As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 30, 2024
Securities Act File No.
1940 Act File No.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 | ||
Pre-Effective Amendment | ||
Post-Effective Amendment __ |
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | ||
Amendment |
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Registrant’s Telephone Number)
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
Copies to:
Bo J. Howell, Esq.
FinTech Law
6224 Turpin Hills Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45244
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
Check box if any securities being registered on this Form will be offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”), other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan. |
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
when declared effective pursuant to Section 8(c) of the Securities Act |
Check each box that appropriately characterizes the Registrant:
Registered Closed-End Fund (closed-end company that is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”)). |
Interval Fund (Registered Closed-End Fund or a Business Development Company that makes periodic repurchase offers under Rule 23c-3 under the Investment Company Act). |
New Registrant (registered or regulated under the Investment Company Act for less than 12 calendar months preceding this filing). |
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund
Class I Shares (VCAFX) of Beneficial Interest
$2,500 Minimum Purchase
Prospectus
September 30, 2024
Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund (the “Fund”) is a Delaware statutory trust that is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as a diversified, closed-end management investment company that operates as an “interval fund.”
The Fund’s investment objective is to generate long-term capital appreciation primarily through an actively managed portfolio that exposes investors to private, venture capital investments. To achieve its investment objective, the Fund will invest primarily in the equity securities (e.g., common stock, preferred stock, and securities convertible into equity securities) of early-stage, private, operating growth companies. For liquidity management or in connection with the implementation of changes in asset allocation or when identifying private investments for the Fund during periods of large cash inflows or otherwise for temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may hold a substantial portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, publicly traded equity securities, and exchange-traded funds.
The Fund operates as an “interval fund” pursuant to which it will, subject to applicable law, conduct quarterly repurchase offers for no less than 5% of the Fund’s outstanding shares (“Shares”) at net asset value (“NAV”). Quarterly Share repurchases will occur in the months of January, April, July, and October of each year, commencing with the first repurchase scheduled for January 2025. The Fund will provide written notification of each repurchase offer to shareholders at least 21 days before the repurchase request deadline (i.e., the date by which shareholders can tender their Shares in response to a repurchase offer), and the Fund’s Shares will be redeemed at the NAV no later than the 14th day (or the next business day if the 14th day is not a business day) after such repurchase request deadline (the “Repurchase Pricing Date”). Repurchase proceeds will be paid to redeeming shareholders, less any early repurchase fee, no later than seven days after the Repurchase Pricing Date (see “Share Repurchases”).
The Fund will not be required to repurchase Shares at a shareholder’s option, and Shares are not exchangeable for interests, shares, or units of any investment of the Fund. Repurchase Offers may be oversubscribed, resulting in Fund shareholders receiving a pro-rata portion of the repurchased Shares. The Fund does not intend to list its Shares for trading on any national securities exchange. For this reason, the Shares are not readily marketable. Although the Fund will make quarterly repurchase offers to repurchase a limited portion of its Shares to try to provide some liquidity to shareholders, investors should consider the Shares illiquid. See “Risks – Closed-End Fund; Limited Liquidity of Shares; Repurchase Offers Risks” in this Prospectus for more information.
The Adviser. The Fund’s investment adviser is Connetic RIA LLC, a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
Investing in Shares involves certain risks, including the potential loss of your entire principal amount. See the “Risks” section of this Prospectus for more information. You should carefully consider these risks, together with all other information contained in this Prospectus, before deciding whether to invest in the Shares.
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· | Shares are not listed for trading on any securities exchange, and you should not expect to be able to sell Shares in a secondary market transaction. You should consider Shares of the Fund to be an illiquid investment. |
· | Shares are not redeemable at the shareholder’s option. The Fund does not intend to offer to repurchase Shares until January 2025. At that time, the Fund will offer to redeem no less than 5% of its outstanding Shares four times each year. |
· | The Fund has no intention to repurchase Shares outside of these quarterly repurchase offers that will begin in January 2025, and these repurchase offers may be oversubscribed. |
· | If you tender your Shares for repurchase as part of a repurchase offer that is oversubscribed (i.e., because more than 5% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares are tendered for repurchase), the Fund will redeem only a portion of your Shares. |
· | Because Shares are not listed on a securities exchange, and the Fund will only offer to redeem no less than 5% of its outstanding Shares four times a year starting in January 2025, you should not expect to be able to sell your Shares when and/or in the amount desired, regardless of how the Fund performs. As a result, you may be unable to reduce your exposure to the Fund during any market downturn. |
· | The Fund is designed for long-term investors. An investment in the Fund may not be suitable for you if you need the money you invest within a specified period. |
· | The amount of distributions the Fund may pay, if any, is uncertain. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to maintain a certain level of distributions to shareholders. A portion or all of Fund distributions may consist of a return of capital. Any capital returned to shareholders through a distribution will be distributed after payment of fees and expenses. A return of capital distribution will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholder’s cost basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold. Once a shareholder’s cost basis is reduced to zero, further distributions will be treated as capital gain if the shareholder holds shares of the Fund as capital assets. |
· | The Fund may pay distributions in significant part from sources that may not be available in the future and that are unrelated to the Fund’s performance, such as from offering proceeds, borrowings, and amounts from the Fund’s affiliates that are subject to repayment by investors. |
· | The Fund’s investments may require several years to appreciate in value, and there is no assurance that such appreciation will occur. |
· | Investing in the Shares may be speculative and involve a high degree of risk, including the risks associated with venture capital investing and the potential loss of your entire investment. See “Risks” below in this prospectus. |
Securities Offered. The Fund engages in a continuous offering of shares of beneficial interest of the Fund, including Class I shares. The Fund is authorized as a Delaware statutory trust to issue an unlimited number of shares. The Fund is offering to sell, through its distributor, under the terms of this prospectus, an unlimited number of Class I shares of beneficial interest, at NAV. Class I Shares are not subject to sales loads. The minimum initial investment by a shareholder in Class I shares is $2,500. Subsequent investments in Class I shares may be made with at least $100. The Fund reserves the right to waive investment minimums. The Fund’s shares are offered through Foreside Financial Services, LLC, (the “Distributor”), as the distributor. In addition, certain institutions (including banks, trust companies, brokers and investment advisers) may be authorized to accept, on behalf of the Fund, purchase and exchange orders and repurchase requests placed by or on behalf of their customers, and if approved by the Fund, may designate other financial intermediaries to accept such orders. The Distributor is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of the Fund’s shares. Monies received will be invested promptly and no arrangements have been made to place such monies in an escrow, trust, or similar account. During the continuous offering, shares will be sold at the NAV of the Fund next determined plus any applicable sales load. See “Plan of Distribution.”
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Offering Price |
Maximum Sales Load |
Proceeds to the Fund |
Current NAV | None | $ amount invested at current NAV |
This Prospectus sets forth concisely important information about the Fund that you should know before deciding whether to invest in the Shares. Please read this Prospectus before investing and keep it for future reference. The Fund has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a statement of additional information dated as of September 30, 2024 (the date of this Prospectus), as may be amended (“SAI”), containing additional information about the Fund. The SAI is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this Prospectus. We will also file annual, semi-annual, quarterly reports, and other information about the Fund with the SEC. This information and the SAI will be available free of charge by contacting us at 910 Madison Avenue, Covington, KY 41011, or by telephone toll-free at 800-711-9164 by emailing us at info@connetic.ventures, or by visiting our website at conneticventures.com. In addition, the contact information provided above may be used to request additional information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries. The Fund’s SAI, other material incorporated by reference into this Prospectus, and other information about the Fund is also available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
You should not construe the contents of this Prospectus as legal, tax or financial advice. You should consult with your professional advisors as to the legal, tax, financial or other matters relevant to the suitability of an investment in the Fund.
The Fund’s Shares do not represent a deposit or an obligation of, and are not guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank or other insured depository institution, and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other government agency.
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Table of Contents
Prospectus Summary | 1 |
Summary of Fund Fees and Expenses | 17 |
Financial Highlights | 18 |
The Fund | 18 |
Use of Proceeds | 19 |
Investment Objective, Strategies, and Policies | 19 |
Risks | 21 |
Fund Management | 34 |
Determination of Net Asset Value | 36 |
Plan of Distribution | 37 |
Share Repurchases | 40 |
Borrowing | 42 |
Distributions | 43 |
Dividend Reinvestment Plan | 43 |
Description of the Fund and its Shares | 44 |
Fund Expenses | 45 |
Tax Matters | 46 |
Certain ERISA Matters | 55 |
Certain Fund Service Providers | 55 |
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Prospectus Summary
This is only a summary of certain information contained in this Prospectus relating to Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund (the “Fund”, “we,” “our” or “us”). This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in our shares. You should review the more detailed information contained elsewhere in this Prospectus and in the Statement of Additional Information (the “SAI”) prior to investing.
The Fund | The Fund is a Delaware statutory trust that is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), as a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund operates as an “interval fund” and is making a continuous offering of its shares of beneficial interest (“Shares”). |
Investment Objective and Strategies | The Fund’s investment objective is to generate long-term capital appreciation primarily through an actively managed portfolio that exposes investors to private, venture capital investments. Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to invest at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities that provide exposure to private, venture capital investments.
The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective through investing primarily in equity securities (e.g., common stock, preferred stock, and securities convertible into equity securities) of private, venture capital investments in operating growth companies (“Portfolio Companies”). The characteristics of these private, venture capital investments are described in more detail below in “Investment Objective, Strategies, and Policies” on page 20 of this prospectus.
The Adviser expects to also use various sources to identify Portfolio Companies. These sources may include scout networks and unaffiliated venture capital investors with whom it has established relationships. “Scout networks” in the venture capital context refer to individuals or organizations engaged by a venture capital firm to source and identify promising startup companies for potential investment. These scouts are usually well-connected industry insiders, successful entrepreneurs, or investors with a good eye for identifying early-stage companies with high potential. They operate as extended arms of a venture capital firm, leveraging their networks and expertise to discover and recommend investment opportunities that the firm might not find through its typical channels.
The Fund identifies potential investment opportunities through various channels, including partnerships with unaffiliated venture capital investors. These connections provide access to a diverse range of companies seeking investment or offering shares for sale outside public exchanges, often called the secondary market. Investing through these networks can present unique risks. For instance, there may be certain restrictions on the transferability of these private shares, or less information might be available about the company than a public offering. Additionally, the pricing in the secondary market might not fully reflect the company’s current value due to changes in market conditions or internal company factors that have occurred since the shares were last valued. The Fund exercises thorough due diligence to mitigate these risks before acquiring any interests. This includes in-depth legal review, financial analysis, and, where possible, direct discussions with company management.
Although the Fund may use scout networks and other channels to source deals, it uses the Adviser’s proprietary technology, Wendal and TeamPrint, to automate due diligence and create a level playing field for founders of potential Portfolio Companies to be considered for investment by the Fund. The Adviser has built proprietary in-house software, called Wendal, that analyzes a potential Portfolio Company and its team members, then provides what the Adviser believes are unbiased recommendations on which potential Portfolio Companies are appropriate for investment consideration. Wendal is an application designed to gather information from potential Portfolio Companies about their operations, key personnel, and financial condition. Wendal then provides an unbiased assessment of the Portfolio Company based on the information it gathers. The technology has been tested for fairness in its assessments across gender, race, and age in a study conducted by a third-party industrial psychology consulting firm. In addition to Wendal, the Adviser also has a proprietary behavioral assessment, TeamPrint, that analyzes entrepreneurial traits of the Portfolio Company’s key personnel; it has also been validated for accuracy and reliability and does not create adverse impact across marginalized groups. The Adviser uses the Wendal and TeamPrint assessments to screen Portfolio Companies for potential investment. After identifying potential Portfolio Companies, the Adviser performs more traditional due diligence to assess whether to invest in a particular Portfolio Company. |
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During this due diligence, the Adviser reviews the qualified deals and considers the potential investment’s business model and go-to-market strategy, the data collected and analyzed through the Wendal submission, and corporate governance-related topics. As investment opportunities are analyzed, the Adviser seeks to evaluate the terms of the investment in relation to historical benchmarks, current information from the Adviser’s existing venture capital portfolio, and against each other. This comparative analysis can provide insight into the specific investments that offer the greatest value at different points in time in the various segments of the venture capital market. Once the Adviser has conducted the full due diligence process, the Adviser determines whether the Fund should make the investment. |
For liquidity management or in connection with the implementation of changes in asset allocation or when identifying private investments for the Fund during periods of large cash inflows or otherwise for temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may hold a substantial portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, publicly traded equity securities, mutual funds, money market funds, and exchange-traded funds.
The Fund will seek to invest primarily in Portfolio Companies with headquarters in North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico) and in varying industries, and targets early-stage companies (defined as companies with a potentially scalable idea for a product or service targeting a market that is poised to generate value) and other private companies already being financed by venture capital investments. The Fund will be concentrated (i.e., invest at least 25% of its assets) in the technology industry as defined by the Bloomberg Industry Classification Standard (particularly software companies). The Fund may also be focused on certain sectors from time to time, including the consumer discretionary sector, which the Adviser defines as companies that make goods or services that are considered non-essential by consumers, but desirable if their available income is sufficient to purchase them (such as non-essential food and beverage like cold brew coffee). The Fund anticipates 10-15% of Fund assets to be allocated to the consumer discretionary sector.
The allocation of the Fund’s assets to different strategies and regions will depend on the maturity and depth of the venture-backed market in the applicable strategy or region. The Fund’s initial investments in Portfolio Companies may be at the pre-seed stage (typically at idea inception) but at the seed stage (typically to fund product development and start-up costs) and will have the option for follow-on investments. In almost all cases, the Fund expects to be a minority investor when investing in Portfolio Companies and will not have the ability to control or influence the operations of such Portfolio Companies, nor will it have the right to remove the managers thereof. Rather, the Fund will rely on such companies’ existing management and boards of directors. The Fund’s initial investments are expected to be between $250,000 and $1 million typically. |
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For investments in Portfolio Companies, the Fund expects to hold these investments until a liquidity event with respect to the Portfolio Company occurs, such as an initial public offering or a merger or acquisition transaction. However, we may determine to continue to hold the securities of a Portfolio Company after a liquidity event or may sell such securities prior to a liquidity event. |
Risks | Risk Related to Our Business and Structure
Closed-End Fund; Limited Liquidity of Shares; Repurchase Offers Risks. The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company designed for long-term investors. The Fund is neither a liquid investment nor a trading vehicle. You should not invest in the Fund if you need a liquid investment. Closed-end funds differ from open-end management investment companies (commonly known as mutual funds) in that investors in a closed-end fund do not have the right to redeem their shares daily.
The Fund’s Shares are not listed for trading on any securities exchange and are not publicly traded. There is currently no secondary market for the Shares, and you should not rely on any secondary market developing for the Shares. Shares are subject to substantial restrictions on transferability.
Although the Fund will be making quarterly offers to repurchase its Shares, each such offer is expected to be limited to no less than 5% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares); these offers may be oversubscribed, and there is no guarantee that you will be able to sell all of the Shares you desire in any quarterly repurchase offer. If a repurchase offer is oversubscribed and the Fund determines not to repurchase additional Shares beyond the repurchase offer amount, or if shareholders tender an amount of Shares greater than that which the Fund is entitled to purchase, the Fund will repurchase the Shares tendered on a pro-rata basis, and shareholders will have to wait until the next repurchase offer to make another repurchase request. As a result, shareholders may be unable to liquidate all or a given percentage of their investment in the Fund during a particular repurchase offer. A shareholder may be subject to market and other risks, and the net asset value (“NAV”) of Shares tendered in a repurchase offer may decline between the Repurchase Request Deadline and the date on which the NAV for tendered Shares is determined. In addition, the repurchase of Shares by the Fund may be a taxable event to shareholders. Additionally, in certain instances, these repurchase offers may be suspended or postponed. See “Share Repurchases.”
Quarterly repurchases by the Fund of its Shares typically will be funded from available cash. However, repurchase offers and the need to fund repurchase obligations may affect the ability of the Fund to be fully invested or force the Fund to maintain a higher percentage of its assets in liquid investments, which may harm the Fund’s investment performance. In addition, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities (including at inopportune times) to satisfy repurchase requests, resulting in increased transaction costs that must be borne by the Fund and its shareholders. The sale of Fund assets to satisfy repurchase requests may also result in higher short-term capital gains for taxable shareholders. |
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Reliance on the Adviser. The Fund has no employees and instead depends on the investment expertise, skill, and network of business contacts of the Adviser. The Fund’s success depends to a significant extent on the continued service and coordination of the Adviser’s professionals. The departure of any of the Adviser’s professionals could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
Use of Technology. Using technology like Wendal and TeamPrint may limit the pool of potential Portfolio Companies in that the analysis performed is only done on companies that apply. The accuracy and usefulness of Wendal and TeamPrint's recommendations depend significantly on the quality of the data input. Incomplete, erroneous, or limited data could lead to incomplete analyses or incorrect recommendations, thereby affecting the Fund’s decision-making process. The Adviser's heavy reliance on Wendal and TeamPrint for screening potential investments may limit the Fund's ability to adjust its strategies quickly in response to new information that the technologies do not incorporate. Like any digital platform, Wendal and TeamPrint face the risk of coding or logic errors that could affect functionality. Additionally, the risk of unauthorized access, malware, or other technological issues could not only disrupt the Adviser’s operations but also lead to loss of proprietary information or negatively impact the Fund's operations.
Algorithmic and Model Risk: Wendal and TeamPrint rely on algorithms and models that may contain inherent biases despite efforts to ensure neutrality, or they may not fully account for all the nuances in human behavior and market conditions. This could potentially lead to over- or under-weighting certain factors in the investment selection process. Further, the relationships among data sets can evolve over time, resulting from market dynamics, economic factors, or changes in law or regulation. Such changes might render previous algorithms and assessments less effective, potentially leading to suboptimal investment decisions. The testing and validation of Wendal and TeamPrint are performed based on historical data and may not accurately predict future outcomes. There is a risk that the technologies might not perform as expected in different or changing market conditions.
Offering Risk. To the extent the Fund is not able to raise sufficient funds through the sale of Shares, the opportunity for the allocation of the Fund’s investments among various issuers and industries may be decreased, and the returns achieved on those investments may be reduced as a result of allocating all of the Fund’s expenses over a smaller capital base. As a result, the Fund may be unable to achieve its investment objective, and an investor could lose some or all of the value of his or her investment in the Shares. In addition, because many of the Fund’s expenses are fixed, it is anticipated that shareholders will bear a larger proportionate share of Fund expenses if the Fund does not grow to a significant extent.
Use of Proceeds. The Adviser has significant flexibility in applying the proceeds of the continuous offering of the Fund’s Shares and may use the net proceeds from this offering in ways with which you do not agree. There is no assurance that the Adviser will be able to successfully use the proceeds of this offering within a practicable period. The Adviser will also use the proceeds of this offering to pay the Fund’s operating expenses, including due diligence expenses for potential new investments, which are substantial.
Although the Fund intends to invest the proceeds from the sale of the Shares offered hereby within three months of their receipt, such investments may be delayed if suitable investments are unavailable. Delays the Fund encounters in the selection, due diligence, and acquisition of investments would limit the Fund’s ability to pay distributions and lower overall returns. |
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Competition for Investment Opportunities Risk. The Fund will compete with other investment companies, investment funds (including private venture capital funds), and institutional investors in making private investments. Many of these competitors are substantially larger and have greater financial, technical, and marketing resources than the Fund. Some competitors may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources unavailable to the Fund. In addition, some competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of, or different structures for, private investments than the Fund. The Fund may lose investment opportunities if it cannot match its competitors’ pricing, terms, and structure. Furthermore, many competitors are not registered investment companies and are, thus, not subject to the regulatory restrictions imposed by the Investment Company Act on the Fund. As a result of this competition, the Fund may be unable to pursue attractive private investment opportunities from time to time.
Investment funds that the Adviser (or an affiliate of the Adviser) may advise on in the future may invest in asset classes similar to those targeted by the Fund. As a result, the Adviser or its affiliates may face conflicts in allocating investment opportunities between the Fund and these other investment funds.
Potential Reliance on Projections. In selecting and monitoring Fund investments, the Adviser will occasionally rely upon projections, forecasts, or estimates developed by the Adviser or by a Portfolio Company in which the Fund is invested or is considering investing in the Portfolio Company’s future performance and cash flow. Projections, forecasts, and estimates are forward-looking statements based on certain assumptions. Actual events are difficult to predict and beyond the Fund’s control and may differ materially from those assumed.
Affiliation Risk and Inability to Vote. The Fund may be precluded from investing in certain Portfolio Companies due to regulatory implications under the Investment Company Act or other laws, rules, or regulations or may be limited in the amount it can invest in the voting securities of a Portfolio Company in the size of the economic interest it can have in the company or fund, or the scope of influence it is permitted to have in respect of the management of the company or fund. Should the Fund be required to treat a Portfolio Company in which it has invested as an “affiliated person” under the Investment Company Act, it would impose various restrictions on the Fund’s dealings with the Portfolio Company. Moreover, these restrictions may arise due to investments by future clients of the Adviser or its affiliates in a Portfolio Company. These restrictions may be detrimental to the performance of the Fund compared to what it would be if these restrictions did not exist and could impact the universe of investable Portfolio Companies for the Fund. The fact that many Portfolio Companies may have a limited number of investors and a limited amount of outstanding equity heightens these risks.
Valuation Risk. The Fund is subject to valuation risk, which is the risk that one or more of the securities in which the Fund invests are valued and held on the Fund’s books at prices that the Fund is unable to obtain upon sale due to factors such as incomplete data, market instability, or human error. The Adviser may, but is not required to, use an independent pricing service or prices provided by dealers to value securities at their market value. Because the secondary markets for certain investments may be limited, such instruments may be difficult to value. When market quotations are unavailable, the Adviser may price such investments under various methodologies, such as computer-based analytical modeling or individual security evaluations. These methodologies generate approximations of market values, and there may be significant professional disagreement about the best methodology for a particular type of financial instrument or different methodologies that might be used under different circumstances. In the absence of an actual market transaction, reliance on such methodologies is essential but may introduce significant variances in the ultimate valuation of the Fund’s investments. Technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers may also impact the Fund’s ability to value its investments and the calculation of the Fund’s NAV. |
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Investment Dilution Risk. The Fund’s investors do not have preemptive rights to any Shares the Fund may issue in the future. The Fund’s Declaration of Trust (“Declaration of Trust”) authorizes it to issue unlimited Shares. The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) may amend the Declaration of Trust. After an investor purchases Shares, the Fund expects to sell additional Shares or other classes of Shares in the future or issue equity interests in private offerings. To the extent the Fund issues additional equity interests after an investor purchases its Shares, such investor’s percentage ownership interest in the Fund will be diluted.
Legal, Litigation, and Regulatory Action Risk. The Fund, the Adviser, and their affiliates are subject to several unusual risks, including changing laws and regulations, developing interpretations of them, and increased scrutiny by regulators and law enforcement authorities. These risks and potential consequences are often difficult or impossible to predict, avoid, or mitigate in advance and might make some investments unavailable to the Fund. The effect on the Fund, the Adviser, or any affiliate of any such legal risk, litigation, or regulatory action could be substantial and adverse. In addition, any litigation may consume substantial amounts of the Adviser’s time and attention. That time and the devotion of resources to litigation may, at times, be disproportionate to the amounts at stake.
General Market Conditions Risk. Various sectors of the global financial markets have been experiencing an extended period of adverse conditions. Market uncertainty has increased dramatically, particularly in the United States and Europe, and adverse market conditions have expanded to other markets. These conditions have disrupted the global markets, periods of reduced liquidity, and greater volatility. These volatile and often difficult global market conditions have episodically adversely affected the market values of equity and other securities. This volatility may continue, and conditions could deteriorate even further. Some of the largest banks and companies across many sectors of the economy in the United States and Europe have declared bankruptcy, entered into insolvency, administration, or similar proceedings, been nationalized by government authorities, and/or agreed to merge with or be acquired by other banks or companies that had been considered their peers. The long-term impact of these events is uncertain but could continue to have a material effect on general economic conditions, consumer and business confidence, and market liquidity.
Major public health issues, such as COVID-19, natural disasters, armed conflicts, and terrorist attacks, have, at times, and may, in the future impact the Fund. The COVID-19 pandemic caused substantial market volatility and global business disruption and impacted the global economy in significant and unforeseen ways. Any public health emergency, including the COVID-19 pandemic or any outbreak of other existing or new epidemic diseases or the threat thereof, and the resulting financial and economic market uncertainty, could adversely impact the Fund or its investments. Moreover, changes in interest rates, travel advisories, quarantines, restrictions, disrupted supply chains and industries, impact on labor markets, reduced liquidity, or a slowdown in U.S. or global economic conditions resulting from a future public health crisis may also adversely affect the Fund or its investments. COVID-19, or any other health crisis and the current or any resulting financial, economic, and capital markets environment, and future developments in these and other areas present uncertainty and risk concerning the Fund’s NAV, performance, financial condition, results of operations, ability to pay distributions, make share repurchases and portfolio liquidity, among other factors. |
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Failure of Financial Institutions and Sustained Financial Market Illiquidity. The failure of certain financial institutions, namely banks, may increase the possibility of a sustained deterioration of financial market liquidity or illiquidity at the clearing, cash management, and/or custodial financial institutions. The failure of a bank (or banks) with which the Fund and/or the Fund’s underlying investments have a commercial relationship could adversely affect, among other things, the Fund and/or the Fund’s underlying investments’ ability to pursue key strategic initiatives, including by affecting the Fund’s ability to borrow from financial institutions on favorable terms.
Cyber Security Risk. The Fund and its service providers are susceptible to operational, information security, and related risks with the increased use of technologies such as the Internet to conduct business. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures by or breaches of the Adviser or other Fund service providers (including, but not limited to, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents, and administrators) and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests can cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Fund has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund and issuers in which the Fund invests. As a result, the Fund or its shareholders could be negatively impacted.
Opinions and Forward-Looking Statements May Not Be Correct. This Prospectus and the Fund’s marketing materials may contain many opinions and forward-looking statements about the direction and future performance of venture capital markets and venture capital secondaries and co-investment markets, the relative merits of various investment strategies and investment firms, and the capabilities and competitive strength of the Adviser and the Fund. These statements include predictions, statements of belief, and expectations and may include the use of qualitative terms such as “best-of-class,” “superior,” and “top-tier.” Investors should understand that such statements represent the current views of the Adviser or other third-party sources, that other market participants might have differing views, and that the actual events, including the actual future performance of the venture capital market and venture capital secondaries and co-investment markets and the Fund, could differ sharply from the opinions and forward-looking statements contained in the Fund’s Prospectus and marketing materials. Any such departures could materially affect the performance of the Fund. In addition, the Adviser has not independently verified any of the information provided by third-party sources and cannot ensure its accuracy. For all the reasons set above and others, prospective investors are cautioned not to rely on opinions, statements, and performance. |
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Risks Related to Fund Investments
Venture Capital Investing Risks. While venture capital investments offer the opportunity for significant gains, these investments also involve an extremely high degree of business and financial risk and can result in substantial losses. There generally will be little or no publicly available information regarding the status and prospects of Portfolio Companies. For example, Portfolio Companies will not be subject to SEC reporting requirements, will generally not be required to maintain accounting records in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), and are generally not required to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting. As a result, the Adviser may not have timely or accurate information about the business, financial condition, and results of operations of the Portfolio Companies in which the Fund invests. Many investment decisions by the Adviser will depend upon the ability to obtain relevant information from non-public sources, and the Adviser may be required to make decisions without complete information or in reliance upon information provided by third parties that is impossible or impracticable to verify.
Portfolio Companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations with their existing working capital, which may lead to equity financings, possibly at discounted valuations, in which the Fund’s holdings could be substantially diluted if the Fund does not or cannot participate, bankruptcy or liquidation and the reduction or loss of the Fund’s investment. Portfolio Companies are also more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons; therefore, the death, disability, resignation, or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on a Portfolio Company and, in turn, on the Fund. At the time of the Fund’s investment, a Portfolio Company may lack one or more key attributes (e.g., proven technology, marketable product, complete management team, or strategic alliances) necessary for success. In most cases, investments will be long-term and may require many years from the date of initial investment before disposition.
The marketability and value of each Portfolio Company investment will depend upon many factors beyond the Adviser’s control. Portfolio Companies may have substantial variations in operating results from period to period, face intense competition, and experience failures or substantial declines in value at any stage. The public market for startup and emerging growth companies is extremely volatile. Such volatility may adversely affect the development of Portfolio Companies, the ability of the Fund to dispose of investments and the value of investment securities on the date of sale or distribution by the Fund. In particular, the receptiveness of the public market to initial public offerings by the Fund’s Portfolio Companies may vary dramatically from period to period. An otherwise successful Portfolio Company may yield poor investment returns if it cannot consummate an initial public offering at the proper time. Even if a Portfolio Company effects a successful public offering, the Portfolio Company’s securities may be subject to contractual “lock-up,” securities law, or other restrictions, which may, for a material period, prevent the Fund from disposing of such securities. Similarly, the receptiveness of potential acquirers to the Fund’s Portfolio Companies will vary over time, and even if a Portfolio Company investment is disposed of via a merger, consolidation, or similar transaction, the Fund’s stock, security, or other interests in the surviving entity may not be marketable. There can be no guarantee that any Portfolio Company investment will result in a liquidity event via public offering, merger, acquisition, or otherwise. The investments made by the Fund will be illiquid and difficult to value, and there will be little or no collateral to protect an investment once made. |
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Following its initial investment in a given Portfolio Company, the Fund may decide to provide additional funds to such portfolio company or may have the opportunity or otherwise need to increase its investment in a Portfolio Company. There is no assurance that the Fund will have the opportunity to make follow-on investments, follow-on investments, or sufficient available funds to make follow-on investments. Any decision by the Fund not to make follow-on investments or its inability to make such investments may have a substantial negative effect on a Portfolio Company in need of such additional capital or may result in a lost opportunity for the Fund to increase its participation in a successful operation.
Co-Investment Risk. It is anticipated that the Fund will co-invest in Portfolio Companies sourced by third-party investors unaffiliated with either the Fund or its affiliates, such as private venture capital funds. The Fund’s ability to realize a profit on such investments will be particularly reliant on the expertise of the lead investor in the transaction. To the extent that the lead investor in such a co-investment opportunity assumes control of the management of the Portfolio Company, the Fund will be reliant not only upon the lead investor’s ability to research, analyze, negotiate, and monitor such investments but also on the lead investor’s ability to oversee the operation of the company’s business successfully. The Fund’s ability to dispose of such investments is typically severely limited because the securities are unregistered and illiquid and because of contractual restrictions that may preclude the Fund from selling such investments. Often, the Fund may exit such investment only in a transaction, such as an initial public offering or sale of the company, on terms arranged by the lead investor. Such investments may be subject to additional valuation risk, as the Fund’s ability to accurately determine the fair value of the investment may depend upon the receipt of information from the lead investor. The valuation assigned to such an investment by applying the Fund’s valuation procedures may differ from the valuation assigned to that investment by other co-investors. In some cases, the Fund may pay fees such as placement fees, management fees, administrative fees, and/or performance fees to venture capital fund sponsors in connection with a co-investment transaction in which the Fund participates, which fees would be in addition to the fees charged to the Fund by the Adviser and would be indirectly borne by investors in the Fund.
Follow-On Investment Risk. The Fund’s investments in Portfolio Companies may require follow-on investments. The Fund may be required to provide follow-on funding for its Portfolio Companies or have the opportunity to make additional investments in such Portfolio Companies. There can be no assurance that the Fund will have sufficient funds to make such additional investments. Any decision by the Fund not to make follow-on investments or its inability to make them may have a negative impact on a Portfolio Company in need of such an investment, which could, in turn, have a negative effect on the Fund’s returns. To the extent the Fund does not participate in a follow-on investment (which may be due to a number of factors, including not having sufficient uncommitted capital reserves to make the investment or restrictions under the Investment Company Act), then the Fund’s interest in the Portfolio Company may be diluted or subordinated to the new capital being invested. |
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Private Company Risks. Investments in start-up and growth-stage private companies involve greater risks than investments in shares of companies that have traded publicly on an exchange for extended periods. These investments may present significant opportunities for capital appreciation but involve a high degree of risk that may result in significant decreases in the value of these investments. The Fund may not be able to sell such investments when the Adviser deems it appropriate to do so because they are not publicly traded. As such, these investments are considered illiquid until a company’s public offering (which may never occur). They are often subject to additional contractual restrictions on resale following any public offering that may prevent the Fund from selling its shares of these companies for some time. Market conditions, developments within a company, investor perception, or regulatory decisions may adversely affect a late-stage Portfolio Company and delay or prevent such a company from offering its securities to the public. Even if a Portfolio Company does issue shares in an initial public offering, initial public offerings are risky and volatile. They may cause the value of the Fund’s investment to decrease significantly. In addition:
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· | Complex Capital Structures. The types of private companies the Fund seeks to invest in frequently have much more complex capital structures than traditional publicly traded companies. They may have multiple classes of equity securities with differing rights, including rights concerning voting and distributions. In addition, it is often difficult to obtain information concerning private companies’ capital structures, and even where the Adviser can obtain such information, there can be no assurance that the information is complete or accurate. In certain cases, private companies may also have preferred stock or senior debt outstanding, which may heighten the risk of investing in the underlying equity of such private companies, particularly when the Adviser has limited information concerning such capital structures. There can be no assurance that the Fund can adequately evaluate the relative risks and benefits of investing in a particular class of a Portfolio Company’s equity securities. Any failure on the Adviser’s part to properly evaluate the relative rights and value of a class of securities in which the Fund invests could cause the Fund to lose part or all of its investment, which in turn could have a material and adverse effect on the Fund’s performance.
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· | Drag-Along Rights. The Portfolio Company securities the Fund acquires (or into which they are convertible) may be subject to drag-along rights, a standard term in a stock purchase agreement that permits a majority stockholder in a company to force minority stockholders to join in the sale of the company on the same price, terms, and conditions as any other seller in the sale. Such drag-along rights could permit other stockholders, under certain circumstances, to force the Fund to liquidate its position in a Portfolio Company at a specified price, which could be, in the Adviser’s opinion, inadequate or undesirable or even below the cost at which the Fund acquired the investment. In this event, the Fund could realize a loss or fail to realize a gain in an amount the Adviser deems appropriate for the investment. Accordingly, the Fund may not be able to realize gains from its investments, and any gains it does realize on the disposition of any investments may not be sufficient to offset any other losses it experiences.
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Concentration and Sector Focus Risks. The Fund will concentrate its investments in the technology industry and may focus its investments in securities of a particular sector, such as consumer discretionary. Economic, legislative, or regulatory developments that significantly affect the industry or sector may occur. This may cause the Fund’s NAV to fluctuate more than a fund that does not focus on a particular industry or sector. |
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Technology. Technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, or personnel. Technology companies typically face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. They are also heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by the loss or impairment of those rights. Companies in the technology sector are facing increased government and regulatory scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or regulatory action.
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· | Consumer Discretionary. The consumer discretionary sector may be affected by changes in domestic and international economies, exchange and interest rates, competition, consumers’ disposable income, consumer preferences, social trends, and marketing campaigns.
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Publicly Traded Equity Securities Risk. Stock markets are volatile, and the prices of equity securities fluctuate based on changes in a company’s financial and overall market and economic conditions. Although common stocks have historically generated higher average total returns than fixed-income securities over the long term, common stocks also have experienced significantly more volatility in those returns and, in certain periods, have significantly underperformed relative to fixed-income securities. Common stocks of companies operating in certain sectors or industries tend to experience greater volatility than those operating in other sectors or industries or broader equity markets. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock held by the Fund. A common stock may also decline due to factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. The value of a particular common stock held by the Fund may decline for several other reasons that directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage, the issuer’s historical and prospective earnings, the value of its assets, and reduced demand for its goods and services. Also, the prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market, and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks to which the Fund has exposure. Common stock prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuers occur. In addition, common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Common equity securities in which the Fund may invest are structurally subordinated to preferred stock, bonds, and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure in terms of priority to corporate income and are, therefore, inherently more risky than preferred stock or debt instruments of such issuers.
Other Investment Companies Risks. To the extent that the Fund invests in these other investment companies, such as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and money market funds, there will be some duplication of expenses because the Fund will bear its pro rata portion of such funds’ management fees and operational expenses in addition to the Fund’s own management fees and operational expenses. There is no assurance that another investment company’s investment objectives will be achieved, and these investments can lose money. The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the other investment companies and may also be higher than other funds that invest directly in securities. The other investment companies are subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the specific other investment company. The Fund’s performance depends in part upon the performance of the other investment company managers and selected strategies, the adherence by such other investment company managers to such selected strategies, the instruments used by such other investment company managers, and the Adviser’s ability to select other investment company managers and strategies and effectively allocate Fund assets among them. |
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Illiquid Investments and Restricted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest without limitation in illiquid or less liquid investments or investments for which no secondary market is readily available, or which are otherwise illiquid, including private placement securities. The Fund may not be able to readily dispose of such investments at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell such investments if they were more widely traded and, as a result of such illiquidity, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations. Limited liquidity can also affect the market price of investments, thereby adversely affecting the Fund’s NAV and ability to make dividend distributions. In recent years, the financial markets have experienced periods of extreme secondary market supply and demand imbalance, resulting in a loss of liquidity during which market prices were suddenly and substantially below traditional measures of intrinsic value. During such periods, some investments could be sold only at arbitrary prices and with substantial losses. Periods of such market dislocation may occur again at any time.
