UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Commission File Number 814-00710

PRINCETON CAPITAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (978) 794-3366

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Common Stock, par value $.001 per share

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one.)

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the Registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was approximately $1,300,451 based on the closing price of $0.260 per share on the Over the Counter Pink Market on June 30, 2023, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

As of March 29, 2024, there were 120,486,061 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value, issued and outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, except as otherwise indicated, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Company” refer to Princeton Capital Corporation and “House Hanover” refers to our investment adviser House Hanover, LLC. Some of the statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements, which relate to future events, future performance or financial condition. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements for any reason, including those factors discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the report.

Item 1. BUSINESS

Overview and Background

Princeton Capital Corporation’s predecessor was initially incorporated in Florida in 1959 as Electro-Mechanical Services, Inc. In 1998, it changed its name from Electro-Mechanical Services, Inc. to Regal One Corporation (“Regal One”). In 2005, the then board of directors of Regal One determined it would be in the best interest of shareholders to change the focus of Regal One’s operations to providing financial services through a network of advisors and professionals.

On July 14, 2014, Regal One, the Company (then a wholly-owned subsidiary of Regal One), Capital Point Partners, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“CPP”), and Capital Point Partners II, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“CPPII” and, together with CPP, the “Partnerships”), entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which we would acquire certain equity and debt investments of the Partnerships in exchange for shares of common stock. In addition to the customary conditions to closing the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement, Regal One was required to (i) effect a reverse stock split of its then outstanding common stock at a ratio of 1-for-2, (ii) reincorporate from Florida to Maryland by merging with and into the Company with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation (the “Reincorporation”) and (iii) become an externally managed business development company (“BDC”) by entering into an external investment advisory agreement with Princeton Investment Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

On March 13, 2015, following the reverse stock split and the Reincorporation, we completed our acquisition in the approximate amounts of $11.2 million in cash, $43.5 million in equity & debt investments, and $1.9 million in restricted cash escrow deposits of the Partnerships with an aggregate value of approximately $56.6 million and issued approximately 115.5 million shares of our common stock to the Partnerships. The shares issued were based on a pre-valuation presumed fair value of $60.9 million.

On December 27, 2017, following the resignation of our former President, Chief Executive Officer, and director of the Company, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) approved (specifically in accordance with Rule 15a-4(b)(1)(ii) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act” or “1940 Act”)) and authorized the Company to enter into an Interim Investment Advisory Agreement between the Company and House Hanover, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“House Hanover”) (the “Interim Investment Advisory Agreement”), in accordance with Rule 15a-4 of the Investment Company Act. The effective date of the Interim Investment Advisory Agreement was January 1, 2018.

On April 5, 2018, the Board, including a majority of the independent directors, conditionally approved the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Company and House Hanover (the “House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement”) subject to the approval of the Company’s stockholders at the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement replaced the Interim Investment Advisory Agreement. On May 30, 2018, the Company’s stockholders approved the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement. The effective date of the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement was May 31, 2018. The House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement was last annually renewed by the Board and by a majority of the members of the Board who are not parties to the House Hanover Investment Adivsory Agreement or “interested persons” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party, in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement on May 15, 2023.

Since January 1, 2018, House Hanover has acted as our investment advisor under the Interim Investment Advisory Agreement (from January 1, 2018 until May 31, 2018) and the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement (since May 31, 2018).

The full text of the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement is attached as Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed on March 31, 2018 and incorporated by reference therein. A summary of the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement is set forth herein.

On November 15, 2019, our Board announced that the Company has initiated a strategic review process to identify, examine, and consider a range of strategic alternatives available to the Company, including but not limited to, (i) selling the Company’s assets to a business development company or other potential buyer, (ii) merging with another business development company, (iii) liquidating the Company’s assets in accordance with a plan of liquidation, (iv) raising additional funds for the Company, or (v) otherwise entering into another business combination, with the objective of maximizing stockholder value. As of December 31, 2023 and through the date of filing this Annual Report, the Company has not entered into any agreements regarding any strategic alternative and the strategic process remains ongoing.

The following discussion describes the Company as of December 31, 2023 as it relates to the financial statements covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K and as of the latest practicable date for other information about the Company.

General

We are an externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end investment company that has elected to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. While we have sought to invest primarily in private small and lower middle-market companies in various industries through first lien loans, second lien loans, unsecured loans, unitranche and mezzanine debt financing, often times with a corresponding equity investment, we are now (with a strategic alternatives process underway and limited resources) investing only in current investments and otherwise conserving cash. Our investment objective is to maximize the total return to our stockholders in the form of current income and capital appreciation through debt and related equity investments in private small and lower middle-market companies. Since January 1, 2018, we have been managed by House Hanover, LLC, who also provides some of the administrative services necessary for us to operate.

As a BDC, we must not acquire any assets other than “qualifying assets” specified in the 1940 Act unless, at the time the acquisition is made, at least 70% of our total assets are qualifying assets (with certain limited exceptions). Qualifying assets include investments in “eligible portfolio companies.” Under the relevant Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules, the term “eligible portfolio company” includes all private companies, companies whose securities are not listed on a national securities exchange, and certain public companies that have listed their securities on a national securities exchange and have a market capitalization of less than $250 million, in each case organized in the United States.

Our investment objective is to maximize the total return to our stockholders in the form of current income and capital appreciation by:

As a BDC, we are required to comply with regulatory requirements, including limitations on our use of debt. We are permitted to, and expect to continue to, finance our investments through borrowings. However, as a BDC, we are only generally allowed to borrow amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% after such borrowing. The amount of leverage that we employ will depend on our assessment of market conditions and other factors at the time of any proposed borrowing, such as the maturity, covenant package and rate structure of the proposed borrowings, our ability to raise funds through the issuance of our securities and the risks of such borrowings within the context of our investment outlook. Ultimately, we only intend to use leverage if the expected returns from borrowing to make investments will exceed the cost of such borrowings.

The Company will be taxed as a C corporation and subject to federal and state corporation income taxes for its 2023 and 2022 taxable years.

