Hercules Capital, Inc.
Business
Hercules Capital, Inc. is a specialty finance company that provides senior secured loans and structured financing to high‑growth, venture capital‑backed and institutional‑backed companies in technology and life sciences. It offers Structured Debt (debt with warrants or equity features), senior debt, unitranche loans, direct equity and warrant investments, loan and compliance administration, and investment advisory services through an adviser subsidiary. The company operates as an internally managed business development company with SBIC subsidiaries and an adviser subsidiary that manages third‑party funds. Hercules primarily invests in U.S. technology‑related and life sciences companies across multiple industry sub‑sectors and sources transactions through relationships with venture capital and private equity sponsors and its origination network and offices.
Summary from filing dated 2025-02-13
Financials
Consolidated Statement of Income
| Concept | Trend | FY 2025 2025-12-31 | FY 2024 2024-12-31 | FY 2023 2023-12-31 | FY 2022 2022-12-31 | FY 2021 2021-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total interest and dividend income, excluding PIK interest income | 452 | 416 | 410 | 287 | — | |
| Total PIK interest income | 56 | 51 | 25 | 20 | — | |
| Total interest and dividend income | 508 | 467 | 434 | 307 | 253 | |
| Total fee income | 25 | 26 | 26 | 14 | 28 | |
| Total investment income | 532 | 494 | 461 | 322 | 281 | |
| Interest | 92 | 77 | 68 | 55 | 54 | |
| Loan fees | 11 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | |
| General and administrative | 19 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 16 | |
| Tax expenses | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | |
| Compensation and benefits | 63 | 54 | 50 | 44 | 37 | |
| Stock-based compensation | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | |
| Total employee compensation | 78 | 67 | 64 | 57 | 49 | |
| Total gross operating expenses | 206 | 179 | 166 | 142 | 136 | |
| Expenses allocated to the Adviser Subsidiary | −15 | −11 | −9 | −8 | −5 | |
| Total net operating expenses | 191 | 168 | 157 | 134 | 131 | |
| Net investment income | 342 | 326 | 304 | 188 | 150 | |
| Loss on extinguishment of debt | −184,000 | −171,000 | 0 | −4 | −4 | |
| Total net realized gain (loss) | −41 | −32 | 8 | −924,000 | 21 | |
| Total net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | 39 | −31 | 25 | −85 | 3 | |
| Total net realized gain (loss) and net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) | −2 | −63 | 33 | −86 | 24 | |
| Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations | 340 | 263 | 337 | 102 | 174 | |
| Basic (in dollars per share) | 1.91 | 2 | 2.09 | 1.48 | 1.29 | |
| Basic (in dollars per share) | 1.9 | 1.61 | 2.32 | 0.8 | 1.5 | |
| Diluted (in dollars per share) | 1.85 | 1.61 | 2.31 | 0.79 | 1.49 | |
| Basic (in shares) | 177 | 161 | 144 | 125 | 115 | |
| Diluted (in shares) | 189 | 162 | 145 | 127 | 116 | |
| Basic (in dollars per share) | 1.88 | 1.92 | 1.9 | 1.97 | 1.55 |
Consolidated Balance Sheet
| Concept | Trend | FY 2025 2025-12-31 | FY 2025 2025-09-30 | FY 2025 2025-06-30 | FY 2025 2025-03-31 | FY 2024 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investments, at fair value: | 4,467 | — | — | — | 3,660 | |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 57 | — | — | — | 43 | |
| Foreign cash (cost of $113 and $70,445, respectively) | 113,000 | — | — | — | 70 | |
| Restricted cash | 2 | — | — | — | 3 | |
| Interest receivable | 37 | — | — | — | 33 | |
| Right of use asset | 15 | — | — | — | 17 | |
| Other assets | 6 | — | — | — | 6 | |
| Total assets | 4,584 | — | — | — | 3,832 | |
| Debt (net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $26,626 and $14,310, respectively; amounts related to a VIE $64,530 and $118,769, respectively) | 2,286 | — | — | — | 1,769 | |