Minority Investor Risks. In almost all cases, the Fund expects to be a minority investor when investing in Portfolio Companies and will not have the ability to control or influence the operations of such Portfolio Companies, nor will it have the right to remove the managers thereof. Rather, the Fund will rely on the existing management and boards of directors of such companies, which may include representatives of other unaffiliated investors whose interests may sometimes conflict with the Fund’s interests. The Fund could, therefore, be adversely affected by actions taken by management or any holders of a majority in interest of the Portfolio Companies in which it invests.
Non-U.S. Investments Risk. Non-U.S. securities involve certain factors not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities, including risks relating to: (i) currency exchange matters, including fluctuations in the rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and the various foreign currencies in which foreign investments are denominated, and costs associated with conversion of investment principal and income from one currency into another; (ii) inflation matters, including rapid fluctuations in inflation rates; (iii) differences between the U.S. and foreign securities markets, including potential price volatility in and relative liquidity of some foreign securities markets, the absence of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and disclosure requirements and the potential of less government supervision and regulation; (iv) economic, social and political risks, including potential exchange control regulations and restrictions on foreign investment and repatriation of capital, the risks of political, economic or social instability and the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation; (v) the possible imposition of foreign taxes on income and gains recognized with respect to such securities; and (vi) difficulties in enforcing legal judgements in foreign courts.
Foreign Currency Risk. Because the Fund may invest in securities denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, changes in foreign currency exchange rates may affect the value of securities held by the Fund and the unrealized appreciation or depreciation of investments. Currencies of certain countries may be volatile and, therefore, affect the value of securities denominated in such currencies, which means that the Fund’s NAV could decline due to changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. It is also possible that the Fund’s NAV could decline due to currency fluctuations between the date of tender and the repurchase pricing date if the Fund has invested a portion of its portfolio in foreign markets. The Adviser may, but is not required to, elect for the Fund to seek to protect itself from changes in currency exchange rates through hedging transactions depending on market conditions. In addition, certain countries, particularly emerging market countries, may impose foreign currency exchange controls or other restrictions on currency transferability, repatriation, or convertibility. |
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Secondary Investments Risks. The Fund may acquire interests in Portfolio Companies from third-party holders of these interests in secondary transactions (“Secondary Investments”). In many cases, the economic, financial, and other information available to and used by the Adviser in selecting and structuring Secondary Investments may have been prepared by the sponsor of the Secondary Investment, may be incomplete or unreliable, and/or may not be verifiable by the Adviser. The Fund will also not have the opportunity to negotiate the terms of Secondary Investments, including any special rights or privileges. Valuation of Secondary Investments may be difficult because there will be no established market for such interests. Moreover, the purchase price of Secondary Investments will be subject to negotiation with the sellers of such interests. In certain cases, it may include the Fund’s assumption of certain contingent liabilities. The Fund's overall performance may depend in part on the accuracy of the information available to the Adviser, the acquisition price paid by the Fund for the Secondary Investments, the structure of such acquisitions, and the Fund’s ultimate exposure to any assumed liabilities.
The Fund may acquire Secondary Investments as a member of a purchasing syndicate, in which case the Fund may be exposed to additional risks, including (among other things) (i) counterparty risk, (ii) reputation risk, (iii) breach of confidentiality by a syndicate member, and (iv) execution risk.
Due Diligence Risk. The Adviser seeks to conduct reasonable and appropriate analysis and due diligence concerning investment opportunities. Due diligence may entail the evaluation of important and complex business, financial, tax, accounting, environmental, and legal issues. Outside consultants, legal advisors, accountants, investment banks, and other third parties may be involved in the due diligence process to varying degrees depending on the type of investment and the costs the Fund bears. The involvement of third-party advisors or consultants may present several risks primarily relating to the Adviser’s reduced control of the outsourced functions. In addition, if the Adviser cannot engage third-party providers promptly, its ability to evaluate and acquire more complex targets could be adversely affected.
When conducting due diligence and assessing an investment opportunity, the Adviser relies on available resources, including information provided by the management of Portfolio Companies and, in some circumstances, third-party investigations. When co-investing with other investors, the Adviser may rely on due diligence and information provided by co-investors. The Adviser’s due diligence process may not reveal all the facts that may be relevant in connection with an investment made by the Fund. In some cases, only limited information is available about a Portfolio Company in which the Adviser is considering an investment. There can be no assurance that the due diligence investigations undertaken by the Adviser will reveal or highlight all relevant facts (including fraud) that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating a particular investment opportunity or that the Adviser’s due diligence will result in an investment being successful. |
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Expedited Transactions. The Adviser may, at times, be required to perform investment analyses and make investment decisions on an expedited basis to take advantage of certain investment opportunities. In such cases, the information available to the Adviser at the time of an investment decision may be limited, and the Adviser may not have access to detailed information regarding the investment opportunity, in each case, to an extent that may not otherwise be the case had the Adviser been afforded more time to evaluate the investment opportunity. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the Adviser will know all circumstances that may adversely affect an investment.
Indemnification of Fund Investments, Managers and Others. The Fund may agree to indemnify certain of its investments and their respective managers, officers, directors, and affiliates from any liability, damage, cost, or expense arising out of, among other things, acts or omissions undertaken in connection with the management of the particular company. Indemnification from the sellers of Secondary Investments may be required as a condition for purchasing such securities. If the Fund were required to make payments (or return distributions) for any such indemnity, the Fund could be materially adversely affected. |
Investment Adviser | Connetic RIA LLC is the Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”). The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
The Adviser is entitled to receive from the Fund a management fee at an annual rate equal to 1.90% of the Fund’s average daily calculated NAV, payable monthly in arrears.
The Fund has entered into an Expense Limitation Agreement under which the Adviser has agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse Fund expenses to the extent necessary so that the Fund’s total annual operating expenses (excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation or reorganization costs, but inclusive of organizational costs and offering costs) (“Operating Expenses”) do not exceed 2.65% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares.
The Adviser is entitled to seek reimbursement from the Fund of management fees waived and/or Fund expenses paid or reimbursed by the Adviser for a period ending three years after such waiver, payment, or reimbursement, provided the repayments do not cause the Fund’s Operating Expenses to exceed the expense limitation in place at the time the management fees were waived and/or the Fund expenses were paid or reimbursed, or any expense limitation in place at the time the Fund would repay the Adviser, whichever is lower.
This contractual expense limitation will remain in effect through September 30, 2025, unless the Fund’s Board approves its earlier termination. |
Board of Trustees | The Fund’s Board monitors the Fund’s investment program and its management and operations. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Board may delegate any of its rights, powers, and authority to, among others, the officers of the Fund, any committee of the Board, or the Adviser. |
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Purchasing Shares | The minimum initial investment for Shares is $2,500. Subsequent investments in Class I Shares may be made for at least $100. The Fund may waive or change this investment minimum in the future.
Shares will be offered each day the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open for regular trading (each, a “Business Day”) at the NAV per Share determined as of the close of regular trading (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on the NYSE on that day.
The Fund must receive your completed purchase order, including funds for the entire purchase amount, by no later than the close of regular trading (generally, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on the NYSE that day. |
Use of Proceeds | The Fund will invest the net proceeds from the sale of its Shares in alignment with its investment objective and policies, as delineated in this Prospectus, accounting for the deduction of Fund fees and expenses (including offering expenses). Under normal market conditions, the Fund intends to invest all net proceeds from its offerings within three months of receipt. However, the full deployment of these proceeds may, in certain cases, extend beyond three months due to a comprehensive due diligence process required for each investment, the occurrence of unfavorable market conditions that warrant a more cautious deployment strategy, the availability of suitable investment opportunities that fit the Fund’s stringent investment criteria, adherence to regulatory requirements, extremely large investment inflows into the Fund (which could cause the Fund to close to new investments temporarily), and interim cash management strategies involving temporary placements in cash or cash equivalents to preserve capital and maintain liquidity. Shareholders should note that when the Fund’s assets are not fully deployed in Portfolio Companies, the ability to achieve its investment objective might be curtailed. The Fund’s Adviser shall exercise diligent oversight regarding the timing and process of investment allocations to ensure prudent management of the Fund’s assets. |
Distributions and Dividend Reinvestment Plan | Because the Fund intends to qualify annually as a regulated investment company (a “RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the Fund intends to distribute at least 90% of its annual net taxable income, if any, to its shareholders. Nevertheless, there can be no assurance that the Fund will pay distributions to shareholders at any particular rate.
Shareholders will automatically have all Fund dividends and distributions reinvested in Shares of the Fund per the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan unless a shareholder selects to receive cash by contacting the Fund’s Administrator and dividend reinvestment agent, Gryphon Financial Group. All correspondence concerning the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan, including notice of the shareholder’s election not to participate in the dividend reinvestment plan, should be directed to the Fund’s Administrator in writing at the following mailing address: Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund, c/o Gryphon Fund Group, 3000 Auburn Drive, Suite 410, Beachwood, OH 44122. Please see “Reinvestment Plan” below for additional information. |
Periodic Repurchase Offers; Early Repurchase Fee | The Fund is an interval fund and, as such, has adopted a fundamental policy to make quarterly repurchase offers, at NAV, of no less than 5% of the Fund’s Shares outstanding. There is no guarantee that shareholders will be able to sell all Shares they desire to sell in a quarterly repurchase offer. However, each shareholder will have the right to require the Fund to purchase no less than 5% of such shareholder’s Shares in each quarterly repurchase. Liquidity will be provided to shareholders only through the Fund’s quarterly repurchases. See “Share Repurchases.” |
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If you tender Shares and the Fund repurchases the Shares within 365 days (approximately 12 months) following the purchase date, you will pay a 2.00% early repurchase fee. Shares held for over 365 days are not subject to any repurchase fee.
The early repurchase fee will be based on the value of the Shares redeemed. Shares tendered for repurchase will be treated as repurchased on a “first in-first out” basis. The Fund will not charge an early repurchase fee on Shares acquired through the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. In addition, the Fund may waive an early repurchase fee otherwise payable by a shareholder in circumstances where the Board determines that doing so is in the best interests of the Fund. See “Share Repurchases – Early Repurchase Fee” below for additional details. |
Unlisted Closed-End Fund | The Fund’s Shares are not listed on any securities exchange, and you should not expect to be able to sell Shares in a secondary market transaction regardless of how the Fund performs. The Fund is designed for long-term investors, and an investment in the Shares should be considered illiquid, unlike an investment in a traditional exchange-listed closed-end fund.
An investment in Shares is not suitable for investors who need access to the money they invest. Unlike shares of open-end funds (commonly known as mutual funds), redeemable daily, the Shares will not be redeemable at an investor’s option. And unlike traditional listed closed-end funds the Shares will not be listed on any securities exchange. Before purchasing Shares, you should consider your investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.
Because the Shares are not listed on any securities exchange and are not expected to be traded in the secondary market, shareholders cannot dispose of their investment in the Fund except through the Fund’s quarterly repurchase offers, which may be oversubscribed. Accordingly, you should consider that you may not be able to sell Shares when and/or in the amount that you desire and, therefore, may not have access to the funds you invest in the Fund indefinitely. |
Fund Administrator | The Fund has retained Gryphon Fund Group (the “Administrator”), located at 3000 Auburn Drive, Suite 410, Beachwood, OH 44122, to provide it with certain administrative, fund accounting, and transfer agent services. The Administrator also serves as the Fund’s dividend reinstatement agent. The Fund compensates the Administrator for these services and reimburses the Administrator for certain of its out-of-pocket expenses. |
Taxes | The Fund intends to elect and to qualify each year to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. So long as it qualifies as a RIC, the Fund will not have to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that the Fund distributes to holders of its Shares as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes. For the Fund to qualify as a RIC, the Fund must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification, and distribution requirements. Fund dividends will be characterized as ordinary dividend income or capital gains to the shareholders, whether or not they are reinvested in Shares. Some of the Fund’s dividends may be eligible for the reduced U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to “qualified dividend income” for individuals and the dividends received deduction for corporations. The Fund will inform shareholders of the amount and character of its distributions to shareholders. A shareholder exempt from federal income tax on its income will not be subject to tax on amounts distributed to it by the Fund, provided that such shareholder’s acquisition of its Shares is not debt-financed within the meaning of section 514 of the Code. |
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To satisfy certain of the requirements for qualification as a RIC, the Fund may be required to “look through” the character of the income, assets, and investments held by certain Portfolio Companies in which the Fund has acquired an interest that are classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
If the Fund fails to qualify as a RIC or fails to distribute an amount generally at least equal to 90% of the sum of its net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains to shareholders in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to tax as an ordinary corporation on its taxable income (even if such income and gains were distributed to its shareholders) and all distributions out of earnings and profits to shareholders would be characterized as ordinary dividend income. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes, and make distributions (which could be subject to interest charges) before requalifying for taxation as a RIC. |
Fiscal and Tax Year | The Fund’s fiscal year for financial reporting purposes is the 12 months ending on March 31. The Fund’s taxable year is the 12 months ending March 31 (or another taxable year as may be required under the Code). |
Summary of Fund Fees and Expenses
Fees and Expenses
The Summary of Fund Fees and Expenses Table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold Shares. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees, to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below. More information about management fees, fee waivers, and other expenses is available in “Fund Management” starting on page 34 of this prospectus.
Shareholder Transaction Expenses | ||||
Maximum
Sales Load |
||||
Maximum Early Repurchase Fee (as a percentage of repurchased amount)1 | % |
Annual Expenses (as a percentage of average net assets attributable to Shares) | ||||
Management Fees | % | |||
Shareholder Services Fee | % | |||
Other Expenses2 | % | |||
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses3 | % | |||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | % | |||
Less Fee Waiver and/or Expense Limitation4 | ( |
% | ||
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Limitation | % |
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
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(4) |
Example
The following examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. Each example assumes that you invest $1,000 in the Fund’s Shares, that your investment has a 5% annual return, and that all Fund dividends and distributions are reinvested in the Fund at NAV. Each example also assumes that the Fund’s Operating Expenses (as described and estimated above) remain the same, except that (i) each example considers the expense waiver and reimbursement described above through September 30, 2025, and (ii) each example reflects the reduction of Operating Expenses upon completion of recognition of organization and initial offering expenses.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions and assuming you hold all of your Shares at the end of each period, your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
If, at the end of each period, your Shares are repurchased in full by the Fund, your costs would be:
1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
$49 | $93 | $159 | $338 |
These examples should not be considered representations of the Fund’s future expenses, and the Fund’s actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown. While the examples assume a 5% annual return, as the SEC requires, the Fund’s performance will vary and may result in an annual return greater or less than 5%.
For a more complete description of the various fees and expenses borne directly and indirectly by the Fund, see “Fund Management – Investment Adviser and Management Contract” and “Fund Expenses.”
Financial Highlights
Because the Fund is newly formed and has not yet commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus, a financial highlights table for the Fund has not been included in this Prospectus.
The Fund
The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act. The Fund is structured as an “interval fund” and continuously offers its Shares at NAV. The Fund was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on September 11, 2023, under a Certificate of Trust governed by the laws of the State of Delaware. The Fund is expected to acquire all of the assets and liabilities of 908 Investments LLC (the “Predecessor Fund”), a private fund that will merge into the Fund, in a tax-free reorganization on or about October 2, 2024 (the “Reorganization”). In connection with the Reorganization, interests in the Predecessor Fund will be exchanged for Class I Shares of the Fund. The Predecessor Fund had an investment objective and strategies that are, in all material respects, similar to those of the Fund and are managed in a manner that, in all material respects, complies with the investment guidelines and restrictions of the Fund. The Adviser manages the Predecessor Fund. The Fund’s principal office is located at 910 Madison Ave. Covington, KY 41011.
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Use of Proceeds
The Fund will invest the net proceeds from the sale of its Shares in alignment with its investment objective and policies, as delineated in this Prospectus, accounting for the deduction of Fund fees and expenses (including offering expenses). Under normal market conditions, the Fund intends to invest all net proceeds from its offerings within three months of their receipt. This expectation is based on typical due diligence timelines, the availability of suitable investment opportunities that meet the Fund’s criteria, and the need to ensure compliance with regulatory obligations. However, the full deployment of these proceeds may, in some instances, extend beyond three months due to a comprehensive due diligence process required for each investment, the occurrence of unfavorable market conditions that warrant a more cautious deployment strategy, the availability of suitable investment opportunities that fit the Fund’s stringent investment criteria, adherence to regulatory requirements, extremely large investment inflows into the Fund (which could cause the Fund to close to new investments temporarily), and interim cash management strategies involving temporary placements in cash or cash equivalents to preserve capital and maintain liquidity. Should such a situation arise, it is anticipated that the Fund will temporarily allocate a substantial portion of the offering proceeds into short-term, high-quality debt instruments, money market instruments (potentially including money market funds), or cash and cash equivalents. This interim allocation is made to preserve the capital and liquidity of the Fund while continuing searches for compatible investment opportunities that reflect the Fund’s investment criteria and prevailing market conditions.
However, it is relevant to note that when the Fund’s assets are not fully deployed in Portfolio Companies, the ability to achieve its investment objective might be curtailed. The Fund’s Adviser shall exercise diligent oversight regarding the timing and process of investment allocations to ensure prudent management of the Fund’s assets.
Investment Objective, Strategies, and Policies
The Fund’s investment objective is to generate long-term capital appreciation primarily through an actively managed, diverse portfolio that exposes investors to private venture capital investments.
The Fund is intended to offer all investors an opportunity to gain exposure to a broad range of venture capital investment opportunities typically only available to institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals.
Investment Strategy
To achieve its investment objective, the Fund will primarily invest in the equity securities of Portfolio Companies.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to invest at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in securities that provide exposure to private venture capital investments. Venture capital is characterized by equity investments in early- through growth-stage startup companies with high growth potential, often in the technology sectors. Companies financed by venture capital do not have positive cash flow at the time of investment. They may require several rounds of financing before the company can be sold privately or taken public. Traditionally, venture capital investments have come from accredited “angel” investors or venture capital firms, where accredited investors and institutions pool capital into a professionally managed fund that diversifies invested capital across a portfolio of companies. These venture capital funds are often privately offered and limited to institutions and high-net-worth individuals. The Fund seeks to provide retail investors with exposure to these investments. The Fund’s 80% investment policy is not fundamental and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval upon at least a 60-day written notice to shareholders.
The Adviser expects to also use various sources to identify Portfolio Companies. These sources are expected to include scout networks and unaffiliated venture capital investors with whom it has established relationships.
“Scout networks” in the venture capital context refer to individuals or organizations in which a venture capital firm engages in sourcing and identifying promising startup companies for potential investment. These scouts are usually well-connected industry insiders, successful entrepreneurs, or investors with a good eye for identifying early-stage companies with high potential. They operate as extended arms of a venture capital firm, leveraging their networks and expertise to discover and recommend investment opportunities that the firm might not find through its typical channels.
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The Fund identifies potential investment opportunities through various channels, including partnerships with unaffiliated venture capital investors. These connections provide access to a diverse range of companies seeking investment or offering shares for sale outside public exchanges, often called the secondary market. Investing through these networks can present unique risks. For instance, there may be certain restrictions on the transferability of these private shares, or less information might be available about the company than a public offering. Additionally, the pricing in the secondary market might not fully reflect the company’s current value due to changes in market conditions or internal company factors that have occurred since the shares were last valued. The Fund exercises thorough due diligence to mitigate these risks before acquiring any interests. This includes in-depth legal review, financial analysis, and, where possible, direct discussions with company management.
Although the Fund may use scout networks and other channels to source deals, it uses proprietary technology, Wendal and TeamPrint, to automate due diligence and create a level playing field for founders of potential Portfolio Companies to be considered for investment by the Fund. The Adviser has built proprietary in-house software, Wendal, that analyzes a potential Portfolio Company and its team members. It then provides what the Adviser believes are unbiased recommendations on which potential Portfolio Companies are appropriate for investment consideration. Wendal is designed to be unbiased in that the information it gathers gets a consistent response from people regardless of gender, race, or age. The technology has been tested for fairness in its assessments across gender, race, and age in a study conducted by a third-party industrial psychology consulting firm. In addition to Wendal, the Adviser also has a proprietary behavioral assessment, TeamPrint, that analyzes entrepreneurial traits, has been validated for accuracy and reliability, and does not create an adverse impact across marginalized groups. Wendal and TeamPrint were developed internally by the Adviser and its affiliates over the last four years to be used in the due diligence process of selecting Portfolio Companies. The Adviser also had input from an external development company and an industrial psychology consulting company in developing Wendal and TeamPrint. The Adviser has a team of data scientists and researchers that work on data integrity and apply various data science and machine learning techniques to flag or eliminate potential “noise” in the system. The Adviser documents its processes and provides technical manuals to support interpretability and explainability for the Wendal and the TeamPrint assessment.
Wendal is an online, web-based platform where principals of companies who would like to be considered for investment by the Fund apply for consideration. The application includes information about more than 100 variables regarding the company and its leadership, and TeamPrint is used for one type of assessment within the Wendal platform that groups individuals into four personality profiles used in industrial psychology (e.g., leadership, patience, extroversion, and attention to detail). The variables include financial data, factual data (e.g., entity type such as LLC vs corporation), and personality trait data. Wendal then provides each potential Portfolio Company a score and corresponding star rating, which the Adviser uses to sort and prioritize investment opportunities; however, Wendal does not do specific due diligence on the viability of the business idea of a Portfolio Company. The portfolio management team does that analysis as part of the next step in the investment process.
Wendal collects various data inputs, including behavioral profiles and psychological factors on the principals and team, as well as financial and company metrics that allow Wendal to assess company performance and generate a score and corresponding star rating. The behavioral profiles and psychology factors are assessed through questions on the application designed to elicit responses that can be analyzed from an industrial psychology perspective to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a management team. The financial and company metrics include revenue, growth rates, capital raised, and ownership structure.
Wendal is designed to be unbiased in that the information it gathers gets a consistent response from people regardless of gender, race, or age. The technology has been tested for fairness in its assessments across gender, race, and age in a study conducted by a third-party industrial psychology consulting firm. In industrial psychology, accuracy and reliability are assessed by the consistency of measurement. The Adviser followed an industry accepted structured process for establishing scale development to obtain internal consistencies among factors analyzed by TeamPrint. According to the industrial psychology consulting company that was used in the development of TeamPrint and a host of other experts, an adequate level of alpha for assessments is 0.70 or above, the coefficient alpha for each of our four main factors were Leadership (0.92), Social (0.88), Technical (0.84), and Reaction (0.79) where each factor produces more than adequate levels of internal reliability.
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Two important limitations of the technology are that Wendal requires startups to apply before it can conduct any analysis, so the pool of potential Portfolio Companies from this source is self-nominated. In addition, Wendal does not do specific due diligence on the viability of the business idea of a Portfolio Company. We believe that our investment team and their deep industry experience complement Wendal’s behavioral science and company health due diligence and use their experience to assess the business idea of a Portfolio Company and determine whether to invest in a particular Portfolio Company.
After identifying potential Portfolio Companies, the Adviser performs more traditional due diligence to assess whether to invest in a particular Portfolio Company. During this due diligence, the Adviser reviews the qualified deals and considers the potential investment’s business model and go-to-market strategy, collected and analyzed data through the Wendal submission, and corporate governance-related topics. As investment opportunities are analyzed, the Adviser seeks to evaluate the terms of the investment about historical benchmarks, current information from the Adviser’s existing venture capital portfolio, and against each other. This comparative analysis can provide insight into the specific investments that offer the greatest value at different points in time in the various segments of the venture capital market. Once the Adviser has conducted the full due diligence process, the Adviser decides whether the Fund should be invested.
For liquidity management or in connection with the implementation of changes in asset allocation or when identifying private investments for the Fund during periods of large cash inflows (such as upon the Fund’s launch) or otherwise for temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may hold a substantial portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, publicly-traded equity securities, and exchange-traded funds.
The Fund’s long-term goal is to primarily make direct and unbiased investments in select Portfolio Companies where it would invest in a privately negotiated stake in the equity of the Portfolio Company. The Fund will seek to invest primarily in Portfolio Companies with headquarters in North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico) and varying industries. The Fund concentrates its investments in the Technology industry and will also be focused on the consumer products sector and target early-stage companies and other private venture-backed companies. The allocation of the Fund’s assets to different strategies and regions will depend on the maturity and depth of the venture-backed market in the applicable strategy or region. The Fund’s initial investments in Portfolio Companies may be at the pre-seed stage (typically at idea inception) but at the seed stage (typically to fund product development and start-up costs) and will have the option for follow-on investments. In almost all cases, the Fund expects to be a minority investor when investing in Portfolio Companies and will not have the ability to control or influence the operations of such Portfolio Companies, nor will it have the right to remove the managers thereof. Rather, the Fund will rely on such companies’ existing management and boards of directors. The Fund’s initial investments are expected to typically be between $250,000 and $1 million. The Fund will concentrate (invest at least 25% of its assets) its investments in the technology industry. The Fund may also be focused on certain sectors from time to time, including the consumer discretionary sector, which the Adviser defines as companies that make goods or services that are considered non-essential by consumers but desirable if their available income is sufficient to purchase them (such as non-essential food and beverage like cold brew coffee). The Fund anticipates 10-15% of Fund assets to be allocated to the consumer discretionary sector. For investments in Portfolio Companies, the Fund expects to hold these investments until a liquidity event concerning the Portfolio Company occurs, such as an initial public offering or a merger or acquisition transaction. However, we may determine to continue to hold the securities of a Portfolio Company after a liquidity event or may sell such securities before a liquidity event.
Risks
Investing in the Fund involves risks, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment or lose part or all of your investment. Therefore, you should consider carefully the following principal risks before investing in the Fund. The risks described below are not intended to be a complete enumeration or explanation of all the risks involved in an investment in the Fund and the Shares. Prospective investors should read this entire Prospectus and consult with their advisers before deciding whether to invest in the Fund. The Shares are speculative and illiquid securities involving substantial risk of loss. An investment in the Fund is appropriate only for those investors who do not require a liquid investment, for whom an investment in the Fund does not constitute a complete investment program, and who fully understand and can assume the risks of an investment in the Fund.
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Risk Related to Our Business and Structure
Reliance on the Adviser. The Fund has no employees and instead depends on the investment expertise, skill, and network of business contacts of the Adviser. The Fund’s success depends to a significant extent on the continued service and coordination of the Adviser’s professionals. The departure of any of the Adviser’s professionals could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective depends on the Adviser’s ability to identify, analyze, invest in, and monitor companies and investments that meet the Fund’s investment criteria. The Adviser’s capabilities in structuring the investment process and providing competent, attentive, and efficient services to the Fund depend on employing investment professionals in an adequate number and sophistication to match the corresponding flow of transactions. To achieve the Fund’s investment objective, the Adviser may need to hire, train, supervise, and manage new investment professionals to participate in the Fund’s investment selection and monitoring process. The Adviser may be unable to find investment professionals promptly or at all. Failure to support the Fund’s investment process could adversely affect the Fund’s business, financial condition, and results of operations. The Adviser is not required to devote its full time to the business of the Fund, and there is no guarantee or requirement that any investment professional or other employee of the Adviser will allocate a substantial portion of their time to the Fund.
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Use of Technology. Using technology like Wendal and TeamPrint may limit the pool of potential Portfolio Companies in that the analysis performed is only done on companies that apply. The accuracy and usefulness of Wendal and TeamPrint’s recommendations depend significantly on the quality of the data input. Incomplete, erroneous, or limited data could lead to incomplete analyses or incorrect recommendations, affecting the Fund’s decision-making process. The Adviser’s heavy reliance on Wendal and TeamPrint for screening potential investments may limit the Fund’s ability to adjust its strategies quickly in response to new information that the technologies do not incorporate. Like any digital platform, Wendal and TeamPrint face the risk of coding or logic errors that could affect functionality. Additionally, the risk of unauthorized access, malware, or other technological issues could disrupt the Adviser’s operations and lead to loss of proprietary information or negatively impact the Fund’s operations.
Algorithmic and Model Risk: Wendal and TeamPrint rely on algorithms and models that may contain inherent biases despite efforts to ensure neutrality, or they may not fully account for all the nuances in human behavior and market conditions. This could lead to over- or under-weighting certain factors in the investment selection process. Further, the relationships among data sets can evolve, resulting from market dynamics, economic factors, or changes in law or regulation. Such changes might render previous algorithms and assessments less effective, potentially leading to suboptimal investment decisions. The testing and validation of Wendal and TeamPrint are performed based on historical data and may not accurately predict future outcomes. There is a risk that the technologies might not perform as expected in different or changing market conditions.
Offering Risk. To the extent the Fund is not able to raise sufficient funds through the sale of Shares, the opportunity for the allocation of the Fund’s investments among various issuers and industries may be decreased, and the returns achieved on those investments may be reduced as a result of allocating all of the Fund’s expenses over a smaller capital base. As a result, the Fund may be unable to achieve its investment objective, and an investor could lose some or all of the value of his or her investment in the Shares. In addition, because many of the Fund’s expenses are fixed, shareholders are expected to bear a larger proportionate share of Fund expenses if the Fund does not grow significantly.
Use of Proceeds. The Adviser has significant flexibility in applying the proceeds of the continuous offering of the Fund’s Shares and may use the net proceeds from this offering in ways you do not agree with. There is no assurance that the Adviser will be able to successfully use the proceeds of this offering within a practicable period. The Adviser will also use the proceeds of this offering to pay the Operating Expenses, including due diligence expenses of potential new investments, which are substantial. These Fund expenses will lower the Fund’s returns. In addition, there is no guarantee that the Fund’s offering of Shares will be successful or that the Fund’s expense ratio will decline in future years.
Although the Fund intends to invest the proceeds from the sale of the Shares offered hereby within three months of their receipt, such investments may be delayed if suitable investments are unavailable. Delays the Fund encounters in the selection, due diligence, and acquisition of investments would limit the Fund’s ability to pay distributions and lower overall returns.
Competition for Investment Opportunities Risk. The Fund will compete with other investment companies, investment funds (including private venture capital funds), and institutional investors in making private investments. Many of these competitors are substantially larger and have greater financial, technical, and marketing resources than the Fund. Some competitors may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources unavailable to the Fund. In addition, some competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of, or different structures for, private investments than the Fund. The Fund may lose investment opportunities if it cannot match its competitors’ pricing, terms, and structure. Furthermore, many competitors are not registered investment companies and are, thus, not subject to the regulatory restrictions imposed by the Investment Company Act on the Fund. As a result of this competition, the Fund may be unable to pursue attractive private investment opportunities from time to time.
Investment funds that the Adviser (or an affiliate of the Adviser) may advise on in the future may invest in asset classes similar to those targeted by the Fund. As a result, the Adviser and/or its affiliates may face conflicts in allocating investment opportunities between the Fund and these other investment funds. For example, an investment opportunity suitable for multiple clients of the Adviser and its affiliates may not be shared among some or all such clients and affiliates due to the limited scale of the opportunity or other factors, including restrictions imposed by the Investment Company Act or the Fund. Should the Adviser (or an affiliate of the Adviser) advise other investment funds in the future that invest in asset classes similar to those targeted by the Fund, the Adviser intends to allocate investment opportunities to the Fund in a manner it deems to be fair and equitable over time. However, it is possible that over time, the Fund would not be able to participate in certain investments made by affiliated investment funds that it might otherwise have desired to participate in.
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Potential Reliance on Projections. In selecting and monitoring Fund investments, the Adviser will occasionally rely upon projections, forecasts, or estimates developed by the Adviser or by a Portfolio Company in which the Fund is invested or is considering investing in the Portfolio Company’s future performance and cash flow. Projections, forecasts, and estimates are forward-looking statements based on certain assumptions. Actual events are difficult to predict and beyond the Fund’s control and may differ materially from those assumed. Some important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements include changes in interest rates and domestic and foreign business, market, financial, or legal conditions, among others. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that estimated returns or projections can be realized or that actual returns or results for the Fund or its investments will not be materially lower than those estimated or targeted.
Affiliation Risk and Inability to Vote. The Fund may be precluded from investing in certain Portfolio Companies due to regulatory implications under the Investment Company Act or other laws, rules, or regulations or may be limited in the amount it can invest in the voting securities of a Portfolio Company in the size of the economic interest it can have in the company or fund, or the scope of influence it is permitted to have in respect of the management of the company or fund. Should the Fund be required to treat a Portfolio Company in which it has invested as an “affiliated person” under the Investment Company Act, it would impose various restrictions on the Fund’s dealings with the Portfolio Company. Moreover, these restrictions may arise due to investments by future clients of the Adviser or its affiliates in a Portfolio Company. These restrictions may be detrimental to the performance of the Fund compared to what it would be if these restrictions did not exist and could impact the universe of investable Portfolio Companies for the Fund. The fact that many Portfolio Companies may have a limited number of investors and a limited amount of outstanding equity heightens these risks.
The Fund may be able to avoid a Portfolio Company being deemed an “affiliated person” of the Fund by owning less than 5% of the voting securities of such Portfolio Company. To limit its voting interest in a Portfolio Company, the Fund may enter into contractual arrangements under which it irrevocably waives its rights (if any) to vote its interests in the Portfolio Company. The Fund will not receive any consideration in return for entering into a voting waiver arrangement. These voting waiver arrangements may increase the ability of the Fund and other future clients of the Adviser to invest in certain Portfolio Companies. However, to the extent the Fund contractually forgoes the right to vote the securities of a Portfolio Company, the Fund will not be able to vote on matters that require the approval of such Portfolio Company’s investors, including matters where the Fund is disadvantaged by its inability to vote.
There are, however, other statutory tests of affiliation (such as based on control) and, therefore, the prohibitions of the Investment Company Act concerning affiliated transactions could apply in certain situations where the Fund owns less than 5% of the voting securities of a Portfolio Company. If a Portfolio Company is deemed to be an “affiliated person” of the Fund, transactions between the Fund and such Portfolio Company may, among other things, potentially be subject to the prohibitions of Section 17 of the Investment Company Act notwithstanding that the Fund has entered into a voting waiver arrangement.
Valuation Risk. The Fund is subject to valuation risk, which is the risk that one or more of the securities in which the Fund invests are valued and held on the Fund’s books at prices that the Fund is unable to obtain upon sale due to factors such as incomplete data, market instability, or human error. The Adviser may, but is not required to, use an independent pricing service or prices provided by dealers to value securities at their market value. Because the secondary markets for certain investments may be limited, such instruments may be difficult to value. When market quotations are unavailable, the Adviser may price such investments under various methodologies, such as computer-based analytical modeling or individual security evaluations. These methodologies generate approximations of market values, and there may be significant professional disagreement about the best methodology for a particular type of financial instrument or different methodologies that might be used under different circumstances. In the absence of an actual market transaction, reliance on such methodologies is essential but may introduce significant variances in the ultimate valuation of the Fund’s investments. Technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers may also impact the Fund’s ability to value its investments and the calculation of the Fund’s NAV.
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When market quotations are not readily available or deemed inaccurate or unreliable, the Fund values its investments at fair value as determined in good faith under policies and procedures approved by the Board. Fair value is defined as the amount for which assets could be sold in an orderly disposition over a reasonable period, considering the asset's nature. Fair value pricing may require inherently subjective and inexact determinations about the value of a security or other asset. As a result, there can be no assurance that fair value priced assets will not result in future adjustments to the prices of securities or other assets or that fair value pricing will reflect a price the Fund can obtain upon sale. The fair value determined for a security or other asset may be materially different from quoted or published prices, from the prices used by others for the same security or other asset, and/or from the value that actually could be or is realized upon the sale of that security or other asset. For example, the Fund’s NAV could be adversely affected if the Fund’s determinations regarding the fair value of the Fund’s investments were materially higher than the values that the Fund realizes upon the disposal of such investments. Where market quotations are not readily available, valuation may require more research than more liquid investments. In addition, elements of judgment may play a greater role in valuation in such cases than for investments with a more active secondary market because there is less reliable objective data available.
A substantial portion of the Fund’s assets are expected to consist of securities of private companies for which there are no readily available market quotations. The information available in the marketplace for such companies, their securities, the status of their businesses, and financial conditions is often extremely limited, outdated, and difficult to confirm. The Fund values Such securities at fair value as determined pursuant to policies and procedures approved by the Board. In determining fair value, the Adviser must consider all appropriate factors relevant to the value and all value indicators available to the Fund. The determination of fair value necessarily involves judgment in evaluating this information to determine the price the Fund might expect to receive for the security upon its current sale. The issuer of the securities may often provide the most relevant information. Given the nature, timeliness, amount, and reliability of the issuer's information, fair valuations may become more difficult and uncertain as such information is unavailable or outdated.
