NOTE 6 – RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement

House Hanover has served as the Company’s investment advisor since January 1, 2018 pursuant to the Interim Investment Advisory Agreement (until May 31, 2018) and the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement (since 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 Advisory 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. House Hanover is registered as an investment advisor under the 1940 Act.

Advisory Services

House Hanover is registered as an investment advisor 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.

Management 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.

Management fees earned by House Hanover for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 were $74,239 and $83,369, respectively. Management fees earned by House Hanover for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 were $162,204 and $164,381, respectively.

As of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, management fees of $74,239 and $91,934 respectively, were payable to House Hanover.

Incentive Fee

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.

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 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 Advisory 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.

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.

Administration Services and Service Agreement

House Hanover is entitled to reimbursement of expenses under the House Hanover Investment Advisory Agreement for administrative services performed for the Company.

On January 1, 2018, Princeton Capital Corporation directly entered into a service agreement with SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. (the “Sub-Administrator”) to provide certain administrative services to the Company. In exchange for providing services, the Company pays the Sub-Administrator an asset-based fee with a $151,025 annual minimum as adjusted for any reimbursement of expenses. This annual minimum was amended in the service agreement on April 20, 2019 and increased on July 1, 2020, July 1, 2021 and again on July 1, 2022 by the US Consumer Price Index – All Urban Consumers per the service agreement. This asset-based fee will vary depending upon our gross assets, as adjusted, as follows:

Administration fees were $64,875 and fees to the Sub-Administrator were $37,756 for the three months ended June 30, 2023, as shown on the Statements of Operations under administration fees. Administration fees were $129,750 and fees to the Sub-Administrator were $75,512 for the six months ended June 30, 2023, as shown on the Statements of Operations under administration fees.

Administration fees were $67,500 and fees to the Sub-Administrator were $34,143 for the three months ended June 30, 2022, as shown on the Statements of Operations under administration fees. Administration fees were $135,000 and fees to the Sub-Administrator were $68,286 for the six months ended June 30, 2022, as shown on the Statements of Operations under administration fees.

As of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, administration fees of $64,875 and $64,875, respectively, were payable to House Hanover and are recorded as Due to affiliates on the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

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. As of June 30, 2023, none of the portfolio companies had accepted our offer for such services, except for Advantis Certified Staffing Solutions, Inc. (“Advantis”). On May 1, 2022, 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.