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | 65 | — | — | — | 55 | |
| Operating lease liability | 16 | — | — | — | 18 | |
| Total liabilities | 2,368 | — | — | — | 1,842 | |
| Commitments and Contingencies | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Common stock, par value | 183,000 | — | — | — | 171,000 | |
| Capital in excess of par value | 2,115 | — | — | — | 1,900 | |
| Total distributable earnings | 101 | — | — | — | 89 | |
| Total net assets | 2,216 | — | — | — | 1,990 | |
| Total liabilities and net assets | 4,584 | — | — | — | 3,832 | |
| Shares of common stock outstanding ($0.001 par value and 300,000 and 200,000 authorized respectively) (in shares) | 183 | — | — | — | 171 | |
| Net asset value per share (in dollars per share) | 12.13 | 12.05 | 11.84 | 11.55 | 11.66 |
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
| Concept | Trend | FY 2025 2025-12-31 | FY 2024 2024-12-31 | FY 2023 2023-12-31 | FY 2022 2022-12-31 | FY 2021 2021-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchases of investments | −1,696 | −1,542 | −1,599 | −1,465 | −1,467 | |
| Fundings assigned to Adviser Funds | 0 | 118 | 351 | 330 | 125 | |
| Principal and fee repayments received | 848 | 956 | 1,002 | 530 | 1,183 | |
| Proceeds from the sale of debt investments | 75 | 0 | 0 | — | — | |
| Proceeds from the sale of equity and warrant investments | 46 | 49 | 43 | 15 | — | |
| Net change in unrealized (appreciation) depreciation | −39 | 31 | −25 | 85 | −3 | |
| Net realized (gain) loss | 41 | 31 | −8 | −3 | −25 | |
| Payments for derivative instruments | −2 | −849,000 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| Accretion of loan discounts | −7 | −5 | −7 | −5 | −4 | |
| Accretion of loan discount on convertible notes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 112,000 | 671,000 | |
| Accretion of loan exit fees | −33 | −27 | −25 | −25 | −24 | |
| Change in loan income, net of collections | 28 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 35 | |
| Unearned fees related to unfunded commitments | −965,000 | −400,000 | −3 | 2 | −2 | |
| Amortization of debt fees and issuance costs | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |
| Depreciation and amortization | 337,000 | 466,000 | 190,000 | 204,000 | 317,000 | |
| Stock-based compensation and amortization of restricted stock grants | 15 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | |
| Interest receivable | −5 | 62,000 | −1 | −14 | 2 | |
| Other assets | 3 | 2 | −22 | 406,000 | 2 | |
| Accrued liabilities | 8 | 14 | 6 | −2 | 10 | |
| Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities | −426 | −118 | 68 | −425 | 129 | |
| Purchases of capital equipment | −89,000 | −705,000 | −887,000 | −114,000 | −106,000 | |
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | −89,000 | −705,000 | −887,000 | −114,000 | −106,000 | |
| Issuance of common stock | 207 | 221 | 344 | 232 | 11 | |
| Offering expenses | −2 | −3 | −6 | −2 | −209,000 | |
| Retirement of employee shares, net | −6 | −3 | −13 | −5 | −3 | |
| Distributions paid | −326 | −303 | −274 | −245 | −176 | |
| Issuance of debt | 1,996 | 1,332 | 659 | 1,274 | 1,737 | |
| Repayment of debt | −1,485 | −1,119 | −683 | −931 | −1,787 | |
| Debt issuance costs | −11 | −4 | 0 | −7 | −6 | |
| Fees paid for credit facilities | −4 | −2 | −5 | −2 | — | |
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | 369 | 119 | 23 | 315 | −230 | |
| Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, foreign cash and restricted cash | −57 | 408,000 | 90 | −110 | −101 | |
| Interest paid | 83 | 78 | 67 | 52 | 51 | |
| Income tax, including excise tax, paid | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 4 | |
| Distributions reinvested | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 4 |