Our principal executive office is located at 800 Turnpike Street, Suite 300, North Andover, Massachusetts 01845, and our telephone number is (978) 794-3366. We maintain a website on the Internet at www.princetoncapitalcorp.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this annual report on Form 10-K and you should not consider information contained on our website to be part of this annual report on Form 10-K.

House Hanover

Since January 1, 2018, House Hanover manages our investment activities and is responsible for analyzing investment opportunities, conducting research and performing due diligence on potential investments, negotiating and structuring our investments, originating prospective investments and monitoring our investments and portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. House Hanover is a registered investment adviser and is wholly owned by Sema4, Inc.

House Hanover is headquartered in North Andover, Massachusetts.

Managerial Assistance

As a BDC, we offer, and must provide upon request, managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. This assistance could involve monitoring the operations of our portfolio companies, participating in board of directors and management meetings, consulting with and advising officers of portfolio companies and providing other organizational and financial guidance. House Hanover will provide such managerial assistance on our behalf to portfolio companies that request this assistance. We may receive fees for these services and will reimburse House Hanover for its allocated costs in providing such assistance, subject to the review by our board of directors, including our independent directors. 

Competition

Our primary competitors in providing financing to small and lower middle-market companies include public and private funds, other BDC’s, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity and hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC or to the distribution and other requirements we must satisfy to qualify as a regulated investment company or “RIC”. The Company did not meet the qualifications of a RIC for the 2023 tax year and will be taxed as a corporation under Subchapter C of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”). It may not be in the best interests of the Company’s stockholders to elect to be taxed as a RIC at the present time due to the net operating losses and capital loss carryforwards the Company currently has. Further, we do not expect to meet the qualifications of a RIC until such time as certain strategic alternatives are achieved. Management will make a determination that is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

Employees

We do not have any direct employees, and our day-to-day investment operations are managed by House Hanover. We have a chief executive officer and president, chief financial officer and chief compliance officer. To the extent necessary, our board of directors may hire additional personnel going forward. Our officers are employees or consultants of our investment advisor and our allocable portion of the cost of our chief executive officer and president, chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and their respective staffs is paid by us pursuant to the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement.

Management Agreements

Effective as of January 1, 2018, House Hanover serves as our investment advisor and is registered as an investment advisor under the 1940 Act.

Summary of House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement

Advisory Services

House Hanover is registered as an investment adviser under the 1940 Act and serves as the Company’s investment advisor pursuant to the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement in accordance with the 1940 Act. House Hanover is owned by and an affiliate of Mr. Mark DiSalvo, the Company’s Interim President, Interim Chief Executive Officer, and a director of the Company. 

Subject to supervision by the Company’s Board, House Hanover oversees the Company’s day-to-day operations and provides the Company with investment advisory services. Under the terms of the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement, House Hanover, among other things: (i) determines the composition and allocation of the portfolio of the Company, the nature and timing of the changes therein and the manner of implementing such changes; (ii) identifies, evaluates and negotiates the structure of the investments made by the Company; (iii) executes, closes, services and monitors the Company’s investments; (iv) determines the securities and other assets that the Company shall purchase, retain, or sell; (v) performs due diligence on prospective portfolio companies; (vi) provides the Company with such other investment advisory, research and related services as the Company may, from time to time, reasonably require for the investment of its funds; and (vii) if directed by the Board, assists in the execution and closing of the sale of the Company’s assets or a sale of the equity of the Company in one or more transactions. House Hanover’s services under the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement may not be exclusive and it is free to furnish similar services to other entities so long as its services to the Company are not impaired. At the request of the Company, House Hanover, upon any transition of the Company’s investment advisory relationship to another investment advisor or upon any internalization, shall provide reasonable transition assistance to the Company and any successor investment advisor.

Advisory Fee

Pursuant to the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement, the Company pays House Hanover a base management fee for investment advisory and management services. The cost of the base management fee is ultimately borne by the Company’s stockholders. The House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement does not contain an incentive fee component.

The base management fee is calculated at an annual rate of 1.00% of the Company’s gross assets, including assets purchased with borrowed funds or other forms of leverage and excluding cash and cash equivalents net of all indebtedness of the Company for borrowed money and other liabilities of the Company. The base management fee is payable quarterly in arrears, and determined as set forth in the preceding sentence at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters. The Board may retroactively adjust the valuation of the Company’s assets and the resulting calculation of the base management fee in the event the Company or any of its assets are sold or transferred to an independent third party or the Company or House Hanover receives an audit report or other independent third party valuation of the Company. To the extent that any such adjustment increases or decreases the base management fee of any prior period, the Company will be obligated to pay the amount of increase to House Hanover or House Hanover will be obligated to refund the decreased amount, as applicable.

Payment of Expenses

House Hanover bears all compensation expense (including health insurance, pension benefits, payroll taxes and other compensation related matters) of its employees and consultants and bears the costs of any salaries or directors’ fees of any officers or directors of the Company who are affiliated persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of House Hanover. However, House Hanover, subject to approval by the Board of the Company, is entitled to reimbursement for the portion of any compensation expense and the costs of any salaries of any such employees to the extent attributable to services performed by such employees for the Company. During the term of the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement, House Hanover will also bear all of its costs and expenses for office space rental, office equipment, utilities and other non-compensation related overhead allocable to performance of its obligations under the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement.

Except as provided in the preceding paragraph the Company reimburses House Hanover all direct and indirect costs and expenses incurred by it during the term of the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement for: (i) due diligence of potential investments of the Company, (ii) monitoring performance of the Company’s investments, (iii) serving as officers of the Company, (iv) serving as directors and officers of portfolio companies of the Company, (v) providing managerial assistance to portfolio companies of the Company, and (vi) enforcing the Company’s rights in respect of its investments and disposing of its investments; provided, however, that, any third party expenses incurred by House Hanover in excess of $50,000 in the aggregate in any calendar quarter will require advance approval by the Board of the Company.