The value at which the Fund’s investments can be liquidated may differ, sometimes significantly, from the valuations assigned by the Fund. In addition, the timing of liquidations may also affect the values obtained on liquidation. Securities held by the Fund may trade with bid-offer spreads that may be significant. In addition, the Fund will hold privately placed securities for which no public market exists. There can be no guarantee that the Fund’s investments could be realized at the Fund’s valuation of such investments. In addition, the Fund’s compliance with the asset diversification tests under the Code depends on the fair market values of the Fund’s assets, and, accordingly, a challenge to the valuations ascribed by the Fund could affect its ability to comply with those tests or require it to pay penalty taxes to cure a violation thereof.
The Fund’s NAV is a critical component in several operational matters, including the computation of advisory and services fees and determining the price at which the Shares will be offered and at which a repurchase offer will be made. Consequently, variance in the valuation of the Fund’s investments will impact, positively or negatively, the fees and expenses shareholders will pay, the price a shareholder will receive in connection with a repurchase offer, and the number of Shares an investor will receive upon investing in the Fund. The Fund may need to liquidate certain investments, including illiquid investments, to repurchase Shares in connection with a repurchase offer. A subsequent decrease in the valuation of the Fund’s investments after a repurchase offer could potentially disadvantage remaining shareholders to benefit shareholders whose Shares were accepted for repurchase. Alternatively, a subsequent increase in the valuation of the Fund’s investments could potentially disadvantage shareholders whose Shares were accepted for repurchase to benefit remaining shareholders. Similarly, a subsequent decrease in the valuation of the Fund’s investments after a subscription could potentially disadvantage subscribing investors to the benefit of pre-existing shareholders, and a subsequent increase in the valuation of the Fund’s investments after a subscription could potentially disadvantage pre-existing shareholders to the benefit of subscribing investors. For more information regarding the Fund’s calculation of its NAV, see “Determination of Net Asset Value.”
Investment Dilution Risk. The Fund’s investors do not have preemptive rights to any Shares the Fund may issue in the future. The Fund’s Declaration of Trust authorizes it to issue unlimited Shares. The Board may make certain amendments to the Declaration of Trust. After an investor purchases Shares, the Fund expects to sell additional Shares or other classes of Shares in the future or issue equity interests in private offerings. To the extent the Fund issues additional equity interests after an investor purchases its Shares, such investor’s percentage ownership interest in the Fund will be diluted.
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Legal, Litigation, and Regulatory Action Risk. The Fund, the Adviser, and their affiliates are subject to several unusual risks, including changing laws and regulations, developing interpretations of them, and increased scrutiny by regulators and law enforcement authorities. Regulatory frameworks governing artificial intelligence and automated decision-making are evolving. Changes in regulations could impact the Adviser’s use of Wendal and TeamPrint, necessitating modifications to these tools that could be costly or result in interruptions in their use. These risks and their potential consequences are often difficult or impossible to predict, avoid, or mitigate in advance and might make some investments unavailable to the Fund. The effect on the Fund, the Adviser, or any affiliate of any such legal risk, litigation, or regulatory action could be substantial and adverse. In addition, any litigation may consume substantial amounts of the Adviser’s time and attention. That time and the devotion of resources to litigation may, at times, be disproportionate to the amounts at stake.
General Market Conditions Risk. Various sectors of the global financial markets have been experiencing an extended period of adverse conditions. Market uncertainty has increased dramatically, particularly in the United States and Europe, and adverse market conditions have expanded to other markets. These conditions have disrupted the global markets, periods of reduced liquidity, and greater volatility. These volatile and often difficult global market conditions have episodically adversely affected the market values of equity and other securities. This volatility may continue, and conditions could deteriorate even further. Some of the largest banks and companies across many sectors of the economy in the United States and Europe have declared bankruptcy, entered into insolvency, administration, or similar proceedings, been nationalized by government authorities, and/or agreed to merge with or be acquired by other banks or companies that had been considered their peers. The long-term impact of these events is uncertain but could continue to have a material effect on general economic conditions, consumer and business confidence, and market liquidity.
Major public health issues, such as COVID-19, as well as natural disasters, armed conflicts, and terrorist attacks, have, at times, and may in the future, impact the Fund. The COVID-19 pandemic caused substantial market volatility and global business disruption and impacted the global economy in significant and unforeseen ways. Any public health emergency, including the COVID-19 pandemic or any outbreak of other existing or new epidemic diseases or the threat thereof, and the resulting financial and economic market uncertainty, could adversely impact the Fund or its investments. Moreover, changes in interest rates, travel advisories, quarantines, and restrictions, disrupted supply chains and industries, impact on labor markets, reduced liquidity, or a slowdown in U.S. or global economic conditions resulting from a future public health crisis may also adversely affect the Fund or its investments. COVID-19, or any other health crisis and the current or any resulting financial, economic, and capital markets environment, and future developments in these and other areas present uncertainty and risk concerning the Fund’s NAV, performance, financial condition, results of operations, ability to pay distributions, make share repurchases and portfolio liquidity, among other factors.
In early 2022, Russia commenced a military invasion of Ukraine. In response, countries worldwide, including the United States, have imposed sanctions against Russia on certain businesses and individuals, including, but not limited to, those in the banking, import, and export sectors. This invasion has led to, and for an unknown period, may continue to lead to, disruptions in local, regional, national, and global markets and economies. The invasion of Ukraine has caused and may continue to cause, political, social, and economic disruptions and uncertainties, as well as material increases in certain commodity prices that may affect the Fund’s business operations or the business operations of portfolio companies.
General fluctuations in the market prices of securities and interest rates may affect the value of portfolio investments or increase the risks associated with an investment in the Fund. There can be no assurances that conditions in the global financial markets will not change to the detriment of the Fund’s investments and investment strategy. The continuing negative impact on economic fundamentals and consumer and business confidence would likely further increase market volatility and reduce liquidity, both of which could adversely affect the access to capital, ability to utilize leverage, or overall performance of the Fund or one or more of its portfolio companies and these or similar events may affect the ability of the Fund to execute its investment strategy.
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Failure of Financial Institutions and Sustained Financial Market Illiquidity. The failure of certain financial institutions, namely banks, may increase the possibility of a sustained deterioration of financial market liquidity or illiquidity at the clearing, cash management, and/or custodial financial institutions. The failure of a bank (or banks) with which the Fund and/or the Fund’s underlying investments have a commercial relationship could adversely affect, among other things, the Fund and/or the Fund’s underlying investments’ ability to pursue key strategic initiatives, including by affecting the Fund’s ability to borrow from financial institutions on favorable terms.
Cyber Security Risk. With the increased use of technologies like the Internet to conduct business, the Fund and its service providers are susceptible to operational, information security, and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures by or breaches of the Adviser or other Fund service providers (including, but not limited to, fund accountants, custodians, transfer agents, and administrators) and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Fund has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund and issuers in which the Fund invests. As a result, the Fund or its shareholders could be negatively impacted.
Certain Fund service providers and third-party hosts, including the Fund’s Administrator, may process, store, and/or transmit information such as investors’ bank information, social security numbers, and other personally identifiable sensitive data that is submitted. The Fund has procedures and systems that it believes are reasonably designed to protect this sensitive information and prevent data losses and security breaches. However, these measures cannot provide absolute security. Any accidental or willful security breach or other unauthorized access could cause shareholders’ secure information to be stolen and used for criminal purposes, and shareholders would be subject to increased risk of fraud or identity theft. Because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or sabotage systems change frequently and generally are not recognized until they are launched against a target, we, and the third-party hosting facilities we use may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. Any security breach, whether actual or perceived, could harm the Fund’s reputation, resulting in the potential loss of investors and adversely affecting the value of a shareholder’s investment in the Fund.
Opinions and Forward-Looking Statements May Not Be Correct. This Prospectus and the Fund’s marketing materials may contain many opinions and forward-looking statements about the direction and future performance of venture capital markets and venture capital secondaries and co-investment markets, the relative merits of various investment strategies and investment firms, and the capabilities and competitive strength of the Adviser and the Fund. These statements include predictions, statements of belief, and expectation and may include the use of qualitative terms such as “best-of-class,” “superior,” and “top-tier.” Investors should understand that such statements represent the current views of the Adviser or other third-party sources, that other market participants might have differing views, and that the actual events, including the actual future performance of the venture capital market and venture capital secondaries and co-investment markets and the Fund, could differ sharply from the opinions and forward-looking statements contained in the Fund’s Prospectus and marketing materials. Any such departures could materially affect the performance of the Fund. In addition, the Adviser has not independently verified any of the information provided by third-party sources and cannot ensure its accuracy. For all the reasons set above and others, prospective investors are cautioned not to rely on opinions, statements, and performance.
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Risks Related to Fund Investments
Venture Capital Investing Risks. While venture capital investments offer the opportunity for significant gains, these investments also involve an extremely high degree of business and financial risk and can result in substantial losses. There generally will be little or no publicly available information regarding the status and prospects of Portfolio Companies. For example, Portfolio Companies will not be subject to SEC reporting requirements, will not be required to maintain accounting records in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and are generally not required to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting. As a result, the Adviser may not have timely or accurate information about the business, financial condition, and results of operations of the Portfolio Companies in which the Fund invests. Many investment decisions by the Adviser will depend upon the ability to obtain relevant information from non-public sources, and the Adviser may be required to make decisions without complete information or in reliance upon information provided by third parties that is impossible or impracticable to verify.
Portfolio Companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations with their existing working capital, which may lead to equity financings, possibly at discounted valuations, in which the Fund’s holdings could be substantially diluted if the Fund does not or cannot participate, bankruptcy or liquidation and the reduction or loss of the Fund’s investment. Portfolio Companies are also more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons; therefore, the death, disability, resignation, or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on a Portfolio Company and, in turn, on the Fund. At the time of the Fund’s investment, a Portfolio Company may lack one or more key attributes (e.g., proven technology, marketable product, complete management team, or strategic alliances) necessary for success. In most cases, investments will be long term and may require many years from the date of initial investment before disposition.
The marketability and value of each Portfolio Company investment will depend upon many factors beyond the Adviser’s control. Portfolio Companies may have substantial variations in operating results from period to period, face intense competition, and experience failures or substantial declines in value at any stage. The public market for startup and emerging growth companies is extremely volatile. Such volatility may adversely affect the development of Portfolio Companies, the ability of the Fund to dispose of investments and the value of investment securities on the date of sale or distribution by the Fund. In particular, the receptiveness of the public market to initial public offerings by the Fund’s Portfolio Companies may vary dramatically from period to period. An otherwise successful Portfolio Company may yield poor investment returns if it cannot consummate an initial public offering at the proper time. Even if a Portfolio Company effects a successful public offering, the Portfolio Company’s securities may be subject to contractual “lock-up,” securities law, or other restrictions, which may, for a material period, prevent the Fund from disposing of such securities. Similarly, the receptiveness of potential acquirers to the Fund’s Portfolio Companies will vary over time, and even if a Portfolio Company investment is disposed of via a merger, consolidation, or similar transaction, the Fund's stock, security, or other interests in the surviving entity may not be marketable. There can be no guarantee that any Portfolio Company investment will result in a liquidity event via public offering, merger, acquisition, or otherwise. The investments made by the Fund will be illiquid and difficult to value, and there will be little or no collateral to protect an investment once made.
Following its initial investment in a given Portfolio Company, the Fund may decide to provide additional funds to such portfolio company or may have the opportunity or otherwise need to increase its investment in a Portfolio Company. There is no assurance that the Fund will have the opportunity to make follow-on investments, will make follow-on investments, or will have sufficient available funds to make follow-on investments. Any decision by the Fund not to make follow-on investments or its inability to make such investments may have a substantial negative effect on a Portfolio Company in need of such additional capital or may result in a lost opportunity for the Fund to increase its participation in a successful operation.
Co-Investment Risk. It is anticipated that the Fund will co-invest in Portfolio Companies sourced by third-party investors unaffiliated with either the Fund or its affiliates, such as private venture capital funds. The Fund’s ability to realize a profit on such investments will be particularly reliant on the expertise of the lead investor in the transaction. To the extent that the lead investor in such a co-investment opportunity assumes control of the management of the Portfolio Company, the Fund will be reliant not only upon the lead investor’s ability to research, analyze, negotiate, and monitor such investments but also on the lead investor’s ability to successfully oversee the operation of the company’s business. The Fund’s ability to dispose of such investments is typically severely limited because the securities are unregistered and illiquid and by contractual restrictions that may preclude the Fund from selling such investments. Often, the Fund may exit such investment only in a transaction, such as an initial public offering or sale of the company, on terms arranged by the lead investor. Such investments may be subject to additional valuation risk, as the Fund’s ability to accurately determine the fair value of the investment may depend upon the receipt of information from the lead investor. The valuation assigned to such an investment by applying the Fund’s valuation procedures may differ from the valuation assigned to that investment by other co-investors. In some cases, the Fund may pay fees such as placement fees, management fees, administrative fees, and/or performance fees to venture capital fund sponsors in connection with a co-investment transaction in which the Fund participates, which fees would be in addition to the fees charged to the Fund by the Adviser and would be indirectly borne by investors in the Fund.
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Follow-On Investment Risk. The Fund’s investments in Portfolio Companies may require follow-on investments. The Fund may be required to provide follow-on funding for its Portfolio Companies or have the opportunity to make additional investments in such Portfolio Companies. There can be no assurance that the Fund will have sufficient funds to make such additional investments. Any decision by the Fund not to make follow-on investments or its inability to make them may have a negative impact on a Portfolio Company in need of such an investment, which could, in turn, have a negative effect on the Fund’s returns. To the extent the Fund does not participate in a follow-on investment (which may be due to a number of factors, including not having sufficient uncommitted capital reserves to make the investment or restrictions under the Investment Company Act), then the Fund’s interest in the Portfolio Company may be diluted or subordinated to the new capital being invested.
Private Company Risks. Investments in start-up and growth-stage private companies (Portfolio Companies) involve greater risks than investments in shares of companies that have traded publicly on an exchange for extended periods. These investments may present significant opportunities for capital appreciation but involve a high degree of risk that may result in significant decreases in the value of these investments. The Fund may not be able to sell such investments when the Adviser deems it appropriate to do so because they are not publicly traded. As such, these investments are considered illiquid until a company’s public offering (which may never occur). They are often subject to additional contractual restrictions on resale following any public offering that may prevent the Fund from selling its shares of these companies for some time. Market conditions, developments within a company, investor perception, or regulatory decisions may adversely affect a late-stage Portfolio Company and delay or prevent such a company from offering its securities to the public. Even if a Portfolio Company does issue shares in an initial public offering, initial public offerings are risky and volatile. They may cause the value of the Fund’s investment to decrease significantly. In addition:
· | Complex Capital Structures. The types of private companies the Fund seeks to invest in frequently have much more complex capital structures than traditional publicly traded companies. They may have multiple classes of equity securities with differing rights, including rights concerning voting and distributions. In addition, it is often difficult to obtain information concerning private companies’ capital structures, and even where the Adviser can obtain such information, there can be no assurance that the information is complete or accurate. In certain cases, private companies may also have preferred stock or senior debt outstanding, which may heighten the risk of investing in the underlying equity of such private companies, particularly when the Adviser has limited information concerning such capital structures. There can be no assurance that the Fund can adequately evaluate the relative risks and benefits of investing in a particular class of a Portfolio Company’s equity securities. Any failure on the Adviser’s part to properly evaluate the relative rights and value of a class of securities in which the Fund invests could cause the Fund to lose part or all of its investment, which in turn could have a material and adverse effect on the Fund’s performance. |
· | Drag-Along Rights. The Portfolio Company securities the Fund acquires (or into which they are convertible) may be subject to drag-along rights, a standard term in a stock purchase agreement that permits a majority stockholder in a company to force minority stockholders to join in the sale of the company on the same price, terms, and conditions as any other seller in the sale. Such drag-along rights could permit other stockholders, under certain circumstances, to force the Fund to liquidate its position in a Portfolio Company at a specified price, which could be, in the Adviser’s opinion, inadequate or undesirable or even below the cost at which the Fund acquired the investment. In this event, the Fund could realize a loss or fail to realize a gain in an amount the Adviser deems appropriate for the investment. Accordingly, the Fund may not be able to realize gains from its investments, and any gains it does realize on the disposition of any investments may not be sufficient to offset any other losses it experiences. |
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Concentration and Sector Focus Risks. The Fund will concentrate its investments in the technology industry and may focus its investments in securities of a particular sector, such as consumer discretionary. Economic, legislative, or regulatory developments may occur that significantly affect the industry or sector. This may cause the NAV to fluctuate more than that of a fund that does not focus on a particular industry or sector.
· | Technology. Technology companies, including information technology, software, and technology hardware and equipment companies, face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on a company’s profit margins. Technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources, or personnel. The products of technology companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments, frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates, aggressive pricing, changes in demand, and competition to attract and retain the services of qualified personnel. Companies in the technology sector are heavily dependent on patents and other intellectual property rights. A technology company’s loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the company’s profitability. Companies in the technology sector are facing increased government and regulatory scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or regulatory action. The technology sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced or characterized by unpredictable factors. Companies in the application software industry, in particular, may also be negatively affected by the risk that subscription renewal rates for their products and services decline or fluctuate, leading to declining revenues. Companies in the systems software industry may be adversely affected by, among other things, actual or perceived security vulnerabilities in their products and services, which may result in individual or class action lawsuits, state or federal enforcement actions, and other remediation costs. Companies in the computer software industry may also be affected by the availability and price of computer software technology components. |
· | Consumer Discretionary. The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of domestic and international economies, interest rates, exchange rates, competition, consumer confidence, changes in demographics, and consumer preferences. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending and may be strongly affected by social trends and marketing campaigns. These companies may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. |
Publicly Traded Equity Securities Risk. Stock markets are volatile, and the prices of equity securities fluctuate based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. Although common stocks have historically generated higher average total returns than fixed-income securities over the long term, common stocks also have experienced significantly more volatility in those returns and, in certain periods, have significantly underperformed relative to fixed-income securities. Common stocks of companies that operate in certain sectors or industries tend to experience greater volatility than companies that operate in other sectors or industries or the broader equity markets. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock held by the Fund. A common stock may also decline due to factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. The value of a particular common stock held by the Fund may decline for a number of other reasons that directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage, the issuer’s historical and prospective earnings, the value of its assets, and reduced demand for its goods and services. Also, the prices of common stocks are sensitive to general movements in the stock market, and a drop in the stock market may depress the price of common stocks to which the Fund has exposure. Common stock prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuers occur. In addition, common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase. Common equity securities in which the Fund may invest are structurally subordinated to preferred stock, bonds, and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure in terms of priority to corporate income and are, therefore, inherently more risky than preferred stock or debt instruments of such issuers.
Other Investment Companies Risks. To the extent that the Fund invests in these other investment companies, such as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and money market funds, there will be some duplication of expenses because the Fund will bear its pro rata portion of such funds’ management fees and operational expenses in addition to the Fund’s own management fees and operational expenses. There is no assurance that another investment company’s investment objectives will be achieved, and these investments can lose money. The other investment companies in which the Fund may invest are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which the Fund will indirectly pay. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in the other investment companies. Also, it may be higher than other funds that invest directly in securities. The other investment companies are subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the specific other investment company. The Fund’s performance depends in part upon the performance of the other investment company managers and selected strategies, the adherence by such other investment company managers to such selected strategies, the instruments used by such other investment company managers, and the Adviser’s ability to select other investment company managers and strategies and effectively allocate Fund assets among them.
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Certain money market funds that operate per Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act float their NAV. In contrast, others seek to reserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed, and the Fund can lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). Shares of ETFs trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their NAV. Accordingly, the price the Fund pays or receives concerning buying or selling an ETF’s shares may be higher or lower than the NAV of those shares.
Illiquid Investments and Restricted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest without limitation in illiquid or less liquid investments or investments for which no secondary market is readily available, or which are otherwise illiquid, including private placement securities. The Fund may not be able to readily dispose of such investments at prices that approximate those at which the Fund could sell such investments if they were more widely traded and, as a result of such illiquidity, the Fund may have to sell other investments or engage in borrowing transactions if necessary to raise cash to meet its obligations. Limited liquidity can also affect the market price of investments, thereby adversely affecting the Fund’s NAV and ability to make dividend distributions. In recent years, The financial markets have experienced periods of extreme secondary market supply and demand imbalance, resulting in a loss of liquidity during which market prices were suddenly and substantially below traditional measures of intrinsic value. Some investments could be sold only at arbitrary prices and with substantial losses during such periods. Periods of such market dislocation may occur again at any time.
Restricted securities may not be sold to the public without an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, or that may be sold only in a privately negotiated transaction or under an exemption from registration. For example, Rule 144A under the Securities Act provides an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act for the resale of certain restricted securities to qualified institutional buyers, such as the Fund. However, an insufficient number of qualified institutional buyers interested in purchasing the Rule 144A-eligible securities that the Fund holds could affect adversely the marketability of certain Rule 144A securities, and the Fund might be unable to dispose of such securities promptly or at reasonable prices. When registration is required to sell a security, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expenses and considerable time may pass before the Fund is permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If adverse market conditions develop during this period, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than the price that prevailed when the Fund decided to sell. The Fund may be unable to sell restricted and other illiquid investments at opportune times or prices.
Minority Investor Risks. The Fund expects in all cases to be a minority investor when investing in Portfolio Companies and will not have the ability to control or influence the operations of such Portfolio Companies, nor will it have the right to remove the managers thereof. Rather, Fund will rely on the existing management and boards of directors of such companies, which may include representatives of other unaffiliated investors whose interests may sometimes conflict with the Fund’s interests. The Fund could, therefore, be adversely affected by actions taken by management or any holders of a majority in interest of the Portfolio Companies in which it invests.
Non-U.S. Investments Risk. Non-U.S. securities involve certain factors not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities, including risks relating to: (i) currency exchange matters, including fluctuations in the rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and the various foreign currencies in which foreign investments are denominated, and costs associated with conversion of investment principal and income from one currency into another; (ii) inflation matters, including rapid fluctuations in inflation rates; (iii) differences between the U.S. and foreign securities markets, including potential price volatility in and relative liquidity of some foreign securities markets, the absence of uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and disclosure requirements and the potential of less government supervision and regulation; (iv) economic, social and political risks, including potential exchange control regulations and restrictions on foreign investment and repatriation of capital, the risks of political, economic or social instability and the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation; (v) the possible imposition of foreign taxes on income and gains recognized with respect to such securities; and (vi) difficulties in enforcing legal judgements in foreign courts.
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Laws and regulations of foreign countries may impose restrictions that would not exist in the United States and may require financing and structuring alternatives that differ significantly from those customarily used in the United States. No assurance can be given that a change in political or economic climate or particular legal or regulatory risks, including changes in regulations regarding foreign ownership of assets or repatriation of funds or changes in taxation, might not adversely affect an investment by the Fund.
In addition, settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Foreign settlement and clearance procedures and trade regulations may also involve certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically associated with settling U.S. investments. Communications between the United States and foreign countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates in markets that still rely on physical settlement. If the Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a purchase of securities, it may miss attractive investment opportunities, and certain of its assets may be uninvested with no return earned thereon for some period. If the Fund cannot settle or is delayed in settling a sale of securities, it may lose money if the value of the security then declines, or if it has contracted to sell the security to another party, the Fund could be liable for any losses incurred.
Foreign Currency Risk. Because the Fund may invest in securities denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, changes in foreign currency exchange rates may affect the value of securities held by the Fund and the unrealized appreciation or depreciation of investments. Currencies of certain countries may be volatile and, therefore, affect the value of securities denominated in such currencies, which means that the Fund’s NAV could decline due to changes in the exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. It is also possible that the Fund’s NAV could decline due to currency fluctuations between the date of tender and the repurchase pricing date if the Fund has invested a portion of its portfolio in foreign markets. The Adviser may, but is not required to, elect for the Fund to seek to protect itself from changes in currency exchange rates through hedging transactions depending on market conditions. In addition, certain countries, particularly emerging market countries, may impose foreign currency exchange controls or other restrictions on currency transferability, repatriation, or convertibility.
Secondary Investments Risks. The Fund may acquire interests in Portfolio Companies from third-party holders of these interests in secondary transactions (“Secondary Investments”). In many cases, the economic, financial, and other information available to and used by the Adviser in selecting and structuring Secondary Investments may have been prepared by the sponsor of the Secondary Investment, may be incomplete or unreliable, and/or may not be verifiable by the Adviser. The Fund will also not have the opportunity to negotiate the terms of Secondary Investments, including any special rights or privileges. Valuation of Secondary Investments may be difficult because there will be no established market for such interests. Moreover, the purchase price of Secondary Investments will be subject to negotiation with the sellers of such interests. It may, in certain cases, include the Fund’s assumption of certain contingent liabilities. The Fund's overall performance may depend in part on the accuracy of the information available to the Adviser, the acquisition price paid by the Fund for the Secondary Investments, the structure of such acquisitions, and the Fund’s ultimate exposure to any assumed liabilities.
The Fund may have the opportunity to acquire a portfolio of Secondary Investments from a seller on an “all or nothing” basis. Certain of the Secondary Investments in the portfolio may be less attractive than others, and certain of the sponsors of such Secondary Investments may be more familiar to the Fund than others or may be more experienced or highly regarded. In such cases, it may not be possible for the Fund to carve out from such purchases those investments that the Adviser considers (for commercial, tax, legal, or other reasons) less attractive.
When the Fund acquires an interest as a Secondary Investment, the Fund may acquire contingent liabilities associated with such interest. Specifically, where the seller has received distributions from the investment and, subsequently, that investment recalls any portion of such distributions, the Fund (as the purchaser of the interest to which such distributions are attributable) may be obligated to pay an amount equivalent to such distributions to such investment. While the Fund may be able, in turn, to make a claim against the seller of the interest for any monies so paid to the investment, there can be no assurance that the Fund would have such right or prevail in any such claim.
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The Fund may acquire Secondary Investments as a member of a purchasing syndicate, in which case the Fund may be exposed to additional risks, including (among other things): (i) counterparty risk, (ii) reputation risk, (iii) breach of confidentiality by a syndicate member, and (iv) execution risk.
Due Diligence Risk. The Adviser seeks to conduct reasonable and appropriate analysis and due diligence concerning investment opportunities. Due diligence may entail the evaluation of important and complex business, financial, tax, accounting, environmental, and legal issues. Outside consultants, legal advisors, accountants, investment banks, and other third parties may be involved in the due diligence process to varying degrees depending on the type of investment and the costs the Fund bears. The involvement of third-party advisors or consultants may present several risks primarily relating to the Adviser’s reduced control of the outsourced functions. In addition, if the Adviser cannot engage third-party providers promptly, its ability to evaluate and acquire more complex targets could be adversely affected.
When conducting due diligence and assessing an investment opportunity, the Adviser relies on available resources, including information provided by the management of Portfolio Companies and, in some circumstances, third-party investigations. When co-investing with other investors, the Adviser may rely on due diligence and information provided by co-investors. The Adviser’s due diligence process may not reveal all the facts that may be relevant in connection with an investment made by the Fund. In some cases, only limited information is available about a Portfolio Company in which the Adviser is considering an investment. There can be no assurance that the due diligence investigations undertaken by the Adviser will reveal or highlight all relevant facts (including fraud) that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating a particular investment opportunity, or that the Adviser’s due diligence will result in an investment being successful.
In the event of fraud by any Portfolio Company or its management or affiliates, the Fund may suffer a partial or total loss of capital invested in that Portfolio Company. There can be no assurance that any such losses will be offset by gains (if any) realized on the Fund’s other investments. An additional concern is the possibility of material misrepresentation or omission on the part of the Fund investment or the seller of a Secondary Investment. Such inaccuracy or incompleteness may adversely affect the value of that investment. The Fund will rely upon the accuracy and completeness of representations made by Portfolio Companies, and/or their current or former owners or management, in the due diligence process to the extent reasonable when it makes its investments but cannot guarantee such accuracy or completeness. Under certain circumstances, payments to the Fund may be reclaimed if any such payment or distribution is later determined to have been a fraudulent conveyance or a preferential payment.
Expedited Transactions. The Adviser may sometimes be required to perform investment analyses and make investment decisions expeditiously to take advantage of certain investment opportunities. In such cases, the information available to the Adviser at the time of an investment decision may be limited and the Adviser may not have access to detailed information regarding the investment opportunity, in each case, to an extent that may not otherwise be the case had the Adviser been afforded more time to evaluate the investment opportunity. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the Adviser will know all circumstances that may adversely affect an investment.
Indemnification of Fund Investments, Managers and Others. The Fund may agree to indemnify certain of its investments and their respective managers, officers, directors, and affiliates from any liability, damage, cost, or expense arising out of, among other things, acts or omissions undertaken in connection with the management of the particular company. Indemnification from the sellers of Secondary Investments may be required as a condition to purchasing such securities. If the Fund were required to make payments (or return distributions) for any such indemnity, the Fund could be materially adversely affected.
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Fund Management
Fund Board and Officers
The Fund’s Board oversees the general conduct of the Fund’s business and represents Fund shareholders' interests. The Board comprises four Trustees, three of whom are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Fund as defined in the Investment Company Act.
The Board periodically reviews the Fund’s investment performance and the quality of other services such as administration, custody, and investor services. The Board also reviews the fees paid to the Adviser for its management services and the overall level of the Operating Expenses.
The name and business address of the Trustees and officers of the Fund, and their principal occupations and other affiliations during the past five years, are set forth under “Management of the Fund” in the SAI.
Investment Adviser and Management Contract
The Board has retained the Adviser as the Fund’s investment adviser, responsible for making investment decisions for the Fund. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the Fund’s management contract described below will be included in the Fund’s first report to shareholders. The Adviser is newly organized.
The Adviser is wholly-owned by Wendal Inc. The Adviser’s address is 910 Madison Avenue, Covington, KY 41011.
Under a management contract between the Fund and the Adviser, subject to such policies as the Board may determine, the Adviser furnishes and manages a continuous investment program for the Fund and makes investment decisions on behalf of the Fund. Subject to the control of the Board, and except for the functions carried out by Fund officers, the Adviser also manages, supervises, and conducts the other affairs and business of the Fund and matters incidental to it, and places all orders for the purchase and sale of the Fund’s portfolio investments.
The management contract between the Fund and the Adviser allows the Fund to pay a management fee to the Adviser, computed and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 1.90% of the Fund’s average daily NAV (the “Management Fee”).
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its Management Fee and/or reimburse Fund expenses to the extent necessary so that the Operating Expenses (which exclude any taxes, interest, shareholder services fees pursuant to a shareholder services plan, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation or reorganization costs, but inclusive of organizational costs and offering costs) do not exceed 2.65% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares. The Adviser may recoup amounts of its Management Fee waived and Fund expenses paid or reimbursed in certain circumstances. This contractual expense limitation will remain in effect through September 30, 2025, unless the Board approves its earlier modification or termination. See “Fund Expenses—Expense Limitation Agreement” below for additional Information.
Conflicts of Interest. The Adviser’s management of the Fund may create conflicts of interest between the Fund and the Adviser’s or its affiliates’ other software or investment products. Below is more information on these potential conflicts of interest and how the Adviser intends to mitigate them.
· | Management of Other Investment Products: The Adviser, or its affiliates, may serve as an investment adviser to other investment products or accounts in the future, which may have investment strategies that overlap with those of the Fund. This could result in conflicts of interest when allocating investment opportunities among the Fund and those other investment products or accounts. While the Adviser currently operates with the Fund as its sole client, should it take on additional clients, it will seek to manage these conflicts of interest by establishing and maintaining a fair and equitable allocation policy. Decisions regarding the allocation of investment opportunities will be made by considering the investment objectives, management styles, restrictions, and portfolio holdings of the Fund and other advised accounts to ensure that the Fund is not disadvantaged. |
· | Use of Proprietary Technology: The Adviser utilizes proprietary technology, including algorithms and data analytics tools, to screen and manage investments. These technologies provide a competitive edge in identifying and capitalizing on investment opportunities; however, they may also be used for other business purposes beyond the Fund. To mitigate such conflicts, the Adviser will disclose any material benefits from using these technologies not shared with the Fund. Additionally, the Adviser will establish protocols to ensure that the Fund’s interests are prioritized and that any use of technology or techniques that could potentially increase the Adviser’s compensation or earnings is transparently disclosed and managed by regulatory requirements. |
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To address any potential conflicts of interest that may arise from the Adviser’s use of its proprietary technologies, the Adviser commits to the following:
1. | Prioritizing the Fund’s access to these proprietary tools to maintain the Fund’s competitive advantage in screening and selecting investment opportunities. |
2. | Regularly evaluate and update our technology to maintain its efficacy and address any identified biases or errors that could affect investment decisions. |
3. | Disclosing any circumstances where the Adviser’s proprietary technology is licensed to or used by third parties and any potential impact this may have on the Fund. |
4. | Implementing safeguards to ensure that any technology-related conflicts of interest are identified and managed in the best interests of the Fund and the Adviser’s other clients. |
The Adviser will continually monitor potential conflicts of interest and implement appropriate measures to ensure that the Fund’s and its shareholders’ interests are managed fairly. The ongoing commitment to rigorous conflict of interest policies and transparently managing such issues is integral to maintaining the trust and confidence of the Fund’s shareholders.
Portfolio Managers
The following officers of the Adviser are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:
Portfolio Manager | Since | Title and Positions Held Over Past Five Years |
David Ross | 2024 | Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser since 2023. From 2020 to 2023, Mr. Ross was a private venture capital investor and an advisor to startup companies. Mr. Ross held various roles, including co-heading leveraged debt capital markets at Credit Suisse from 2017 to 2020. |
Chris Hjelm | 2024 | Senior Vice President, Head of Venture Investing of the Adviser since 2023. Mr. Hjelm joined Connetic Ventures Inc., an affiliate of the Adviser, in 2018 as Senior Vice President, Head of Venture Investing and has led investments in over 100+ early-stage venture capital investments, including multiple exits. Before joining the Adviser, Mr. Hjelm was the founder and Chief Investment Officer of Mint Capital Group, LLC, a high-frequency trading fund. |
Brad Zapp | 2024 | Senior Vice President, Head of Strategy and Marketing of the Adviser since 2023. Mr. Zapp co-founded Connetic Ventures in 2015. In Connetic’s private market funds, he oversaw as a member of the investment committee over 150 transactions, including multiple exits. Mr. Zapp began his career at Fidelity Investments as a trader and, in 2004 co-founded his first company, a Federally registered investment advisor, which he grew to $500 million in AUM before exiting in 2014. Mr. Zapp has held various licenses and credentials and is a Certified Financial Planner®. |
The SAI provides information about these individuals’ compensation, other accounts they manage, and their ownership of Shares.
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Control Persons
A “control person” is someone who beneficially owns more than 25% of the Fund’s voting securities or has the power to exercise control over the management or policies of the Fund. As of the date of this prospectus, no entity or person owned of record or beneficially 25% or more of the outstanding Shares.
Determination of Net Asset Value
The NAV of Shares is determined following the close of regular trading on the NYSE, generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day the NYSE is open for trading. The Shares will be offered at NAV plus the applicable sales load, if any. The Fund’s NAV per share is calculated by dividing the value of the Fund’s total assets (the value of the securities the Fund holds plus cash or other assets, including interest accrued, but not yet received), less accrued expenses and other liabilities of the Fund by the total number of Shares outstanding. During the continuous offering, the price of the Shares will increase or decrease daily according to the NAV of the Shares.
The Board has adopted procedures under which the Fund will value its investments (the “Valuation Policy and Procedures”). Under the Valuation Policy and Procedures, the Fund’s portfolio investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at market value. Investments for which market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value as determined in good faith according to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. As permitted by Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Board has designated the Adviser as the Fund’s valuation designee (“Valuation Designee”) to perform fair value determinations relating to all portfolio investments. The Adviser carries out its designated responsibilities as Valuation Designee through various teams under the Valuation Policy and Procedures, which govern the Valuation Designee’s selection and application of methodologies and independent pricing services for determining and calculating the fair value of portfolio investments. The Valuation Designee will fair value portfolio investments utilizing inputs from various external and internal sources, including, but not limited to, independent pricing services, dealer quotation reporting systems, independent third-party valuation firms, and valuation techniques from the International Private Equity and Venture Capital Valuation Guidelines (which sets out recommendations, intended to represent current best practice, on the valuation of private capital investments). When determining the fair value of an investment, one or more fair value methodologies may be used. Fair value determinations will be based upon all available factors that the Valuation Designee deems relevant at the time of the determination. Fair valuation involves subjective judgments, and the fair value determined for a security may differ materially from the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security.
