8. Equity Incentive Plans

The Company grants equity-based awards to employees and non-employee directors for the purpose of attracting and retaining the services of its executive officers, key employees, and members of the Board. The Company’s equity-based awards are granted under the 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan”) for employees and 2018 Non-Employee Director Plan (the “Director Plan”) for non-employee directors. The 2018 Plan and the Director Plan were approved by stockholders on June 28, 2018 and, unless earlier terminated by the Board, terminate on May 12, 2028. Subject to certain adjustments and permitted reversions of shares, the maximum aggregate number of shares that may be authorized for issuance under awards granted under the 2018 Plan and Director Plan is 9,261,229 shares and 300,000 shares, respectively. In connection with the issuance of shares under the 2018 Plan and Director Plan, the Company has registered, in aggregate, 18.7 million and 300,000 shares of common stock, respectively. Outstanding awards issued under plans that precede the 2018 Plan and Director Plan remain outstanding, unchanged and subject to the terms of such plans and their respective award agreements, until the vesting, expiration or lapse of such awards in accordance with their terms.

The Company has received exemptive relief from the SEC that permits it to issue restricted stock to non-employee directors under the Director Plan and restricted stock and restricted stock units to certain of its employees, officers, and directors (excluding non-employee directors) under the 2018 Plan. The exemptive order also allows participants in the Director Plan and the 2018 Plan to (i) elect to have the Company withhold shares of its common stock to pay for the exercise price and applicable taxes with respect to an option exercise (“net issuance exercise”) and/or (ii) permit the holders of restricted stock to elect to have the Company withhold shares of its stock to pay the applicable taxes due on restricted stock at the time of vesting. Each individual employee would be able to make a cash payment to satisfy applicable tax withholding at the time of option exercise or vesting on restricted stock.

The Company has granted equity-based awards that have service and performance conditions. Certain of the Company’s equity-based awards are classified as liability awards in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation. All of the Company’s equity-based awards require future service, and are expensed over the relevant service period. The Company does not estimate forfeitures, and reverses all unvested costs associated with equity-awards in the period they are forfeited. For the three months ended June 30, 2023, and 2022, the Company recognized $3.3 million and $3.7 million of stock-based compensation expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2023, and 2022, the Company recognized $6.5 million and $8.1 million of stock-based compensation expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, respectively. As of June 30, 2023, and 2022, approximately $24.6 million and $19.1 million of total unrecognized compensation costs expected to be recognized over the next 2.9 and 2.0 years, respectively.

Service-Vesting Awards

The Company grants equity-based awards which have service conditions, which generally begin to vest one-third after one year after the date of grant and ratably over the succeeding 2 years in accordance with the individual award terms. Certain awards have service conditions of longer duration and may begin to vest up to seven years after the date of grant. These equity-based awards which vest upon achievement of service conditions are collectively referred to as the “Service Vesting Awards”. The grant date fair value of Service Vesting Awards granted during the six months ended June 30, 2023, and 2022, were approximately $18.1 million, and $10.7 million, respectively.

The Company has granted restricted stock equity awards in the form of restricted stock awards and restricted stock units. The Company determines the grant date fair values of restricted stock equity awards using the grant date stock close price. The activities for the Company's unvested restricted stock equity awards for each of the six months ended June 30, 2023, and 2022, are summarized below:

In addition to the restricted stock equity-based awards, the Company has also issued stock options to certain employees. The fair value of options granted during the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, was approximately $67,000 and 83,000, respectively. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, approximately $46,000, and $30,000, of share-based cost due to stock option grants was expensed, respectively.

Performance-Vesting Awards

The Company has granted equity-based awards, which have market and performance conditions in addition to a service condition (“Performance Awards”). The value of these awards may increase dependent on increases to the Company’s total stockholder return (“TSR”). The total compensation will be determined by the Company’s TSR relative to specified BDCs during a specified performance period. Depending on the results achieved during the specified performance period, the actual number of shares that a grant recipient receives at the end of the period may range from 0% to 200% of the target shares granted. The Performance Awards typically vest after four years, and generally may not be disposed until one year post vesting. The Company determines the fair values of the Performance Awards at the grant date using a Monte-Carlo simulation multiplied by the target payout level and is recognized over the service period. For certain Performance Awards, distribution equivalent units (“Performance DEUs”) will accrue in the form of additional shares, but will not be paid unless the Performance Awards to which such Performance DEUs relate actually vest.

During the six months ended June 30, 2023, no Performance Awards were granted or vested. During the six months ended June 30, 2022, a total of 487,409 Performance Award shares vested. During the six months ended June 30, 2023, 54,858 shares Performance DEUs were issued and vested immediately with an aggregate fair value of $0.7 million. During the six months ended June 30, 2022, 241,770 Performance DEUs were issued with a grant date fair value of $4.0 million. As of June 30, 2023 and 2022, there were no unvested Performance Awards.

Liability Classified Awards

The Company has granted equity-based awards which are subject to both service and performance conditions. These awards are settled either in cash or a fixed dollar value of shares, subject to the terms of each individual award, and therefore classified as liability awards (the “Liability Awards”). The remaining maximum total potential value of the Liability Awards granted is $3.1 million, which assumes all performance conditions are met for each Liability award. If the performance conditions are not met, the total compensation expense related to the Liability Awards may be less than the maximum granted value of the awards. The awards are recorded as deferred compensation within Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities included on the Consolidated Statement of Assets and Liabilities.

Certain Liability Awards are structured similar to the Performance Awards, and increase in value with corresponding increases to the Company’s TSR and vest after four years. The Company remeasures the value of these awards each period based on the Company’s TSR achieved to date. Certain other Liability Awards are linked to attainment of investment funding goals. The Company determines the fair value of these Liability Awards based on the expected probability of the performance conditions being met and recognized over the service period. As of June 30, 2023, the Company determined that the weighted average expected probability of the performance conditions being met within each Liability Award was 100%. The expected probability is re-evaluated each period, and may be adjusted to reflect changes in this assumption. These other Liability Awards vest over a three-year service term.

As of June 30, 2023, all Liability Awards are unvested and there was approximately $1.2 million of total unrecognized compensation costs expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 0.8 years. For the six months ended June 30, 2023, there was approximately $0.7 million of compensation expense related to the Liability Awards recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Operations and $1.9 million accrued within Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities in the Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities. During the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, $0 and $6.0 million, respectively of the Liability Awards vested.

As of June 30, 2022, all Liability Awards are unvested and there was approximately $3.2 million of total unrecognized compensation costs expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.8 years. For the six months ended June 30, 2022, there was approximately $2.3 million of compensation expense related to the Liability Awards recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Operations and $2.0 million accrued within Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities in the Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities.