stock we issue must be cumulative. Payment of dividends and repayment of the liquidation preference of preferred stock must take preference over any distributions or other payments to our common stockholders, and holders of preferred stock are not subject to any of our expenses or losses and are not entitled to participate in any income or appreciation in excess of their stated preference (other than convertible preferred stock that converts into common stock). In addition, under the 1940 Act, participating preferred stock and preferred stock constitutes a "senior security" for purposes of the asset coverage test.

There is a risk that you may not receive distributions or that our distributions may not grow over time and a portion of our distributions may be a return of capital.

        We intend to make distributions on a quarterly basis to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow

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us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. Our ability to pay distributions might be adversely affected by the impact of one or more of the risk factors described in this prospectus. If we are unable to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC, or if we violate certain covenants under either Revolving Credit Facility or any future credit or other borrowing facility, our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders could be limited because we may be required by its terms to use all payments of interest and principal that we receive from our current investments as well as any proceeds received from the sale of our current investments to repay amounts outstanding thereunder. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of our Board and will depend on our earnings, financial condition, maintenance of our RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations, compliance with covenants under either Revolving Credit Facility or any future credit or other borrowing facility and such other factors as our Board may deem relevant from time to time.

        Furthermore, the tax treatment and characterization of our distributions may vary significantly from time to time due to the nature of our investments. The ultimate tax characterization of our distributions made during a taxable year may not finally be determined until after the end of that taxable year. The distributions we pay to our stockholders in a year may exceed our net ordinary income and capital gains for that year and, accordingly, a portion of such distributions may constitute a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes that would reduce a stockholder's adjusted tax basis in its shares of our common stock or preferred stock and correspondingly increase such stockholder's gain, or reduce such stockholder's loss, on disposition of such shares. Distributions in excess of a stockholder's adjusted tax basis in its shares of our common stock or preferred stock will generally constitute capital gains to such stockholder.

        A distribution from a RIC consisting of a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes is not a distribution of the RIC's net ordinary income or capital gains. Accordingly, stockholders should carefully read any written disclosure accompanying a distribution from us and the information about the specific tax characteristics of our distributions provided to stockholders after the end of each calendar year, and should not assume that the source of any distribution is our net ordinary income or capital gains.

Our stockholders may experience dilution in their ownership percentage.

        Our stockholders do not have preemptive rights to any shares of our common stock we issue in the future. To the extent that we issue additional equity interests at or below NAV your percentage ownership interest in us may be diluted. In addition, depending upon the terms and pricing of any future and the value of our investments, you may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of your shares of our common stock.

        Under the 1940 Act, we generally are prohibited from issuing or selling shares of our common stock at a price below NAV per share, which may be a disadvantage as compared with certain public companies. We may, however, sell up to 25% of our then outstanding shares of our common stock, or warrants, options, or rights to acquire shares of our common stock, at a price below the current NAV of shares of our common stock if the Board determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders, including a majority of those stockholders that are not affiliated with us, approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of the Board, closely approximates the fair value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). If we raise additional funds by issuing shares of our common stock or senior securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of our common stock, then the percentage ownership of our stockholders at that time will decrease and you will experience dilution.

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We will incur significant costs as a result of being a public company.

        Public companies incur legal, accounting and other expenses, including costs associated with the periodic reporting requirements applicable to a company whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act, as well as additional corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Accordingly, while we currently file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition under the Exchange Act, we will incur significant additional costs as a result of being a public company. These requirements may place a strain on our systems and resources. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, which are discussed below. In order to maintain and improve the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls, significant resources and management oversight will be required. We will be implementing additional procedures, processes, policies and practices for the purpose of addressing the standards and requirements applicable to public companies. These activities may divert management's attention from other business concerns, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We expect to incur significant additional annual expenses related to these steps and, among other things, directors' and officers' liability insurance, director fees, reporting requirements of the SEC, transfer agent fees, additional administrative expenses payable to our Administrator to compensate it for hiring additional accounting, legal and administrative personnel, increased auditing and legal fees and similar expenses.

        We currently are, and expect to remain for so long as we satisfy the applicable standard under the JOBS Act, an "emerging growth company," as defined in the JOBS Act, and we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not "emerging growth companies," including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Although we expect to become a large accelerated filer at some point following this initial public offering, we currently are a "non-accelerated filer" under the Exchange Act, which has exempted us from compliance with these auditor attestation requirements. We cannot predict if investors will find shares of our common stock less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our shares of common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our shares and our share price may be more volatile.