The valuation of the Fund’s investments is performed per Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act and in conjunction with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC Topic 820”), issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. ASC Topic 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received from the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair value measurements are determined within a framework that establishes a three-tier hierarchy that maximizes the use of observable market data and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs to classify fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Valuation Designee. Unobservable inputs reflect the Valuation Designee’s assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the information available. ASC 820 classifies the inputs used to measure these fair values into the following hierarchy:
● | Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities, accessible at the measurement date. |
● | Level 2: Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or other observable inputs other than quoted prices. |
● | Level 3: Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability. |
Valuation of Public Securities
The Fund’s portfolio investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at market value. Market value is determined based on official exchange (e.g., NYSE or NASDAQ) closing prices or the last reported sales prices. Portfolio investments listed on multiple exchanges will be valued at the last quoted sale price on which the security is principally traded. Portfolio investments traded on a foreign exchange are valued as of the close of the NYSE at the closing price of such investments in their principal trading market but may be fair valued if subsequent events occurring before the computation of NAV have materially affected the value of the securities. Trading may occur in foreign investments held by the Fund when the Fund is not open for business. To the extent certain of the Fund’s portfolio investments are traded in the over-the-counter market, such investments are valued based on quotations obtained from independent pricing services. If such quotations are not readily available or become unreliable, the Valuation Designee may recommend valuation through other means.
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Valuation of Private Investments
A substantial portion of the Fund’s assets consist of securities of private companies for which there are no readily available market quotations. The information available in the marketplace for such companies, their securities, the status of their businesses, and financial conditions is often extremely limited, outdated, and difficult to confirm.
The valuations of the Portfolio Companies have a considerable impact on the Fund’s NAV as a significant portion of the Fund’s assets are intended to be invested in Portfolio Companies. Market and dealer quotations are not readily available for the Portfolio Companies in which the Fund invests. As such, the Fund utilizes valuation methodologies approved by the Fair Value Pricing Committee when determining the fair value of the Portfolio Companies. The most relevant information to this fair valuation may often be that information provided by the issuer of the securities. Given the nature, timeliness, amount, and reliability of information the issuer provides, fair valuations may become more difficult and uncertain as such information is unavailable or outdated. The Fund may also use a third-party valuation specialist to assist in determining the fair value of the Portfolio Companies held in the Fund’s portfolio.
Plan of Distribution
Foreside Financial Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (d/b/a ACA Group), Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101, serves as the Fund’s principal underwriter and acts as the distributor of the Shares on a commercially reasonable efforts basis, subject to various conditions. The Shares are offered for sale through the Distributor at NAV plus the applicable sales load, if any. The Distributor may also contract with financial intermediaries to sell and service the Shares. In reliance on Rule 415, the Fund intends to offer to sell an unlimited number of its Shares, continually, through the Distributor. No arrangement has been made to place funds received in an escrow, trust, or similar account. The Distributor is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of the Shares or act as a market maker, which will not be listed on any national securities exchange. Class I Shares are not currently subject to a Distribution Fee.
The Adviser or its affiliates, in the Adviser’s discretion and from their resources, may pay additional compensation to financial intermediaries in connection with the sale and servicing of Shares (the “Additional Compensation”). In return for the Additional Compensation, the Fund may receive certain marketing advantages, including access to a financial intermediaries’ registered representatives, placement on a list of investment options offered by a financial intermediary, or the ability to assist in training and educating the financial intermediaries. The Additional Compensation may differ among financial intermediaries in amount or the manner of calculation: payments of Additional Compensation may be fixed dollar amounts or based on the aggregate value of outstanding Shares held by shareholders introduced by the financial intermediary or determined in some other manner. Receiving Additional Compensation by a selling financial intermediary may create potential conflicts of interest between an investor and its financial intermediary recommending the Fund over other potential investments. Additionally, the Fund may pay a servicing fee to Intermediaries for providing ongoing services in respect of shareholders of the Fund. Such services may include electronic processing of client orders, electronic fund transfers between clients and the Fund, account reconciliations with the Transfer Agent, facilitation of electronic delivery to clients of Fund documentation, monitoring client accounts for back-up withholding and any other special tax reporting obligations, maintenance of books and records concerning the preceding, and such other information and ongoing liaison services as the Fund or the Adviser may reasonably request.
The Fund and the Adviser have agreed to indemnify the Distributor against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the 1933 Act, or to contribute to payments the Distributor may be required to make because of any of those liabilities. Such agreement does not include indemnification of the Distributor against liability resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith, or negligence on the part of the Distributor in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by the Distributor of its obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement. The Distributor may, from time to time, perform services for the Adviser and its affiliates in the ordinary course of business.
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Purchasing Shares
Investors may purchase Shares directly from the Fund following the instructions below. Investors will be assessed fees for returned checks and stop payment orders at prevailing rates charged by the Transfer Agent. The returned check and stop payment fee are currently $25.00. Investors may buy and sell Shares through financial intermediaries and their agents that have made arrangements with the Fund and are authorized to buy and sell Shares (collectively, “Financial Intermediaries”). Orders will be priced at the appropriate price next computed after they are received by a Financial Intermediary and accepted by the Fund. A Financial Intermediary may hold Shares in an omnibus account in the Financial Intermediary’s name, or the Financial Intermediary may maintain individual ownership records. The Fund may pay the Financial Intermediary to maintain individual ownership records and provide other shareholder services. Financial intermediaries may charge fees for the services they provide in connection with processing your transaction order or maintaining an investor’s account with them. Investors should check with their Financial Intermediary to determine if it is subject to these arrangements. Financial Intermediaries are responsible for placing orders correctly and promptly with the Fund forwarding payment promptly. Orders transmitted with a Financial Intermediary before the close of regular trading (generally 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time) on a day that the NYSE is open for business will be priced based on the Fund’s NAV next computed after the Financial Intermediary receives it.
By Mail
To make an initial purchase by mail, complete an account application and mail the application, together with a check made payable to the Fund, to:
Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund
c/o Gryphon Fund Group
3000 Auburn Drive, Suite 410
Beachwood, OH 44122
All checks must be in US Dollars drawn from a domestic bank. The Fund will not accept payment in cash, money orders, or cashier’s checks. To prevent check fraud, the Fund will neither accept third-party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks, or starter checks for the purchase of Shares, nor post-dated checks, postdated on-line bill pay checks, or any conditional purchase order or payment.
The Transfer Agent will charge a $25.00 fee against an investor’s account and any loss sustained by the Fund for any returned payment. It is the policy of the Fund not to accept applications under certain circumstances or in amounts considered disadvantageous to shareholders. The Fund reserves the right to reject any application.
By Wire — Initial Investment
To invest in the Fund, the Transfer Agent must receive a completed account application before an investor wires funds. Investors may mail or overnight deliver an account application to the Transfer Agent. Upon receipt of the completed account application, the Transfer Agent will establish an account. The assigned account number will be required as part of the instructions to an investor’s bank for sending the wire. An investor’s bank must include both the name of the Fund, the account number, and the investor’s name so that monies can be correctly applied. If you wish to wire money to invest in the Fund, please call the Fund at 800-711-9164 for wiring instructions and to notify the Fund that a wire transfer is coming. Any commercial bank can transfer same-day funds via wire. The Fund will normally accept wired funds for investment on the day received if the Fund’s designated bank receives them before the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Your bank may charge you a fee for wiring same-day funds.
By Wire — Subsequent Investments
Before sending a wire, investors must contact the Transfer Agent to advise them of the intent to wire funds. This will ensure prompt and accurate credit upon receipt of the wire. Wired funds must be received before 4:00 p.m. Eastern time to be eligible for same-day pricing. The Fund and its agents, including the Transfer Agent and Custodian, are not responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system or from incomplete wiring instructions.
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Online – Subsequent Investments
You can request subsequent investments for your account using the Fund’s online functionality. The money to fund the investment would automatically be drafted from your account by Automate Clearing House (“ACH”). Please visit the Fund’s website at conneticventures.com to obtain instructions or contact the Fund at 800-711-9164 for more information on processing purchases by ACH.
Automatic Investment Plan — Subsequent Investments
You may participate in the Fund’s Automatic Investment Plan. This investment plan automatically moves money from your bank account and invests it in the Fund through electronic funds transfers or automatic bank drafts. You may elect to make subsequent investments by transferring a minimum of $100 on specified days of each month into your established Fund account. Please contact the Fund at 800-711-9164 for more information about the Fund’s Automatic Investment Plan.
By Telephone – Subsequent Investments
Investors may purchase additional Shares by calling 800-711-9164. If an investor elected this option on the account application, and the account has been open for at least 15 days, telephone orders will be accepted via electronic funds transfer from your bank account by ACH. Banking information must be established on the account before making a purchase. Orders for Shares received before 4 p.m. Eastern time will be purchased at the appropriate price calculated on that day.
Telephone trades must be received by or before the market closes. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.
In compliance with the USA Patriot Act of 2001, Administrator will verify certain information on each account application as part of the Fund’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. As requested on the application, investors must supply their full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. Mailing addresses containing only a P.O. Box will not be accepted. Investors may call Administrator at 800-711-9164 for additional assistance when completing an application.
If the Transfer Agent does not have a reasonable belief in the identity of a customer, the account will be rejected or the customer will not be allowed to perform a transaction on the account until such information is received. The Fund also may reserve the right to close the account within five Business Days if clarifying information/documentation is not received.
Purchase Terms
An investor’s minimum initial purchase for Class I Shares is $2,500. Subsequent investments in Class I Shares may be made with at least $100. The Fund reserves the right to waive the investment minimum. The Fund may permit a financial intermediary to waive the initial minimum per shareholder for Class I Shares in the following situations: broker-dealers purchasing fund Shares for clients in broker-sponsored discretionary fee-based advisory programs; financial intermediaries with clients of a registered investment advisor (“RIA”) purchasing fund shares in fee-based advisory accounts with a $2,500 aggregated initial investment across multiple clients; and certain other situations deemed appropriate by the Fund. The Class I Shares are offered for sale through its Distributor at NAV. The price of the Shares during the Fund’s continuous offering will fluctuate over time with the NAV of the Shares.
Class I Shares
Class I Shares will be sold at the prevailing NAV per Class I Share and are not subject to any upfront sales charge, a Distribution Fee, or shareholder servicing fees but are subject to a repurchasing fee. Class I Shares may only be available through certain financial intermediaries. Because the Class I Shares are sold at the prevailing NAV per Class I share without an upfront sales charge, the entire amount of your purchase is invested immediately. However, Class I Shares require a minimum investment of $2,500 for all accounts, while subsequent investments may be made with $100. The Fund reserves the right to waive the investment minimum.
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Shareholder Services Expenses
Certain financial intermediaries may contract with the Fund, or its designees, to perform certain networking, recordkeeping, sub-accounting, or administrative services for shareholders of the Fund. In consideration for providing these services, the financial intermediaries will receive compensation, which is typically paid by the Fund. For accounts sold through financial intermediaries, it is the primary responsibility of the financial intermediary to ensure compliance with investment minimums. Class I shares pay an annual shareholder services fee of up to 0.15% of average daily net assets attributable to the share class for shareholder servicing expenses under the Fund’s Shareholder Services Plan.
Investor Suitability
An investment in the Fund involves a considerable amount of risk. The Fund is intended solely for long-term investment by shareholders who can accept the risks of making highly speculative, primarily illiquid investments in privately negotiated transactions. You may lose part or all of the amount you invested in the Fund, and you should not invest in the Fund unless you can readily bear the consequences of such loss. Before making your investment decision, you should (i) consider the suitability of this investment concerning your investment objectives and personal financial situation and (ii) consider factors such as your net worth, income, age, risk tolerance and liquidity needs. In addition, please consider carefully how the Fund’s investment strategies fit into your overall investment portfolios, because the Fund is not designed to be a well-balanced or complete investment program for any particular investor.
The Fund’s Shares should be considered an illiquid investment. You will not be able to redeem your Shares daily because the Fund is a closed-end fund operating as an interval fund and will only offer to redeem a limited portion of its Shares four times a year. The Fund’s Shares are not traded on an active market, and there is currently no secondary market for the Shares, nor should you rely on a secondary market developing in the future. You should invest only in the Fund that you can afford to lose, and you should not invest in the Fund money to which you will need access in the short-term or frequently.
Share Repurchases
Once each quarter, the Fund will offer to repurchase at NAV no less than 5% of the outstanding Shares unless such offer is suspended or postponed by regulatory requirements (as discussed below). The offer to purchase Shares is a fundamental policy that may not be changed without the vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities (as defined in the Investment Company Act). Shareholders will be notified in writing of each quarterly repurchase offer and the date the repurchase offer ends (the “Repurchase Request Deadline”). Shares will be repurchased at the NAV per share determined as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE no later than the 14th day after the Repurchase Request Deadline, or the next Business Day if the 14th day is not a Business Day (each a “Repurchase Pricing Date”).
Shareholders will be notified in writing about each quarterly repurchase offer, how they may request that the Fund repurchase their Shares, and the Repurchase Request Deadline. Shares tendered for repurchase by shareholders before any Repurchase Request Deadline will be repurchased subject to the aggregate repurchase amounts established for that Repurchase Request Deadline. The time between the notification to shareholders and the Repurchase Request Deadline may vary from no more than 42 days to no less than 21 days. Payment under the repurchase will be made by checks to the shareholder’s address of record or credited directly to a predetermined bank account on the Purchase Payment Date, which will be no more than seven days after the Repurchase Pricing Date. The Board may establish other policies for repurchases of Shares that are consistent with the Investment Company Act, regulations thereunder, and other pertinent laws.
Determination of Repurchase Offer Amount
In its sole discretion, the Board, or a committee thereof, will determine the number of Shares the Fund will offer to repurchase (the “Repurchase Offer Amount”) for a given Repurchase Request Deadline. The Repurchase Offer Amount, however, will be no less than 5% and no more than 25% of the total number of Shares outstanding on the Repurchase Request Deadline.
If shareholders tender for repurchase more than the Repurchase Offer Amount for a given repurchase offer, the Fund will repurchase the Shares on a pro rata basis. However, the Fund may accept all Shares tendered for repurchase by shareholders who own less than one hundred Shares and tender all their shares, before prorating other amounts tendered.
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Concerning any required minimum distributions from an IRA or other qualified retirement plan, the shareholder must determine the amount of any such required minimum distribution and to otherwise satisfy the required minimum. If shareholders tender for repurchase more than the Repurchase Offer Amount for a given repurchase offer, the Fund will repurchase the Shares on a pro-rata basis, which may result in the Fund not honoring the full amount of a required minimum distribution requested by a shareholder.
Notice to Shareholders
No less than 21 days and no more than 42 days before each Repurchase Request Deadline, the Fund shall send to each shareholder of record and to each beneficial owner of the Shares that are the subject of the repurchase offer a notification (“Shareholder Notification”). The Shareholder Notification will contain information shareholders should consider when deciding whether to tender their Shares for repurchase. The notice will also include detailed instructions on how to tender Shares for repurchase, state the Repurchase Offer Amount, and identify the dates of the Repurchase Request Deadline, the scheduled Repurchase Pricing Date, and the date the repurchase proceeds are scheduled for payment (the “Repurchase Payment Deadline”). The notice also will set forth the NAV that has been computed no more than seven days before the date of notification and how shareholders may ascertain the NAV after the notification date.
Repurchase Price
The repurchase price of the Shares will be the NAV of the Shares as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE on the Repurchase Pricing Date. You may call 800-711-9164 or visit conneticventures.com to learn the current NAV. The notice of the repurchase offer will also provide information concerning the NAV, such as the NAV as of a recent date or a sampling of recent NAVs, and a toll-free number for information regarding the repurchase offer.
Early Repurchase Fee (for those holding Shares less than 366 days)
If you tender Shares and the Fund repurchases those Shares within 365 days (approximately 12 months) following the purchase date, you will pay a 2.00% early repurchase fee.
The early repurchase fee will be based on the value of the Shares redeemed and will be deducted from (and thus reduce) the repurchase proceeds. Shares held longest will be treated as repurchased first, and Shares held shortest will be treated as repurchased last. The repurchase fee does not apply to Shares acquired through reinvestment of distributions. Shares held for over 365 days are not subject to any repurchase fee.
Repurchase fees are paid to the Fund directly. They are intended to offset costs related to the repurchase incurred by the Fund, directly or indirectly, as a result of repurchasing Shares. The Fund may modify the amount of a repurchase fee (but not increase it beyond 2.00%) or the period for which a repurchase fee applies at any time. In addition, the Fund may waive an early repurchase fee otherwise payable by a shareholder in circumstances where the Board determines that doing so is in the best interests of the Fund.
Repurchase Amounts and Payment of Proceeds
Shares tendered for repurchase by shareholders before any Repurchase Request Deadline will be repurchased subject to the aggregate Repurchase Offer Amount established for that Repurchase Request Deadline. The Fund will allow shareholders to withdraw or modify their tenders at any time before the Repurchase Request Deadline. Payment under the repurchase offer will be made by check to the shareholder’s address of record or credited directly to a predetermined bank account on the Purchase Payment Date, which will be no more than seven days after the Repurchase Pricing Date. The Board may establish other policies for repurchases of Shares that are consistent with the Investment Company Act, regulations thereunder, and other pertinent laws.
If shareholders tender for repurchase more than the Repurchase Offer Amount for a given repurchase offer, the Fund may, but is not required to, repurchase an additional amount of Shares not to exceed 2.00% of the outstanding Shares on the Repurchase Request Deadline. If the Fund determines not to repurchase more than the Repurchase Offer Amount, or if shareholders tender Shares in an amount exceeding the Repurchase Offer Amount plus 2.00% of the outstanding Shares on the Repurchase Request Deadline, the Fund will repurchase the Shares on a pro-rata basis. However, the Fund may accept all Shares tendered for repurchase by shareholders who own less than one hundred Shares and tender all of their Shares, before prorating other amounts tendered. In addition, the Fund will accept the total number of Shares tendered in connection with required minimum distributions from an IRA or other qualified retirement plan. The shareholder must notify and provide the Fund supporting documentation of a required minimum distribution from an IRA or other qualified retirement plan.
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Suspension or Postponement of Repurchase Offer
The Fund may suspend or postpone a repurchase offer only: (a) if making or effecting the repurchase offer would cause the Fund to lose its status as a regulated investment company under the Code; (b) for any period during which the NYSE or any market on which the securities owned by the Fund are principally traded is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings, or during which trading in such market is restricted; (c) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned by it is not reasonably practicable, or during which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund fairly to determine the value of its net assets; or (d) for such other periods as the SEC may by order permit for the protection of shareholders of the Fund.
Liquidity Requirements
The Fund must maintain liquid assets equal to the Repurchase Offer Amount from when the notice is sent to shareholders until the Repurchase Pricing Date. The Fund will ensure that a percentage of its net assets equal to at least 100% of the Repurchase Offer Amount consists of assets that can be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business at approximately the price at which the Fund has valued the investment within the period between the Repurchase Request Deadline and the Repurchase Payment Deadline. The Board has adopted procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the Fund’s assets are sufficiently liquid so that the Fund can comply with the repurchase offer and the liquidity requirements described in the previous paragraph. If, at any time, the Fund falls out of compliance with these liquidity requirements, the Board will take whatever action it deems appropriate to ensure compliance.
Consequences of Repurchase Offers
Repurchase offers will typically be funded from available cash or sales of portfolio securities. Payment for repurchased Shares, however, may require the Fund to liquidate portfolio holdings earlier than the Adviser otherwise would, thus increasing the Fund’s portfolio turnover and potentially causing the Fund to realize losses. The Adviser intends to avoid or minimize such potential losses and turnover, and instead of liquidating portfolio holdings, may borrow money to finance repurchases of Shares. If the Fund borrows to finance repurchases, interest on that borrowing will negatively affect shareholders who do not tender their Shares in a repurchase offer by increasing the Fund’s expenses and reducing any net investment income. To the extent the Fund finances repurchase amounts by selling Fund investments, it may hold a larger proportion of its assets in less liquid securities. The sale of portfolio securities to fund repurchases could also reduce the market price of those underlying securities, which would reduce the Fund’s NAV.
Repurchase of the Fund’s Shares will tend to reduce the amount of outstanding Shares and, depending upon the Fund’s investment performance, its net assets. A reduction in the Fund’s net assets would increase the Fund’s expense ratio, to the extent that additional Shares are not sold and expenses otherwise remain the same (or increase). In addition, the repurchase of Shares by the Fund will be a taxable event to shareholders.
The Fund is intended as a long-term investment. The Fund’s quarterly repurchase offers are a shareholder’s only means of liquidity concerning their Shares. Shareholders have no rights to redeem or transfer their Shares, other than limited rights of a shareholder’s descendants to redeem Shares in the event of such shareholder’s death under certain conditions and restrictions. The Shares are not traded on a national securities exchange and no secondary market exists for the Shares, nor does the Fund expect a secondary market for its Shares to exist in the future.
Borrowing
The Fund is permitted to borrow, which such borrowing, if any, the Fund anticipates would be used to satisfy requests from shareholders under the quarterly repurchase offers and otherwise to provide the Fund with temporary liquidity.
The amount that the Fund may borrow will be limited by the provisions of Section 18 of the Investment Company Act, which, among other limitations contained therein relating to the declaration of dividends or distributions, limits the issuance of a “senior security” (as defined in the Investment Company Act) to those instances where immediately after giving effect to such issuance, the Fund will have “net asset coverage” (as defined in the Investment Company) of at least 300%. If the Fund does borrow, interest on the amount borrowed by the Fund will be at prevailing market rates. Notwithstanding the preceding, the Fund intends to limit its borrowing, if any, and the overall leverage of its portfolio to an amount that does not exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund’s gross asset value.
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Distributions
Following the disposition by the Fund of securities of Portfolio Companies, the Fund will make cash distributions of the net profits, if any, to shareholders (subject to the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan, as described below) once each fiscal year at such time as the Board determines in its sole discretion (or more often at such times specified by the Board, if necessary for the Fund to maintain its status as a RIC and under the Investment Company Act). The Fund intends to establish reasonable reserves to meet obligations before making distributions.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan
The Fund will operate under a dividend reinvestment plan administered by the Fund’s Administrator as a dividend reinvestment agent. Under the plan, any distributions by the Fund to its shareholders, net of any applicable U.S. withholding tax, will be reinvested in Shares.
Shareholders automatically participate in the dividend reinvestment plan unless and until an election is made to withdraw from the plan on behalf of such participating shareholders. Shareholders who do not wish to have distributions automatically reinvested should notify the Administrator in writing at Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund c/o Gryphon Fund Group, 3000 Auburn Drive, Suite 410, Beachwood, OH 44122. Such written notice must be received by the Administrator at least 30 days before the distribution’s record date, or the shareholder will receive such distribution in Shares through the dividend reinvestment plan. Under the dividend reinvestment plan, the Fund’s distributions to shareholders are reinvested in full and fractional Shares as described below.
When the Fund declares a distribution, the Administrator, on the shareholder’s behalf, will receive additional authorized Shares from the Fund. The number of Shares to be received when distributions are reinvested will be determined by dividing the amount of the distribution by the Fund’s NAV per Share as of the date of such distribution.
The Administrator will maintain all shareholder accounts and furnish written confirmations of all transactions in the accounts, including information needed by shareholders for personal and tax records.
Neither the Administrator nor the Fund shall have any responsibility or liability beyond the exercise of ordinary care for any action taken or omitted under the dividend reinvestment plan, nor shall they have any duties, responsibilities, or liabilities except such as expressly set forth herein. Neither shall they be liable hereunder for any act done in good faith or for any good faith omissions to act, including, without limitation, failure to terminate a participant’s account before receipt of written notice of their death or concerning prices at which Shares are purchased or sold for the participant’s account and the terms on which such purchases and sales are made, subject to applicable provisions of the federal securities laws.
The automatic reinvestment of distributions will not relieve participants of any federal, state, or local income tax that may be payable (or required to be withheld) on such distributions. See “Tax Matters” below for additional information.
The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the dividend reinvestment plan. There is no direct service charge to participants about purchases under the dividend reinvestment plan; however, the Fund reserves the right to amend the dividend reinvestment plan to include a service charge payable by the participants.
All correspondence concerning the dividend reinvestment plan should be directed to, and additional information may be obtained from the Administrator at Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund c/o Gryphon Fund Group, 3000 Auburn Drive, Suite 410, Beachwood, OH 44122.
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Description of the Fund and its Shares
The Fund is a statutory trust organized under the laws of the State of Delaware. The Fund’s Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees of the Fund may authorize separate classes of shares of beneficial interest. The Fund is authorized to issue an unlimited number of Shares. The Fund does not intend to hold annual meetings of its shareholders. The Fund acquired all of the assets and liabilities of the Predecessor Fund in the Reorganization. In connection with the Reorganization, interests in the Predecessor Fund were exchanged for Class I Shares. The Predecessor Fund had an investment objective and strategies that were, in all material respects, the same as those of the Fund and were managed in a manner that, in all material respects, complied with the investment guidelines and restrictions of the Fund. The Adviser managed the Predecessor Fund.
The Declaration of Trust, filed with the SEC, permits the Fund to issue unlimited full and fractional Shares of beneficial interest, no par value. Each share of the Fund represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets of the Fund with each other’s share in the Fund. Holders of Shares will be entitled to the payment of dividends when, as and if declared by the Board. The Fund intends to distribute dividends to its shareholders after payment of Operating Expenses, including interest on outstanding borrowings, if any, no less frequently than quarterly. Unless the registered owner of Shares elects to receive cash, all dividends declared on Shares will be automatically reinvested for shareholders in additional Shares. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.” The 1940 Act may limit the payment of dividends to the holders of Shares. Each whole share shall be entitled to one vote as to matters on which it is entitled to vote under the terms of the Declaration of Trust on file with the SEC. Upon liquidation of the Fund, after paying or adequately providing for the payment of all liabilities of the Fund, and upon receipt of such releases, indemnities, and refunding agreements as they deem necessary for their protection, the Trustees may distribute the remaining assets of the Fund among its shareholders. The Shares are not liable for further calls or assessments by the Fund. There are no pre-emptive rights associated with the Shares. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Fund’s shareholders are not liable for any liabilities of the Fund. Although shareholders of an unincorporated statutory trust established under Delaware law, in certain limited circumstances, may be held personally liable for the obligations of the Fund as though they were general partners, the provisions of the Declaration of Trust described in the preceding sentence make the likelihood of such personal liability remote.
The Fund has adopted a Shareholder Services Plan (the “Shareholder Services Plan”) on behalf of its Class I shares that allows it to make payments to financial intermediaries and other service providers for shareholder servicing and maintenance of shareholder accounts that are held in omnibus or networked accounts or a similar arrangement with a financial intermediary. These shareholder servicing and maintenance fees may not exceed 0.15% per year of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the Class’s shares and may not be used to pay for any services in connection with the distribution and sale of such shares.
The Fund will not issue share certificates. The Transfer Agent will maintain an account for each shareholder upon which the registration of Shares is recorded, and transfers, permitted only in rare circumstances, such as death or bona fide gift, will be reflected by bookkeeping entry without physical delivery. Transfer Agent will require that a shareholder provide requests in writing, accompanied by a valid signature guarantee form, when changing certain information in an account, such as wiring instructions or telephone privileges.
Anti-Takeover and Other Provisions in the Declaration of Trust
The Declaration of Trust includes provisions that could have the effect of limiting the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or to change the composition of the Board and could have the effect of depriving the Fund’s shareholders of an opportunity to sell their Shares at a premium over prevailing market prices, if any, by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Fund. These provisions may have the effect of discouraging attempts to acquire control of the Fund, which could increase the Fund’s expenses and interfere with the normal operation of the Fund. The Trustees are elected for indefinite terms and do not stand for reelection. A Trustee may be removed from office without cause only by a written instrument signed or adopted by a majority of the remaining Trustees or by a vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the Shares entitled to elect a Trustee and entitled to vote on the matter. The 1940 Act does not give shareholders an affirmative right to remove a Trustee. Furthermore, the Declaration of Trust does not contain any other specific inhibiting provisions that would operate only concerning an extraordinary transaction such as a merger, reorganization, tender offer, sale, or transfer of substantially all of the Fund’s assets or liquidation.
The Declaration of Trust also includes provisions permitting a shareholder to bring a derivative action only if they make a pre-suit demand upon the Board to bring the subject action, and the Board can bar such a shareholder from bringing such an action. In addition, the Declaration of Trust requires holders of more than a majority of the Shares to join in any such action. Further, the Declaration of Trust requires that the shareholder making a pre-suit demand on the Board may be required to undertake to reimburse the Fund for the expense of any advisors the Board hires in its investigation of the demand if the Board determines not to bring the action. However, none of these derivative action provisions apply to claims arising under federal securities laws.
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Recent federal and state court precedent has found provisions similar to those included in the Fund’s Declaration of Trust to be inconsistent with the Investment Company Act and that the no-action position expressed in the Staff Statement on Control Share Acquisition Statutes, dated May 27, 2020, does not extend to the Fund’s specific circumstances.
Reference should be made to the Declaration of Trust on file with the SEC for the full text of these provisions.
Fund Expenses
Fund Expenses
The Fund will pay all its expenses and reimburse the Adviser or its affiliates to the extent they have previously paid such expenses on behalf of the Fund or have incurred expenses in connection with their management of the Fund. In addition to the Management Fee paid by the Fund to the Adviser, Fund expenses include, but are not limited to: (i) interest and taxes related to the Fund’s operations and purchase and sale of Fund assets; (ii) brokerage commissions and other transaction expenses in connection with the Fund’s purchase and sale of assets; (iii) fees and expenses related to the formation of the Fund, the offering of the Shares, including Fund expenses, and the admission of investors in the Fund; (iv) fees and expenses related to the investigation and evaluation of Fund investment opportunities (whether or not consummated); (v) fees and expense related to the acquisition, ownership, management, financing, hedging of interest rates on financings, or sale of portfolio investments; (vi) travel costs associated with investigating and evaluating investment opportunities (whether or not consummated) or making, monitoring, managing or disposing of portfolio investments; (vii) Fund costs of borrowings; (viii) costs of any third parties retained to provide services to the Fund, including costs and fees of the Fund’s Administrator, Custodian, Transfer Agent, and independent registered public accounting firm, and legal counsel; (ix) premiums for fidelity and other insurance coverage requisite to the Fund’s operations; (xi) fees and expenses of the Fund’s Independent Trustees (including compensation of the Independent Trustees); (xi) expenses incident to the repurchase of the Shares; (xii) fees and expenses related to the registration under federal and state securities laws of Shares; (xiii) expenses of printing and mailing Fund Prospectuses, reports, notices and proxy material to shareholders of the Fund; (xiv) all other expenses incidental to holding meetings of the Fund’s shareholders; and (xv) such extraordinary non-recurring expenses as may arise, including litigation affecting the Fund and any obligation which the Fund may have to indemnify its officers and Trustees with respect thereto. The Fund may need to sell Fund investments to pay fees and expenses, which could cause the Fund to realize taxable gains.
As of June 14, 2024, the Fund has not incurred any expenses in connection with its organization because the Adviser has agreed to bear all such expenses. The Fund has not incurred offering expenses and anticipates incurring expenses before its launch. The Fund’s expenses related to the initial offering of its Shares will be amortized over the 12 months beginning on the date of the reorganization of the predecessor fund. After that, the Fund will also bear certain ongoing offering and marketing costs associated with its planned continuous Share offering, which will be expensed as they are incurred. Offering costs cannot be deducted by the Fund or Fund shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Fund’s fees and expenses will decrease the net profits or increase the net losses of the Fund.
The Adviser will bear all its own ordinary and usual office overhead expenses (including expenses such as office rent) in connection with the Adviser’s performance of its duties to the Fund and the salaries or other compensation of the employees of the Adviser.
Expense Limitation Agreement
The Fund has entered into an Expense Limitation Agreement under which the Adviser has agreed to waive its Management Fee and reimburse Fund expenses to the extent necessary so that the Operating Expenses (which exclude any taxes, interest, shareholder services fees pursuant to a shareholder services plan, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation or reorganization costs, but inclusive of organizational costs and offering costs) do not exceed 2.65% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I Shares.
The Adviser is entitled to seek reimbursement from the Fund of Management Fees waived and expenses reimbursed by the Adviser for a period ending three years after such waiver, payment, or reimbursement, provided the repayments do not cause the Fund’s Operating Expenses to exceed the expense limitation in place at the time the management fees were waived or expenses reimbursed, or any expense limitation in place at the time the Fund would repay the Adviser, whichever is lower.
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This contractual expense limitation will remain in effect through September 30, 2025, unless terminated earlier by the Fund’s Board.
Tax Matters
The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the Fund and an investment in Shares. This summary does not purport to completely describe the income tax considerations applicable to an investment in Shares. For example, we have not described tax consequences that may be relevant to certain types of holders subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws, including shareholders subject to the alternative minimum tax, tax-exempt organizations, insurance companies, dealers in securities, investors subject to Section 1061 of the Code, pension plans and trusts and financial institutions. This summary assumes that investors hold Shares as capital assets (within the meaning of the Code). This summary is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations, and administrative and judicial interpretations, each as of the date of this Prospectus, and all of which are subject to change, retroactively, which could affect the continuing validity of this summary. We have not sought and will not seek any ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) regarding this offering. This summary does not discuss any aspects of U.S. estate, gift tax, foreign, state, or local tax. It does not discuss the special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws that could result if we invested in tax-exempt securities or certain other investment assets.
A “U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Shares who is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
● | A citizen or individual resident of the United States; |
● | A corporation or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any political subdivision thereof; |
● | A trust, if a court in the United States has primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all decisions of the trust, or the trust has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person; or |
● | An estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source. |
A “non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Shares that is not a U.S. shareholder.
If a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds Shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A prospective shareholder that is a partner in a partnership holding Shares should consult his or her its tax advisers concerning the purchase, ownership, and disposition of Shares.
Tax matters are complicated and the tax consequences to an investor of an investment in Shares will depend on the facts of their situation. We strongly encourage investors to consult their tax advisers regarding the specific consequences of such an investment, including tax reporting requirements, the applicability of federal, state, local and foreign tax laws, eligibility for the benefits of any applicable tax treaty and the effect of any changes in the tax laws.
Taxation as a Registered Investment Company
The Fund intends to elect to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, the Fund would not be required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes to shareholders as dividends. To qualify as a RIC, the Fund must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements (as described below). In addition, to obtain RIC tax benefits, the Fund must distribute to its shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of its “investment company taxable income,” which is Fund ordinary income plus the excess of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses (the “Annual Distribution Requirement”).
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If the Fund:
● | qualifies as a RIC; and |
● | satisfies the Annual Distribution Requirement, |
then the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its income that it distributes (or is deemed to distribute) to Fund shareholders. The Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rates on any income or capital gains not distributed (or deemed distributed) to shareholders.
The Fund will be subject to a 4% nondeductible U.S. federal excise tax on certain undistributed income unless the Fund distributes promptly an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of the Fund’s net ordinary income for each calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of the amount by which the Fund’s capital gains exceed its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one year ending October 31 in that calendar year, and (iii) any income and gains recognized, but not distributed, from previous years on which the Fund paid no corporate-level U.S. federal income tax (the “Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement”). While the Fund intends to distribute any income and capital gains to avoid the imposition of this 4% U.S. federal excise tax, the Fund may not be successful in entirely avoiding this tax’s imposition. In that case, the Fund will be liable for the tax only on the amount that does not meet the preceding distribution requirement.
To qualify as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund must, among other things:
i. | derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from (a) dividends, interest, payments concerning certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stocks, securities or foreign currencies, or other income derived concerning its business of investing in such stocks, securities or currencies, and (b) net income from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined in the Code) (the “90% Income Test”); and |
ii. | diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the taxable year, |
a. | at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities, the securities of other RICs, and other securities, with such other securities of any one issuer limited for this calculation to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and |
b. | not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of a single issuer, two or more issuers that the Fund controls and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses or one or more “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined in the Code) (the “Diversification Tests”). |
The Fund may be required to recognize taxable income when it does not receive cash. For example, if the Fund holds debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (“OID”), such as debt instruments with PIK interest or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or issued with warrants, the Fund must include in income each year a portion of the OID that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether we receive cash representing such income in the same taxable year. The Fund may also have to include other amounts it has not yet received in cash in income, such as PIK interest and deferred loan origination fees that are paid after the loan’s origination. Because any OID or other amounts accrued will be included in the Fund’s investment company taxable income for the year of accrual, the Fund may be required to make a distribution to its shareholders to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement even though the Fund will not have received a corresponding cash payment. As a result, the Fund may have difficulty meeting the Annual Distribution Requirement necessary to qualify for and maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code. The Fund may have to sell some of its investments at times and at prices it would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital, or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If the Fund cannot obtain cash from other sources, the Fund may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax.
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The Fund is authorized to borrow funds, sell assets, and make taxable distributions of its stock and debt securities to satisfy distribution requirements. However, it does not currently intend to do so. The Fund’s ability to dispose of assets to meet its distribution requirements may be limited by (i) the illiquid nature of the Fund’s portfolio and (ii) other requirements relating to the Fund’s status as a RIC, including the Diversification Tests. If the Fund disposes of assets to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement or the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement, the Fund may make such dispositions at times that, from an investment standpoint, are not advantageous. If the Fund cannot obtain cash from other sources to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, the Fund may fail to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC and become subject to tax as an ordinary corporation.