In addition to the foregoing, the Company will also be responsible for the payment of all of the Company’s other expenses, including the payment of the following fees and expenses:

Duration and Termination

Unless terminated earlier as described below, the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement will continue in effect for a period of one (1) year from its effective date. It will remain in effect from year to year thereafter if approved annually by the Company’s Board or by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Company’s outstanding voting securities, and, in either case, if also approved by a majority of Company’s directors who are neither parties to the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement nor “interested persons” (as defined under the 1940 Act) of any such party. The House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement was last annually renewed by the Board and by a majority of the members of the Board who are not parties to the House Hanover Investment Adivsory Agreement or “interested persons” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party on May 15, 2023.

The House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, (i) upon written notice, effective on the date set forth in such notice, by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company or by the vote of the Company’s directors, or (ii) upon 60 days’ written notice, by House Hanover. The House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement automatically terminates in the event of its “assignment,” as defined in the 1940 Act.

Indemnification

The House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement provides that, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of their duties, or by reason of the material breach or reckless disregard of their duties and obligations under the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement, House Hanover and its officers, managers, employees and members are entitled to indemnification from the Company for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of House Hanover’s services under the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement or otherwise as the Company’s investment advisor. The amounts payable for indemnification will be calculated net of payments recovered by the indemnified party under any insurance policy with respect to such losses.

At all times during the term of the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement and for one year thereafter, House Hanover is obligated to maintain directors and officers/errors and omission liability insurance in an amount and with a provider reasonably acceptable to the Board of the Company.

Regulation as a BDC

We have elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. On an annual basis and in general, BDCs intend to elect to be treated for tax purposes as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Code. However, we did not meet the qualifications of a RIC for the 2023 tax year and will be taxed as a corporation under Subchapter C of the Code. Further, we do not expect to meet the qualifications of a RIC until such time as certain strategic alternatives are achieved. The 1940 Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to transactions between BDC’s and their affiliates (including any investment advisors), principal underwriters and affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters and requires that a majority of the directors be persons other than “interested persons,” as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. In addition, the 1940 Act provides that we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by a majority of our outstanding voting securities.

We may invest up to 100% of our assets in securities acquired directly from issuers in privately negotiated transactions. With respect to such securities, we may, for the purpose of public resale, be deemed an “underwriter” as that term is defined in the Securities Act. Our intention is to not write (sell) or buy put or call options to manage risks associated with the publicly traded securities of our portfolio companies, except that we may enter into hedging transactions to manage the risks associated with interest rate fluctuations. However, we may purchase or otherwise receive warrants to purchase the common stock of our portfolio companies in connection with acquisition financing or other investments. Similarly, in connection with an acquisition, we may acquire rights to require the issuers of acquired securities or their affiliates to repurchase them under certain circumstances. We also do not intend to acquire securities issued by any investment company that exceed the limits imposed by the 1940 Act. Under these limits, we generally cannot acquire more than 3% of the voting stock of any registered investment company, invest more than 5% of the value of our total assets in the securities of one investment company or invest more than 10% of the value of our total assets in the securities of more than one investment company. With regard to that portion of our portfolio invested in securities issued by investment companies, it should be noted that such investments might subject our stockholders to additional expenses. None of these policies is fundamental and may be changed without stockholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice to stockholders. 

Qualifying Assets

Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as “qualifying assets,” unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets represent at least 70% of the company’s total assets. The principal categories of qualifying assets relevant to our business are the following:

The regulations defining qualifying assets may change over time. We may adjust our investment focus as needed to comply with and/or take advantage of any regulatory, legislative, administrative or judicial actions in this area.

Managerial Assistance to Portfolio Companies

In order to count portfolio securities as qualifying assets for the purpose of the 70% test, a BDC must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the issuer of the securities significant managerial assistance. However, when the BDC purchases securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, one of the other persons in the group may make available such managerial assistance. Making available managerial assistance means any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its directors, officers, employees or agents, offers to provide, and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company. House Hanover will provide such managerial assistance on our behalf to portfolio companies that request this assistance.

Temporary Investments

Pending investment in other types of qualifying assets, as described above, our investments may consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, repurchase agreements and high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from the date of investment, which we refer to, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets are qualifying assets or temporary investments. We may invest in U.S. Treasury bills or in repurchase agreements, so long as the agreements are fully collateralized by cash or securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies. A repurchase agreement involves the purchase by an investor, such as us, of a specified security and the simultaneous agreement by the seller to repurchase it at an agreed-upon future date and at a price that is greater than the purchase price by an amount that reflects an agreed-upon interest rate. There is no percentage restriction on the proportion of our assets that may be invested in such repurchase agreements. However, if more than 25% of our total assets constitute repurchase agreements from a single counterparty, we would not meet the Diversification Tests in order to qualify as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, we do not intend to enter into repurchase agreements with a single counterparty in excess of this limit.

Senior Securities

We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of stock senior to our common stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least equal to 200% immediately after each such issuance. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we must make provisions to prohibit any distribution to our stockholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary or emergency purposes without regard to asset coverage. A loan will be considered temporary if it is repaid within sixty days and is not extended or renewed.

Common Stock

We are not generally able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. We may, however, sell our common stock at a price below the current net asset value of the common stock if our board of directors determines that such sale is in our best interests and that of our stockholders, and our stockholders 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 which, in the determination of our board of directors, closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount).

Other

We are required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect us against larceny and embezzlement. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any liability to us or our stockholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

House Hanover and the Company will each be required to adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of relevant federal securities laws, review these policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation, and designate a chief compliance officer to be responsible for administering the policies and procedures.

We may also be prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our board of directors who are not interested persons and, in some cases, prior approval by the SEC. The SEC has interpreted the BDC prohibition on transactions with affiliates to prohibit all “joint transactions” between, among other things, entities that share a common investment advisor. The staff of the SEC has granted no-action relief permitting purchases of a single class of privately placed securities provided that the advisor negotiates no term other than price and certain other conditions are met.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act imposes a wide variety of regulatory requirements on publicly held companies and their insiders. Many of these requirements affect us. For example:

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires us to review our current policies and procedures to determine whether we comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the regulations promulgated under such act. We will continue to monitor our compliance with all regulations that are adopted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and will take actions necessary to ensure that we are in compliance with that act.

Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

Not applicable.

Item 1C. CYBERSECURITY

Princeton Capital Corporation (the “Company”) has processes in place to assess, identify, and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats. The Company’s business is dependent on the communications and information systems of House Hanover, LLC (the “Investment Adviser”) and other third-party service providers. The Investment Adviser manages the Company’s day-to-day operations and has implemented a cybersecurity program that applies to the Company and its operations.

Cybersecurity Program Overview

The Investment Adviser has instituted a cybersecurity program designed to identify, assess, and manage cyber risks applicable to the Company. The cyber risk management program involves risk assessments, implementation of security measures, and ongoing monitoring of systems and networks, including networks on which the Company relies. The Investment Adviser actively monitors the current threat landscape in an effort to identify material risks arising from new and evolving cybersecurity threats, including material risks faced by the Company.

The Company relies on the Investment Adviser to engage external experts, including cybersecurity assessors, consultants, and auditors, to evaluate cybersecurity measures and risk management processes, including those applicable to the Company. The Company relies on the Investment Adviser’s risk management program and processes, which include cyber risk assessments.

The Company depends on and engages various third parties, including suppliers, vendors, and service providers, to operate its business. The Company relies on the expertise of risk management, legal, information technology, and compliance personnel of the Investment Adviser when identifying and overseeing risks from cybersecurity threats associated with the Company’s use of such entities.

Board Oversight of Cybersecurity Risks

The board of directors of the Company (“Board”) provides strategic oversight on cybersecurity matters, including risks associated with cybersecurity threats. The Board receives periodic updates from the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) of the Company, who also serves as Chief Compliance Officer of the Investment Adviser, regarding the overall state of the Investment Adviser’s cybersecurity program, information on the current threat landscape, and briefing on material risks from cybersecurity threats and material cybersecurity incidents impacting the Company.

Management’s Role in Cybersecurity Risk Management

The Company’s Management, including the Company’s CCO, manages the Company’s cybersecurity program, under the supervision of the Company’s Audit Committee. The CCO of the Company oversees the Company’s risk management function generally and relies on the Investment Adviser to assist with assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. The Company’s CCO has been responsible for this oversight function as CCO to the Company for over 6 years and has worked in the financial services industry for over 25 years, during which time the CCO has gained expertise in assessing and managing risks applicable to the Company.

Management of the Company is informed about and monitors the prevention, detection, mitigation, and remediation of cybersecurity incidents impacting the Company, including through the receipt of notifications from service providers and reliance on communications with risk management, legal, information technology, and/or compliance personnel of the Investment Adviser.

Assessment of Cybersecurity Risk

The potential impact of risks from cybersecurity threats on the Company are assessed on an ongoing basis, and how such risks could materially affect the Company’s business strategy, operational results, and financial condition are regularly evaluated. During the reporting period, the Company has not identified any risks from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of previous cybersecurity incidents, that the Company believes have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company, including its business strategy, operational results, and financial condition.

Item 2. PROPERTIES

The Company does not own any real estate or other physical properties materially important to our operation. Our headquarters are located at 800 Turnpike Street, Suite 300, North Andover, Massachusetts 01845. Our headquarters are provided to us by House Hanover, our investment adviser since January 1, 2018. We believe that our office facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as we contemplate conducting it.

Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

As of December 31, 2023, there were no material legal proceedings against the Company or any of its officers or directors.

Great Value Storage Litigation

On March 14, 2019, the Company filed a complaint against Great Value Storage, LLC (“GVS”), World Class Capital Group, LLC (“World Class”), and Natin Paul, which we refer to collectively as the GVS Defendants, in the District Court for Harris County, Texas. GVS is one of the Company’s portfolio companies. On January 22, 2021 the Harris County District Court granted the Company’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on its breach of contract claim against GVS and World Class. On March 4, 2021, the Final Judgment Order was entered awarding damages to the Company in the amount of $9,910,601.

On January 1, 2022, the Company amended and finalized proofs of claim in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, as it has been discovered that Natin Paul had transferred the properties from the GVS Defendants and to the debtor entities, which are GVS affiliates that filed bankruptcy. On March 21, 2022, the bankruptcy court reserved $15 million for our claim. On, April 27, 2022, the Company filed an adversary proceeding in the bankruptcy court to recover amounts owed to the Company.

As disclosed in the Company’s Form 8-K that was filed on September 9, 2022, on September 2, 2022, the Company entered into a Settlement, Assignment and Acceptance Agreement with Natin Paul and his related parties, whereby the Company would sell its promissory notes from GVS and World Class to Phoenix Lending, LLC, a newly formed Natin Paul related entity, in exchange for a settlement payment of $11,372,699 to be funded out of the $15 million reserve in the bankruptcy court. Further, the GVS affiliated parties agreed to indemnify the Company and retain $1 million on reserve in the bankruptcy court for any future legal fees or claims related to the settlement. On October 7, 2022, the Company closed the settlement and received $11,372,699.

Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDERS MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market Information

Our common stock is currently traded on the Over the Counter Pink Market (OTCPK) under the symbol “PIAC” where we expect it to remain in the foreseeable future. Prior to April 20, 2015, our common stock was traded under the symbol “RONE”. Broker-dealers often decline to trade in OTC Pink Market stocks given the markets for such securities are often limited, the stocks are more volatile, and the risk to investors is greater. These factors may reduce the potential market for our common stock by reducing the number of potential investors. This may make it more difficult for investors in our common stock to sell shares to third parties or to otherwise dispose of their shares. This could cause our stock price to decline.

Notwithstanding the forgoing, our common stock is sporadically and thinly trading. Over-the-counter market quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions Accordingly, although there appears to be quotation information, the Company does not believe that there exists an established public market for our securities. Further, there can be no assurance the current market for the Company’s common stock will be sustained or grow in the future.

Holders of record

As of March 27, 2024, there were 40 shareholders of our common stock.

The number of record holders reflects shares held by a broker as one record holder. The underlying shares may be held by one or more beneficial owners.

The Company feels the actual number of common stock holders may be significantly higher as 1,305,083 shares of common stock are held in street name which reflected approximately 1.08% of the outstanding shares of common stock as of March 27, 2024, according to our transfer agent.