        In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an "emerging growth company" can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act, for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an "emerging growth company" can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We are choosing not to take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards, which may make it more difficult for investors and securities analysts to compare our financial statements to companies that comply with private company effective dates.

Efforts to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act will involve significant expenditures, and non-compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may adversely affect us and the market price of our common stock.

        We have not previously been required to comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including the internal control evaluation and certification requirements of Section 404 of that statute, and we will not be required to comply with certain of those requirements until we have been subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for a specified period of time. However, under current SEC rules, we will be required to report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(a) starting with our fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. Thereafter, we will be required to review on an annual basis our internal control over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and

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annual basis to evaluate and disclose changes in our internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, our internal controls over financial reporting may not currently meet all of the standards contemplated by Section 404 that we will eventually be required to meet. We are in the process of addressing our internal controls over financial reporting and are establishing formal procedures, policies, processes and practices related to financial reporting and to the identification of key financial reporting risks, assessment of their potential impact and linkage of those risks to specific areas and activities within our organization.

        We have begun the process of documenting our internal control procedures to satisfy the requirements of Section 404(a), which requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until the later of the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC, or the date we are no longer an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. Because we do not currently have comprehensive documentation of our internal controls and have not yet tested our internal controls in accordance with Section 404(a), we cannot conclude in accordance with Section 404(a) that we do not have a material weakness in our internal controls or a combination of significant deficiencies that could result in the conclusion that we have a material weakness in our internal controls. As a public entity, we will be required to complete our initial assessment in a timely manner. If we are not able to implement the requirements of Section 404(a) in a timely manner or with adequate compliance, our operations, financial reporting or financial results could be adversely affected. Matters impacting our internal controls may cause us to be unable to report our financial information on a timely basis and thereby subject us to adverse regulatory consequences, including sanctions by the SEC or violations of applicable stock exchange listing rules, and result in a breach of the covenants under the agreements governing any of our financing arrangements. There could also be a negative reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of investor confidence in us and the reliability of our financial statements. Confidence in the reliability of our financial statements could also suffer if we or our independent registered public accounting firm were to report a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting. This could materially adversely affect us and lead to a decline in the market price of our common stock.

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

        This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate," "intend," "continue" or "believe" or the negatives thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they discuss our plans, strategies, prospects and expectations concerning our business, operating results, financial condition and other similar matters. We believe that it is important to communicate our future expectations to our investors. Our forward-looking statements include information in this prospectus regarding general domestic and global economic conditions, our future financing plans, our ability to operate as a BDC and the expected performance of, and the yield on, our portfolio companies. In particular, there are forward-looking statements under " Summary—The Company ," " Business " and " Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. " There may be events in the future, however, that we are not able to predict accurately or control. The factors listed under " Risk Factors ," as well as any cautionary language in this prospectus, provide examples of risks, uncertainties and events that may cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations we describe in our forward-looking statements. Before you invest in our common stock, you should be aware that the occurrence of the events described in these risk factors and elsewhere in this prospectus could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial position.

        The following factors are among those that may cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements:

•

our future operating results;



•

our business prospects and the prospects of our portfolio companies;



•

changes in political, economic or industry conditions, the interest rate environment or conditions affecting the financial and capital markets;



•

currency fluctuations could adversely affect the results of our investments in foreign companies, particularly to the extent that we receive payments denominated in foreign currency rather than U.S. dollars;



•

the ability of our Advisor to locate suitable investments for us and to monitor and administer our investments;



•

the ability of our Advisor and its affiliates to attract and retain highly talented professionals;



•

risk associated with possible disruptions in our operations or the economy generally;



•

the timing of cash flows, if any, from the operations of our portfolio companies;



•

the ability of our portfolio companies to achieve their objectives;



•

changes in laws, policies or regulations (including the interpretation thereof) affecting our operations or the operations of our portfolio companies;



•

the valuation of our investments in portfolio companies, particularly those having no liquid trading market;



•

our ability to recover unrealized losses;



•

market conditions and our ability to access alternative debt markets and additional debt and equity capital;



•

competition with other entities and our affiliates for investment opportunities;

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•

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



•

our ability to maintain our qualification as a BDC and as a RIC;



•

the use of borrowed money to finance a portion of our investments and how much money we may borrow;



•

the adequacy of our financing sources and working capital;



•

the speculative and illiquid nature of our investments;



•

the timing, form and amount of any dividend distribution;



•

actual or potential conflicts of interest with our Advisor and its affiliates;



•

general price and volume fluctuations in the stock market;



•

the costs associated with being a publicly traded company;



•

our contractual arrangements and relationships with third parties; and



•

the risks, uncertainties and other factors we identify under " Risk Factors " and elsewhere in this prospectus.