Under the Investment Company Act, the Fund cannot distribute to its shareholders. At the same time, Fund debt obligations and other senior securities are outstanding unless certain “asset coverage” tests are met. If the Fund is prohibited from making distributions, it may fail to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC and become subject to tax as an ordinary corporation.
Certain Fund investment practices may be subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things: (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions; (ii) convert long-term capital gain into short-term capital gain or ordinary income; (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited); (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash; (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of securities is deemed to occur; (vi) adversely alter the characterization of certain complex financial transactions; and (vii) produce income that will not be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test described above. The Adviser will monitor Fund transactions and may make certain tax decisions to mitigate the potential adverse effect of these provisions.
The Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in Portfolio Companies that are classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Fund may be required to recognize items of taxable income and gain before the time that the Fund receives corresponding cash distributions from a Portfolio Company. In such case, the Fund might have to borrow money or dispose of investments, including interests in the Portfolio Companies, when it is disadvantageous to do so to make the distributions required to maintain its status as a RIC and to avoid the imposition of a federal income or excise tax. Portfolio Companies classified as partnerships for federal income tax purposes may generate income allocable to the Fund that is not qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test described above. To meet the 90% Income Test, the Fund may structure its investments to increase the taxes imposed thereon or in respect thereof potentially. Because the Fund may not have timely or complete information concerning the amount and sources of the income of such a Portfolio Company until such income has been earned by the Portfolio Company or until a substantial amount of time after that, it may be difficult for the Fund to satisfy the 90% Income Test.
It may not always be clear how the asset diversification rules for RIC qualification will apply to the Fund’s investments in Portfolio Companies that are classified as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. If the Fund believes that it may fail the Diversification Tests at the end of any quarter of a taxable year, it may seek to take certain actions to avert this failure, including by acquiring additional investments to come into compliance with the Diversification Tests or by disposing of non-diversified assets. Although the Code affords the Fund the opportunity, in certain circumstances, to cure a failure to meet the asset diversification test, including by disposing of non-diversified assets within six months, there may be constraints on the Fund’s ability to dispose of its interest in a Portfolio Company that limit the use of this cure period.
As a result of the considerations described in the preceding paragraphs, the Fund’s intention to qualify and be eligible for treatment as a RIC can limit its ability to acquire or continue to hold positions in Portfolio Companies that would otherwise be consistent with the Fund’s investment strategy or could require the Fund to engage in transactions in which it would otherwise not engage, resulting in additional transaction costs and reducing the Fund’s return to shareholders.
The Fund may invest in non-U.S. entities treated as “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the Fund acquires shares in a PFIC, it may be subject to federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares, even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its shareholders. Additional charges like interest may be imposed on the Fund concerning deferred taxes arising from excess distributions or gains. If the Fund invests in a PFIC and elects to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” under the Code (a “QEF”), instead of the preceding requirements, the Fund will be required to include in income each year our proportionate share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gain of the PFIC, even if such income is not distributed to the Fund. Alternatively, the Fund can elect to mark-to-market at the end of each taxable year Shares in a PFIC; in this case, the Fund will recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such shares and as ordinary loss any decrease in such value to the extent it does not exceed prior increases included in Fund income. Under either election, the Fund may be required to recognize in a year income over our distributions from PFICs and Fund proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock during that year, and we must distribute such income to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement and the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement.
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Although the Code generally provides that the income inclusions from a QEF will be “good income” for purposes of the 90% Income Test to the extent that the QEF distributes such income to the Fund in the same taxable year to which the income is included in Fund income, the Code does not specifically provide whether these income inclusions would be “good income” for this 90% Income Test if the Fund does not receive distributions from the QEF during such taxable year. The IRS and U.S. Treasury Department have issued regulations that provide that as long as the required income inclusion from a QEF is derived concerning a RIC’s business of investing in stocks, securities, or currencies, the amount will be treated as “good income” for purposes of the 90% Income Test, even if not distributed by the QEF. Therefore, based on these regulations, the Fund should not need to plan for distributions from a QEF to be assured that the required income inclusions will be treated as “good income” for the 90% Income Test purposes. Even though “a corresponding distribution may not accompany good income” from a QEF, the Fund would still be required to consider such an income inclusion in determining the amount the Fund must distribute to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement and Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement.
If the Fund holds more than 10% of the shares in a foreign corporation that is treated as a controlled foreign corporation (“CFC”), the Fund may be treated as receiving a deemed distribution (taxable as ordinary income) each year from such foreign corporation in an amount equal to our pro rata share of the corporation’s income for the tax year (including both ordinary earnings and capital gains), whether or not the corporation makes an actual distribution during such year. This deemed distribution must be included in the income of a U.S. Holder of a CFC regardless of whether the shareholder has made a QEF election concerning such CFC. In general, a foreign corporation will be classified as a CFC if more than 50% of the shares of the corporation, measured by reference to combined voting power or value, is owned (directly, indirectly, or by attribution) by U.S. Holders. A “U.S. Holder,” for this purpose, is any U.S. person that possesses (actually or constructively) 10% or more of the combined voting power of all classes of shares of a corporation or 10% of the value of such corporation. The IRS and U.S. Treasury Department have issued regulations that provide that as long as the required income inclusion from a CFC is derived concerning a RIC’s business of investing in stocks, securities, or currencies, the amount will be treated as “good income” for purposes of the 90% Income Test, even if not distributed by the CFC. If the Fund is treated as receiving a deemed distribution from a CFC (which will be treated as “good income” for purposes of the 90% Income Test), the Fund will be required to include such distribution in its investment company taxable income regardless of whether the Fund receives any actual distributions from such CFC, and the Fund must distribute such income to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement and the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement.
Foreign exchange gains and losses realized by the Fund in connection with certain transactions involving non-dollar debt securities, certain foreign currency futures contracts, foreign currency option contracts, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currencies, or payables or receivables denominated in a foreign currency are subject to Code provisions that generally treat such gains and losses as ordinary income and losses and may affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to Fund shareholders. Any such transactions that are not directly related to the Fund’s investment in securities (possibly including speculative currency positions or currency derivatives not used for hedging purposes) could, under future U.S. Treasury regulations, produce income not among the types of “qualifying income” from which a RIC must derive at least 90% of its annual gross income.
The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Fund qualifies as a RIC and has satisfied the Annual Distribution Requirement.
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Taxation of U.S. Shareholders
Fund distributions are taxable to U.S. shareholders as dividend income or capital gains. Distributions of Fund “investment company taxable income” (which is, generally, Fund net ordinary income plus realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses) generally will be taxable as dividend income to U.S. shareholders to the extent of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares. Distributions of Fund net capital gains (which are generally Fund realized net long-term capital gains over realized net short-term capital losses) properly designated by the Fund as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable to a U.S. shareholder as long-term capital gains that are currently taxable at a current maximum rate of 20% in the case of individuals, trusts or estates, regardless of the U.S. shareholder’s holding period for his, her or its Shares and regardless of whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares. Distributions over the Fund’s earnings and profits first will reduce a U.S. shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in such shareholder’s Shares and, after the adjusted basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gains to the U.S. shareholder.
The Fund may elect to retain any net capital gains or a portion thereof for investment and be subject to tax at corporate rates on the amount retained. In such case, the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed net capital gains in a notice to Fund shareholders, who will be treated as if each shareholder received a distribution of the pro rata share of such net capital gain, with the result that each shareholder will: (i) be required to report the pro rata share of such net capital gain on the applicable tax return as long-term capital gains; (ii) receive a refundable tax credit for the pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the net capital gain; and (iii) increase the tax basis for Shares held by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.
The Fund does not expect that special share distributions that it pays ratably to all investors from time to time, if any, will be taxable. However, in the future, the Fund may distribute taxable dividends that are payable in cash or Shares at the election of each shareholder. Under certain applicable provisions of the Code and the U.S. Treasury regulations, distributions payable in cash or Shares at the election of shareholders are treated as taxable dividends whether a shareholder elects to receive cash or Shares. The IRS has issued private rulings indicating that this rule will apply even where the total amount of cash that may be distributed is limited to 20% of the total distribution. Under these rulings, if too many shareholders elect to receive their distributions in cash, each such shareholder would receive a pro-rata share of the total cash to be distributed and the remainder of their distribution in Shares. If the Fund decides to make any distributions consistent with these rulings that are payable in part in Fund stock, taxable shareholders receiving such dividends will be required to include the full amount of the dividend (whether received in cash, our stock, or a combination thereof) as ordinary income (or as long-term capital gain to the extent such distribution is properly reported as a capital gain dividend) to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits for United States federal income tax purposes. As a result, a U.S. shareholder may be required to pay tax concerning such dividends over any cash received. If a U.S. shareholder sells the Shares it receives as a dividend to pay this tax, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount included in income concerning the dividend, depending on the market price of our stock at the time of the sale.
For purposes of determining (1) whether the Annual Distribution Requirement is satisfied for any year and (2) the amount of dividends paid for that year, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, elect to treat a dividend that is paid during the following taxable year as if it had been paid during the taxable year in question. If the Fund makes such an election, the U.S. shareholder will still be treated as receiving the dividend in the taxable year in which the distribution is made. However, any dividend declared by the Fund in October, November, or December of any calendar year, payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month and paid during January of the following year, will be treated as if the Fund’s U.S. shareholders had received it on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.
If an investor purchases Shares shortly before the record date of a distribution, the price of the Shares may include the value of the distribution, in which case the investor will be subject to tax on the distribution even though, economically, it may represent a return of his, her or its investment.
The Fund will promptly inform shareholders of the source and tax status of all distributions after each calendar year’s close.
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A U.S. shareholder will recognize taxable gain or loss if the shareholder sells or otherwise disposes of their Shares. The amount of gain or loss will be measured by the difference between such shareholders’ adjusted tax basis in the Shares sold and the amount of the proceeds received in exchange. Any gain arising from such sale or disposition will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shareholder has held their Shares for more than one year. Otherwise, it will be classified as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss arising from the sale or disposition of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of capital gain dividends received or undistributed capital gain deemed received concerning such shares. In addition, all or a portion of any loss recognized upon a disposition of Shares may be disallowed if other Shares are purchased (whether through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the disposition. See “Income from Repurchases of Shares – U.S. Shareholders” below for additional information.
A 3.8% tax is imposed under Section 1411 of the Code on the “net investment income” of certain U.S. citizens and residents and the undistributed net investment income of certain estates and trusts. Among other items, net investment income includes payments of dividends on, and net gains recognized from the sale, exchange, redemption, retirement, or other taxable disposition of Shares (unless the Shares are held in connection with certain trades or businesses), less certain deductions. Prospective investors in Fund Shares should consult their tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, of this tax on their ownership and disposition of Shares.
To the extent the Fund is not treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company” within the meaning of Section 67(c)(2) of the Code and the Treasury regulations issued thereunder, certain “affected investors” would be unable to deduct, for federal income tax purposes, their allocable share of the Fund’s “affected RIC expenses.” To be treated as a “publicly offered regulated investment company” for this purpose, Fund Shares would need to be (i) continuously offered under a public offering, (ii) regularly traded on an established securities market, and (iii) held by at least 500 shareholders at all times during the applicable taxable year. Investors that would be subject to the deductibility limitations under these rules include shareholders that are (i) individuals (other than nonresident aliens who do not treat income from us as effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business), (ii) persons such as trusts or estates that compute their income in the same manner as an individual, (iii) and pass-through entities that have one or more partners or members that are described in clauses (i) or (ii). Under temporary U.S. Treasury regulations, such “affected RIC expenses” include those expenses allowed as a deduction in determining our investment company taxable income, less (among other items) registration fees, trustees’ fees, transfer agent fees, certain legal and accounting fees and expenses associated with legally required shareholders communications. Shareholders treated as “affected investors” should consult their tax advisors concerning the applicability of such rules to their investment in Shares.
The Fund may be required to withhold federal income tax or backup withholding from all distributions to any non-corporate U.S. shareholder (1) who fails to furnish us with a correct taxpayer identification number or a certificate that such shareholder is exempt from backup withholding or (2) concerning whom the IRS notifies us that such shareholder has failed to report certain interest and dividend income to the IRS properly and to respond to notices to that effect. An individual’s taxpayer identification number is their social security number. Any amount withheld under backup withholding is allowed as a credit against the U.S. shareholder’s federal income tax liability, provided that proper information is provided to the IRS.
Taxation of non-U.S. Shareholders
Whether an investment in Shares is appropriate for a non-U.S. shareholder will depend on that person’s circumstances. An investment in Shares by a non-U.S. shareholder may have adverse tax consequences. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisers before investing in Shares.
Distributions of Fund investment company taxable income to non-U.S. shareholders (including interest income and realized net short-term capital gains over realized long-term capital losses, which generally would be free of withholding if paid to non-U.S. shareholders directly) will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a 30% rate (or lower rate provided by an applicable treaty) to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits unless an applicable exception applies. If the distributions are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. shareholder, and, if an income tax treaty applies, attributable to a permanent establishment in the United States, the Fund will not be required to withhold U.S. federal tax if the non-U.S. shareholder complies with applicable certification and disclosure requirements. However, the distributions will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. persons. (Special certification requirements apply to a non-U.S. shareholder that is a foreign partnership or a foreign trust, and such entities are urged to consult their tax advisers.)
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In addition, concerning certain distributions made by RICs to non-U.S. shareholders, no withholding is required, and the distributions generally are not subject to U.S. federal income tax if (i) the distributions are properly designated in a notice timely delivered to shareholders as “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends,” (ii) the distributions are derived from sources specified in the Code for such dividends, and (iii) certain other requirements are satisfied. Depending on the circumstances, the Fund may designate all, some, or none of our potentially eligible dividends derived from such qualified net interest income or as a qualified short-term capital gain. A portion of our distributions, which may be significant (e.g., interest from non-U.S. sources or any foreign currency gains), would be ineligible for this potential exemption from withholding. Moreover, in the case of Shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may have withheld U.S. federal income tax even if the Fund designated the payment as derived from such qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Hence, no assurance can be provided as to whether any amount of Fund dividends or distributions will be eligible for this exemption from withholding or, if eligible, will be reported as such by the Fund.
Actual or deemed distributions of Fund net capital gains to a non-U.S. shareholder, and gains realized by a non-U.S. shareholder upon the sale of Shares, will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax and generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless (i) the distributions or gains, as the case may be, are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. shareholder and, if an income tax treaty applies, are attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the non-U.S. shareholder in the United States, or (ii) such non-U.S. shareholder is an individual present in the United States for 183 days or more during the year of the distribution or gain.
If the Fund distributes its net capital gains in the form of deemed rather than actual distributions, a non-U.S. shareholder will be entitled to a U.S. federal income tax credit or tax refund equal to the shareholder’s allocable share of the tax we pay on the capital gains deemed to have been distributed. To obtain the refund, the non-U.S. shareholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and file a federal income tax return, even if the non-U.S. shareholder would not otherwise be required to obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number or file a federal income tax return. For a corporate non-U.S. shareholder, distributions (both actual and deemed) and gains realized upon the sale of Shares that are effectively connected to a U.S. trade or business may, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate (or at a lower rate if provided for by an applicable treaty). Accordingly, investment in Shares may not be appropriate for a non-U.S. shareholder.
A non-U.S. shareholder who is a non-resident alien individual and who is otherwise subject to U.S. federal withholding tax may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding of U.S. federal income tax on dividends unless the non-U.S. shareholder provides the Fund or the dividend paying agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN (or an acceptable substitute form) or otherwise meets documentary evidence requirements for establishing that it is a non-U.S. shareholder or otherwise establishes an exemption from backup withholding.
Legislation commonly referred to as the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act,” or “FATCA,” generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on payments of certain types of income to foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”) unless such FFIs either (i) enter into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury to report certain required information concerning accounts held by U.S. persons (or held by foreign entities that have U.S. persons as substantial owners) or (ii) reside in a jurisdiction that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement (“IGA”) with the United States to collect and share such information and are in compliance with the terms of such IGA and any enabling legislation or regulations. The types of income subject to the tax include U.S. source interest and dividends. The information required to be reported includes the identity and taxpayer identification number of each account holder that is a U.S. person and certain transaction activity related to such holder’s account. In addition, subject to certain exceptions, this legislation also imposes a 30% withholding on payments to foreign entities that are not FFIs unless the foreign entity certifies that it does not have a greater than 10% U.S. owner or provides the withholding agent with identifying information on each greater than 10% U.S. owner. Depending on the status of a beneficial owner and the status of the intermediaries through which they hold their Shares, beneficial owners could be subject to this 30% withholding tax concerning dividends paid in respect of Shares. Under certain circumstances, a beneficial owner might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes.
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Non-U.S. persons should consult their tax advisers concerning the U.S. federal income tax and withholding tax and the state, local, and foreign tax consequences of an investment in shares.
Income from Repurchases of Shares – U.S. Shareholders
Generally
A U.S. shareholder who participates in a repurchase of Shares will, depending on such U.S. shareholder’s particular circumstances, and as set forth further under “Sale or Exchange Treatment” and “Distribution Treatment,” be treated either as recognizing gain or loss from the disposition of its Shares or as receiving a distribution from the Fund concerning its Shares. Under each approach, a U.S. shareholder’s realized income and gain (if any) would be calculated differently. Under the “sale or exchange” approach, a U.S. Shareholder would be allowed to recognize a taxable loss (if the repurchase proceeds are less than the U.S. shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the Shares tendered and repurchased).
Sale or Exchange Treatment
The tender and repurchase of the Shares should be treated as a sale or exchange of the Shares by a U.S. shareholder if the receipt of cash:
● | results in a “complete termination” of such U.S. shareholder’s ownership of Shares in the Fund. |
● | results in a “substantially disproportionate” redemption concerning such U.S. shareholder; or |
● | is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” concerning the U.S. shareholder. |
In applying each of the tests described above, a U.S. Shareholder must take account of Shares that the U.S. shareholder constructively owns under detailed attribution rules set forth in the Code, which generally treat the U.S. shareholder as owning Shares owned by certain related individuals and entities, and Shares that the U.S. shareholder has the right to acquire by exercise of an option, warrant or right of conversion. U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding applying the constructive ownership rules to their circumstances.
A sale of Shares under a repurchase of Shares by the Fund generally will result in a “complete termination” if either (i) the U.S. shareholder owns none of the Shares, either actually or constructively, after the Shares are sold under a repurchase, or (ii) the U.S. shareholder does not actually own any of the Shares immediately after the sale of Shares under a repurchase and, concerning Shares constructively owned, is eligible to waive, and effectively waives, constructive ownership of all such Shares. U.S. shareholders desiring to satisfy the “complete termination” test through a waiver of attribution should consult their tax advisors.
A sale of Shares under a repurchase of Shares by the Fund will result in a “substantially disproportionate” redemption concerning a U.S. shareholder if the percentage of the then outstanding Shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. shareholder immediately after the sale is less than 80% of the percentage of the Shares actually and constructively owned by the U.S. shareholder immediately before the sale. If a sale of Shares under a repurchase fails to satisfy the “substantially disproportionate” test, the U.S. shareholder may satisfy the “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” test.
A sale of Shares under a repurchase of Shares by the Fund will satisfy the “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” test if it results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. shareholder’s proportionate interest in the Fund. A sale of Shares that reduces the percentage of the Fund’s outstanding Shares owned, including constructively, by the shareholder would be treated as a “meaningful reduction” even if the percentage reduction is relatively minor, provided that the U.S. shareholder’s relative interest in Shares of the Fund is minimal (e.g., less than 1%). The U.S. shareholder does not exercise any control over or participate in managing the Fund’s corporate affairs. Any person with an ownership position that allows some exercise of control over or participation in the management of corporate affairs of the Fund will not satisfy the meaningful reduction test unless that person’s ability to exercise control over or participate in management of corporate affairs is materially reduced or eliminated.
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Contemporaneous dispositions or acquisitions of Shares by a U.S. shareholder or a related person that are part of a plan viewed as an integrated transaction with a repurchase of Shares may be considered in determining whether any of the tests described above are satisfied.
If a U.S. shareholder satisfies any of the tests described above, the U.S. shareholder will recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of cash received and such U.S. shareholder’s tax basis in the repurchased Shares. Any such gain or loss will be capital gain or loss and long-term capital gain or loss if the holding period of the Shares exceeds one year as of the date of the repurchase. Specified limitations apply to the deductibility of capital losses by U.S. shareholders. However, if a U.S. shareholder’s tendered and repurchased Shares have previously paid a long-term capital gain distribution (including, for this purpose, amounts credited as an undistributed capital gain) and those Shares were held for six months or less, any loss realized will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent that it offsets the long-term capital gain distribution.
Any loss realized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent the Shares disposed of are replaced within 61 days, beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the Shares. In such a case, the basis of the Shares acquired will be increased to reflect the disallowed loss.
Distribution Treatment
If a U.S. shareholder does not satisfy any of the tests described above and therefore does not qualify for sale or exchange treatment, the U.S. shareholder may be treated as having received, in whole or in part, a taxable dividend, a tax-free return of capital or taxable capital gain, depending on (i) whether the Fund has sufficient earnings and profits to support a dividend and (ii) the U.S. shareholder’s tax basis in the relevant Shares. The amount of any distribution over the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, if any, would be treated as a non-taxable return of investment to the extent of the U.S. shareholder’s basis in the Shares remaining. If the portion not treated as a dividend exceeds the U.S. shareholder’s basis in the Shares remaining, any such excess will be treated as capital gain from the sale or exchange of the remaining Shares. Any such gain will be capital gain and long-term capital gain if the holding period of the Shares exceeds one year as of the exchange date. If the tendering U.S. shareholder’s tax basis in the Shares tendered and repurchased exceeds the total of any dividend and return of capital distribution concerning those Shares, the excess amount of basis from the tendered and repurchased Shares will be reallocated pro rata among the bases of such U.S. shareholder’s remaining Shares.
Provided certain holding periods and other requirements are satisfied, certain non-corporate U.S. shareholders will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a maximum rate of 20% on amounts treated as dividends. This reduced rate will apply to: (i) 100% of the dividend if 95% or more of the Fund’s gross income (ignoring gains attributable to the sale of stocks and securities except to the extent net short-term capital gain from such sales exceeds net long-term capital loss from such sales) in that taxable year is attributable to qualified dividend income; or (ii) the portion of the dividends paid by the Fund to an individual in a particular taxable year that is attributable to qualified dividend income received by the Fund this year if such qualified dividend income accounts for less than 95% of the Fund’s gross income (ignoring gains attributable to the sale of stocks and securities except to the extent net short-term capital gains from such sales exceeds net long-term capital loss from such sales) for that taxable year. Such a dividend will be taxed without reducing the U.S. shareholders’ tax basis of the repurchased shares. To the extent that a tender and repurchase of a U.S. shareholder’s Shares is treated as the receipt by the shareholder of a dividend, the shareholder’s remaining adjusted basis (reduced by the amount, if any, treated as a return of capital) in the tendered and repurchased Shares will be added to any Shares retained by the shareholder.
To the extent that cash received in exchange for Shares is treated as a dividend to a corporate U.S. shareholder: (i) it may be eligible for a dividends-received deduction to the extent attributable to dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations, and (ii) it may be subject to the “extraordinary dividend” provisions of the Code. Corporate U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisors concerning the availability of the dividends-received deduction and the application of the “extraordinary dividend” provisions of the Code in their particular circumstances. No portion of any dividend is expected to be eligible for the dividends received deduction.
If the sale of Shares under a repurchase of Shares by the Fund is treated as a dividend to a U.S. shareholder rather than as an exchange, the other Fund shareholders, including any non-tendering shareholders, could be deemed to have received a taxable stock distribution if such shareholder’s interest in the Fund increases as a result of the repurchase. This deemed dividend would be treated as a dividend to the extent of current or accumulated earnings and profits allocable to it. A proportionate increase in a U.S. shareholder’s interest in the Fund will not be treated as a taxable distribution of Shares if the distribution qualifies as an isolated redemption of Shares as described in Treasury regulations. All shareholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors about the possibility of deemed distributions resulting from the repurchase of Shares by the Fund.
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Failure to Qualify as a RIC
If the Fund fails to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC, and certain amelioration provisions are not applicable, it would be subject to tax on all of its taxable income (including its net capital gains) at regular corporate rates. The Fund could not deduct distributions to its shareholders, nor would such distributions be required. Distributions, including net long-term capital gain distributions, would be taxable to Fund shareholders as ordinary dividend income to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, the Fund’s corporate shareholders would be eligible to claim a dividend received deduction concerning such dividend; the Fund’s non-corporate shareholders would be able to treat such dividends as “qualified dividend income,” which is subject to reduced rates of U.S. federal income tax. Distributions over the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s tax basis, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. To requalify as a RIC, in addition to the other requirements discussed above, the Fund would be required to distribute all of its previously undistributed earnings attributable to the period that the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC by the end of the first year that the Fund intends to requalify as a RIC. If the Fund fails to requalify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund may be subject to regular corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on any net built-in gains concerning certain of its assets (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized concerning such assets if we had been liquidated) that the Fund elects to recognize on requalification or when recognized over the next five years.
Certain ERISA Matters
Because the Fund is registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, the Fund’s assets will not be considered to be “plan assets” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). Neither the Adviser nor the Trustees will be considered fiduciaries of any shareholder under ERISA.
Certain Fund Service Providers
Administrator, Transfer Agent, and Accounting Agent
The Fund has entered into an Administration and Fund Accounting Agreement with Gryphon Fund Group (the Administrator) under which the Administrator performs certain administration and accounting services for the Fund, including, among other things, customary fund accounting services (including computing the Fund’s NAV), customary transfer agency services, and assisting the Fund with regulatory filings, tax compliance, and other oversight activities. The Administrator also serves as the Fund’s dividend reinvestment agent under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” above. For its fund accounting, transfer agency, regulatory and legal administrative services, and tax preparation, compliance, and reporting services, the Fund pays the Administrator the greater of a minimum fee or fees based on the annual net assets of the Fund plus out-of-pocket expenses.
The Administrator’s principal business address is 3000 Auburn Drive, Suite 410, Beachwood, OH 44122.
Custodian
Fifth Third Bank N.A. serves as the custodian of the assets of the Fund and may maintain custody of such assets with U.S. and non-U.S. sub-custodians (which may be banks and trust companies), securities depositories, and clearing agencies by the requirements of Section 17(f) of the Investment Company Act and the rules thereunder. Assets of the Fund are not held by the Adviser or commingled with the assets of other accounts other than to the extent that securities are held in the name of the custodian or U.S. or non-U.S. sub-custodians in a securities depository, clearing agency, or omnibus customer account of such custodian. Fifth Third Bank N.A.’s principal business address is 38 Fountain Square Plaza, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Crowe LLP, located at 225 West Wacker Drive, Suite 2600, Chicago, IL 60606-1224, is the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and is expected to render an opinion annually on the Fund's financial statements.
Legal Counsel
Certain legal matters concerning the Shares will be passed upon for the Fund by FinTech Law, LLC, located at 6224 Turpin Hills Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244, which also serves as legal counsel to the Fund.
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STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
September 30, 2024
CONNETIC VENTURE CAPITAL ACCESS FUND
Class I Shares (VCAFX) of Beneficial Interest
Principal Executive Offices
910 Madison Avenue, Covington, KY 41011
800-711-9164
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. This SAI should be read in conjunction with the Class I prospectus of Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund (the “Fund” or the “Trust”), dated September 30, 2024 (the “Prospectus”), as it may be supplemented from time to time. The Prospectus is hereby incorporated by reference into this SAI (legally made a part of this SAI). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this SAI have the meanings given to them in the Prospectus. This SAI does not include all the information a prospective investor should consider before purchasing the Fund’s securities.
You should obtain and read the Prospectus and any related Prospectus supplement before purchasing any of the Fund’s securities. A copy of the Prospectus may be obtained without charge by calling the Fund toll-free at 800-711-9164 or visiting conneticventures.com. Information on the website is not incorporated herein by reference. The Fund’s filings with the SEC are also available to the public on the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov. Copies of these filings may be obtained after paying a duplicating fee by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
General Information and History | 1 |
Investment Objectives and Policies | 1 |
Management of the Fund | 8 |
Codes of Ethics | 14 |
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures | 14 |
Control Persons and Principal Holders | 14 |
Investment Advisory and Other Services | 15 |
Portfolio Managers | 16 |
Allocation of Brokerage | 17 |
Tax Status | 17 |
Other Information | 21 |
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | 22 |
Financial Statements | 22 |
appendix A – FUND proxy voting policY | A-1 |
APPENDIX B – ADVISER PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES | B-1 |
APPENDIX C – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | C-1 |
GENERAL INFORMATION AND HISTORY
The Fund is a continuously offered, diversified, closed-end management investment company operated as an interval fund. The Fund was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on September 11, 2023. The Fund’s principal office is located at c/o Connetic RIA LLC, 910 Madison Avenue, Covington, KY 41011, and its telephone number is 800-711-9164. The Fund’s investment objective and principal investment strategies and the principal risks associated with the Fund’s investment strategies are outlined in the Prospectus. The Fund is expected to acquire all of the assets and liabilities of the 908 Investments LLC (the “Predecessor Fund”), a private fund that was converted into the Fund, in a tax-free reorganization on or about October 2, 2024 (the “Reorganization”). In connection with the Reorganization, interests in the Predecessor Fund will be exchanged for Class I shares of the Fund. The Predecessor Fund had an investment objective and strategies that were, in all material respects, the same as those of the Fund and were managed in a manner that, in all material respects, complied with the investment guidelines and restrictions of the Fund. The Adviser managed the Predecessor Fund.
Certain additional investment information is set forth below. The Fund may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest. All shares of the Fund have equal rights and privileges. Each share of the Fund is entitled to one vote on all matters as to which shares are entitled to vote. In addition, each share of the Fund is entitled to participate equally with other shares (i) in dividends and distributions declared by the Fund and (ii) on liquidation to its proportionate share of the assets remaining after satisfaction of outstanding liabilities. Shares of the Fund are fully paid, non-assessable, and fully transferable when issued and have no pre-emptive or conversion rights. Fractional shares have the same rights, including voting rights, as are provided for a full share.
The Fund currently offers one share class, Class I shares. The Board of Trustees of the Fund (the “Board” or the “Trustees”) may classify and reclassify the shares of the Fund into additional classes of shares at a future date.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND POLICIES
Investment Objective
The Fund’s investment objective is to generate long-term capital appreciation primarily through an actively managed portfolio that exposes investors to private venture capital investments.
Fundamental Policies
The Fund’s stated fundamental policies, which may only be changed by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (the shares), are listed below. For this SAI, “the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund” means the vote, at an annual or special meeting of shareholders, duly called, (a) of 67% or more of the shares present at such meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present or represented by proxy; or (b) of more than 50% of the outstanding shares, whichever is less. The Fund may not:
(1) | Borrow money, except to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (which currently limits borrowing to no more than 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, including the value of the assets purchased with the proceeds of its indebtedness, if any). The Fund may borrow for investment purposes, temporary liquidity, or to finance repurchases of its shares. |
(2) | Issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by Section 18 of the 1940 Act (which currently limits the issuance of a class of senior securities that is indebtedness to no more than 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets or, if the class of senior security is stock, to no more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets). |
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(3) | Purchase securities on margin but may sell securities short and write call options. |
(4) | Underwrite securities of other issuers, except insofar as the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) in connection with the disposition of its portfolio securities. The Fund may invest in restricted securities (those that must be registered under the Securities Act before they may be offered or sold to the public) to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. |
(5) | Invest more than 25% of the market value of its assets in the securities of companies or entities engaged in any one industry except the technology industry. This limitation does not apply to investment in the securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or investments in investment companies that primarily invest in such securities. Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests over 25% of its assets in the securities of companies or entities in the technology industry as defined by the Bloomberg Industry Classification Standard (particularly software companies). |
(6) | Purchase or sell commodities, commodity contracts, including commodity futures contracts, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other investments, except that the Fund may invest in securities or other instruments backed by or linked to commodities and invest in companies that are engaged in a commodities business or have a significant portion of their assets in commodities, and may invest in commodity pools and other entities that purchase and sell commodities and commodity contracts. |
(7) | Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this restriction shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business or securities or other instruments backed by real estate or mortgages), or commodities or commodity contracts. |
(8) | Make loans to others, except (a) through the purchase of debt securities per its investment objectives and policies, (b) to the extent the entry into a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan, and (c) by loaning portfolio securities. |
Other Fundamental Policies
(1) | In addition, the Fund has adopted a fundamental policy that it will make quarterly repurchase offers for no less than 5% of the shares outstanding at net asset value (“NAV”) less any repurchase fee unless suspended or postponed per regulatory requirements. Each repurchase pricing shall occur no later than the 14th day after the Repurchase Request Deadline or the next business day if the 14th is not a business day. |
Non-Fundamental Policies
If a restriction on a Fund’s investments is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a subsequent change in the percentage of Fund assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or a change in the average duration of a Fund’s investment portfolio, resulting from changes in the value of a Fund’s total assets, will not be considered a violation of the restriction; provided, however, that the asset coverage requirement applicable to borrowings shall be maintained in the manner contemplated by applicable law.
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In determining the exposure of a Fund to a particular industry or group of industries for purposes of the fundamental investment restriction on concentration, the Fund currently uses as defined by the Bloomberg Industry Classification Standard (particularly software companies) (BICS) to classify industries.
Certain Portfolio Securities and Other Operating Policies
As discussed in the Prospectus, the Fund invests in securities that provide exposure to private venture capital investments. The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective through investing primarily in equity securities (e.g., common stock, preferred stock, and equity-linked securities convertible into equity securities) of private, operating growth companies (“Portfolio Companies”). For liquidity management or in connection with the implementation of changes in asset allocation or when identifying private investments for the Fund during periods of large cash inflows or otherwise for temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may hold a substantial portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents, liquid fixed-income securities and other credit instruments, publicly traded equity securities, mutual funds, money market funds, and exchange-traded funds. No assurance can be given that any or all investment strategies or the Fund’s investment program will be successful. The Fund’s investment adviser is Connetic RIA LLC (the “Adviser”). The Adviser is responsible for allocating the Fund’s assets among various securities using its investment strategies, subject to policies adopted by the Board. Additional information regarding the types of securities and financial instruments is set forth below.
Foreign Securities
The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in non-U.S. infrastructure companies and other foreign securities. Purchases of foreign securities entail certain risks. For example, there may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than a U.S. company. Foreign companies generally are not subject to accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the U.S. Other risks associated with investments in foreign securities include changes in restrictions on foreign currency transactions and rates of exchanges, changes in the administrations or economic and monetary policies of foreign governments, the imposition of exchange control regulations, the possibility of expropriation decrees and other adverse foreign governmental action, the imposition of foreign taxes, less liquid markets, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, delays in settlement of securities transactions and greater price volatility. In addition, investing in foreign securities will generally result in higher commissions than investing in similar domestic securities.
Emerging Markets Securities
The Fund may invest, directly or indirectly, in issuers domiciled in emerging markets. Investing in emerging market securities imposes risks different from, or greater than, risks of investing in foreign developed countries. These risks include (i) the smaller market capitalization of securities markets, which may suffer periods of relative illiquidity, (ii) significant price volatility, (iii) restrictions on foreign investment, and (iv) possible repatriation of investment income and capital. In addition, foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales, and future economic or political crises could lead to price controls, forced mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization, or the creation of government monopolies. The currencies of emerging market countries may experience significant declines against the U.S. dollar, and devaluation may occur after investments in these currencies by the Fund. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on certain emerging market countries’ economies and securities markets.
Certain emerging markets limit or require governmental approval before foreign persons make investments. Repatriation of investment income and capital from certain emerging markets is subject to certain governmental consents. Even where there is no outright restriction on the repatriation of capital, the mechanics of repatriation may affect the operation of the Fund.
Additional risks of emerging markets securities may include (i) greater social, economic, and political uncertainty and instability, (ii) more substantial governmental involvement in the economy, (iii) less governmental supervision and regulation, (iv) the unavailability of currency hedging technique, (v) companies that are newly organized and small, (vi) differences in auditing and financial reporting standards, which may result in unavailability of material information about issuers, and (vii) less developed legal systems. In addition, emerging securities markets may have different clearance and settlement procedures, which may be unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions or otherwise make it difficult to engage in such transactions. Settlement problems may cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities, hold a portion of its assets in cash pending investment, or be delayed in disposing of a portfolio security. Such a delay could result in possible liability to a purchaser of the security.
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Money Market Instruments
The Fund may invest, for defensive or diversification purposes or otherwise, some or all of its assets in high-quality fixed-income securities, money market instruments, and money market mutual funds or hold cash or cash equivalents in such amounts as the Fund or the Adviser deems appropriate under the circumstances. The allocation of the offering proceeds is pending, and after that, from time to time, the Fund may invest in these instruments and other investment vehicles. Money market instruments are high-quality, short-term fixed-income obligations, which generally have remaining maturities of one year or less. They may include U.S. Government securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, and bankers’ acceptances issued by domestic branches of U.S. banks that are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) and repurchase agreements.