Dividends

Our dividends, if any, are determined by our board of directors. The Company was taxed as a C corporation and subject to federal and state corporation income taxes for its 2022 taxable year. The Company did not meet the qualifications of a RIC for the 2023 tax year and will be taxed as a corporation under Subchapter C of the Code. It may not be in the best interests of the Company’s stockholders to elect to be taxed as a RIC at the present time due to the net operating losses and capital loss carryforwards the Company currently has. Management will make a determination that is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. While the Company does not expect to meet the qualifications of a RIC until such time as certain strategic alternatives are achieved, it can still declare a dividend even though it is not required to do so.

To qualify for RIC tax treatment, we must, among other things, distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. Depending on the level of taxable income earned in a tax year, we may choose to carry forward taxable income in excess of current year distributions into the next tax year and pay a 4% excise tax on such income. Any such carryover taxable income must be distributed through a dividend declared prior to filing the final tax return related to the year which generated such taxable income. We may, in the future, make actual distributions to our stockholders of our net capital gains. We can offer no assurance that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any cash distributions and, if we issue senior securities, we may be prohibited from making distributions if doing so causes us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, the Company declared and paid a cash dividend of $0.075 per share of common stock on or about December 1, 2022 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 21, 2022.

For each of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2021, the Company did not declare any cash dividends on the Company’s common stock.

On October 17, 2022, the Board terminated the Company’s “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan, as disclosed in the Company’s 8-K filed on October 19, 2022. Written notice of such termination was mailed to the Company’s stockholders on October 21, 2022, with an effective date of November 20, 2022. As a result, any distributions declared for stockholders of record after November 20, 2022, will be paid in cash.

Sale of Unregistered Securities

There were no sales of unregistered securities during the year ended December 31, 2023.

Stock Performance Graph

This graph compares the return on our common stock with that of the S&P BDC Index and the Russell 2000 Index, for the past five fiscal years. The graph assumes that, on December 31, 2018, a person invested $100 in each of our common stock, the S&P BDC Index and the Russell 2000 Financial Services Index. The graph measures total shareholder return, which takes into account both changes in stock price and dividends. It assumes that dividends paid are reinvested in like securities. Our Company is quoted on the OTC Pink Market and are thus not traded on a public exchange.

The graph and other information furnished under this Part II Item 5 of this Form 10-K shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material’’ or to be “filed’’ with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C, or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the 1934 Act. The stock price performance included in the above graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

During the year ended December 31, 2023, there were no repurchases made by or on behalf of the issuer of shares of equity securities.

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

The Company does not currently have any equity incentive plan.

Item 6. [Reserved]

Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

References herein to “we”, “us” or “our” refer to Princeton Capital Corporation (the “Company” or “Princeton Capital”), unless the context specifically requires otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this annual report on Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or our future performance or financial condition. Such forward-looking statements may include statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “may,” “might,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “could,” “can,” “would,” “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “potential,” “plan” or similar words. The forward-looking statements contained in this annual report on Form 10-K involve risks and uncertainties, including statements as to:

We have based the forward-looking statements included in this annual report on Form 10-K on information available to us on the date of this annual report on Form 10-K, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements, and future results could differ materially from historical performance. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by law or Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rule or regulation. You are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we in the future may file with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.

Overview

We are an externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act” or “Investment Company Act”). While we have sought to invest primarily in private small and lower middle-market companies in various industries, we are now (with a strategic alternatives process underway and limited resources) investing only in current investments and otherwise conserving cash. Our investment objective is to maximize the total return to our stockholders in the form of current income and capital appreciation through debt and related equity investments in private small and lower middle-market companies. Since January 1, 2018, we have been managed by House Hanover, LLC (“House Hanover”).

As a BDC, we must not acquire any assets other than “qualifying assets” specified in the 1940 Act unless, at the time the acquisition is made, at least 70% of our total assets are qualifying assets (with certain limited exceptions). Qualifying assets include investments in “eligible portfolio companies.” Under the relevant SEC rules, the term “eligible portfolio company” includes all private companies, companies whose securities are not listed on a national securities exchange, and certain public companies that have listed their securities on a national securities exchange and have a market capitalization of less than $250 million, in each case organized in the United States.

On November 15, 2019, our Board announced that the Company has initiated a strategic review process to identify, examine, and consider a range of strategic alternatives available to the Company, including but not limited to, (i) selling the Company’s assets to a business development company or other potential buyer, (ii) merging with another business development company, (iii) liquidating the Company’s assets in accordance with a plan of liquidation, (iv) raising additional funds for the Company, or (v) otherwise entering into another business combination, with the objective of maximizing stockholder value. As of December 31, 2023 and through the date of filing this Annual Report, the Company has not entered into any agreements regarding any strategic alternative and the strategic process remains ongoing.

Corporate History

In order to expedite the ramp-up of our investment activities and further our ability to meet our investment objectives, on March 13, 2015 we (i) acquired approximately $11.2 million in cash, $43.5 million in equity and debt investments, and $1.9 million in restricted cash escrow deposits of Capital Point Partners, L.P. (“CPP”) and Capital Point Partners II, L.P. (“CPPII”) (together, the “Partnerships”), and (ii) issued approximately 115.5 million shares of our common stock based on a pre-valuation presumed fair value of $60.9 million and on a price of approximately $0.53 per share. While we have sought to invest primarily in private small and lower middle-market companies in various industries, we are now (with a strategic alternatives process underway and limited resources) investing only in current investments and otherwise conserving cash.

On an annual basis and in general, BDCs intend to elect to be treated for tax purposes as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”). To qualify as a RIC, a BDC must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. As a RIC, BDCs generally will not have to pay corporate-level taxes on any income they distribute to their stockholders. We did not meet the qualifications of a RIC for the 2022 or 2023 tax years and will be taxed as a corporation under Subchapter C of the Code. Further, we do not expect to meet the qualifications of a RIC until such time as certain strategic alternatives are achieved.

Portfolio Composition and Investment Activity

Portfolio Composition

We originate and invest primarily in private small and lower middle-market companies through first lien loans, second lien loans, unsecured loans, unitranche and mezzanine debt financing, and corresponding equity investments. United States Treasury securities may be purchased and temporarily held in connection with complying with RIC diversification requirements under Subchapter M of the Code.

At December 31, 2023, the Company had investments in 5 portfolio companies. The total cost and fair value of the total investments were approximately $39.4 million and $29.7 million, respectively. The composition of our investments by asset class as of December 31, 2023 is as follows:

At December 31, 2022, the Company had investments in 6 portfolio companies. The total cost and fair value of the total investments were approximately $39.2 million and $30.6 million, respectively. The composition of our investments by asset class as of December 31, 2022 is as follows:

At December 31, 2023, our weighted average yield based upon cost of our portfolio investments was approximately 11.86% of which approximately 10.23% is current cash interest. At December 31, 2022, our weighted average yield based upon cost of our portfolio investments was approximately 10.16% of which approximately 10.16% is current cash interest.

At December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we held no United States Treasury securities. United States Treasury securities may be purchased and temporarily held in connection with complying with RIC diversification requirements under Subchapter M of the Code.

Investment Activity

Our level of investment activity can vary substantially from period to period depending on many factors, including the amount of debt and equity capital to middle market companies, the level of merger and acquisition activity, the general economic environment and the competitive environment for the types of investments we make.

The primary portfolio investment activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 are as follows:

Asset Quality

In addition to various risk management and monitoring tools, our investment advisor used an investment rating system to characterize and monitor the quality of our debt investment portfolio. Equity securities and Treasury Bills are not graded. This debt investment rating system uses a five-level numeric scale. The following is a description of the conditions associated with each investment rating:

The following table shows the investment rankings of our debt investments at fair value as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022:

Loans and Debt Securities on Non-Accrual Status

We will not accrue interest on loans and debt securities if we have reason to doubt our ability to collect such interest. As of December 31, 2023, we had 3 loans on non-accrual status and as of December 31, 2022, we had 3 loans on non-accrual status.

Results of Operations

An important measure of our financial performance is net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations, which includes net investment income (loss), net realized gain (loss) and net change in unrealized gain (loss). Net investment income (loss) is the difference between our income from interest, dividends, fees and other investment income and our operating expenses including interest on borrowed funds. Net realized gain (loss) on investments is the difference between the proceeds received from dispositions of portfolio investments and their amortized cost. Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investments is the net change in the fair value of our investment portfolio.

Revenues

We generate revenue in the form of interest income on debt investments and capital gains and distributions, if any, on investment securities that we may acquire in portfolio companies. Our debt investments typically have a term of five to seven years and bear interest at a fixed or floating rate. Interest on our debt securities is generally payable quarterly. Payments of principal on our debt investments may be amortized over the stated term of the investment, deferred for several years or due entirely at maturity. In some cases, our debt investments may pay interest in-kind, or PIK. Any outstanding principal amount of our debt securities and any accrued but unpaid interest will generally become due at the maturity date. The level of interest income we receive is directly related to the balance of interest-bearing investments multiplied by the weighted average yield of our investments. We expect that the dollar amount of interest and any dividend income that we earn to increase as the size of our investment portfolio increases. In addition, we may generate revenue in the form of prepayment fees, commitment, loan origination, structuring or due diligence fees, fees for providing managerial assistance and possibly consulting fees. These fees will be reorganized as they are earned.

Expenses

Our primary operating expenses include the payment of fees to House Hanover and our allocable portion of overhead expenses under the investment advisory agreements and other operating costs described below. We bear all other out-of-pocket costs and expenses of our operations and transactions, which may include:

Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021

Operating Expenses

Total net operating expenses decreased from $2,333,141 for the year ended December 31, 2022 to $1,599,326 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease is primarily due to a decrease in management, audit and legal expense and to a lesser extent insurance and valuation expense. The decrease was minimally offset by an increase in other general and administrative expenses.

Total net operating expenses per share decreased from $0.020 per share for the year ended December 31, 2022 to $0.013 per share for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Total net operating expenses increased from $1,754,322 for the year ended December 31, 2021 to $2,333,141 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase is primarily due to an increase in management, audit and legal expense, and to a lesser extent, insurance and other general and administrative expenses. The increase was minimally offset by an decrease in valuation fees.

Total net operating expenses per share increased from $0.015 per share for the year ended December 31, 2021 to $0.020 per share for the year ended December 31, 2022

Net Investment Income (Loss)

Net investment income (loss) (after tax) increased from $(778,954) for the year ended December 31, 2022 to $ 816,574 for the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase is primarily due to an increase in interest income for the year ended December 31, 2023 that was greater than the decreases in management, audit, legal, insurance and valuation expenses.

Net investment income (loss) (after tax) per share increased from $(0.006) per share for the year ended December 31, 2022 to $0.007 per share for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Net investment income (loss) (after tax) decreased from $(879,786) for the year ended December 31, 2021 to $(778,954) for the year ended December 31, 2022. This decrease is primarily due to an increase in interest income for the year ended December 31, 2022 that was greater than the increases in management, audit, legal, insurance and other general and administrative expenses.

Net investment income (loss) (after tax) per share decreased from $(0.007) per share for the year ended December 31, 2021 to $(0.006) per share for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Net Realized Gain (Loss)

We measure realized gains (losses) by the difference between the net proceeds from the repayment or sale and the amortized cost basis of the investment, using the specific identification method, without regard to unrealized appreciation or depreciation previously recognized.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, we recognized ($1,200) net realized loss.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, we recognized net realized gain of $4,368,297.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, we did not recognize any realized gain or loss.

Net Change in Unrealized Gain (Loss)

Net change in unrealized gain (loss) primarily reflects the change in portfolio investment values during the reporting period, including the reversal of previously recorded appreciation or depreciation when gains or losses are realized.

Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investments totaled a loss of $(994,274) for the year ended December 31, 2023 primarily in connection with unrealized losses of $1,075,753 and $831,927 on Performance Alloys, Inc. and Rockfish Holdings, LLC, respectively, and partially offset by unrealized gains of $(1,079,494) on Advantis Certified Staffing Solutions, Inc.

Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investments totaled a gain of $3,057,582 for the year ended December 31, 2022 primarily in connection with unrealized gains of $5,227,735, $1,945,866 on Performance Alloys, Inc. and Great Value Storage, LLC Inc, respectively, partially offset by unrealized losses of $1,725,445, $1,585,512 on Rockfish Holdings, LLC and Rockfish Seafood Grill, Inc.

Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investments totaled a gain of $12,873,238 for the year ended December 31, 2021 primarily in connection with unrealized gains of $5,065,146, $4,607,710, $1,725,445, $1,433,557 on Rockfish Seafood Grill, Inc., Performance Alloys, Inc., Rockfish Holdings, LLC and Advantis Certified Staffing Solutions, Inc.

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

We intend to continue to generate cash from future offerings of securities and cash flows from operations, including earnings on investments in our portfolio and future investments, as well as interest earned from the temporary investment of cash in U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. We may, if permitted by regulation, seek various forms of leverage and borrow funds to make investments.

As of December 31, 2023, we had $1,979,659 in cash and restricted cash, and our net assets totaled $31,963,643. We believe that our anticipated cash flows from operations will be adequate to meet our cash needs for our daily operations for at least the next 12 months.

Contractual Obligations

As of December 31, 2023, we did not have any contractual obligations that would trigger the tabular disclosure of contractual obligations under Section 303(a)(5) of Regulation S-K.

We have entered into one contract under which we have material future commitments, the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement, pursuant to which House Hanover serves as our investment adviser. Payments under the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement in future periods will be equal to a percentage of the value of our net assets.

The House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement is terminable by either party without penalty upon written notice by the Company or 60 days’ written notice by House Hanover. If this agreement is terminated, the costs we incur under a new agreement may increase. In addition, we will likely incur significant time and expense in locating alternative parties to provide the services we expect to receive under our investment advisory agreement. Any new investment advisory agreement would also be subject to approval by our stockholders.

Distributions

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, no dividends were declared or distributed to stockholders.

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, the Company declared and paid a cash dividend of $0.075 per share of common stock on or about December 1, 2022 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 21, 2022.

In order to qualify as a RIC and to avoid U.S. federal corporate level income tax on the income we distribute to our stockholders, we are required to distribute at least 90% of our net ordinary income and our net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, to our stockholders on an annual basis. Additionally, we must distribute an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of our net ordinary income (during the calendar year) plus 98.2% of our net capital gain income (during each 12-month period ending on October 31) plus any net ordinary income and capital gain net income for preceding years that were not distributed during such years and on which we paid no U.S. federal income tax to avoid a U.S. federal excise tax. To the extent that we have income available, we intend to make distributions to our stockholders. Our stockholder distributions, if any, will be determined by our board of directors. Any distribution to our stockholders will be declared out of assets legally available for distribution. The Company did not meet the requirements to qualify as a RIC for the 2023 and 2022 tax years and will be taxed as a corporation under Subchapter C of the Code. It may not be in the best interests of the Company’s stockholders to elect to be taxed as a RIC at the present time due to the net operating losses and capital loss carryforwards the Company currently has. Management will make a determination that is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. While the Company does not expect to meet the qualifications of a RIC until such time as certain strategic alternatives are achieved, it can still declare a dividend even though it is not required to do so.

We may not be able to achieve operating results that will allow us to make distributions at a specific level or to increase the amount of our distributions from time to time. In addition, we may be limited in our ability to make distributions due to the asset coverage requirements applicable to us as a BDC under the 1940 Act. If we do not distribute a certain percentage of our income annually, we could suffer adverse tax consequences, including the possible failure to qualify as a RIC. We cannot assure stockholders that they will receive any distributions.

To the extent our taxable earnings fall below the total amount of our distributions for that fiscal year, a portion of those distributions may be deemed a return of capital to our stockholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Thus, the source of a distribution to our stockholders may be the original capital invested by the stockholder rather than our income or gains. Stockholders should read any written disclosure accompanying any stockholder distribution carefully and should not assume that the source of any distribution is our ordinary income or capital gains.

On October 17, 2022, the Board terminated the Company’s “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan, as disclosed in the Company’s 8-K filed on October 19, 2022. Written notice of such termination was mailed to the Company’s stockholders on October 21, 2022, with an effective date of November 20, 2022. As a result, any distributions declared for stockholders of record after November 20, 2022, will be paid in cash.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.

Related Party Transactions

Management Fees

Management fees under the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement for the years ended December 31, 2023 2022 and 2021 were $317,546, $339,328 and $265,340, respectively. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, management fees of $78,889 and $91,934, respectively, were payable to House Hanover.

Incentive Fees

The Company is not obligated to pay House Hanover an incentive fee. Incentive fees are a typical component of investment advisory agreements with business development companies.

Administration Fees

House Hanover is entitled to reimbursement of expenses under the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement for administrative services performed for the Company. Administration fees were $259,500, $259,500 and $270,000 for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, as shown on the Statements of Operations under administration fees. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, there were $64,875 and $64,875, respectively, of administration fees owed to House Hanover, as shown on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities under Due to affiliates.

On May 1, 2022, Advantis Certified Staffing Solutions, Inc. (“Advantis”) requested one of its directors, Gregory J. Cannella who also serves as our Chief Financial Officer, become the Executive Chair of Advantis to provide executive authority and leadership in the absence of their former president, who resigned in March 2022. Mr. Cannella has agreed to take this position and in return will be compensated by Advantis in the amount of $5,000 per month. The title and benefits of this position can be removed at any time by the board of directors of Advantis.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 2 of the financial statements for a description of recent accounting pronouncements, if any, including the expected dates of adoption and the anticipated impact on the financial statements.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of our financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Changes in the economic environment, financial markets and any other parameters used in determining such estimates could cause actual results to differ. In addition to the discussion below, our significant accounting policies are further described in the notes to the financial statements.

Valuation of Portfolio Investments

As a BDC, we generally invest in illiquid loans and securities including debt and equity securities of middle-market companies. Under procedures established by our board of directors, we value investments for which market quotations are readily available at such market quotations. We obtain these market values from an independent pricing service or at the mean between the bid and ask prices obtained from at least two brokers or dealers (if available, otherwise by a principal market maker or a primary market dealer). Debt and equity securities that are not publicly traded or whose market prices are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors. Such determination of fair values may involve subjective judgments and estimates, although we engage independent valuation providers to review the valuation of each portfolio investment that does not have a readily available market quotation quarterly. Investments purchased within 60 days of maturity are valued at cost plus accreted discount, or minus amortized premium, which approximate fair value. With respect to unquoted securities, our board of directors values each investment considering, among other measures, discounted cash flow models, comparisons of financial ratios of peer companies that are public and other factors, which are provided by a nationally recognized independent valuation firm. This valuation firm provides a range of values for selected investments, which is presented to the Valuation Committee to determine the value for each of the selected investments.

When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, our board of directors uses the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate and/or assist us in our valuation. Because there is not a readily available market for substantially all of the investments in our portfolio, we value our portfolio investments at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors using a documented valuation policy and a consistently applied valuation process. Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of our investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a readily available market value existed for such investments, and the differences could be material.

With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, our board of directors undertakes a multi-step valuation process each quarter, as described below:

Revenue Recognition

Realized gain (loss) on the sale of investments is the difference between the proceeds received from dispositions of portfolio investments and their stated costs. Realized gains or losses on the sale of investments are calculated using the specific identification method.

Interest income, adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of discount, is recorded on an accrual basis to the extent that we expect to collect such amounts. For loans and debt securities with contractual PIK interest, which represents contractual interest accrued and added to the loan balance that generally becomes due at maturity, we do not accrue PIK interest if the portfolio company valuation indicates that such PIK interest is not collectible. Generally, we will not accrue interest on loans and debt securities if we have reason to doubt our ability to collect such interest. Loan origination fees, original issue discount and market discount or premium are capitalized, and we then accrete or amortize such amounts using the effective interest method as interest income. Upon the prepayment of a loan or debt security, any unamortized loan origination is recorded as interest income. We record prepayment premiums on loans and debt securities as interest income.

Dividend income, if any, will be recognized on the ex-dividend date.

Generally, when a payment default occurs on a loan in the portfolio, or if the Company otherwise believes that the borrower will not be able to make contractual interest payments, the Company may place the loan on non-accrual status and cease recognizing interest income on the loan until all principal and interest is current through payment, or until a restructuring occurs, and the interest income is deemed to be collectible. The Company may make exceptions to this policy if a loan has sufficient collateral value, is in the process of collection or is viewed to be able to pay all amounts due if the loan were to be collected on through an investment in or sale of the business, the sale of the assets of the business, or some portion or combination thereof.

Recent Developments

Portfolio Activity

Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

We are subject to financial market risks, including credit risk, illiquidity of investments in our portfolio and changes in interest rates.

Credit risk is the primary market risk associated with our business. Credit risk originates from the fact that some of our portfolio companies may become unable or unwilling to fulfill their contractual payment obligations to us and may eventually default on those obligations. These contractual payment obligations arise under the debt securities and other investments that we hold. They include payment of interest, principal, dividends, fees and payments under guarantees and similar instruments.

We primarily invest in illiquid debt and other securities of small and mid-sized private companies. In some cases these investments include additional equity components. Our investments may have no established trading market or are generally subject to restrictions on resale. The illiquidity of our investments may adversely affect our ability to dispose of debt and equity securities at times when it may be otherwise advantageous for us to liquidate such investments. As of December 31, 2023, all of our debt investments are fixed rate.

Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Index to Financial Statements

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of

Princeton Capital Corporation:

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying Statements of Assets and Liabilities of Princeton Capital Corporation (the “Company”), including the schedules of investments, as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related statements of operations, changes in net assets and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. Our procedures included verification by confirmation of securities as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, by correspondence with the portfolio companies and custodians, or by other appropriate auditing procedures where replies were not received. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the Audit Committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Fair Value of Investments

As discussed in Note 5 to the financial statements, the Company measures substantially all of its investments at fair value using unobservable inputs and assumptions as there is no readily available market value. As of December 31, 2023, total investments at fair value were $29,734,953.

We identified the evaluation of the fair value of investments as a critical audit matter. Assessment of the Company’s judgments regarding the use of specific valuation techniques, inputs and assumptions involved a high degree of subjective auditor judgment. Changes in these techniques, inputs and assumptions could have a significant impact on the fair value of investments. In particular, the Company uses the market and cost approaches to determine enterprise values, and also relies upon the current value method to value certain equity and debt investments. Additionally, the Company makes judgments relating to credit risk, guideline company market multiples, guideline transaction multiples, replacement cost indications and financial performance measures used to determine enterprise values and total equity value indications.

Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the financial statements. These procedures included, among others, either (i) testing management’s process for determining the fair value estimate, which included evaluating the appropriateness of the market approach, income approach, or cost approach; testing the completeness, accuracy, and relevance of the underlying data used in the technique; and evaluating the significant unobservable inputs and assumptions used by management, including the selected valuation multiples, discount rates, market yields or replacement or reproduction cost indications, by considering the consistency and reasonableness of the unobservable inputs relative to the performance and condition of the subject company or assets, and the external market and industry data and evidence obtained in other areas of the audit; or (ii) the involvement of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge to assist in developing an independent fair value estimate range for certain level 3 debt and equity investments, and comparison of management’s fair value indications to the independently developed range of fair value estimates. Developing the independent range involved selection of significant unobservable inputs for the market multiples, discount rates or market yields, or replacement or reproduction cost indications, in order to evaluate the reasonableness of management’s fair value estimate of these certain level 3 investments, using a range of available market information.

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2015.

/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC

Whippany, New Jersey

March 29, 2024

PCAOB Number 100

PRINCETON CAPITAL CORPORATION

STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

PRINCETON CAPITAL CORPORATION

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

PRINCETON CAPITAL CORPORATION

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

PRINCETON CAPITAL CORPORATION

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

PRINCETON CAPITAL CORPORATION

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS as of December 31, 2023

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

PRINCETON CAPITAL CORPORATION

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS as of December 31, 2023

(Continued)