        Any forward-looking statement made by us in this prospectus speaks only as of the date on which we make it. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Under Sections 27A(b)(2)(B) of the Securities Act and Section 21E(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act, the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 do not apply to statements made in connection with any offering of securities pursuant to this prospectus or in the periodic reports we file under the Exchange Act.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

        We estimate that the net proceeds we will receive from the sale of 7,500,000 shares of our common stock in this offering will be approximately $149.1 million (or approximately $171.7 million if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of our common stock), based on an offering price of $20.75 per share (the mid-point of the estimated initial public offering price range as set forth on the cover of this prospectus), after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions paid by us and including estimated offering expenses of approximately $1.875 million payable by us. Such estimate is subject to change and no assurances can be given that actual expenses will not exceed such amount.

        We intend to use substantially all of the proceeds from the offering, net of expenses, to repay our outstanding indebtedness under the SMBC Revolving Credit Facility ($83.6 million outstanding as of September 30, 2018) and thereafter, to repay a portion of the BCSF Revolving Credit Facility ($150.0 million outstanding as of September 30, 2018). Borrowings under the SMBC Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at LIBOR plus a margin. As of September 30, 2018, the average interest rate (excluding deferred upfront financing costs and unused fees) under the SMBC Revolving Credit Facility was 3.23%. The expected maturity date of the SMBC Revolving Credit Facility is December 22, 2019. Borrowings under the BCSF Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at LIBOR plus a margin. As of September 30, 2018, the average interest rate (excluding deferred upfront financing costs and unused fees) under the BCSF Revolving Credit Facility was 4.59%. The expected maturity date of the BCSF Revolving Credit Facility is October 5, 2022.

        We intend to use any remaining proceeds to make investments in accordance with our investment objectives and strategies and for general corporate purposes. Based on prevailing market conditions, we expect to invest the portion of the proceeds to be allocated to investments, if any, within six months. The precise timing will depend on the availability of investment opportunities that are consistent with our investment objectives and strategies. Until we are able to find such investment opportunities, we intend to invest the net proceeds of this offering primarily in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, money market funds and high-quality debt instruments maturing in one year or less from the time of investment. We may re-borrow the amount of our indebtedness that we repay, subject to certain conditions.

        An affiliate of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, one of our underwriters, is our lender under the BCSF Revolving Credit Facility. Accordingly, if we use proceeds to repay our outstanding debt under the BCSF Revolving Credit Facility, it is expected that affiliates of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC will receive some of the net proceeds of the offering. The amount of money that affiliates of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC will receive out of the net proceeds from the offering will depend on the amount of net proceeds we raise in this offering and how we decide to allocate the proceeds from this offering between our two Revolving Credit Facilities. Based upon the amounts outstanding under the SMBC Revolving Credit Facility as of September 30, 2018, and assuming we repay all amounts under that facility with the net offering proceeds and use all remaining proceeds to repay the BCSF Revolving Credit Facility, we would expect to repay up to $65.4 million under the BCSF Revolving Credit Facility based on an offering at the mid-point of the price range of the front cover of this prospectus.

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DISTRIBUTIONS

        To the extent that we have income available, we intend to distribute quarterly distributions to our stockholders. Our quarterly distributions, if any, will be determined by the Board. Any distributions to our stockholders will be declared out of assets legally available for distribution.

        We have elected to be treated, and intend to operate in a manner so as to continuously qualify, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. To obtain and maintain our RIC tax status, we must distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (as defined by the Code, which generally includes net ordinary income and net short-term taxable gains) to our stockholders in respect of each taxable year, as well as satisfy other applicable requirements under the Code. In addition, we generally will be subject to a nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax equal to 4% of the amount by which our distributions for a calendar year are less than the sum of:

•

98% of our net ordinary income, taking into account certain deferrals and elections, recognized during a calendar year;



•

98.2% of our capital gain net income, adjusted for certain ordinary gains and losses, recognized for the one-year period ending on October 31 of such calendar year; and



•

the sum of any net ordinary income and capital gains net income for preceding years that were not distributed during such years and on which we paid no federal income tax.