Special Investment Techniques
The Fund may use a variety of special investment instruments and techniques to hedge against various risks or other factors and variables that may affect the values of the Fund’s portfolio securities. The Fund may employ different techniques over time as new instruments and techniques are introduced or due to regulatory developments. Some special investment techniques the Fund may use may be speculative and involve a high risk, even when used for hedging purposes. A hedging transaction may not perform as anticipated, and the Fund may suffer losses due to its hedging activities.
Derivatives
The Fund may engage in transactions involving options, futures, and other derivative financial instruments. Derivatives can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of risk. By using derivatives, the Fund may be permitted to increase or decrease the level of risk or change the character of the risk to which the portfolio is exposed.
A small investment in derivatives could substantially impact the Fund’s performance. The market for many derivatives is or suddenly can become, illiquid. Changes in liquidity may result in significant and rapid price changes for derivatives. If the Fund were to invest in derivatives at an inopportune time, or the Adviser evaluates market conditions incorrectly, the Fund’s derivative investment could negatively impact the Fund’s return or result in a loss. In addition, the Fund could experience a loss if its derivatives were poorly correlated with its other investments or if the Fund could not liquidate its position because of an illiquid secondary market.
Options and Futures. The Fund may use options and futures contracts, so-called “synthetic” options, including options on baskets of specific securities or other derivative instruments written by broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries. These transactions may be effected on securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market or negotiated directly with counterparties. In cases where instruments are purchased OTC or negotiated directly with counterparties, the Fund is subject to the risk that the counterparty will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the contract. These transactions may also be illiquid, so closing out a position might not be easy.
The Fund may purchase call and put options on specific securities. The Fund may also write and sell covered or uncovered call options for both hedging purposes and to pursue the Fund’s investment objectives. A put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell and obligates the writer to buy the underlying security at a stated price at any time before the option expires. Similarly, a call option gives the purchaser the right to buy. It obligates the writer to sell the underlying security at a stated price at any time before the option expires.
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In a covered call option, the Fund owns the underlying security. The sale of such an option exposes the Fund to a potential loss of opportunity to realize appreciation in the market price of the underlying security during the term of the option. Using covered call options might also expose the Fund to other risks. For example, the Fund might be required to continue holding a security that the Fund might otherwise have sold to protect against depreciation in the market price of the security.
When writing options, the Fund may close its position by purchasing an option on the same security with the same exercise price and expiration date as the previously written option. If the amount paid to purchase an option is less or more than the amount received from the sale, the Fund will realize a profit or loss. To close out a position as an option purchaser, the Fund would liquidate the position by selling the previously purchased option.
The use of derivatives subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) by the Fund could cause the Fund to be a commodity pool, requiring the Fund to comply with certain rules of the CFTC. However, the Fund intends to conduct its operations to avoid regulation as a commodity pool. The CFTC eliminated limitations on futures trading by certain regulated entities, including registered investment companies, and consequently, registered investment companies may engage in unlimited futures transactions and options thereon provided that the investment manager to such company claims an exclusion from regulation as a commodity pool operator. If the Fund were to use derivatives subject to regulation by the CFTC in connection with its management of the Fund, the Adviser would claim such an exclusion from registration as a commodity pool operator under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). Therefore, it would not be subject to the registration and regulatory requirements of the CEA.
Successful use of futures is also subject to the Adviser’s ability to predict movements in the relevant market correctly. To the extent that a transaction is entered into for hedging purposes, successful use is also subject to the Adviser’s ability to evaluate the appropriate correlation between the transaction being hedged and the price movements of the futures contract.
The Fund may also purchase and sell futures contracts for the stock index. A stock index futures contract obligates the Fund to pay or receive an amount of cash equal to a fixed dollar amount specified in the futures contract, multiplied by the difference between the settlement price of the contract on the contract’s last trading day, and the value of the index based on the stock prices of the securities that comprise it at the opening of trading in those securities on the next business day. The Fund may purchase and sell interest rate futures contracts, which represent obligations to purchase or sell a specific debt security amount at a specific price.
Options on Securities Indexes. The Fund may purchase and sell call and put options on stock indexes listed on national securities exchanges or traded in the OTC market for hedging or speculative purposes. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market values of the stocks included. Accordingly, the successful use of options on stock indexes will be subject to the Adviser’s ability to correctly evaluate movements in the stock market generally or of a particular industry or market segment.
Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into various swap agreements, including equity, interest rate, and index swap agreements. The Fund is not limited to any particular form of swap agreement if the Adviser determines that other forms are consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives and policies. Swap agreements are contracts between two parties (primarily institutional investors) that last from a few weeks to more than a year. In a standard swap transaction, the parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated concerning a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate in a particular foreign currency, or a “basket” of securities representing a particular index. Additional forms of swap agreements include (i) interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent interest rates exceed a specified rate or “cap;” (ii) interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent interest rates fall below a specified level or “floor;” and (iii) interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor (or vice versa) in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding certain minimum or maximum levels.
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Generally, the Fund’s obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement, based on the relative values of the positions held by the parties. The risk of loss is limited to the net amount of interest payments that a party is contractually required to make. As such, if the counterparty to a swap defaults, the Fund’s risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments it is entitled to receive.
Government Regulation of Derivatives. It is possible that government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including futures and swap agreements, may limit or prevent the Fund from using such instruments as a part of its investment strategy and could ultimately prevent the Fund from being able to achieve its investment objective. It is impossible to predict fully the effects of legislation and regulation in this area, but the effects could be substantial and adverse.
The futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin requirements. The SEC, the CFTC, and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.
The regulation of swaps and futures transactions in the U.S., the European Union, and other jurisdictions is a rapidly changing area of law. It is subject to modification by government and judicial action. There is a possibility of future regulatory changes altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in the Fund or the ability of the Fund to continue to implement its investment strategies.
Under recently adopted rules and regulations, transactions in some types of swaps (including interest rate swaps and credit default swaps on North American and European indices) must be centrally cleared, and additional types of swaps may be required to be centrally cleared in the future. In a transaction involving those swaps (“cleared derivatives”), the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of a clearing house and only clearing members can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives transactions, the Fund will make payments (including margin payments) to and receive payments from a clearing house through its accounts at clearing members. Clearing members guarantee the performance of their clients’ obligations to the clearing house.
In addition, U.S. regulators, the European Union, and certain other jurisdictions have adopted minimum margin and capital requirements for uncleared OTC derivatives transactions. These regulations are expected to have a material impact on the Fund’s use of uncleared derivatives. These rules will impose minimum margin requirements on derivatives transactions between the Fund and its swap counterparties and may increase the amount of margin the Fund must provide. They will impose regulatory requirements on the timing of transferring margin, which may accelerate the Fund’s current margin process. They will also effectively require changes to typical derivatives margin documentation. Such requirements could increase the margin the Fund needs to provide in connection with uncleared derivatives transactions, making such transactions more expensive.
The regulation of the derivatives markets has increased over the past several years, and additional future regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, limit the availability or reduce the liquidity of derivatives, or otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. For instance, in October 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act, which regulates a registered investment company’s use of derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, and certain other instruments. Under Rule 18f-4, a fund’s derivatives exposure is limited through a value-at-risk test and requires the adoption and implementation of a derivatives risk management program for certain derivatives users. However, subject to certain conditions, funds that do not invest heavily in derivatives may be deemed limited derivatives users (as defined in Rule 18f-4) and would not be subject to the full requirements of Rule 18f-4. In connection with the adoption of Rule 18f-4, the SEC also eliminated the asset segregation and cover framework arising from prior SEC guidance for covering derivatives and certain financial instruments, as discussed herein. Rule 18f-4 could limit the Fund’s ability to engage in certain derivatives and other transactions or increase the costs of such transactions, which could adversely affect the value or performance of the Fund.
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Short Sales
A short sale is a transaction in which a party sells a security it does not own or have the right to acquire (or that it owns but does not wish to deliver) in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline. When a party makes a short sale, the broker-dealer through which the short sale is made must borrow the security sold short and deliver it to the party purchasing the security. The party is required to make a margin deposit in connection with such short sales; the party may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities and will often be obligated to pay over any dividends and accrued interest on borrowed securities. If the price of the security sold short increases between the short sale and the time the party covers the short position, the party will incur a loss; conversely, if the price declines, the party will realize a capital gain. Any gain will be decreased, and the abovementioned transaction costs will increase any loss.
When-Issued, Delayed Delivery, and Forward Commitment Securities
The Fund may purchase securities on a forward commitment, when issued or delayed delivery, to reduce the risk of changes in securities prices and interest rates. This means that delivery and payment occur several days after the commitment to purchase. The payment obligation and the interest rate receivable concerning such purchases are determined when the Fund enters into the commitment. Still, the Fund does not make payment until it receives delivery from the counterparty. The Fund may, if deemed advisable, sell the securities after committing to a purchase but before delivery and settlement.
Securities purchased on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis are subject to changes in value based upon the public’s perception of the issuer’s creditworthiness and changes (either real or anticipated) in the level of interest rates. Purchasing securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis can present the risk that the yield available in the market when the delivery occurs may be higher than that obtained in the transaction itself. Purchasing securities on a forward commitment, when-issued or delayed delivery basis when the Fund is fully, or almost fully invested, results in a form of leverage and may cause greater fluctuation in the value of the Fund’s net assets. In addition, there is a risk that securities purchased on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis may not be delivered and that the purchaser of securities sold by the Fund on a forward basis will not honor its purchase obligation. In such cases, the Fund may incur a loss. The Fund will rely on Rule 18f-4(f) exemption when purchasing when-issued and forward commitment securities if certain conditions are met.
Credit Facilities
The Fund may enter into secured bank lines of credit (the “Credit Facilities”) for investment purchases and other liquidity requirements subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act for borrowings. As collateral for the Credit Facilities, the Fund grants the Banks a first-position security interest in and lien on securities of any kind or description held by the Fund in the collateral accounts.
Market Volatility
The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during more prolonged market downturns. The value of a security or other instrument may decline due to changes in general market conditions, economic trends, or events that are not specifically related to the issuer of the security or other instrument or factors that affect a particular issuer or issuers, country, group of countries, region, market, industry, group of industries, sector or asset class. During a general market downturn, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. Changes in market conditions and interest rates generally do not have the same impact on all types of securities and instruments.
Operational and Cybersecurity Risk
The Fund, its service providers, and other market participants increasingly depend on complex information technology and communications systems to conduct business functions. These systems are subject to various threats or risks that could adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders.
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For instance, unauthorized third parties may attempt to improperly access, modify, disrupt the operations of, or prevent access to these systems or data within them, whether systems of the Fund, the Fund’s service providers, counterparties, or other market participants. Power or communication outages, acts of God, information technology equipment malfunctions, operational errors (both human and systematic), and inaccuracies within software or data processing systems may also disrupt business operations or impact critical data.
With the increased use of technologies like the Internet and the dependence on computer systems to perform necessary business functions, investment companies such as the Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks generally result from deliberate attacks, but unintentional events may have effects similar to those caused by cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information, and causing operational disruption. Successful cyber-attacks against, or security breakdowns of, the Fund or its advisers, custodians, fund accountants, fund administrators, transfer agent, pricing vendors, or other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund and its shareholders. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential Fund information, impede trading, cause reputational damage, and subject the Fund to regulatory fines, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and additional compliance costs. The Fund may also incur substantial cybersecurity risk management costs to guard against future cyber incidents. While the Fund or its service providers may have established business continuity plans and systems designed to guard against such cyber-attacks or adverse effects of such attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified, in large part because different unknown threats may emerge in the future. Similar cybersecurity risks are present for issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such securities to lose value. In addition, cyber-attacks involving a counterparty to the Fund could affect its ability to meet its obligations to the Fund, which may result in losses to the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund cannot directly control any cyber-security plans or systems put in place by its service providers, Fund counterparties, issuers in which the Fund invests, or securities markets and exchanges.
Portfolio Turnover
The frequency and amount of portfolio purchases and sales (the “portfolio turnover rate”) will vary yearly. It is anticipated that the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate will ordinarily be between 25% and 75%. The portfolio turnover rate is not expected to exceed 100%. Still, it may vary greatly from year to year and will not be a limiting factor when the Adviser deems portfolio changes appropriate. The Fund may engage in short-term trading strategies, and securities may be sold without regard to the length of time held when, in the opinion of the Adviser, investment considerations warrant such action. These policies may have the effect of increasing the annual rate of portfolio turnover of the Fund. Further, the underlying funds in which the Fund invests may experience high portfolio turnover rates. High portfolio turnover rates in the underlying funds may negatively impact their returns and, thus, negatively impact the returns of the Fund. Higher portfolio turnover rates would likely result in higher brokerage commissions and may generate short-term capital gains taxable as ordinary income.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
The Board has overall responsibility to manage and control the business affairs of the Fund, including the complete and exclusive authority to oversee and establish policies regarding the management, conduct, and operation of the Fund’s business. The Board exercises the same powers, authority, and responsibilities on behalf of the Fund, which are customarily exercised by the board of directors of a registered investment company organized as a corporation. The business of the Trust is managed under the direction of the Board per the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the Trust’s By-laws (the “Governing Documents”), each as amended from time to time, which have been filed with the SEC and are available upon request. The Board consists of four individuals, one of whom is an “interested person” (as defined under the 1940 Act) of the Trust, the Adviser, or the Trust’s distributor (“Interested Trustees”) and three of whom are not deemed to be “interested persons” (as defined under the 1940 Act) of the Trust, the Adviser, or the Trust’s distributor (“Independent Trustees”). Under the Trust’s Governing Documents, the Trustees shall elect officers, including a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Principal Executive Officer, and a Principal Accounting Officer. The Board retains the power to conduct, operate, and carry on the business of the Trust. It has the power to incur and pay any expenses which, in the opinion of the Board, are necessary or incidental to carry out any of the Trust’s purposes. When acting in such capacities, the Trustees, officers, employees, and agents of the Trust shall not be subject to any personal liability except for his or her own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of his or her duties.
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Board Leadership Structure
David Hyland is the Chairman of the Board. Under the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, the Chairman of the Board is responsible for (a) presiding at board meetings, (b) calling special meetings on an as-needed basis, (c) execution and administration of Trust policies, including (i) setting the agendas for board meetings and (ii) providing information to board members in advance of each board meeting and between board meetings. The Trust believes that its Chairman, the Chair of the Audit Committee, the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee, and, as an entity, the full Board provide effective leadership in the best interests of the Trust and each shareholder.
David Ross may be deemed to be an interested person of the Trust by his senior management role at the Adviser and the portfolio management services he provides to the Fund. The Trustees have determined that an interested Chairman is appropriate and benefits shareholders because an interested Chairman has a personal and professional stake in the quality and continuity of services provided to the Fund. The Independent Trustees exercise their informed business judgment to appoint an individual of their choosing to serve as Chairman, regardless of whether the trustee is independent or a member of management. The Independent Trustees have determined that they can act independently and effectively without having an Independent Trustee serve as Chairman and that a key structural component for assuring that they are in a position to do so is for the Independent Trustees to constitute a substantial majority of the Board. The Independent Trustees also meet quarterly in executive session without Mr. Ross. Given the small size of the Board, the Independent Trustees have not designated any single trustee to be the lead Independent Trustee at this time.
Board Risk Oversight
The Board has established an independent Audit Committee, an independent Nominating and Governance Committee, and an independent Valuation Committee, each with a separate chair. The Board is responsible for overseeing risk management, and the full Board regularly engages in risk management discussions and receives compliance reports that inform its oversight of risk management from its Chief Compliance Officer at quarterly meetings and on an ad hoc basis, when and if necessary. The Audit Committee considers financial and reporting risk within its area of responsibility. The Nominating and Governance Committee assists the Board in adopting fund governance practices and meeting certain “fund governance standards.” The Valuation Committee has the authority to determine the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities using the methods established by the Fund’s policies and procedures. Generally, the Board believes that its oversight of material risks is adequately maintained through the compliance-reporting chain, where the Chief Compliance Officer is the primary recipient and communicator of such risk-related information.
Trustee Qualifications
Generally, the Trust believes that each Trustee is competent to serve because of their overall merits, including (i) experience, (ii) qualifications, (iii) attributes, and (iv) skills. In this regard, the Board has considered the following specific experience, qualifications, attributes, and/or skills for each Trustee:
Dr. Hyland |
Dr. Hyland has been a professor of finance at Xavier University for twenty years. He holds a Ph.D. (Finance, Economics minor) from the Ohio State University and is a Certified Public Accountant. His teaching specialties include investments, derivatives, financial modeling, and corporate finance. His research has been published in journals such as Financial Management and Financial Analyst Journal. He also has previous experience on the board of trustees of other closed-end management investment companies operating as interval funds. |
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Mr. Schweier |
Mr. Schweier has nearly 40 years’ experience advising private and family businesses, specializing in corporate and individual taxation. He is a Shareholder of Clark Schaefer Hackett & Co., a business advisory and accounting firm. He is a Certified Public Accountant. He also previously held board of director positions with several nonprofit organizations. |
Mr. Foley |
Mr. Foley was named Senior Vice President and Interim Chief Financial Officer at The Kroger Co. in March 2024. Prior to that, he served as Group Vice President, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Controller from February 2024 to March 2024. Prior to that, he served as Group Vice President and Corporate Controller from October 2021 to February 2024. From April 2017 to September 2021, Mr. Foley served as Vice President and Corporate Controller. Before that, he held several leadership roles, including Vice President and Treasurer, Assistant Corporate Controller, and Controller of Kroger’s Cincinnati/Dayton division. Mr. Foley began his career with Kroger in 2001 as an audit manager in the Internal Audit Department after working for PricewaterhouseCoopers in various roles, including senior audit manager. |
Mr. Ross | Before his role with the Adviser, Mr. Ross has over 15 years’ experience with a wide range of financial services companies, including Bank of America and Credit Suisse. |
Each Trustee’s ability to perform his duties effectively also has been enhanced by his educational background and professional training. The Trust does not believe any one factor is determinative in assessing a Trustee’s qualifications but that the collective experience of each Trustee makes them highly qualified.
A list of the Trustees and executive officers of the Trust and their principal occupation and other directorships over the last five years are shown below. Unless otherwise noted, the address of each Trustee and Officer is 910 Madison Avenue, Covington, KY 41011.
Name, Age and Address |
Position
held with Funds or Trust |
Length
of Time Served* |
Principal
Occupation During the Past 5 Years |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee | Other
Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past 5 Years |
Independent Trustees | |||||
David Hyland Year of Birth: 1963 |
Independent Trustee, Chairman | Since 1/24 | Professor, Xavier University, since 2004; Director, Freedom Baseball Club, since 2019. | 1 | FEG Absolute Access Fund LLC and FEG Absolute Access Fund I LLC (2010 – 2023) |
Anthony Schweier Year of Birth: 1962 |
Independent Trustee | Since 1/24 | Shareholder, Clark Schaefer Hackett & Co. (business advisory and accounting firm), since 1985 | 1 | None |
Todd Foley Year of Birth: 1969 |
Independent Trustee | Since 1/24 | Interim Chief Financial Officer (since February 2024); Group Vice President and Corporate Controller (since 2017), The Kroger Co. | 1 | None |
Interested Trustees | |||||
David Ross Year of Birth: 1973 |
Trustee, President, and Principal Executive Officer | Since 1/24 | Chief Executive Officer, Connetic RIA LLC (2023 – Present); Private venture capital investor and advisor to startup companies (2020 – 2023); Co-Head of Leveraged Debt Capital Markets, Credit Suisse (2017 – 2020) | 1 | None |
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Name, Age and Address |
Position
held with Funds or Trust |
Length
of Time Served* |
Principal
Occupation During the Past 5 Years |
Other Officers | |||
Brad Zapp Year of Birth: 1977 |
Vice President | Since 1/24 | Portfolio Manager, Senior Vice President, Connetic RIA LLC (2023 – Present); Chief Financial Officer, Connetic Ventures Holdings Inc./Wendal Inc. (2015 – Present); Executive Vice President, Wendal Inc. (2023 – Present); Chief Executive Officer, Connetic Ventures Holdings Inc/ Connetic Ventures LLC/ Wendal Inc. (2015 – 2022). |
Chris Hjelm Year of Birth: 1988 |
Vice President | Since 1/24 | Vice President and Head of Ventures Investments (2023 – Present); Partner and Venture Investor (2019 – 2023); Principal and Head of Data (2018 – 2019), Connetic Ventures Holdings Inc. |
Rob Silva Year of Birth: 1966 |
Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer | Since 1/24 | Director of Fund Administration, Gryphon Fund Group (2023 – Present); Director of Fund Administration, Impax Asset Management LLC (2014 – 2023); Director of Fund Administration, Pax Ellevate Management LLC (2014 – 2021). |
Jaclyn Reed Year of Birth: 1984 |
Secretary | Since 9/24 | Senior Associate, Legal Administration, Gryphon Fund Group (August 2024 – Present); Senior Paralegal, US Bank Global Fund Services (2023 - 2024); Senior Paralegal, SS&C ALPS Fund Services (2022 - 2023); Fund Administration Analyst, Victory Capital Management (2017 - 2022). |
Lauren Huizenga Year of Birth: 1987 |
Assistant Secretary | Since 1/24 | General Counsel, Senior Vice President, and Corporate Secretary, Wendal Inc. (2023 – Present); Owner and Manager, Built In Properties, LLC (2017 – Present); Assistant General Counsel, Orange Grove Bio LLC (2021 – 2023); Senior Corporate Counsel, NTT Data Business Solutions (2017 – 2021). |
Matthew Giggey Year of Birth: 1977 |
Chief Compliance Officer | Since 1/24 | Director, Compliance Services, KeyBridge Compliance (2023-Present); Associate Director, Investment Advisor Consulting, ACA Group (2021 – 2023); Fund Compliance Officer, Apex Fund Services (2008 – 2021). |
Brandon Byrd Year of Birth: 1981 |
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer | Since 1/24 | Member of Gryphon Fund Group, LLC (2022-Present); Director of Transfer Agency, M3Sixty Administration, LLC (2001-2021). |
* | The term of office for each Trustee and officer listed above will continue indefinitely. |
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Board Committees
The Board has established three standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee, and the Valuation Committee.
Audit Committee
The Board has an Audit Committee that consists of all the Independent Trustees. The Audit Committee’s responsibilities include: (i) recommending to the Board the selection, retention or termination of the Trust’s independent auditors; (ii) reviewing with the independent auditors the scope, performance and anticipated cost of their audit; (iii) discussing with the independent auditors certain matters relating to the Trust’s financial statements, including any adjustment to such financial statements recommended by such independent auditors, or any other results of any audit; (iv) reviewing on a periodic basis a formal written statement from the independent auditors with respect to their independence, discussing with the independent auditors any relationships or services disclosed in the statement that may impact the objectivity and independence of the Trust’s independent auditors and recommending that the Board take appropriate action in response thereto to satisfy itself of the auditor’s independence; and (v) considering the comments of the independent auditors and management’s responses thereto with respect to the quality and adequacy of the Trust’s accounting and financial reporting policies and practices and internal controls. The Audit Committee operates under an Audit Committee Charter.
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Nominating and Governance Committee
The Board has a Nominating and Governance Committee comprising all the Independent Trustees. The Nominating and Governance Committee assists the Board in adopting fund governance practices and meeting certain fund governance standards. The Nominating and Governance Committee operates under a Nominating and Governance Committee Charter. The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for seeking and reviewing nominee candidates for consideration as Independent Trustees as needed. The Nominating and Governance Committee generally will consider shareholder nominees to the extent required under rules under the 1934 Act. The Nominating and Governance Committee reviews all nominations of potential trustees made by Fund management and by Fund shareholders, which includes all information relating to the recommended nominees that are required to be disclosed in solicitations or proxy statements for the election of directors, including without limitation the biographical information and the qualifications of the proposed nominees. Nomination submissions must be accompanied by a written consent of the individual to stand for election if nominated by the Board and to serve if elected by the shareholders. Additional information must be provided regarding the recommended nominee as reasonably requested by the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee meets to consider nominees as necessary or appropriate. The Nominating and Governance Committee is also responsible for reviewing and setting Independent Trustee compensation from time to time when considered necessary or appropriate.
Trustee Ownership
The following table indicates the dollar range of equity securities that each Trustee beneficially owned in the Predecessor Fund as of June 30, 2024 and stated as one of the following ranges: A = None; B = $1-$10,000; C = 10,001-$50,000; D - $50,001-100,000; and E = over $100,000.
Name of Trustee | Dollar
Range of Equity Securities in the Fund |
Aggregate
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by a Trustee in the Family of Investment Companies |
David Hyland | A | A |
Tony Schweier | A | A |
Todd Foley | A | A |
David Ross | E | E |
Compensation
Each “non-interested” receives an annual retainer of $12,000, paid quarterly, and reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred attending the meetings. The Chair of the Audit Committee receives an additional $5,000 annually. None of the executive officers, except the Chief Compliance Officer, receive compensation from the Fund. Certain Trustees and officers of the Fund are also officers of the Adviser and are not paid by the Fund for serving in such capacities.
The table below details the amount of compensation the Trustees are estimated to receive from the Trust during the next fiscal year. The Trust does not have a bonus, profit sharing, pension, or retirement plan.
Name of Trustee | Aggregate Compensation From Trust |
Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses |
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement |
Total Compensation From Trust Paid to Directors |
David Hyland | $12,000 | None | None | $12,000 |
Tony Schweier | $17,000 | None | None | $17,000 |
Todd Foley | $12,000 | None | None | $12,000 |
David Ross | None | None | None | None |
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CODES OF ETHICS
The Fund, the Adviser, and the Distributor have adopted a code of ethics (the “Code of Ethics”) under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices concerning the purchase or sale of securities by covered personnel in their personal accounts. The Codes of Ethics permit covered personnel, subject to certain restrictions, to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund. Covered personnel may engage in personal securities transactions, subject to certain restrictions, and must report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. The Code of Ethics for the Adviser is included as exhibits to the registration statement of which the Statement of Additional Information is incorporated. In addition, the Code of Ethics of the Adviser is available on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Shareholders may also obtain copies of the Code of Ethics of the Adviser after paying a duplicating fee by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Board has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (“Proxy Policies”) on behalf of the Trust, which delegates the responsibility for voting proxies to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight. The Proxy Policies require that the Adviser vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund and shareholders. The Proxy Policies also require the Adviser to present to the Board, at least annually, the proxy voting policies of the Adviser and a record of each proxy voted by the Adviser on behalf of the Fund, including a report on the resolution of all proxies identified by the Adviser involving a conflict of interest.
Where a proxy proposal raises a material conflict between the interests of the Adviser, any affiliated person(s) of the Adviser, the Distributor or any affiliated person of the Distributor, or any affiliated person of the Trust and the Fund or its shareholder’s interests, the Advisers will resolve the conflict by voting by the policy guidelines or at the Trust’s directive using the recommendation of an independent third party. If the third party’s recommendations are not received promptly, the designated party will abstain from voting. The Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of the Fund and the Adviser are attached to this SAI as Appendix A and Appendix B, respectively.
Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Fund during the most recent 12-month period ending June 30 will be available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling the Fund toll-free at 800-711-9164; and (2) on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures is also available by calling toll-free at 800-711-9164 and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS
A principal shareholder is any person who owns (either of record or beneficially) 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a fund. A control person owns, either directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. A control person may be able to determine the outcome of a matter put to a shareholder vote. As of August 31, 2024, the Trustees and officers as a group owned 3.4% of the outstanding shares of the Predecessor Fund. As of August 31, 2024, the name, address, and percentage of ownership of each entity or person that owned of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Predecessor Fund are as follows:
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Name and Address | Percentage Owned |
Connetic ARGI, LLC Covington, KY |
18.43% |
St. Elizabeth Healthcare Long-Term Operating Fund Edgewood, KY |
9.66% |
Wendal Inc. Covington, KY |
7.38% |
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES
The Adviser
Connetic RIA LLC, located at 910 Madison Avenue, Covington, KY 41011, serves as the Fund’s investment adviser. The Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”). The Adviser is a Delaware limited liability company that was formed and commenced operations in 2023. The Adviser is wholly-owned by Wendal Inc.
Under the general supervision of the Board, the Adviser will carry out the investment and reinvestment of the net assets of the Fund, will furnish continuously an investment program with respect to the Fund, and will determine which securities should be purchased, sold, or exchanged. In addition, the Adviser will supervise and provide oversight of the Fund’s service providers. The Adviser will furnish to the Fund office facilities, equipment, and personnel for servicing the management of the Fund. The Adviser will compensate all Adviser personnel who provide services to the Fund. In return for these services, facilities, and payments, the Fund has agreed to pay the Adviser as compensation under the Investment Advisory Agreement a monthly management fee computed at the annual rate of 1.90% of the daily net assets. The Adviser may employ research services and service providers to assist in the Adviser’s market analysis and investment selection.
The Adviser and the Fund have entered into an expense limitation and reimbursement agreement (the “Expense Limitation Agreement”) under which the Adviser has agreed contractually to waive its fees and to pay or absorb the ordinary operating expenses of the Fund (excluding any taxes, interest, shareholder services fees pursuant to a shareholder services plan, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation or reorganization costs, but inclusive of organizational costs and offering costs), to the extent that they exceed 2.65% per annum of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I shares (the “Expense Limitation”). The Adviser is entitled to seek reimbursement from the Fund of management fees waived and/or Fund expenses paid or reimbursed by the Adviser for a period ending three years after such waiver, payment, or reimbursement, provided the repayments do not cause the Fund’s Operating Expenses to exceed the expense limitation in place at the time the management fees were waived and/or the Fund expenses were paid or reimbursed, or any expense limitation in place at the time the Fund would repay the Adviser, whichever is lower. The Expense Limitation Agreement will remain in effect, at least until September 30, 2025, unless and until the Board approves its modification or termination. This agreement may be terminated only by the Board on 60 days' written notice to the Adviser. After September 30, 2025, the Expense Limitation Agreement may be renewed at the Adviser’s discretion.
Conflicts of Interest
The Adviser may provide investment advisory and other services, directly and through affiliates, to various entities and accounts other than the Fund (“Adviser Accounts”). The Fund has no interest in these activities. The Adviser and the investment professionals, who on behalf of the Adviser, provide investment advisory services to the Fund, are engaged in substantial activities other than on behalf of the Fund, may have differing economic interests in respect of such activities, and may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and activity between the Fund and the Adviser Accounts. Such persons devote only so much time to the affairs of the Fund as, in their judgment, is necessary and appropriate. Set out below are practices that the Adviser follows.
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Participation in Investment Opportunities
Directors, principals, officers, employees, and affiliates of the Adviser may buy and sell securities or other investments for their own accounts and may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with respect to investments made on behalf of the Fund. As a result of differing trading and investment strategies or constraints, positions may be taken by directors, principals, officers, employees, and affiliates of the Adviser or by the Adviser for the Adviser Accounts, if any, that are the same as, different from or made at a different time than, positions taken for the Fund.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
David Ross. Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser since 2023. From 2020 to 2023, Mr. Ross was a private venture capital investor and an advisor to startup companies. Mr. Ross held various management roles in leveraged debt capital markets at Credit Suisse from 2017 to 2020.
Chris Hjelm. Senior Vice President, Head of Venture Investing of the Adviser since 2023. Mr. Hjelm joined Connetic Ventures Inc., an affiliate of the Adviser, in 2018 as Senior Vice President and Head of Venture Investing and has led investments in over 30 early-stage venture capital investments. Prior to joining the Adviser, Mr. Hjelm was the founder and Chief Investment Officer of Mint Capital Group, LLC, a high-frequency trading fund.
Brad Zapp. Senior Vice President, Head of Strategy and Marketing of the Adviser since 2023. Mr. Zapp co-founded Connetic Ventures in 2015. In Connetic’s private market funds, he oversaw as a member of the investment committee over 150 transactions, including multiple exits. Mr. Zapp began his career at Fidelity Investments as a trader and, in 2004, co-founded his first company, a Federally registered investment advisor, which he grew to $500 million in AUM prior to exiting in 2014. Mr. Zapp has held various licenses and credentials over the years and is currently a Certified Financial Planner®.
As of August 31, 2024, Mr. Ross, Mr. Hjelm, and Mr. Zapp were responsible for the management of the following types of accounts in addition to the Fund:
Portfolio Manager | Type of Accounts | Total Number of Other Accounts Managed |
Total Assets of Other Accounts Managed |
Number of Accounts Managed with Advisory Fee Based on Performance |
Total Assets of Accounts Managed with Advisory Fee Based on Performance |
David Ross | Registered Investment Companies | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Brad Zapp | Registered Investment Companies | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Chris Hjelm | Registered Investment Companies | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | |
Other Accounts | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |
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Because the Portfolio Managers may manage assets for other registered investment companies (“Client Accounts”) or may be affiliated with such Client Accounts, there may be an incentive to favor one Client Account over another, resulting in conflicts of interest. For example, affiliates of the Adviser may, directly or indirectly, receive fees from Client Accounts that are higher than the fee the Adviser receives from the Fund. In those instances, a portfolio manager may have an incentive to favor the Client Accounts over the Fund. Notwithstanding the difference in principal investment strategies between the Fund and the Client Accounts, the Adviser has various policies and procedures that it believes are reasonably designed to address these and other conflicts of interest.
As of August 31, 2024, Mr. Ross, Mr. Hjelm, and Mr. Zapp owned the following amounts in the Predecessor Fund:
Portfolio Manager | Dollar Range of Equity Securities Owned |
David Ross | $100,001 - $500,000 |
Chris Hjelm | $100,001 - $500,000 |
Brad Zapp | $500,001 - $1,000,000 |
ALLOCATION OF BROKERAGE
Specific decisions to purchase or sell securities for the Fund are made by either (i) the Portfolio Managers, who are employees of the Adviser or (ii) members of the Investment Committee, who are employees of the Adviser. Both the Adviser and the Adviser are authorized by the Trustees to allocate the orders placed on behalf of the Fund to brokers or dealers who may, but need not, provide research or statistical material or other services to the Fund and the Adviser for the Fund’s use. Such allocation is to be in such amounts and proportions as the Adviser may determine.
In selecting a broker or dealer to execute each particular transaction, the Adviser will take the following into consideration: execution capability, trading expertise, accuracy of execution, commission rates, reputation and integrity, fairness in resolving disputes, financial responsibility, and responsiveness.
Brokers or dealers executing a portfolio transaction on behalf of the Fund may receive a commission in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for executing the transaction if the Adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the value of brokerage and research services provided to the Fund. In allocating portfolio brokerage, the Adviser may select brokers or dealers who also provide brokerage, research, and other services to other accounts over which the Adviser exercises investment discretion. Some of the services received as the result of Fund transactions may primarily benefit accounts other than the Fund, while services received as the result of portfolio transactions effected on behalf of those other accounts may primarily benefit the Fund.
TAX STATUS
The following discussion is general in nature and should not be regarded as an exhaustive presentation of all possible tax ramifications. All shareholders should consult a qualified tax adviser regarding their investment in the Fund.
The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, which requires compliance with certain requirements concerning the sources of its income, diversification of its assets, and the amount and timing of its distributions to shareholders. Such qualification does not involve supervision of management or investment practices or policies by any government agency or bureau. By so qualifying, the Fund should not be subject to federal income or excise tax on its net investment income or net capital gain, which are distributed to shareholders in accordance with the applicable timing requirements. Net investment income and net capital gain of the Fund will be computed in accordance with Section 852 of the Code. Net investment income is made up of dividends and interest, with fewer expenses. Net capital gain for a fiscal year is computed by taking into account any capital loss carryforward of the Fund.
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The Fund intends to distribute all of its net investment income, any excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, and any excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses in accordance with the timing requirements imposed by the Code and, therefore, should not be required to pay any federal income or excise taxes. Distributions of net investment income will be made monthly, and net capital gain will be made after the end of each fiscal year and no later than December 31 of each year. Both types of distributions will be in shares of the Fund unless a shareholder elects to receive cash.
To be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, the Fund must also (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, net income from certain publicly traded partnerships and gains from the sale or other disposition of securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to the business of investing in such securities or currencies, and (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each fiscal quarter, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash, U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities (for purposes of this calculation, generally limited in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the market value of the Fund’s assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer) and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities of (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies) any one issuer, two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or the securities of certain publicly traded partnerships.
If the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M in any fiscal year, it will be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. As such, the Fund would be required to pay income taxes on its net investment income, and net realized capital gains, if any, at the rates generally applicable to corporations. Shareholders of the Fund generally would not be liable for income tax on the Fund’s net investment income, or net realized capital gains in their individual capacities. Distributions to shareholders, whether from the Fund’s net investment income or net realized capital gains, would be treated as taxable dividends to the extent of current or accumulated earnings and profits of the Fund.
