FAQ

The company was founded in December 2003. The IPO was completed on June 9, 2005 at an offering price of $13.00.

Hercules’ common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “HTGC.” In addition, Hercules has an outstanding bond issuance of 6.25% Notes due on October 2033, which trade on the NYSE under the the ticker symbol “HCXY.”

You can buy shares of Hercules Capital common stock at any time through a registered brokerage firm.

Yes – Hercules Capital is a Business Development Company ("BDC").

Congress created Business Development Companies (BDCs) in 1980 to provide public investors another means to invest in the long-term growth of private U.S. businesses. BDCs invest their capital primarily in small and middle market private companies in the U.S. Typically, BDCs are structured to originate and hold debt and equity investments to maturity and can invest across a portfolio company's capital structure.

In order to qualify as a BDC, companies must be registered in compliance with Section 54 of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Among other restrictions, BDCs are required to maintain an asset coverage ratio of at least 200% in order to borrow or pay distributions and to meet specific asset diversification requirements. In addition, BDCs that are regulated investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such as Hercules', are required to distribute at least 90% of investment company taxable income to shareholders in order to avoid corporate income tax on distributed taxable income.

Hercules is the leading BDC focused on providing specialty financing to primarily pre-IPO and M&A, innovative high-growth venture-backed companies at their expansion (venture growth) and established stages in a diversified variety of technology, life sciences and sustainable and renewable technology industries.

Our strategy is to evaluate and invest in a broad range of technology-related markets, including technology, biotechnology, life science, and sustainable & renewable technology, and to offer a full suite of growth capital products up and down the capital structure. We invest primarily in structured debt with warrants and, to a lesser extent, in senior debt and equity investments. Our investment objective is to maximize our portfolio total return by generating current income from our debt investments and capital appreciation from our equity-related investments.

Our goal is to be the leading structured debt financing provider of choice for venture capital and private equity-backed technology-related companies requiring sophisticated and customized financing solutions.

We invest in entrepreneurial venture capital-backed companies active in technology, biotechnology, life science and sustainable & renewable technology. Click here for a list of portfolio companies.

We invest in technology-related companies at all stages of development ranging from early to expansion stage to post-IPO, enabling them to reach key growth milestones, often minimizing dilution and without sacrificing valuation.

Venture debt is a type of debt financing provided to venture capital and private equity-backed companies to fund working capital or operating expenses. Venture leasing, or equipment financing, is a specific type of venture debt which is used to purchase equipment, land and other tangible assets. Unlike traditional bank lending, venture debt is available to startups and growth companies that do not have positive cash flows or significant assets to use as collateral. Venture debt providers combine their loans with warrants, or rights to purchase equity, to compensate for the higher risk of default.

For companies at critical stages of development, debt can serve as the right financing option to foster growth, with minimal dilution of equity ownership. Our debt financing solutions are intended to complement equity. Click here for the benefits of venture debt.

The quarterly net asset value per share may be obtained in our public filings (i.e., Forms 10-Q and 10-K) with the Securities and Exchange Commission via its website www.sec.gov or by visiting our SEC filings page.

Yes. Hercules intends to distribute quarterly distributions to shareholders of record. Click Here to view our historical distributions. Please note that there is no guarantee that the distribution rate will not change.

Yes. Click here to see more information on the Distributions Reinvestment Program (DRIP).

You will receive a Form 1099.

Form 1099s are generated by your own brokerage firm. If you did not receive a Form 1099, you should contact your broker.

No. Hercules Capital's distribution is generally not a 'qualified distribution' for tax purposes and therefore generally is not eligible for the lower qualified distribution tax rate. As a regulated investment company, Hercules Capital generally does not pay income taxes on its earnings at the corporate level, but passes its income through to shareholders in the nature that it was earned. Therefore, a portion of our distribution is usually taxable to our shareholders at their ordinary income tax rates and a portion may qualify for the long-term capital gains tax rates. For information about taxes in respect of distributions received by you, you should consult your own tax advisor.

Please click here to find out about tax information from Hercules.

Computershare

P.O. Box 43006
Providence, RI 02940-3006
Phone: 800-736-3001
Email:web.queries@computershare.com

For investor-related questions, contact:

Michael Hara
Hercules Capital
650-433-5578
mhara@htgc.com

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