Description

Hercules Capital, Inc. operates as a business development company (BDC) that specializes in providing a range of financial solutions, including venture debt, senior secured loans, and growth capital. The firm primarily targets privately held, venture capital-backed companies at all stages of development, from startups to established enterprises. It also extends its services to select publicly traded companies and specific lower middle-market businesses seeking funds for acquisitions, recapitalizations, or refinancing. Hercules Capital designs growth capital solutions for diverse needs, such as capital extension, management buy-outs, corporate spin-outs, and the acquisition of companies, specific assets, or intellectual property. Their offerings include convertible, subordinated, and/or mezzanine loans, financing for both domestic and international corporate expansion, vendor financing, and capital to accelerate revenue through sales, marketing development, and manufacturing expansion. The company's asset-based financing options emphasize cash flow and cover accounts receivable facilities, equipment loans or leases, funding for equipment acquisition, facilities build-out and expansion, working capital revolving lines of credit, and inventory. Additionally, Hercules Capital provides various forms of bridge financing, supporting transitions like initial public offerings (IPOs), mergers and acquisitions, or technology acquisitions. They facilitate dividend recapitalizations and other investor liquidity events, offer cash flow financing to guard against share price volatility, fund competitor acquisitions, and provide pre-IPO capital to strengthen balance sheets. Their services also encompass financing for public companies aiming to boost asset growth and production capacity, general short-term bridge loans, and strategic or intellectual property acquisition financing. The firm is also adept at crafting customized financing solutions and is active in the emerging growth, mid-venture, and late-venture financing stages. Its core investment approach involves structured debt instruments, often coupled with warrants, complemented by a smaller allocation to senior debt and direct equity investments. Generally, Hercules Capital seeks companies that have been operational for at least six to twelve months prior to investment. It shows a strong preference for investing in technology, energy technology (including sustainable and renewable solutions), and life sciences sectors. Within technology, the firm focuses on advanced specialty materials and chemicals, communication and networking, consumer and business products and services, digital media and consumer internet, electronics and computer hardware, enterprise software and services, gaming, healthcare services, information services, business services, media, content and information, mobile technologies, resource management, security software, semiconductors, and the broader software sector. In energy technology, investments span agriculture, clean technology, energy and renewable power systems, fuels and power technologies, geothermal, smart grid and energy efficiency/monitoring innovations, solar, and wind energy. For life sciences, capital is deployed in biopharmaceuticals, biotechnology tools, diagnostics, drug discovery, development and delivery systems, medical and surgical devices and equipment, therapeutics, pharmaceutical services, and specialty pharmaceuticals. The company also allocates funds to educational services. While primarily investing in U.S.-based companies, Hercules Capital specifically targets opportunities across the West Coast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Midwest regions, with a particular interest in software, biotechnology, and information services within these areas. Equity investments typically range from $10 million to $250 million per transaction. For companies focused primarily on business services, communications, electronics, hardware, and healthcare services, the investment size generally falls between $1 million and $40 million. Although the portfolio mainly consists of private companies, Hercules Capital also holds investments in publicly traded entities. In its equity investments, the firm aims for a controlling interest, which may involve owning more than 25% of the portfolio companies' voting securities. A limited portion of its assets is dedicated to equipment-based loans for promising early-stage companies, typically up to $3 million, though certain energy technology venture investments can receive up to $15 million. Some debt instruments offered by Hercules Capital feature the option to convert a portion of the debt into equity, and the firm frequently co-invests alongside other private equity firms. Exit strategies for its investments include initial public offerings (IPOs), private sales of equity stakes to third parties, company mergers or acquisitions, or the repurchase of the equity position by the portfolio company itself or its existing stockholders. Investment horizons vary: structured debt with warrants typically matures between two and seven years (averaging three years), senior debt has a horizon of under three years, equipment loans range from three to four years, and equity-related securities are held for three to seven years. Hercules Capital primarily funds its investments using its own balance sheet capital. The company, formerly known as Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc., was founded in December 2003. It is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, and maintains additional offices across North America and Europe.