The Fund is subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on certain undistributed amounts of ordinary income and capital gain under a prescribed formula contained in Section 4982 of the Code. The formula requires payment to shareholders during a calendar year of distributions representing at least 98% of the Fund’s ordinary income for the calendar year and at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income (i.e., the excess of its capital gains over capital losses) realized during the one-year period ending October 31 during such year plus 100% of any income that was neither distributed nor taxed to the Fund during the preceding calendar year. Under ordinary circumstances, the Fund expects to time its distributions so as to avoid liability for this tax.
The following discussion of tax consequences is for the general information of shareholders that are subject to tax. Shareholders that are IRAs or other qualified retirement plans are exempt from income taxation under the Code.
Distributions of taxable net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.
Distributions of net capital gain (“capital gain dividends”) generally are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of the length of time the shares of the Fund have been held by such shareholders.
A redemption of Fund shares by a shareholder will result in the recognition of taxable gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Fund shares. Such gain or loss is treated as a capital gain or loss if the shares are held as capital assets. However, any loss realized upon the redemption of shares within six months from the date of their purchase will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as capital gain dividends during such six-month period. All or a portion of any loss realized upon the redemption of shares may be disallowed to the extent shares are purchased (including shares acquired by means of reinvested dividends) within 30 days before or after such redemption.
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Distributions of taxable net investment income and net capital gain will be taxable as described above, whether received in additional cash or shares. Shareholders electing to receive distributions in the form of additional shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each share so received equal to the net asset value of a share on the reinvestment date.
All distributions of taxable net investment income and net capital gain, whether received in shares or in cash, must be reported by each taxable shareholder on his or her federal income tax return. Dividends or distributions declared in October, November or December as of a record date in such a month, if any, will be deemed to have been received by shareholders on December 31, if paid during January of the following year. Redemptions of shares may result in tax consequences (gain or loss) to the shareholder and are also subject to these reporting requirements.
Under the Code, the Fund will be required to report to the Internal Revenue Service all distributions of taxable income and capital gains as well as gross proceeds from the redemption or exchange of Fund shares, except in the case of certain exempt shareholders. Under the backup withholding provisions of Section 3406 of the Code, distributions of taxable net investment income and net capital gain and proceeds from the redemption or exchange of the shares of a regulated investment company may be subject to withholding of federal income tax in the case of non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish the investment company with their taxpayer identification numbers and with required certifications regarding their status under the federal income tax law, or if the Fund is notified by the IRS or a broker that withholding is required due to an incorrect TIN or a previous failure to report taxable interest or dividends. If the withholding provisions are applicable, any such distributions and proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in additional shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld.
Taxation of Foreign Shareholders
Because of the fact-specific impact of the applicable U.S. tax rules and their interaction with tax treaties, a shareholder who, as to the United States, is a nonresident alien individual, a foreign trust or estate, or a foreign corporation (“foreign shareholder”) as defined in the Code are urged to consult their own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal tax consequences of the holding, sale, exchange or other disposition of the Fund’s shares. The tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may differ from those described herein.
Generally, a foreign shareholder will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on distributions received from the Fund or upon dispositions of Shares if the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the foreign shareholder.
Income Not Effectively Connected. If the income from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the foreign shareholder, distributions of investment company taxable income may be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% (or lower treaty rate, except in the case of any “excess inclusion income” allocated to the foreign shareholder), which tax generally is withheld from such distributions by the Fund. All foreign shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the appropriate tax forms to provide to the Fund to claim a reduced rate or exemption from U.S. federal withholding taxes, and the proper completion of those forms.
Capital gain dividends and any amounts retained by the Fund that are properly reported by the Fund as undistributed capital gains will not be subject to U.S. tax at the rate of 30% (or applicable lower treaty rate) unless the foreign shareholder is a nonresident alien individual and is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, properly reported dividends generally are exempt from U.S. withholding tax where they (i) are paid in respect of the Fund’s “qualified net interest income” (generally, the Fund’s U.S. source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is at least a 10% equity holder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) are paid in respect of the Fund’s “qualified short-term capital gains” (generally, the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain over the Fund’s long-term capital loss for such taxable year). However, depending on its circumstances, the Fund may report all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends as qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains, and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a foreign shareholder will need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing the correct IRS Form W-8). In the case of Fund shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if the Fund designates the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. If a repurchase of a shareholder’s shares by the Fund does not qualify for sale or exchange treatment, the shareholder may, in connection with such repurchase, be treated as having received, in whole or in part, a taxable dividend, a tax-free dividend, or capital gain, depending on (i) whether the Fund has sufficient earnings and profits to support a dividend and (ii) the shareholder’s tax basis in the relevant Fund shares repurchased. If the repurchase qualifies as a sale or exchange, the shareholder generally will realize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount received in exchange for the repurchased shares and the adjusted tax basis of those shares.
Any capital gain that a foreign shareholder realizes upon a repurchase of Fund shares or otherwise upon a sale or exchange of Fund shares will ordinarily be exempt from U.S. tax unless (i) in the case of a foreign shareholder that is a nonresident alien individual, the gain is U.S. source income and such shareholder is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements, or (ii) at any time during the shorter of the period during which the foreign shareholder held such Fund shares and the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition of those shares, the Fund was a “United States real property holding corporation” (as such term is defined in the Code) and the foreign shareholder actually or constructively held more than 5% of the Fund’s shares.
Income Effectively Connected. If the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then distributions of investment company taxable income and capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund that are reported by the Fund as undistributed capital gains, and any gains realized upon the sale or exchange of Fund shares will be subject to U.S. income tax at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, residents and domestic corporations, and such taxable amounts may subject a foreign shareholder to U.S. tax filing obligations. Foreign corporate shareholders may also be subject to the branch profits tax imposed by the Code.
In the case of a foreign shareholder, the Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax from distributions and repurchase proceeds that are otherwise exempt from withholding tax (or taxable at a reduced treaty rate), unless the foreign shareholder certifies his foreign status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establishes an exemption.
FATCA. Payments to a shareholder that is either a foreign financial institution (“FFI”) or a non-financial foreign entity (“NFFE”) within the meaning of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on: (a) income dividends paid by a Fund and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares paid by the Fund. FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, subject to any applicable intergovernmental agreement or other exemption, if it enters into a valid agreement with the IRS to, among other requirements, report required information about certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them. A Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of a Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.
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Original Issue Discount and Pay-In-Kind Securities
Current federal tax law requires the holder of a U.S. Treasury or other fixed-income zero coupon security to accrue as income each year a portion of the discount at which the security was purchased, even though the holder receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year. In addition, pay-in-kind securities will give rise to income which is required to be distributed and is taxable even though the Fund holding the security receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year.
Some of the debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as debt securities that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of the original issue discount (“OID”) is treated as interest income and is included in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. A portion of the OID includable in income with respect to certain high-yield corporate debt securities (including certain pay-in-kind securities) may be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Some of the debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund in the secondary market may be treated as having market discount. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt security having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the “accrued market discount” on such debt security. Market discount generally accrues in equal daily installments. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having market discount, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.
Some debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as having acquisition discount, or OID in the case of certain types of debt securities. Generally, the Fund will be required to include the acquisition discount, or OID, in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having acquisition discount, or OID, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.
A fund that holds the foregoing kinds of securities may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount, which is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary (including when it is not advantageous to do so). The Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution, if any, than they would in the absence of such transactions.
Shareholders of the Fund may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions received from the Fund and on redemptions of the Fund’s shares.
A brief explanation of the form and character of the distribution accompany each distribution. In January of each year the Fund issues to each shareholder a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions.
Shareholders should consult their tax advisers about the application of federal, state and local and foreign tax law in light of their particular situation.
OTHER INFORMATION
Each share represents a proportional interest in the assets of the Fund. Each share has one vote at shareholder meetings, with fractional shares voting proportionally, on matters submitted to the vote of shareholders. There are no cumulative voting rights. Shares do not have pre-emptive or conversion or redemption provisions. In the event of a liquidation of the Fund, shareholders are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of the Fund available for distribution to shareholders after all expenses and debts have been paid.
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Administrator, Transfer Agent, and Accounting Agent
Gryphon Fund Group (the “Administrator”), located at 3000 Auburn Drive, Suite 410, Beachwood, OH 44122, provides administration, fund accounting and transfer agency services to the Fund and supplies certain officers to the Fund, including a Principal Financial Officer pursuant to a fund services agreement between the Administrator and the Fund. For its services as administrator, transfer agent, and accounting agent, the Fund pays Administrator the greater of a minimum fee or fees based on the annual net assets of the Fund (with such minimum fees subject to an annual cost of living adjustment) plus out of pocket expenses.
The Fund has adopted a Shareholder Services Plan on behalf of its Class I shares to pay for shareholder support services from the Fund’s assets pursuant to a shareholder services agreement in an amount not to exceed 0.15% of the average daily net assets of the Fund attributable to the Class I shares. Under the plan, the Fund may pay shareholder servicing fees to shareholder servicing agents who have entered into written shareholder servicing agreements with the Fund and perform shareholder servicing functions and maintenance of shareholder accounts on behalf of the Class’s shareholders. Such services include: (1) establishing and maintaining accounts and records relating to shareholders who invest in the class; (2) aggregating and processing purchase and redemption requests and transmitting such orders to the transfer agent; (3) providing shareholders with a service that invests the assets of their accounts in shares of the Fund pursuant to specific or pre-authorized instructions; (4) processing dividend and distribution payments from the Fund on behalf of shareholders; (5) providing information periodically to shareholders as to their ownership of shares or about other aspects of the operations of the Fund; (6) responding to shareholder inquiries concerning their investment; (7) providing sub-accounting with respect to shares of the Fund beneficially owned by shareholders or the information necessary for sub-accounting; (8) forwarding shareholder communications (such as proxies, shareholder reports, annual and semi-annual financial statements and dividend, distribution and tax notices); and (9) providing similar services as may reasonably be requested.
Distributor
Foreside Financial Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (d/b/a ACA Group) Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101, is serving as the Fund’s principal underwriter and acts as the distributor of the Fund’s shares on a commercially reasonable efforts basis, subject to various conditions. The Distributor may retain additional broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries (each a “Selling Agent”) to assist in the distribution of Shares and Shares are available for purchase through these Selling Agents or directly through the Distributor. Generally, Shares are only offered to investors that are U.S. persons for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Legal Counsel
FinTech Law, LLC, 6224 Turpin Hills Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244, acts as legal counsel to the Fund.
Custodian
Fifth Third Bank N.A. (the “Custodian”) serves as the primary custodian of the Fund’s assets, and may maintain custody of the Fund’s assets with domestic and foreign sub-custodians (which may be banks, trust companies, securities depositories and clearing agencies) approved by the Trustees. Assets of the Fund are not held by the Adviser or commingled with the assets of other accounts other than to the extent that securities are held in the name of a custodian in a securities depository, clearing agency or omnibus customer account of such custodian. The Custodian is located at 38 Fountain Square Plaza, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Crowe LLP, located at 225 West Wacker Drive, Suite 2600, Chicago, IL 60606-1224, is the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm and is expected to render an opinion annually on the Fund’s financial statements.
Financial Statements
Appendix C to this SAI provides the audited seed financial statements of the Fund and the audited financial statements of the Predecessor Fund for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2024, which was reorganized into the Fund. The Predecessor Fund’s financial statements and the Fund’s audited seed financial statements have been audited by Crowe LLP.
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APPENDIX A
CONNETIC VENTURE CAPITAL ACCESS FUND
Proxy Voting Policy
Pursuant to rules established by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Board of Trustees of the Fund have adopted the following formal, written guidelines for proxy voting by the Fund. The Board of Trustees oversees voting policies and decisions for the Fund.
The Fund exercises its proxy voting rights with regard to the companies in the Fund’s investment portfolio, with the goals of maximizing the value of the Fund’s investments, promoting accountability of a company’s management and board of directors to its shareholders, aligning the interests of management with those of shareholders, and increasing transparency of a company’s business and operations. The Fund will consider these goals when exercising its responsibilities when electing options presented by the companies in the Fund’s investment portfolio for corporate actions that are not subject to proxy voting. These guidelines are applicable to such corporate action elections by the Fund and any legal proceedings or class action suits pertaining to companies and their offerings in the Fund’s investment portfolios.
In general, the Board of Trustees believes that the Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”), which selects the individual companies that are part of the Fund’s portfolio, is the most knowledgeable and best suited to make decisions about proxy votes. Therefore, the Fund defers to and relies on the Adviser to make decisions on casting proxy votes. In addition, the Adviser will provide support for legal proceedings, class action suits or other events pertaining to the Fund’s assets.
In some instances, the Adviser may be asked to cast a proxy vote that presents a conflict between the interests of a Fund’s shareholders, and those of the Adviser or an affiliated person of the Adviser. In such a case, the Adviser is instructed to abstain from making a voting decision and to forward all necessary proxy voting materials to the Committee of Independent Trustees of the Board of Trustees (the “Committee”) to enable the Committee to make a voting decision. When the Committee is required to make a proxy voting decision, only the Committee members without a conflict of interest with regard to the security in question or the matter to be voted upon shall be permitted to participate in the decision of how the Fund’s vote will be cast.
A copy of these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures are available, without charge, upon request, by calling the Fund’s toll-free telephone number, and will be made available on the Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Fund will send a copy of the Fund’s Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures within three business days of receipt of a request, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the following policies will apply to investment company shares owned by a Fund. Under Section 12(d)(1) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”), a fund may only invest up to 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one investment company, but may not own more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company or invest more than 10% of its total assets in the securities of other investment companies. However, Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act provides that the provisions of paragraph 12(d)(1) shall not apply to securities purchased or otherwise acquired by a fund if (i) immediately after such purchase or acquisition not more than 3% of the total outstanding stock of such registered investment company is owned by the Fund and all affiliated persons of the Fund; and (ii) the Fund is not proposing to offer or sell any security issued by it through a principal underwriter or otherwise at a public or offering price which includes a sales load of more than 1½% percent. Therefore, each Fund (or the Adviser acting on behalf of the Fund) must comply with the following voting restrictions unless it is determined that the Fund is not relying on Section 12(d)(1)(F):
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• | when the Fund exercises voting rights, by proxy or otherwise, with respect to any investment company owned by the Fund, the Fund will either: |
o | seek instruction from the Fund’s shareholders with regard to the voting of all proxies and vote in accordance with such instructions, or |
o | vote the shares held by the Fund in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such security. |
A-2
APPENDIX B
CONNETIC RIA LLC
PROXY VOTING AND CLASS ACTIONS
Policies and Procedures
Proxy Voting
Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires registered investment advisers to adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure advisers vote proxies in the best interest of their clients. The procedures must address material conflicts that may arise in connection with proxy voting. Rule 206(4)-6 further requires advisers to describe to clients their proxy voting policies and procedures and to provide copies of such policies and procedures to clients upon their request. Lastly, the Rule 206(4)-6 requires advisers to disclose how clients may obtain information on how the adviser voted their proxies.
To comply with Rule 206(4)-6, Connetic RIA LLC (“Connetic”) has adopted and implemented this Policy and the procedures described herein.
The act of managing assets of Connetic’s Clients includes the voting of proxies related to such managed assets. However, Connetic will document and abide by any specific proxy voting instructions conveyed by a Client with respect to that Client’s securities. Connetic has the fiduciary responsibility for (a) voting in a manner that is in the best interests of the Clients and (b) addressing material conflicts of interest arising from proxy proposals being voted upon. The CEO or a designee coordinates Connetic’s proxy voting process.
Rule 204-2(c)(ii) under the Advisers Act requires Connetic to maintain certain books and records associated with its proxy voting policies and procedures. Connetic’s recordkeeping obligations are described in the Maintenance of Books and Records section of this Manual. The CEO will ensure that Connetic complies with all applicable recordkeeping requirements associated with proxy voting.
Connetic has adopted the following proxy voting procedures designed to ensure that proxies are properly identified and voted, and that any conflicts of interest are addressed appropriately:
• | Connetic does not expect the Fund’s portfolio holidngs to produce many proxy voting opportunities. When such opportunities exist, Connect will vote the proxies themselves, in a manner that is in the best interest of Clients. |
• | Connetic will retain the following information in connection with each proxy vote: |
o | The Issuer’s name; |
o | The security’s ticker symbol or CUSIP, as applicable; |
o | The shareholder meeting date; |
o | The number of shares that Connetic voted; |
o | A brief identification of the matter voted on; |
o | Whether the matter was proposed by the Issuer or a security-holder; |
o | Whether Connetic cast a vote; |
o | How Connetic cast its vote (for the proposal, against the proposal, or abstain); and |
o | Whether Connetic cast its vote with or against management. |
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In the event that Connetic votes the same proxy in two directions, it shall maintain documentation to support its voting (this may occur if a Client requires Connetic to vote a certain way on an issue, while Connetic deems it beneficial to vote in the opposite direction for its other Clients) in the permanent file.
• | Proxies received after a Client terminates its advisory relationship with Connetic will not be voted. Connetic will return such proxies to the sender, along with a statement indicating that Connetic’s advisory relationship with the Client has terminated, and that future proxies should not be sent to Connetic. |
Conflicts of Interest
The following potential conflicts of interest have been identified:
• | Connetic provides services to a Client or is in the process of being engaged to provide services to a Client that is affiliated with an issuer that is held in Client portfolios. For example, Connetic may be retained to manage Company A’s pension fund, where Company A is a public company and client accounts hold shares of Company A. |
• | An Employee maintains a personal or business relationship (not an advisory relationship) with issuers or individuals that serve as officers or directors of issuers. For example, the spouse of an Employee may be a high-level executive of an issuer that is held in Client portfolios. The spouse could attempt to influence Connetic to vote in favor of management. |
• | An Employee personally owns a significant number of an issuer’s securities that are also held in Client portfolios. The Employee may seek to vote proxies in a different direction for his or her personal holdings than would otherwise be warranted by this Policy. The Employee could oppose voting the proxies according to this Policy and successfully influence Connetic to vote proxies in contradiction to this Policy. |
• | The issuer is a vendor whose products or services are material or significant to the business of Connetic. |
Due to the difficulty of predicting and identifying all material conflicts, Employees are responsible for notifying the CEO of any material conflict that may impair Connetic’s ability to vote proxies in an objective manner. If the CEO, in consultation with the CCO, determines that a conflict is not material, then Connetic may vote the proxy. If the CEO, in consultation with the CCO, determines that Connetic has a material conflict of interest with respect to a proxy proposal, Connetic will vote on the proposal in accordance with the determination of the CCO. Prior to voting on the proposal, the CEO and CCO may: (i) contact an independent third party (such as another plan fiduciary) to recommend how to vote on the proposal and vote in accordance with the recommendation of such third party (or have the third party vote such proxy); or (ii) with respect to Clients that are not subject to ERISA, fully disclose the nature of the conflict to the Client and obtain the Client’s consent as to how Connetic will vote on the proposal (or otherwise obtain instructions from the Client as to how to vote the proxy).
Class Actions
The Portfolio Managers will determine whether Clients will (a) participate in a recovery achieved through class actions, or (b) opt out of the class action and separately pursue their own remedy. Employees must notify the CCO if they are aware of any material conflict of interest associated with Clients’ participation in class actions.
B-2
Disclosures to Clients
Connetic includes a description of its policies and procedures regarding proxy voting in Part 2A of Form ADV, along with a statement that Clients can contact the CCO to obtain a copy of these policies and procedures and information about how Connetic voted with respect to the Client’s securities. Any request for information about proxy voting or class actions should be promptly forwarded to the CCO, who will respond to any such requests. Connetic does not disclose the way it voted proxies to unaffiliated third parties without a legitimate need to know such information.
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APPENDIX C – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CONNETIC VENTURE CAPITAL ACCESS FUND
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
APRIL 30, 2024
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Crowe LLP Independent Member Crowe Global |
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Board of Trustees and Shareholder of Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund
Covington, Kentucky
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund (the "Fund") as of April 30, 2024, the related statements of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows for the period September 11, 2023 (inception) through April 30, 2024, 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 Fund as of April 30, 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period September 11, 2023 (inception) through April 30, 2024, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements based on our audit. 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 audit 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 Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, 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 Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit 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 audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
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Crowe LLP |
We have served as the auditor of Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund since 2024.
Costa Mesa, California
June 21, 2024
1.
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CONNETIC VENTURE CAPITAL ACCESS FUND
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
APRIL 30, 2024
2024 | ||||
ASSETS | ||||
Cash and Cash equivalents | $ | 100,000 | ||
Total assets | $ | 100,000 | ||
LIABILITIES | ||||
Total liabilities | $ | 0 | ||
NET ASSETS | ||||
Paid in Capital | $ | 100,000 | ||
Net Assets | $ | 100,000 | ||
Shares of Class I Common Shares outstanding, unlimited number of shares authorized | 10,000 | |||
Net Asset Value per Class I Common Share | $ | 10.00 |
See accompanying notes
C-2
CONNETIC VENTURE CAPITAL ACCESS FUND
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE PERIOD SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 (inception) through APRIL 30, 2024
INCOME | $ | 0 | ||
EXPENSES | $ | 0 | ||
NET INCOME (LOSS) | $ | 0 |
See accompanying notes
C-3
CONNETIC VENTURE CAPITAL ACCESS FUND
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
FOR THE PERIOD SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 (inception) through APRIL 30, 2024
NET ASSETS – Beginning of period | $ | 0 | ||
Capital Contributions | $ | 100,000 | ||
NET ASSETS – End of period | $ | 100,000 |
See accompanying notes
C-4
CONNETIC VENTURE CAPITAL ACCESS FUND
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE PERIOD SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 (inception) through APRIL 30, 2024
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES | ||||
Capital Contributions | $ | 100,000 | ||
Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | 100,000 | ||
NET INCREASE IN CASH | $ | 100,000 | ||
CASH – Beginning of period | $ | 0 | ||
CASH – End of period | $ | 100,000 |
See accompanying notes
C-5
CONNETIC VENTURE CAPITAL ACCESS FUND
Notes to Financial Statements
APRIL 30, 2024
(1) Organization and Activity
Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund (the “Fund”) is a Delaware statutory trust that is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a diversified, closed-end management company that operates as an “interval fund.” The Fund was formed on September 11, 2023. The Fund has not had any operations other than the sale and issuance of 10,000 Class I common shares of beneficial interest (“Shares”) at an aggregate purchase price of $100,000 to Connetic RIA LLC, the Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”) at a price per share equal to the net asset value (“NAV”) of $10.00 per share.
The Fund is expected to acquire all of the assets and liabilities of 908 Investments LLC (the “Predecessor Fund”), a private fund that will merge into the Fund, in a tax-free reorganization on or about July 19, 2024 (the “Reorganization”). In connection with the Reorganization, interests in the Predecessor Fund will be exchanged for Class I Shares of the Fund. The Predecessor Fund had an investment objective and strategies that are, in all material respects, similar to those of the Fund and are managed in a manner that, in all material respects, complies with the investment guidelines and restrictions of the Fund. The Adviser manages the Predecessor Fund.
The Fund’s investment objective is to generate long-term capital appreciation primarily through an actively managed portfolio that exposes investors to private, venture capital investments. To achieve its investment objective, the Fund will invest primarily in the equity securities (e.g., common stock, preferred stock, and securities convertible into equity securities) of early-stage, private, operating growth companies. For liquidity management or in connection with the implementation of changes in asset allocation or when identifying private investments for the Fund during periods of large cash inflows or otherwise for temporary defensive purposes, the Fund may hold a substantial portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, publicly traded equity securities, and exchange-traded funds.
(2) Share Capital
The Fund operates as an “interval fund” pursuant to which it will, subject to applicable law, conduct quarterly repurchase offers for no less than 5% of the Fund’s Shares at NAV. Repurchases of the shares will occur quarterly. The Fund will provide written notification of each repurchase offer to shareholders at least 21 days before the repurchase request deadline (i.e., the date by which shareholders can tender their Shares in response to a repurchase offer), and the Fund’s Shares will be redeemed at the NAV no later than the 14th day (or the next business day if the 14th day is not a business day) after such repurchase request deadline (the “Repurchase Pricing Date”). Repurchase proceeds will be paid to redeeming shareholders, less any early repurchase fee, no later than seven days after the Repurchase Pricing Date (see “Share Repurchases”).
The Fund will not be required to repurchase Shares at a shareholder’s option, and Shares are not exchangeable for interests, shares, or units of any investment of the Fund. Repurchase Offers may be oversubscribed, resulting that Fund shareholders may only be able to have a portion of the Shares they repurchased. The Fund does not intend to list its Shares for trading on any national securities exchange. For this reason, the Shares are not readily marketable. Although the Fund will make quarterly repurchase offers to repurchase a limited portion of its Shares to try to provide some liquidity to shareholders, investors should consider the Shares illiquid.
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(3) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in preparation of its financial statement. The policies are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The Fund is an investment company and, accordingly, follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946, Investment Companies (“ASC 946”). There are no new accounting pronouncements relevant to these financial statements.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the financial statement in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingencies at the date of the financial statement. The Fund believes that these estimates utilized in preparing the financial statement are reasonable and prudent; however, actual results could differ from these estimates.
Federal Income Taxes
No provision is made for U.S. income taxes as it is the Fund’s intention to qualify for and elect the tax treatment applicable to regulated investment companies under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and make the requisite distributions to its shareholders, which will be sufficient to relieve it from U.S. income and excise taxes.
As of April 30, 2024, the Fund had no uncertain tax positions that would require financial statement recognition, de-recognition, or disclosure.
The Fund has followed the authoritative guidance on accounting for and disclosure of uncertainty in tax positions, which requires the Fund to determine whether a tax position is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. Tax positions not deemed to meet the more-likely-than-not threshold would be recorded as tax benefit or expense in the current year. The Fund has determined that there was no effect on the financial statements from following this authoritative guidance. In the normal course of business, the Fund is subject to examination by federal, state and local jurisdictions, where applicable, for tax years for which applicable statutes of limitations have not expired.
Other
The Fund indemnifies its officers and trustees for certain liabilities arising from performing their duties to the Fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Fund may enter into contracts that provide general indemnifications. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is dependent on claims that may be made against the Fund in the future, and therefore, cannot be estimated; however, based on experience, the risk of material loss for such claims is considered remote.
Cash
Cash includes non-interest bearing non-restricted cash with one institution.
C-7
(4) Organizational and Offering Costs
Organizational costs consist of the costs of forming the Fund, drafting of governing documents, administration, custody and transfer agency agreements, legal services in connection with the initial meeting of Board of Trustees (the “Board”) and the Fund’s seed audit costs. Offering costs consist of the costs of preparation, review and filing with the SEC the Fund’s registration statement, the costs of preparation, review and filing of any associated marketing or similar materials, the costs associated with the printing, mailing or other distribution of the Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information or marketing materials, and the amounts of associated filing fees and legal fees associated with the offering.
The Adviser has agreed to pay the Fund’s organizational costs and offering costs already incurred and any additional costs incurred prior to the Commencement of Operations (date on which the Fund is registered and available to the public) of the Fund.
(5) Transactions with Related Parties and Other Service Providers
Management Agreement
Connetic RIA, LLC, located at 910 Madison Ave. Covington, KY 41011, serves as investment adviser to the Fund subject to the supervision of the Fund’s Board, the Adviser manages the investment and reinvestment of the Fund’s assets. The Adviser will serve as the investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to the terms of an investment advisory agreement with the Fund (the “Management Agreement”). Under the terms of the Management Agreement, the Adviser will provide for the management of the Fund including the provision of a continuous investment program for the Fund, including investment research and management with respect to all securities, investments, cash and cash equivalents in the Fund. Investment decisions are subject to the provisions of the Fund’s Declaration of Trust and By-Laws and the 1940 Act. In addition, the Adviser makes decisions consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives, policies, and restrictions as set forth in the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information, and such policies and instructions as the Board may occasionally establish. The Adviser is entitled to receive from the Fund a management fee at an annual rate equal to 1.90% of the Fund’s average daily calculated “NAV, payable monthly in arrears.
The Management Agreement may be terminated without penalty concerning any Fund at any time by a majority vote of the Board or an affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of that Fund, each upon 60 days’ written notice. The Adviser can terminate the Management Agreement on 60 days’ written notice. The Management Agreement may be amended only by an affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the affected Fund(s). The Management Agreement terminates automatically upon its assignment, as defined by the 1940 Act.
The Management Agreement provides for an initial term of two years. Thereafter, it will renew annually so long as such continuance is approved by the vote of either the Board or an affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, and, in either case, by a vote of the majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for voting on such renewal. The Fund has entered into an Expense Limitation Agreement pursuant to which the Adviser has agreed to waive its management fee and/or reimburse Fund expenses to the extent necessary so that the Fund’s total annual operating expenses (excluding any taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses, such as litigation or reorganization costs, but inclusive of organizational costs and offering costs) (“Operating Expenses”) do not exceed 2.65% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to Class I shares.
C-8
The Adviser is entitled to seek reimbursement from the Fund of management fees waived or Fund expenses paid or reimbursed by the Adviser for a period beginning with the Commencement of Operations of the Fund and ending three years after such waiver, payment or reimbursement, provided the repayments do not cause the Fund’s Operating Expenses to exceed the expense limitation in place at the time the management fees were waived and/or the Fund expenses were paid or reimbursed, or any expense limitation in place at the time the Fund would repay the Adviser, whichever is lower.
Other Service Providers
The Fund has entered into an Administration and Fund Accounting Agreement with Gryphon Fund Group (the “Administrator”) under which it performs certain administration, accounting, and transfer agency services for the Fund, including, among other things: customary fund accounting services (including computing the Fund’s NAV), customary transfer agency services, and assisting the Fund with regulatory filings, tax compliance and other oversight activities. The Administrator also serves as the Fund’s dividend reinvestment agent pursuant to the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. For its fund accounting, transfer agency, regulatory and legal administrative services, and tax preparation, compliance and reporting services, the Fund pays the Administrator the greater of a minimum fee or fees based on the annual net assets of the Fund plus out-of-pocket expenses.
Fifth Third Bank N.A. serves as the custodian of the assets of the Fund and may maintain custody of such assets with U.S. and non-U.S. sub-custodians (which may be banks and trust companies), securities depositories and clearing agencies in accordance with the requirements of Section 17(f) of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. Assets of the Fund are not held by the Adviser or commingled with the assets of other accounts other than to the extent that securities are held in the name of the custodian or U.S. or non-U.S. sub-custodians in a securities depository, clearing agency or omnibus customer account of such custodian.
Foreside Financial Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (d/b/a ACA Group) (the “Distributor”), is serving as the Fund’s principal underwriter and acts as the distributor of the Fund’s shares on a commercially reasonable efforts basis, subject to various conditions. The Distributor may retain additional broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries (each a “Selling Agent”) to assist in the distribution of Shares which are available for purchase through these Selling Agents or directly through the Distributor. Generally, Shares are only offered to investors who are U.S. persons for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
FinTech Law, LLC, acts as legal counsel to the Fund.
Trustees and Officers
The Board has overall responsibility to manage and control the business affairs of the Fund, including the complete and exclusive authority to oversee and to establish policies regarding the management, conduct and operation of the Fund’s business. The Board exercises the same powers, authority and responsibilities on behalf of the Fund as are customarily exercised by the board of directors of a registered investment company organized as a corporation. Each “non-interested” receives an annual retainer of $12,000, paid quarterly, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred attending the meetings. The Chair of the Audit Committee receives an additional $5,000 annually. None of the executive officers, except the Chief Compliance Officer, receive compensation from the Fund.
C-9
Related Party
On April 30, 2024, the only shareholder of the Fund is the Adviser.
(6) Beneficial Ownership
Beneficial ownership, directly or indirectly, of more than 25% of a fund’s voting securities creates a presumption of control under Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act. As of the date of this financial statement, the Adviser owned 100% of the Fund’s outstanding Shares.
(7) Subsequent Events
We evaluated all subsequent activity through June 21, 2024, the date these financial statements were made available to be issued, and concluded that no subsequent events have occurred that would require recognition or disclosure in the financial statements.
C-10
908 Investments LLc
(A KENTUCKY limited liability coMPANY)
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
As of and for the period ended
APRIL 30, 2024
C-11
908 INVESTMENTS LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF AND FOR THE PERIOD ENDED
APRIL 30, 2024
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES | 3 |
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS | 4 |
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN MEMBERS’ CAPITAL | 5 |
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS | 6 |
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS | 7 |
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | 13 |
C-12
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Crowe LLP Independent Member Crowe Global |
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
Managing Member of 908 Investments LLC
Covington, Kentucky
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of 908 Investments LLC (the “Fund”), which comprise the statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, as of April 30, 2024, and the related statements of operations, changes in members’ capital and cash flows for the period of March 27, 2024 (inception) through April 30, 2024, and the related notes to the financial statements (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”).
In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of April 30, 2024, and the results of its operations, changes in members’ capital and its cash flows for the period then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAS). Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements section of our report. We are required to be independent of the Fund and to meet our other ethical responsibilities, in accordance with the relevant ethical requirements relating to our audit. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Responsibilities of Management for the Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, and for the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, management is required to evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the Fund’s ability to continue as a going concern for one year from the date the financial statements are available to be issued.
(Continued)
1.
C-13
Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not absolute assurance and therefore is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with GAAS will always detect a material misstatement when it exists.
The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control. Misstatements are considered material if there is a substantial likelihood that, individually or in the aggregate, they would influence the judgment made by a reasonable user based on the financial statements.
In performing an audit in accordance with GAAS, we:
· | Exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. |
· | Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, and design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks. Such procedures include examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. |
· | Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control. Accordingly, no such opinion is expressed. |
· | Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluate the overall presentation of the financial statements. |
· | Conclude whether, in our judgment, there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the Fund’s ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time. |
We are required to communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit, significant audit findings, and certain internal control–related matters that we identified during the audit.
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Crowe LLP |
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
September 25, 2024
2.
C-14
908 investments llc
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
AS OF APRIL 30, 2024
ASSETS | ||||
Investments in securities – at fair value (cost $24,353,561) | $ | 36,899,702 | ||
Cash and Cash equivalents | $ | 869,696 | ||
Total assets | $ | 37,769,398 | ||
LIABILITIES | ||||
Total liabilities | $ | 0 | ||
MEMBERS’ CAPITAL | $ | 37,769,398 |
See accompanying notes
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908 INVESTMENTS LLC
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE PERIOD MARCH 27, 2024 (inception) through APRIL 30, 2024
INCOME | ||||
Interest | $ | 5,838 | ||
EXPENSES | ||||
Bank Fees | $ | 358 | ||
NET INVESTMENT INCOME | $ | 5,480 | ||
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED LOSS ON INVESTMENTS | ||||
Net realized loss on investments | ($ | 49,937 | ) | |
Net unrealized loss on investments | ($ | 785,988 | ) | |
Net realized and unrealized loss on investments | ($ | 835,925 | ) | |
NET DECREASE IN MEMBERS’ CAPITAL RESULTING | ||||
FROM OPERATIONS | ($ | 830,445 | ) |
See accompanying notes
C-16
908 INVESTMENTS LLC
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN MEMBERS CAPITAL
FOR THE PERIOD MARCH 27, 2024 (inception) through APRIL 30, 2024
MEMBERS’ CAPITAL – Beginning of period | $ | 0 | ||
Capital Contributions | $ | 38,599,843 | ||
Net decrease in Members’ capital resulting from operations | ($ | 830,445 | ) | |
MEMBERS’ CAPITAL – End of period | $ | 37,769,398 |
See accompanying notes
C-17
908 INVESTMENTS LLC
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
FOR THE PERIOD MARCH 27, 2024 (inception) through APRIL 30, 2024
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES | ||||
Net decrease in Members’ capital resulting from operations | ($ | 830,445 | ) | |
Adjustments to reconcile net decrease in Members’ capital resulting | ||||
from operations to net cash provided by operating activities: | ||||
Net realized loss on investments | $ | 49,937 | ||
Net unrealized loss on investments | $ | 785,988 | ||
Net interest accretion on investments | ($ | 3,418 | ) | |
Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 2,062 | ||
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES | ||||
Capital Contributions | $ | 867,634 | ||
Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | 867,634 | ||
NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS | $ | 869,696 | ||
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – Beginning of period | $ | 0 | ||
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – End of period | $ | 869,696 | ||
Non-Cash financing activities: | ||||
Non-cash capital contributions | $ | 37,732,208 |
See accompanying notes
C-18
908 Investments llc
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
As of APRIL 30, 2024
Shares | Country | Fair Value | ||||||||
COMMON STOCK - 2.57% | ||||||||||
FINANCIAL SERVICES - 0.10% | ||||||||||
49,160 | Acorns (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 36,919 | ||||||
ROBOTICS - 0.06% | ||||||||||
6,000 | Nuro, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 21,120 | ||||||
SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY - 2.22% | ||||||||||
16,000 | DataRobot, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 44,080 | ||||||
137,080 | Corl Financial Technologies, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | Canada | $ | 410,170 | ||||||
268,000 | MASV, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | Canada | $ | 381,504 | ||||||
$ | 835,754 | |||||||||
TRANSPORTATION - 0.19% | ||||||||||
39,324 | Volato Group, Inc., Class A Shares (a) | United States | $ | 70,390 | ||||||
TOTAL COMMON STOCK - (Cost $533,660) | $ | 964,183 |
Shares | Country | Fair Value | ||||||||
PREFERRED STOCK - 31.00% | ||||||||||
AUDIO TECHNOLOGY - 0.02% | ||||||||||
208,014 | Resonado, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 21 | ||||||
772,917 | Resonado, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 77 | ||||||
$ | 98 | |||||||||
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY - 2.00% | ||||||||||
388,198 | Acricycle Global, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 39 | ||||||
51,411 | Energy Club Holdings (PeaTos) (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 2,571 | ||||||
200,000 | Energy Club Holdings (PeaTos) (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 10,000 | ||||||
26,692 | Free Brands, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 75,000 | ||||||
118,441 | LaSalle Tools, Inc. dba Character (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
4,384 | Made With Love Wellness, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 103,550 | ||||||
829,663 | MANTL, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 203,433 | ||||||
639,004 | MANTL, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 156,684 | ||||||
$ | 751,277 | |||||||||
FINANCIAL SERVICES - 0.66% | ||||||||||
276,304 | Fireroad Holdings Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 250,000 | ||||||
RECREATION SERVICES - 0.00% (g) | ||||||||||
29,396 | Angler Labs, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 1 | ||||||
ROBOTICS - 2.24% | ||||||||||
286,533 | Ottonomy, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 346,103 | ||||||
413,942 | Ottonomy, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 500,001 | ||||||
$ | 846,104 |
See accompanying notes
C-19
908 Investments llc
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
As of APRIL 30, 2024
Shares | Country | Fair Value | ||||||||
PREFERRED STOCK - 31.00% (Continued) | ||||||||||
SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY - 26.08% | ||||||||||
30,552 | Abre.io, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 298,277 | ||||||
500,000 | Athlyt, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 125,000 | ||||||
831,202 | Claira Technologies, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 225,251 | ||||||
645,776 | Claira Technologies, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 175,002 | ||||||
41,263 | Cloverleaf.me, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 169,891 | ||||||
20,091 | Cloverleaf.me, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 82,723 | ||||||
36,430 | Cloverleaf.me, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 150,000 | ||||||
14,481 | Cloverleaf.me, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 59,663 | ||||||
179,109 | Colorcast, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 286,110 | ||||||
104,675 | Colorcast, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 167,208 | ||||||
74,999 | Corl Financial Technologies, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | Canada | $ | 224,412 | ||||||
294,218 | DayZero, Inc. dba Haekka (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 181,481 | ||||||
325,131 | Eighty-Six, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 187,666 | ||||||
215,238 | Elate, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 163,129 | ||||||
5,502 | EquityZen Growth Technology Fund (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 73,177 | ||||||
37,866 | EVAMORE, INC. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 356,932 | ||||||
50,021 | GoSite (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 18,766 | ||||||
30,831 | GoSite (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 19,231 | ||||||
39,453 | HANDLE (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 49,999 | ||||||
17,730 | Healthy Roster, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 65,953 | ||||||
1,020,351 | Journeyfront, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 202,234 | ||||||
756,811 | Journeyfront, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 150,000 | ||||||
428,107 | Letterhead, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 270,820 | ||||||
348,553 | Letterhead, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 220,495 | ||||||
316,155 | Letterhead, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
4,807 | Live Cyber Holdings, Inc (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 96,343 | ||||||
6,718 | Live Cyber Holdings dba Cloud Range (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 134,644 | ||||||
135,900 | MASV, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 190,752 | ||||||
551 | MRC Impact, LLC (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 108,958 | ||||||
239,435 | OpStart Growth, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
104,395 | Out of Office, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
1,302,669 | Passage, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 537,612 | ||||||
177,352 | Quiver Quantitative, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 310,021 | ||||||
115,199 | Quiver Quantitative, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 199,999 | ||||||
53,353 | ReadySet Surgical, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 148,500 | ||||||
664,297 | Science Retail, Inc. dba Science on Call (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
492,902 | Signal Cortex, Inc. dba TonDone (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 234,375 | ||||||
28,248 | SmartRIA (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 88,698 | ||||||
204,083 | SmartRIA (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 640,820 | ||||||
51,903 | SmartRIA (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 162,778 | ||||||
79,618 | SmartRIA (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 250,000 | ||||||
547,970 | TCare, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 385,468 | ||||||
134,405 | TCare, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 125,279 | ||||||
146,972 | TripScout, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 292,607 | ||||||
204,673 | TripScout, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 407,495 | ||||||
58,657 | UBQ AI, Corp. (Harmony) (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,003 | ||||||
20,000 | Venture360/LIQUIFI (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
2,398 | Visible, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 7,218 | ||||||
11,269 | Visible, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 33,920 | ||||||
11,628 | Visible, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 35,000 | ||||||
248,085 | Warp World, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
141,063 | YouBet Technology, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 91,691 | ||||||
385,353 | YouBet Technology, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 250,479 | ||||||
$ | 9,856,080 | |||||||||
TOTAL PREFERRED STOCK - (Cost $10,690,720) | $ | 11,703,560 |
See accompanying notes
C-20
908 Investments llc
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
As of APRIL 30, 2024
Shares | Country | Fair Value | ||||||||
EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS - 10.44% | ||||||||||
LARGE-CAP - 1.99% | ||||||||||
9,481 | ProShares Ultra QQQ 2x Shares | United States | $ | 752,033 | ||||||
SMALL-CAP - 1.34% | ||||||||||
4,740 | Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF | United States | $ | 507,749 | ||||||
TECHNOLOGY - 7.11% | ||||||||||
13,677 | The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund | United States | $ | 2,684,385 | ||||||
TOTAL EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS - (Cost $4,057,837) | $ | 3,944,167 |
Principal Amount ($) | Country | Fair Value | ||||||||
SIMPLEAGREEMENT FOR FUTURE EQUITY CONTRACTS (SAFE) - 27.84% | ||||||||||
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY - 11.57% | ||||||||||
250,000 | A&C Snacks LLC dba Brass Roots (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 10 | ||||||
150,000 | Acricycle Global, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 1 | ||||||
100,000 | Campus Ink, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 294,090 | ||||||
150,000 | Campus Ink, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 244,883 | ||||||
100,000 | Core Supplement, LLC (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
75,000 | Core Supplement, LLC (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 75,000 | ||||||
75,000 | Core Supplement, LLC (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 75,000 | ||||||
200,000 | Dr Pino Inc dba Snoots (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
300,000 | Get Bizzy, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 3,214,732 | ||||||
100,000 | Get Bizzy, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 164,146 | ||||||
$ | 4,367,862 | |||||||||
HOSPITALITY - 0.53% | ||||||||||
200,000 | Branded Hospitality Group (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY - 15.74% | ||||||||||
200,000 | 1Fort Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
100,000 | 4Degrees AV, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
100,000 | 4Degrees AV, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
100,000 | AltExchange, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
200,000 | Banrion Capital Management (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
200,000 | Base Social Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 228,572 | ||||||
250,000 | Chezuba Corp. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 250,000 | ||||||
200,000 | Cognata dba Qooper (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
250,000 | Ebombo, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 250,000 | ||||||
100,000 | FirstIgnite, LTD. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 417,857 | ||||||
150,000 | FirstIgnite, LTD. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 192,857 | ||||||
100,000 | Gestalt Tech Corp. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
100,000 | Creators and Makers, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | Mexico | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
100,000 | Creators and Makers, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | Mexico | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
50,000 | Frenter.com, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | Canada | $ | 37,500 | ||||||
200,000 | Frenter.com, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | Canada | $ | 150,000 | ||||||
125,000 | Gooder AI, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 125,000 | ||||||
250,000 | Houski, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | Canada | $ | 250,000 |
See accompanying notes
C-21
908 Investments llc
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
As of APRIL 30, 2024
Principal Amount ($) | Country | Fair Value | ||||||||
SIMPLE AGREEMENT FOR FUTURE EQUITY CONTRACTS (SAFE) - 27.84% (Continued) | ||||||||||
SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY - 15.74% (Continued) | ||||||||||
150,000 | INTRVL LLC (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 150,000 | ||||||
250,000 | Kommu (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 250,000 | ||||||
100,000 | Narratize, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 154,000 | ||||||
200,000 | Neon Wild, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
250,000 | Omnee Technologies Corp. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 250,000 | ||||||
250,000 | Ownors Technologies Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 250,000 | ||||||
100,000 | Petal (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 18,765 | ||||||
250,001 | Rescription, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 187,500 | ||||||
100,000 | Revnest (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
200,000 | Serpa Cloud, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | Mexico | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
100,000 | Shadowscape, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
200,000 | Smart Family Tech, Inc dba Support Pay (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 200,000 | ||||||
100,000 | Stagetime, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
100,000 | The Nonsense Company, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
100,000 | The Nonsense Company, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
100,000 | ThinkRisk Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 100,000 | ||||||
150,000 | Whipz (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 150,000 | ||||||
250,000 | Worklyfe, Inc. (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 250,000 | ||||||
$ | 5,962,051 | |||||||||
TOTAL SIMPLE AGREEMENT FOR FUTURE EQUITY CONTRACTS (SAFE) - (Cost $7,425,001) | $ | 10,529,913 |
Shares | Country | Fair Value | ||||||||
WARRANTS - 0.01% | ||||||||||
TRANSPORTATION - 0.01% | ||||||||||
12,500 | Volato Group, Inc. - Warrants, Expiration Date 12/1/2028 (a)(c)(d) | United States | $ | 875 | ||||||
TOTAL WARRANTS - (Cost $0) | $ | 875 |
See accompanying notes
C-22
908 Investments llc
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
As of APRIL 30, 2024
Principal Amount ($) | Coupon Rate (% ) | Country | Maturity | Fair Value | ||||||||||||
CONVERTIBLE NOTES - 25.83% | ||||||||||||||||
CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY - 1.07% | ||||||||||||||||
100,000 | Cusa Tea, Inc. (c)(d)(e) | 8.00 | % | United States | 11/14/2025 | $ | 75,000 | |||||||||
100,000 | Energy Club Holdings (PeaTos) (c)(d)(e) | 18.00 | % | United States | 1/24/2027 | $ | 204,784 | |||||||||
250,000 | UnBox The Dress (a)(b)(c)(d)(e) | 5.00 | % | United States | 8/31/2023 | $ | 125,000 | |||||||||
$ | 404,784 | |||||||||||||||
HEALTHCARE - 0.32% | ||||||||||||||||
100,000 | Neopenda, PBC (a)(b)(c)(d)(e) | 5.00 | % | United States | 6/22/2023 | $ | 119,288 | |||||||||
RECREATION SERVICES - 0.00% | ||||||||||||||||
50,000 | Angler Labs, Inc. (c)(d)(e) | 0.00 | % | United States | 5/10/2024 | $ | 1 | |||||||||
SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY - 24.44% | ||||||||||||||||
50,000 | Cary Rx Inc. (a)(b)(c)(d)(e) | 6.00 | % | United States | 12/3/2021 | $ | 1,593,881 | |||||||||
50,000 | Cary Rx Inc. (a)(b)(c)(d)(e) | 6.00 | % | United States | 1/22/2022 | $ | 1,593,881 | |||||||||
250,000 | Cary Rx Inc. (a)(b)(c)(d)(e) | 6.00 | % | United States | 8/17/2022 | $ | 5,266,622 | |||||||||
200,000 | Digitact, Inc. dba Scription Maintenance (c)(d)(e) | 4.00 | % | Canada | 11/14/2024 | $ | 211,660 | |||||||||
50,000 | GoSite, Inc. (c)(d)(e) | 12.00 | % | United States | 11/29/2026 | $ | 157,496 | |||||||||
50,000 | Hatch Apps (a)(b)(c)(d)(e) | 8.00 | % | United States | 11/7/2021 | $ | 37,500 | |||||||||
45,103 | Healthy Roster, Inc. (a)(b)(c)(d)(e) | 8.00 | % | United States | 1/1/2021 | $ | 64,321 | |||||||||
100,000 | Native Agtech, Inc. (c)(d)(e) | 8.00 | % | United States | 12/28/2024 | $ | 118,849 | |||||||||
250,000 | Translator, Inc. (c)(d)(e) | 6.00 | % | United States | 3/29/2025 | $ | 187,481 | |||||||||
$ | 9,231,691 | |||||||||||||||
TOTAL CONVERTIBLE NOTES - (Cost $1,645,103) | $ | 9,755,764 |
See accompanying notes
C-23
908 Investments llc
SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS
As of APRIL 30, 2024
Principal Amount ($) | Coupon Rate (%) | Country | Maturity | Fair Value | ||||||||||||
SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS - 0.01% | ||||||||||||||||
MONEY MARKET FUNDS - 0.01% | ||||||||||||||||
1,240 | Federated Hermes Government Obligations Fund, Institutio | 5.17 | % | United States | 5/1/2024 | $ | 1,240 | |||||||||
TOTAL SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS - (Cost $1,240) | $ | 1,240 | ||||||||||||||
TOTAL INVESTMENTS - 97.70% - (Cost $24,353,561) | $ | 36,899,702 | ||||||||||||||
OTHER ASSETS IN EXCESS OF LIABILITIES - 2.30% | $ | 869,696 | ||||||||||||||
NET ASSETS - - 100.00% | $ | 37,769,398 |
(a) | Non-income producing security. |
(b) | The Adviser has identified that these securities are in default. As of April 30, 2024, these securities amounted to $8,800,494 or 23.30% of net assets. |
(c) | The Adviser has determined that these securities are illiquid. As of April 30, 2024, these securities amounted to $32,883,907 or 87.06% of net assets. |
(d) | The value of these securities have been determined in good faith under the Adviser's fair valuation policy. As of April 30, 2024, these securities amounted to $32,883,907 or 87.06% of net assets. |
(e) | Fixed interest rate security. |
(f) | Rate disclosed is the seven day effective yield as of April 30, 2024. |
(g) | Rounds to less than 0.01%. |
See accompanying notes
C-24
908 Investments llc
notes to the financial statements
As of and for the period ended APRIL 30, 2024
(1) Organization and Activity
Nature of Operations — 908 Investments, LLC (the “Company”), a Kentucky limited liability company, was formed and commenced operations on March 27, 2024. The Company is governed by the Operating Agreement dated March 27, 2024 (the “Agreement”). The Company was organized to acquire, hold, and sell portfolio securities, cash, or other property (each an “Investment” and together the “Investments”) that are issued to the Company and to manage the Investments. On March 29, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Agreement”) with CFSPV5 LLC and SeedFund SPV LLC, each a Kentucky limited liability company (collectively the “Acquired Companies”), whereby the Acquired Companies merged with and into the Company. At the time of the merger, title to all real and personal property owned by the Acquired Companies were vested into the Company.
Wendal, Inc. a corporation organized and existing under and by the virtue of the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, was the initial Member of 908 Investments, LLC. Since the initial formation, additional Membership Interests have been transferred to additional Members in accordance with the Agreement. Connetic RIA LLC, a Kentucky limited liability company, is the investment adviser (the “Adviser”) to the Company and is responsible for the overall management of its Investments. The Adviser is registered with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Plan of Reorganization — Connetic Venture Capital Access Fund (the “Fund”) is a Delaware statutory trust that is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a diversified, closed-end management company that operates as an “interval fund.” The Fund is expected to acquire all the assets and liabilities of the Company in a tax-free reorganization on or about October 2, 2024 (the “Reorganization”). In connection with the Reorganization, Membership Interests in the Company will be exchanged for Class I Shares of the Fund. The Adviser will bear the organizational and initial offering costs of the Fund and the costs of the Reorganization.
(2) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Principles of Presentation — The financial statements of the Company are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Company is considered an investment company under GAAP and follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance.
Cash and Cash Equivalents – Cash and cash equivalents represent cash held at Republic Bank and Trust Company and Fifth Third Securities, Inc. As of April 30, 2024, balances of cash and cash equivalents at Republic Bank and Trust Company exceeded the federally insured limit of $250,000 by $622,768. These balances may fluctuate significantly during the year.
Valuation of Investments in Securities — Pursuant to the Adviser’s Valuation Policy and Procedures, securities for which exchange quotations are readily available are valued at the closing price or, if no shares or principal amounts are traded on such exchange that day, at the closing bid price. Investments for which exchange quotations are not readily available are valued using (i) over-the-counter quotations; (ii) prices furnished by investment services firms (such as brokers, dealers or other entities); or (iii) estimated fair values as determined by the Adviser in good faith using methods and procedures established by the Adviser. These methods are more fully described in note 3. Investments for which exchange quotations are not readily available may include specific classes or series of an issuer’s equity or debt securities, as well as other interests.
Investment Transactions and Related Investment Income — Investment transactions are accounted for on a trade-date basis. Dividends are recorded on the ex-dividend date and interest is recognized on the accrual basis. For purposes of determining net realized gains and losses, the Company uses the specific identification method.
Income Taxes — The Company adheres to authoritative guidance for uncertainty in income taxes. This guidance requires the Company to determine whether a tax position of the Company is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the applicable taxing authority, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefit to be recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement, which could result in the Company recording a tax liability that would reduce Members’ capital. The Company reviews and evaluates tax positions in its major tax jurisdictions and determines whether or not there are uncertain tax positions that require financial statement recognition. Based on this review, the Company has determined the major tax jurisdictions to be where the Company is organized and where the Company makes investments; however, no reserves for uncertain tax positions were required to have been recorded as a result of the application of such guidance.
C-25
No provision for income taxes has been made in the accompanying financial statements, as the Members are individually responsible for reporting income or loss based on their respective share of the Company’s revenues or expenses for income tax purposes. Additionally, the Company is not aware of any tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits will change materially in the next twelve months. As a result, no income tax liability or expense has been recorded in the accompanying financial statements.
Use of Estimates — The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts disclosed in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates and such differences may be material.
Indemnities — The Company enters into certain contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications. The Company’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown; however, the Adviser expects the risk of loss with respect to these indemnification provisions to be remote.
Schedule of Investments — The type, industry, and geographic classifications included in the Schedule of Investments represent the Adviser’s belief as to the most meaningful presentation of the classification of the Company’s investments.
(3) Related Party Transactions
The Adviser is entitled to receive a monthly management fee (the “Management Fee”) of 1/12 of 2.00% (2.00% annually) of the value of such Members’ capital account as of the end of each month payable by each Member (before any redemptions as of such month-end). The Adviser may, at its sole discretion but with the consent of the Members directly affected, modify the Management Fee. The Adviser may at its sole discretion waive the Management Fee. For the period, March 27, 2024 through April 30, 2024, all Management Fees were waived. The Adviser has agreed to pay the Company’s operating costs already incurred and any additional costs incurred prior to the Reorganization. Operating costs include costs of forming the Company, drafting of governing documents, administration, legal services and the Company’s audit costs.
Wendal, Inc., the Managing Member of the Company, maintains a Member balance in the Company totaling 7.38% of the overall Members’ capital at April 30, 2024.
(4) Fair Value Measurement
The Company uses a framework for measuring fair value and provides disclosures about fair value measurements. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy prioritizes and ranks the inputs in valuation techniques to measure fair value and gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurement) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurement). The fair value hierarchy is categorized into three levels based on the inputs as follows:
Level 1 — Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access. Since valuations are based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market, valuation of these securities does not entail a significant degree of judgment.
Level 2 — Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly, and fair value is determined through use of models or other valuation methodologies. Observable inputs are those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company.
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Level 3 — Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement, and fair value is determined through use of models or other valuation methodologies. Unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s assumptions about the inputs market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability and are developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.
Valuation Processes
The Adviser establishes valuation processes and procedures to ensure that the valuation techniques for investments that are categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy are fair, consistent, and verifiable. The Adviser designates a Valuation Committee to oversee the entire valuation process of the Company’s Level 3 investments. Various personnel of the Adviser and Member comprise the Valuation Committee, which in turn report to the Member. The Valuation Committee is responsible for developing the Adviser’s written valuation policies and procedures, conducting periodic reviews of the valuation policies, and evaluating the overall fairness and consistent application of the valuation policies.
The Valuation Committee meets daily to determine the valuations of the Company’s Level 3 investments; Level 3 valuations determined by the Company are required to be supported by market data, industry accepted third-party pricing models, or other methods the Valuation Committee deems to be appropriate, including the use of internal pricing models.
Valuation Techniques
Investments in Private Equity and Warrants — The Company’s investments in private equity may include direct private equity (common or preferred stock) investments, Simple Agreements for Future Equity (SAFEs), and Convertible Notes. The Company may also receive warrants from its portfolio companies upon an investment in the debt or equity of a portfolio company. The transaction price, excluding transaction costs, is typically the Company’s best estimate of fair value upon acquisition of the security. When evidence supports a change to the carrying value from the acquisition price, the Adviser shall then make adjustments to reflect expected exit values in the investment’s principal market under current market conditions.
As it relates to these equity and equity-like investments, ongoing reviews by the Adviser are based on an assessment of trends in the performance of each underlying investment from the acquisition date through the most recent valuation date. These assessments typically incorporate valuation methodologies that consider (1) the market approach that includes a comparative analysis of acquisition multiples and pricing multiples generated by market participants; (2) the evaluation of arm’s length financing and sale transactions with third parties; or (3) a liquidation approach.
The Adviser may use multiple valuation methodologies for a particular investment and estimate its fair value based on a weighted average or a selected outcome within a range of multiple valuation results.
Certain of the Company’s private equity and warrant investments may be subject to certain legal transfer restrictions pursuant to applicable securities laws and/or contractual restrictions pursuant to underlying agreements for such securities executed by the Company, none of which the Adviser believes would result in a discount being applied in connection with the Company’s valuation policies and procedures. Private equity and warrant investments are generally included in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
C-27
For the period ended April 30, 2024, there have been no changes in valuation techniques used within the Level 3 fair value hierarchy that have resulted in a significant impact on the valuation of the financial instruments.
Investments in Securities | Unadjusted Quoted Price in Active Markets (Level 1) | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Balance as of April 30, 2024 | ||||||||||||
Common Stock | $ | 70,390 | $ | - | $ | 893,793 | $ | 964,183 | ||||||||
Preferred Stock | - | - | 11,703,560 | 11,703,560 | ||||||||||||
Exchange Traded Funds | 3,944,167 | - | - | 3,944,167 | ||||||||||||
Convertible Notes | - | - | 9,755,764 | 9,755,764 | ||||||||||||
SAFEs | - | - | 10,529,913 | 10,529,913 | ||||||||||||
Warrants | - | - | 875 | 875 | ||||||||||||
Short Term Investments | 1,240 | - | - | 1,240 | ||||||||||||
$ | 4,015,797 | $ | - | $ | 32,883,905 | $ | 36,899,702 | |||||||||
Cash Equivalents | $ | 869,696 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | 869,696 |
As indicated in the table below, there were no transfers out of Level 3.
The following table includes a roll-forward of the amounts for the period ended April 30, 2024, for financial instruments classified within Level 3:
Common Stock | Preferred Stock | Convertible Notes | SAFEs | Warrants | Total | |||||||||||||||||||
Fair Value March 27, 2024 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | ||||||||||||
Contributions | 1,167,239 | 11,954,071 | 9,725,355 | 10,594,648 | 875 | 33,442,188 | ||||||||||||||||||
Interest Income | - | - | 3,418 | - | - | 3,418 | ||||||||||||||||||
Change in unrealized gain/(loss) | (273,446 | ) | (250,511 | ) | 26,991 | (64,735 | ) | - | (561,701 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Fair Value April 30, 2024 | $ | 893,793 | $ | 11,703,560 | $ | 9,755,764 | $ | 10,529,913 | $ | 875 | $ | 32,883,905 |
The following table summarizes the valuation techniques and significant unobservable inputs used for the Company's investments that are categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy as of April 30, 2024:
Fair Value at April 30, 2024 | Valuation Technique | Unobservable Inputs | Range of Inputs | |||||||
Assets (at fair value) Investments | ||||||||||
Preferred Stock | $ | 11,703,560 | Market Approach | Revenue Multiple | 2.15x - 13.02x | |||||
Public Market Index Performance | 29% - 39% | |||||||||
Comparable Share Offering | ||||||||||
Common Stock | $ | 893,793 | Market Approach | Revenue Multiple | 3.40x | |||||
Comparable Share Offering | ||||||||||
SAFEs | $ | 10,529,913 | Market Approach | Revenue Multiple | 3.34x - 3.60x | |||||
Comparable Share Offering | ||||||||||
Convertible Notes | $ | 9,755,764 | Market Approach | Revenue Multiple | 3.16x - 4.46x | |||||
Public Market Index Performance | 87% | |||||||||
Comparable Share Offering | ||||||||||
Warrants | $ | 875 | Intrinsic Value | Strike Price Per Share | $11.50 |
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(5) Members’ Capital
The Members have contributed to the Company the amounts, in the form of cash, property, services, or a promissory note or other obligation (the “Capital Contributions”) set out in the Members Schedule. No Member is required to make additional Capital Contributions to the Company.
The Company established and maintains for each Member a separate capital account (a “Capital Account”) on its books and records following the provisions of Section 704(b) of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv). Each Capital Account is (i) credited by such Member’s Capital Contributions to the Company and any profits allocated to such Member and (ii) debited by any distributions to such Member and any losses allocated to such Member. Profits and losses are determined to maintain the Members’ Capital Accounts. The Capital Accounts are adjusted by the Adviser if the Adviser determines that such adjustments are necessary or appropriate to reflect the relative economic interests of the Members.
Additional Members’ may be admitted from time to time in connection with the issuance of Membership Interests by the Company or a transfer of Membership Interests. For any Person not already a Member of the Company to be admitted as a Member, the Person must execute and deliver to the Company subscription documents in the form approved by the Adviser.
No Member is entitled to withdraw any part of its Capital Account or to receive any distribution from the Company, except under limited provisions within in the Agreement. As long as a Member continues to hold any Membership Interest, the Member does not have the ability to withdraw as a Member before the dissolution and winding up of the Company.
All Member capital activity for the period ended April 30, 2024, is disclosed on the Statement of Changes in Members’ Capital. On March 29, the Company entered into the Agreement with the Acquired Companies, whereby the Acquired Companies merged with and into the Company. At the time of the merger, title to all real and personal property owned by the Acquired Companies were vested into the Company. The non-cash contributions disclosed on the Statement of Cash Flows were the assets of predecessor funds measured at fair value in accordance with the methods described in note 3.
(6) Financial Highlights
Financial highlights for the period March 27, 2024 (inception) through April 30, 2024:
Total return | (2.20)% |
Ratios to average limited Members’ capital: | |
Expenses | 0.00% |
Net investment income | 0.01% |
(7) Risks
Set forth below are some of the risks that the Company may be subject to:
Closed-End Company; Limited Liquidity of Shares. The Company is a diversified, closed-end management investment company designed for long-term investors. The Company is neither a liquid investment nor a trading vehicle. You should not invest in the Company if you need a liquid investment. Closed-end funds differ from open-end management investment companies (commonly known as mutual funds) in that investors in a closed-end fund do not have the right to redeem their shares daily.
C-29
The Company’s Membership Interests are not listed for trading on any securities exchange and are not publicly traded. There is currently no secondary market for the Membership Interests, and you should not rely on any secondary market developing for them.
The Adviser may not be able to dispose of a portfolio investment when it desires to do so. In some instances, the sale of securities and other obligations owned by the Company may require lengthy negotiations. In the event of the dissolution of the Company, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to divest or otherwise dispose of all of its investments prior to making its final liquidating distributions.
Reliance on the Adviser. The Company has no employees and instead depends on the investment expertise, skill, and network of business contacts of the Adviser. The Company’s success depends to a significant extent on the continued service and coordination of the Adviser’s professionals. The departure of any of the Adviser’s professionals could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
Potential Reliance on Projections. In selecting and monitoring Company investments, the Adviser will occasionally rely upon projections, forecasts, or estimates developed by the Adviser or by a portfolio company in which the Company is invested or is considering investing in the portfolio company’s future performance and cash flow. Projections, forecasts, and estimates are forward-looking statements based on certain assumptions. Actual events are difficult to predict and beyond the Company’s control and may differ materially from those assumed.
Valuation Risk. The Company is subject to valuation risk, which is the risk that one or more of the securities in which the Company invests are valued and held on its books at prices that it cannot obtain upon sale due to factors such as incomplete data, market instability, or human error. The Adviser may, but is not required to, use an independent pricing service or prices provided by dealers to value securities at their market value. Because the secondary markets for certain Investments may be limited, such instruments may be difficult to value. When market quotations are unavailable, the Adviser may price such Investments under various methodologies, such as computer-based analytical modeling or individual security evaluations. These methodologies generate approximations of market values, and there may be significant professional disagreement about the best methodology for a particular type of financial instrument or different methodologies that might be used under different circumstances. In the absence of an actual market transaction, reliance on such methodologies is essential but may introduce significant variances in the ultimate valuation of the Investments. Technological issues or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers may also impact the Company’s ability to value its Investments and the calculation of its Net Asset Value (“NAV”).
Legal, Litigation, and Regulatory Action Risk. The Company, the Adviser, and their affiliates are subject to several unusual risks, including changing laws and regulations, developing interpretations of them, and increased scrutiny by regulators and law enforcement authorities. These risks and potential consequences are often difficult or impossible to predict, avoid, or mitigate in advance and might make some investments unavailable to the Company. The effect on the Company, the Adviser, or any affiliate of any such legal risk, litigation, or regulatory action could be substantial and adverse. In addition, any litigation may consume substantial amounts of the Adviser’s time and attention. That time and the devotion of resources to litigation may, at times, be disproportionate to the amounts at stake.
General Market Conditions Risk. Various sectors of the global financial markets have been experiencing an extended period of adverse conditions. Market uncertainty has increased dramatically, particularly in the United States and Europe, and adverse market conditions have expanded to other markets. These conditions have disrupted the global markets, periods of reduced liquidity, and greater volatility. These volatile and often difficult global market conditions have episodically adversely affected the market values of equity and other securities. This volatility may continue, and conditions could deteriorate even further. Some of the largest banks and companies across many sectors of the economy in the United States and Europe have declared bankruptcy, entered into insolvency, administration, or similar proceedings, been nationalized by government authorities, and/or agreed to merge with or be acquired by other banks or companies that had been considered their peers. The long-term impact of these events is uncertain but could continue to have a material effect on general economic conditions, consumer and business confidence, and market liquidity.
Bankruptcies and Reorganizations. The Company may invest in securities and other obligations of issuers that are in financial difficulty, and may be in, entering, or emerging from, bankruptcy proceedings. Bankruptcy or other insolvency proceedings are highly complex and may result in unpredictable outcomes. In any investment opportunity involving work-outs, liquidations, spin-offs, reorganizations, bankruptcies and similar transactions, there exists the risk that the contemplated transaction either may be unsuccessful, take considerable time or result in a distribution of cash or a new security the value of which is less than the purchase price paid by the Company of the security or other financial instrument in respect of which such distribution is received. Similarly, if an anticipated transaction does not in fact occur, the Company may be required to sell its investment at a loss. Because there is a substantial uncertainty concerning the outcome of transactions involving financially troubled companies in which the Company may invest, there is a potential risk of loss by the Company of its entire investment in such companies.
C-30
(8) Subsequent Events
The Company has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through September 25, 2024, the date on which the financial statements were available to be issued. There were no events that required adjustment or disclosure.
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PART C - OTHER INFORMATION
Item 25. Financial Statements and Exhibits
1. Financial Statements
Part A: None.
Part B: Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Statement of Assets and Liabilities, Statement of Operations, and Notes to Financial Statements (to be filed by amendment)
2. Exhibits
a(1). | Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust2 | |
a(2). | Certificate of Trust1 | |
a(3). | Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Trust2 | |
b. | Amended and Restated By-Laws2 | |
c. | Voting Trust Agreements: None | |
d. | Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders. See Article III, “Shares” and Article V “Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings” of the Registrant's Agreement and Declaration of Trust. See also, Article III, “Meetings of Shareholders” of the Registrant’s By-Laws. | |
e. | Not applicable. | |
f. | Not applicable. | |
g. | Form of Investment Advisory Agreement with Connetic RIA LLC2 | |
h(1). | Distribution Agreement with Foreside Financial Services, LLC3 | |
h(2). | Form of Dealer Agreement, to be filed by amendment. | |
i. | Bonus, profit sharing, pension and similar arrangements for Fund Trustees and Officers: None. | |
j. | Custodian Agreement with Fifth Third Bank, N.A.2 | |
k(1). | Master Services Agreement with Gryphon Fund Group3 | |
k(2). | Form of Expense Limitation Agreement with Connetic RIA LLC2 | |
k(3). | Shareholder Services Plan.4 | |
l(1). | Opinion and Consent of Counsel as to the legality of securities being registered3 | |
l(2). | Consent of Counsel4 | |
m. | Non-resident Trustee Consent to Service of Process: Not applicable | |
n. | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm4 | |
o. | Omitted Financial Statements: None | |
p. | Not applicable. | |
q. | Model Retirement Plan: None | |
r(1). | Code of Ethics of the Fund3 | |
r(2). | Code of Ethics of the Adviser3 | |
r(3). | Code of Ethics of the Distributor, not applicable per Rule 17j-1(c)(3). | |
s. | Not applicable. | |
t. | Powers of Attorney3 |
1. | Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 filed on October 6, 2023. | |
2. | Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 filed on April 16, 2024. | |
3. | Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-2 filed on June 28, 2024. | |
4. | Filed herewith. |
Item 26. Marketing Arrangements Not Applicable.
Item 27. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
Not applicable.
Item 28. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant
The Adviser is wholly-owned by Wendal, Inc.
Item 29. Number of Holders of Securities as of September 13, 2024:
Title of Class | Number of Record Holders |
Class I Shares | 1 |
Item 30. Indemnification
Reference is made to Article V Section 5.2 of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”), filed as Exhibit (a)(1) hereto, and to Section 7 of the Registrant’s Distribution Agreement, to be filed as Exhibit (h)(1) hereto. The Registrant hereby undertakes that it will apply the indemnification provisions of the Declaration of Trust and Distribution Agreement in a manner consistent with Release 40-11330 of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), so long as the interpretation therein of Sections 17(h) and 17(i) of the 1940 Act remains in effect. The Registrant maintains insurance on behalf of any person who is or was an independent trustee, officer, employee, or agent of the Registrant against certain liability asserted against and incurred by, or arising out of, his or her position. However, in no event will the Registrant pay that portion of the premium, if any, for insurance to indemnify any such person for any act for which the Registrant itself is not permitted to indemnify.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”) may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, trustee, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser
A description of any other business, profession, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature in which the investment adviser of the Registrant, and each member, director, executive officer, or partner of any such investment adviser, is or has been, at any time during the past two fiscal years, engaged in for his or her own account or in the capacity of member, trustee, officer, employee, partner or director, is set forth in the Registrant's prospectus in the section entitled “Management of the Fund.” Information as to the members and officers of the Adviser is included in its Form ADV as filed with the SEC (File No. 801-130512), and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 32. Location of Accounts and Records
Gryphon Fund Group, the Fund’s administrator, maintains certain required accounting related and financial books and records of the Registrant at 3000 Auburn Drive, Ste. 410, Beachwood, OH 44122. The other required books and records are maintained by the Adviser at 910 Madison Avenue, Covington, KY 41011.
Item 33. Management Services Not Applicable.
Item 34. Undertakings
1. | Not applicable. |
2. | Not applicable. |
3. | The Registrant undertakes: |
a. | to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement: |
(1) | To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act. |
(2) | To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement. |
(3) | To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement. |
b. | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of those securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and |
c. | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. |
d. | Each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A under the 1933 Act, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use. |
e. | That for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the 1933 Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of securities: |
The undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to the purchaser:
(1) | any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act; |
(2) | the portion of any advertisement pursuant to Rule 482 under the 1933 Act relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and |
(3) | any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser. |
4. | Not Applicable. |
5. | Not applicable. |
6. | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 1933 Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
7. | The Registrant undertakes to send by first class
mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery, within two business days
of receipt of a written or oral request, any Statement of Additional Information. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Covington State of Kentucky, on the 30th day of September, 2024.
CONNETIC VENTURE CAPITAL ACCESS FUND | |||
By: | /s/ David Ross | ||
Name: David Ross | |||
Title: President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this amendment to the registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates.
/s/David Ross | September 30, 2024 | ||
David Ross, Trustee, President and Principal Executive Officer | Date | ||
* | September 30, 2024 | ||
David Hyland, Trustee | Date | ||
* | September 30, 2024 | ||
Tony Schweier, Trustee | Date | ||
* | September 30, 2024 | ||
Todd Foley, Trustee | Date | ||
/s/Rob Silva | September 30, 2024 | ||
Rob Silva, Treasurer, Principal Accounting and Principal Financial Officer | Date | ||
* By: /s/ David Ross | September 30, 2024 | ||
David Ross, Attorney-in-Fact | Date |
* | Attorney-in-fact pursuant to Powers of Attorney. |
Exhibit Index
k(3) | Shareholder Services Plan |
l(2) | Consent of FinTech Law LLC |
n | Consent of Crowe LLP |