        For these excise tax purposes, we will be deemed to have distributed any net ordinary taxable income or capital gain net income on which we have paid U.S. federal income tax. Depending on the level of taxable income earned in a calendar year, we may choose to carry forward taxable income for distribution in the following calendar year, and pay any applicable U.S. federal excise tax. We cannot assure you that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any dividends. See " Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure."

        We currently intend to distribute net capital gains ( i.e ., net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses), if any, at least annually out of the assets legally available for such distributions. However, we may decide in the future to retain such capital gains for investment, incur a corporate-level tax on such capital gains, and elect to treat such capital gains as deemed distributions to you. If this happens, stockholders will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as if stockholders had received an actual distribution of the capital gains that we retain and reinvested the net after tax proceeds in us. In this situation, stockholders would be eligible to claim a tax credit equal to their allocable share of the tax we paid on the capital gains deemed distributed to our stockholders. We cannot offer assurance that we will achieve results that will permit us to pay any cash distributions, and if we issue senior securities, we will be prohibited from making distributions if doing so would cause us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if such distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.

        Unless you elect to receive your distributions in cash, we intend to make such distributions in additional shares of our common stock under our DRIP. Distributions paid in the form of additional shares of our common stock will generally be subject to U.S. federal, state and local taxes in the same manner as cash distributions and, for this purpose, investors receiving distributions in the form of stock will generally be treated as receiving distributions equal to the fair market value of the stock received through the plan; however, investors participating in our DRIP will not receive any corresponding cash with which to pay any such applicable taxes. If you hold shares of our common stock through a broker or financial intermediary, you may elect to receive distributions in cash by notifying your broker or financial intermediary of your election to receive distributions in cash in lieu of shares of our common stock. Any distributions reinvested through the issuance of shares through our DRIP will increase our assets on which the management fee and the incentive fee are determined and paid to our Advisor. See " Dividend Reinvestment Plan ."

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        Our Board intends to declare a distribution of $0.41 per share for the quarter ending December 31, 2018 to stockholders of record as of December 31, 2018. Holders as of the record date of common stock offered pursuant to this prospectus will be entitled to receive this distribution, which is expected to be paid on or about January 15, 2019.

        The following table summarizes our dividends declared and payable since inception through September 30, 2018:

        The federal income tax characterization of distributions declared and paid for the fiscal year will be determined at fiscal year-end based upon the amount of distributions paid and the sources and amounts of income and realized gains and our earnings and profits as determined for federal income tax purposes for the full fiscal year.

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CAPITALIZATION

        The following table sets forth:

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Our actual capitalization as of September 30, 2018; and



•

Our pro forma capitalization as adjusted to reflect (a) the sale of 7,500,000 shares of our common stock in this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares) at an assumed public offering price of $20.75 per share after deducting assumed underwriting discounts and commissions of $4.669 million (reflecting the 50% of the sales load payable by us) and the estimated offering expenses of approximately $1.875 million (reflecting the 50% of the estimated offering expenses payable by us); (b) the application of the proceeds of this offering as described under " Use of Proceeds; " and (c) the issuance of 160,541 shares of our common stock under our DRIP and $3.2 million in additional paid-in capital in excess of par in connection with the dividend paid on October 19, 2018.

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DILUTION

        The dilution to investors in this offering is represented by the difference between the offering price per share of our common stock and the pro forma NAV per share of our common stock after this offering. NAV per share is determined by dividing our NAV, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities, by the number of outstanding shares of common stock.

        After giving effect to the sale of the shares of common stock to be sold in this offering at $20.75 per share (the mid-point of the estimated initial public offering price range), the issuance of 160,541 shares of our common stock under our DRIP in connection with the dividend paid on October 19, 2018 and the deduction of estimated offering expenses, our as-adjusted net NAV as of September 30, 2018 would be approximately $1,036.3 million, or $20.13 per share, representing an immediate dilution of $0.62 per share, or 2.99%, to shares sold in this offering. The following illustration assumes no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares. If the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares is exercised in full, there would be an immediate dilution to the NAV of $0.62 per share, or 2.99%, to the shares sold in this offering.

        The following table illustrates the dilution to the shares on a per share basis (without exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares):

        The following table sets forth, immediately prior to this offering, information with respect to the shares prior to and following this offering (without exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares):

        The as-adjusted NAV upon completion of this offering (without exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares) is calculated as follows: